| Author | Message | ||
     F_skinner |
I decided to quit smoking. My last smoke was 0500 Friday morning. I quit once before but do not remember it like this. My concentration is non existent, I can not stop shaking. Seems like the withdraws are pretty bad this time. I snapped at Lynn and I never do that. My theory was to stay busy so I went grocery shopping, washed the truck, paid bills and other small things. I keep heading toward the garage to have a smoke when I realized that I quit. Luckily I do not have any smokes in the house and Lynn is supportive. I do not want to chew the gum or get the patch because I have to believe that I have enough will power to do this. Any tips from those of you that have done this cold turkey without the patch and gum. Thanks Frank | ||
| Rocketsprink |
stick with. It's hard, but if I can do it, anyone can! | ||
| Spiderman |
best advice, stay away from those who smoke! I noticed that not being around it made me not want it. The hardest thing for me was driving and smoking. I stopped drink beer for a while as well, since that was another thing that went well with smokes... | ||
| Aesquire |
Feel free to try one of the drugs. I tried the antidepressant one, and it killed the cravings, but cranked my ADD to 11. Also ringing in the ears. I was good after giving up the drug, for a few months..I did fall off the wagon when camping with a bunch of chain smokers...dang it. The new one? I have a bottle, and am thinking about it... It's only a crutch while you're using it, and like a crutch, it's to help you heal, and to be abandoned when you can move on. So don't be afraid of them. The patch & gum? Darn hard to light. Good luck. | ||
| Gohot |
THREE DAYS, GET to day three, then it will get easier, if you need that smoke in the throat feel, take a deep breath like as if you were hitting a joint, take three or four deep breaths, that will sate the throat need thing, GOOD luck....friend.... | ||
| Court |
Not sure if this will help but I am REALLY proud of you. It's a TOUGH deal. It's a terribly addictive habit. One of the reasons I quit was because I am just having way too much damn fun being alive and, I'm willing to check out . . .but I am going to do nothing stupid to accelerate the process. I quit drinking 20 odd years ago when I was flying a lot . . . and then quit smoking . . . I've precious few vices left. Stick with it and be sure to tell Lynn you love her and how much her support means. I think it's VERY COOL that you quit! Best wishes . . . and I, for one . . . am hoping we're riding S2's 30 years from now! Court | ||
| Hex |
It's the worst addiction I have ever had to overcome (ALL the other drugs are in fact easier to quit imo). I used the patch. You will know how insidious it is when you wake up in the morning craving your patch. If I had to, I would use the patch for the rest of my life instead of it. +1 get to day three. The next milestone is two weeks, then three months. After that it's gone until you take that first one again. If you have been at it for a while, your brain has been pertinently rewired. Just one taste will set you straight back to where you are right now. Never take that first one again. I wish you strength to over come it. Come here to ease the pain. | ||
| Dentguy |
 Glad to hear it and don't give up. I have never smoked, but both my parents did and my brother. Two out of the three still do. I understand it is a very addictive habit, but my father quit cold turkey. It can be done. Stay strong. | ||
| Ourdee |
+1 on the Three days being the worst. Get some real lemon juice or some real lemons an put a little in a glass of cold water. I've been off the drink for 15 years and off the tobacco for 25. I admire you for quitting. What helped me was my Dad quit, I changed jobs, and I moved to a different country. Hang in there. You will get healthier for the next 10 years. | ||
| Road_thing |
Stick with it, Frank! rt | ||
| Bads1 |
Frank I quit smoking 8 years ago. My oldest Brother passed of Cancer and I was at bed side to say goodbye. The thing is it wasn't him that made me quit. It was seeing what the effects of smoking and the pain it can bring on. I walked out of the Hospital and threw my pack in the garbage. I had no withdrawl symptoms. It scared me that much. I tried quiting before and I couldn't make it even a day. So when I walked out and made that decsion I went two days later after sitting down with my wife figuring out what I spent a month on smoking. I was smoking 3 packs a day at $4.15. That was $373.50 a month....Wow!!! So what I did was spent that money on something I could show something for. I bought a brand new Toyota 4 Runner. Yes I chewed lots of gum. It was a hand to mouth habit. The gum in time got to where I didn't need it anylonger. I however don't agree with Spidey to stay away from people that smoke. You have to confront the demon sooner or later. Hell I run a bar. Everyone is smoking from cubans to roll your own. I had no choice. But I since paid off that truck. Also bought a bike or two. Do me a favor though. Your appetite may go through the roof. Smoking speeds up you metabolism and quiting slows it down. If your not careful you'll gain weight fast. I was a 165 lbs. 10 years ago. Now I'm 215-220. I put that all on in one year... yes one year. My wife was worried about my heart. So she kept an eye on me. Great to have CCU heart nurse for a wife. But to be honest. You'll be glad you did. Fight it...you'll win if you want it bad enough. Its all in your head. (Message edited by bads1 on January 23, 2010) | ||
| Whatever |
Quitting smoking was a beeeeoooooottttch !!! I smoked about five years, 3 to 4 cigarettes a day. Thought I was never really hooked, but then I had the death of someone very close to me and I got up to two packs a day. That scared the living ppppooooopppppy out of me and I quit a week later... keep at it, even if you slip. One cigarette does not have to mean a return to a full blown addiction. I took Wellbutrin and it helped greatly with cravings. The cravings come up even 12 years later. Sometimes they are overwhelming. In 2006 I smoked two cigarettes and ended up puking my guts up about ten minutes later. Have not wanted a cigarette since. Good Luck !!!  | ||
| Hex |
I've puked my guts out on nik gum, and lost a day of work because of it.  | ||
| Xb12xmike |
I smoked a pack a day for 30+ years and this 24th will be 2 years. Cold turkey huh?? Thats tough. I would take some golden seal, do some extra cardio, walking machine will work.. do some sweating. Drink lots of liquids. OR... Go for a very long ride!! Then do it again!! | ||
| Brumbear |
I quit some 10 years ago only thing I can tell you is get mad at cigerettes for f####g things up for you that worked for me and after 3 -5 days the physical stuff waynes but the mental part is strong cravings for awhile but it will pass. Good Luck I am rooting for you | ||
| Capital_g |
The first to time I (really) quit was for 3-4 years. Then I started back... the second time was even harder than the first; it seemed impossible even though I knew I had done it once. My advice - STAY BUSY!!! That's what worked for me; it looks like that is what you are doing so keep at it. Believe it or not, everything taste better now ; food and yes even beer! | ||
| Etennuly |
I never smoked either, my dad 'showed' me by his example of three packs a day. I remembered how when I was maybe six or so, how that big strong hero of mine, my dad, could not even get out of bed in the mornings until he lit up one of his Paul Malls. He would cough and shake until his second puff on one. He claimed he quit cold turkey when his doctor showed him what was lying in wait in his lungs at about the age of fifty five. But he continued with a pipe and cigars. At sixty eight he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer, at seventy two they took out his esophagus and most of his stomach. He made it to seventy five. The last two and a half being fed through a stomach tube. Not too bad for a guy who started smoking when he was eleven. I'm not sure I believe all of that taking so many days off of your life for so much time of smoking, but I know for a fact, it can make the last three years of your life an expensive, terrifying, horrible experience for yourself and everyone close to you. Our family went through it with my grand parents, parents, aunts and uncles, and cousins. Oddly, those of us left of my family on both sides, over thirty five, never smoked(I never realized that until now).  I'm coming down now. It is just that I particularly loved my dad. I want to congratulate you on what I know is a tough thing to do. But more than that I want to thank you, for your family's sake. I wish you the best in this endeavor. | ||
| Xb12xmike |
I bought a bunch of peanuts, cashews etc. any kind of snacks, sugarfree gum, beef jerky, I also bought some of those Atomic Balls (the real hot ones) for when I really felt the urge. It helped. Switch your normal eating routines switching from coffee to "tea only" for the 1st week helped me alot. | ||
| Buelltours |
stopped smoking the day I got married, 2.5 years ago. I bought a 4 week supply of CHANTIX for $100 and popped a pill each day. Even though it may only be a placebo, the fact that I spent so much money made me go through with it. I suspected correctly that would work for me..... Good luck, Frank!  | ||
| Oldog |
Frank Good on you! I quit cigarettes 2 years ago I had started and stopped it is tough, I had an unpleasant heart cath experience, they aint doing that again so I quit the addiction is tough, get mad at them I second you need to be warrie of situations and social settings for now, its one day at a time, I smoke a few cigars each year, but never another cigarette. you will make it! and a lotta bad webbers are pullin for you! GO FRANK GO! | ||
| Bhillberg |
dip, it's tasty just kidding, I am currently a slave to nicotine but good for you!! (Message edited by bhillberg on January 23, 2010) | ||
| Kenm123t |
on Sport bike forum the only thing smoked should ne tires | ||
| Timo31 |
I am almost at 3 months here. I smoked a pack a day for 15 years. I used the free patches that were provided through my work. I can't imagine trying cold turkey, good luck. I agree that after 3-5 days it gets easier. I have also found that when my still smoking friends go outside for one, when they come back I can now smell it and it is disgusting. Now anytime I have a craving I just look at my Quitter app on my iphone, as of right now it has been 2 months 28 days and I have saved about $440. That's motivation! | ||
| Ninefortheroad |
The next time the craving starts to come over you, look at what time it is. Refuse to succumb to the craving. When the craving begins to subside look at the time again. I would guess it is only about two minutes later! So that says you only have to beat the craving for about 2 minutes at a time when it strikes! You can last two minutes! It does get easier after about three days. You must have your mind made up you can do it, because.... You Can Do It! ...by fighting it one craving at a time for two minutes a time! | ||
| Fung |
Stick with it! It gets easer. Smoking sucks! Nothing wrong with using the patch if its what works. Think of all the extra cash. $5 a day ads up. (Message edited by fung on January 23, 2010) | ||
| Pso |
Sorry about a long post but this may be one of the toughest thing you do, great for you. I smoked 1 to 2 packs a day from 13 y/o to 42. I was lucky when I quite I got sicker than I have ever been for about 4 or 5 days. could barley keep jello down. Also as stated earlier, alcohol potentiates nicotine and vic versa, thus there are people that only smoke when drinking. Also small quantities start to put pre-frontal cortex to sleep and that is executive functoning or ability to say no. Also when I stopped I found that if I was around smokers, even several years later, I would have minor cravings the next morning. I found these interesting instead of tempting. As had been said previously, watch the clock, your cravings will still come however less frequently and less intensly with less duration, but you must be alert to the change or you will not recognize the great progress you are makeing. I aso got a copy of the Bob Newhart skit where he is calling the Queen as Sir Walter Raleigh. he talks about the strange customs of these natives in the new word, they have this tendancy to shove leaves in their mouths and then set them on fire. As stated above most folks I know in 12 step programs say that stopping smoking was the most difficult addiction they have ever need to conquire (other than Heoin and methA). The last thing I told myself was that when I am 70 Y/O I would give myself permission to smoke a cigare if I wanted to. Good luck and we are with you for your commitment to yourself and also the ones you love and wholove you. | ||
| Bartimus |
Stick with it Frank! Deb and I quit a year ago, and it was hell! We fell off the wagon at a party, had a smoke with a friend, thought it would be harmless, and next thing we knew, we were smoking again. It is hard, we used Chantex, it takes away the craving and makes it much easier. But being around other smokers makes it tough, cuz your just one bummed cigarette away from becoming a smoker again. Stick with it my friend, we are proud of you! | ||
| Jumpinjewels |
4 week supply of CHANTIX Frank, being in the line of work that I am, I must say I don't like pushing drugs. However, that being said, I've talked to many people who have tried drugs and it helped a lot, according to them. I've never smoked but had 3 out of 6 people in my family smoke. It's a tough habit to quit but you can do it. Altho, I'll miss seeing all your pictures with a cig in your mouth  Oh, and hang in there Lynn (Message edited by jumpinjewels on January 23, 2010) | ||
| Tepiddeath |
I have quit several times in the past, all with the same ultimate end result, I am still smoking today, however, last year I quit for about 3 weeks. Prior to those 3 weeks I was smoking in my home, and smoking about 2 packs a day. When I did pick the cancer sticks back up I started smoking outside, and I have been able to keep it to about 2.5 packs for the whole week. Enough about me though... I am proud of you, you can do it!!! and everytime you see yourself in the mirror, tell yourself "I am a non smoker!" | ||
| Mmmi_grad |
Quit in 95 and started like a newbie around 2005. Used chantix for 2 months last June. Done deal. Nice drug but was good to be done with it. Be prepared to cut down on the drinking too. |
