Good luck with E-cigs... nothing like a real smoke....nothing at all.

Cold turkey or nothing I say...

anything else is just a river in Egypt.

 

Fair play for deciding to get off of the horrible stuff.

It stinks. It makes you stink. Your clothes stink. Your house, your car, your furniture and even your precious studio ALL bloody STINK!!!

It is terrible for your health. Gives absolutely NO positive benefits whatsoever. It is expensive, anti-social and to be perfectly honest, IMveryHO, makes you look like a bloody idiot!

I am currently smoking about 12.5grams of "roll yer own" a day. I can say all of the above. I KNOW all of the above. Yet, I am gonna, after writing this, have one last smoke before I go to sleep. Bloody madness at it`s absolute finest wouldn`t you agree?

I did quit in my early 20`s for 18 months. Just stopped. No gimmicks. Just out and out stopped. I succeeded due to one simple fact. I decided that I WANTED TO! When you properly make that decision you will stop. Alas, I started again in order to gain extra stimulation from another drug via nicotine! Pffffffft!

Anyhoo Catalyst me old mukkah, I wish you every success in this venture. If it IS what YOU want, I have no doubt you WILL succeed. Best of luck Brother, stay strong and stay focused on that horrible cough you inevitably have each morning, to be rid of that is reason enough! Hope to join you in the clean of nicotine club very soon, I owe it to my 3 beautiful children and ravishing wife! *yes*

 

I initially quit cold turkey a year and a half ago and went thru 3 months of hell... cheating a couple times along the way. After 7 months I got myself an E-cig... it was pretty good for the while, but like One Reason said - Nothin' beats a real ciggy. And although they don't have half the shit as a real cig they still ain't exactly good for you...

I still social smoke once in a while, especially when drinking... my goal is just not to buy them anymore. But I have been for the last 2 weeks.... just put them down again 4 days ago, and I'm not touchin my e-cig either. Cigs stink so bad and my family has cancer history...so... it's a good call. Like most people said, you gotta want it. If ya cheat don't let it bug you, just keep going for it... It'll come.

 

Speaking of horrible coughs in the morning, Pilzy, I stopped having them when I started to roll my own with natural tobacco. I also noticed some other changes and in general felt easier to breathe and to taste and smell, too. I found the transition to naturally grown tobacco almost as powerful as completely giving up smoking. I haven't investigated what kind of shit they put in the cigarettes nowadays, but I tend to think packed cigarettes really are a fucking poison and I don't like them and they taste horrible to me now. I smoke to about 8g of tobacco per day, but when I have pot around and make minimal techno [] it just comes to around 5-6 cigarettes per day [4g?]. I also roll thin and neat looking ciggies, not "cigars" and I use blue "Rizla" or "Smoking" rolling papers that burn slowly and extinguish itself so I can even go to bed with a cigarette safely. There's no way my cigarette can stay lit up for more than a minute or so if I don't suck on it.

What's funny is that they're still trying to make a "safe cigarette" that extinguishes itself all while we have it already. Of course, it's some chemical that should do it. Additional chemical on already too much processed tobacco. Funny humans. There's even a documentary about people who died from burning their own houses with a cigarette.

 

Me too, not mentioning that one cigarette last 3-5 time longer (depends on how you make it) and I for price of one packed commercial (20 cigarettes) box smoke for a week, of course there is paper included, but even with that, it's not even comparable how cheaper it is *yes*

Funniest thing in media, some "experts" claim that natural tobacco is deadlier, give me a brake, sure it's illegal to sell that tobacco, but give me a break, I have filters too, it's not like I'm catching the dragons

And for what is worth, after ditching commercial cigarettes I don't have crisis anymore, before I was going trough trash, smoking leftovers, snapping on anyone I see, now, I don't care, I smoke when I have, cigarettes aren't smoking themselves that much, I pick up where I left almost, that commercial ones smoke themselves, vanish in 5 minutes no matter what you do, many folks are now doing this illegal business so it's competition, you can pay later,less, you get some gratis stuff like papers, depends how good customer you are, it's like illegal/drug dealing activity with generally legal thing, fuck me right

 

heres some ressources that may help:

http://media.wix.com/ugd/74fa87_2010cc5496521431188f905b7234a829.pdf

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsK4QbYHftg

but if you want my personal advice, i would say avoid everything like nicotine patches..
Determination is definitely the only way to get rid off it,
maybe you should start by gradually decreasing your consomation and take it seriously
by taking some notes at the end of the day saying how much cigarets do you smoked for the day. It takes less than 1 min
By this way you will notice some progress and you will have everything written down so you can watch your progress

Then more you're progressing more you will get the ability and the Power (Both psychological and physiological) to Stop it Definetly
So sure you gonna have some small moments of tentations, but normally at this stade you gotta be able to resist to this without problem
So anytime you feel those tentations again, Make music! and you should be fine

 

I think the first step to quit smoking is knowing you want to quit. Secondly, decide on a date to begin the process of quitting. Third, go to the doctor and get a prescription of Chantix.
Follow the instructions...Trust me this works! I smoked for exactly 20 years and quit in 21 days. My mother has smoked for 40+ years and she told me she wanted to be like me and quit smoking. I took her to the doctor and I even purchased her prescription of Chantix. She stopped taking it and threw it away. When I asked her why she threw it away? She replied, "It made me stop liking my cigarettes, and I cant enjoy my coffee in the mornings...hell i almost quit." Lol! I mean if you want to quit you can. I'm in studios for long periods around people who smoke...I still go outside with them while they smoke, at this point it doesn't affect me at all. If anything, I complain about the smell of my clothes when I get into my car or come into my house after sessions. I quit February 21st 2012, 19 days will be 2 years. The incredible thing is...I still cant believe I don't smoke anymore. I had very mild cravings for maybe up to 4 days after I decided to stop taking the medicine. I stopped taking the medicine early, 3 days after I stopped smoking completely. I may think about it very rarely, but the urge is not strong enough to even act on it. I have even put an unlit cigarette in my mouth, but did not desire to smoke it. Crap is crazy! I sometimes truly feel like I never have smoked, its still just bananas how i can stand around and hold intense conversations with people whom smoke. People around me are floored.. including me! Do yourself a favor and go get it and try it!

 

I believe that when you really make up your mind you can do it.

My dad smoked for 25 years and managed to quit cold turkey during a summer vacation. He had set up a plan to do it while we were at my grandparents farm way out in the countryside. I think it helped a lot that he was far away from all the normal habits, don't think it would've gone so well if he tried that clean break method while dealing with his job and all the stress and duties that comes with everyday life.
He also did a lot of the stuff other guys have mentioned in this thread, running, swimming and some good old farmwork, and naturally he didn't have any of his heavy smoking friends around to weaken his resolve.

That summer is actually one of my strongest memories. I was really impressed with my old man and learned a lot about willpower.
The spirit is stronger than the flesh.

 

Four-step program:
1. Sucking is a habit and an instinct. Break the sucking cycle first by using patches for about a month.
2. Dispense with using patches. This step is hell for several days and medication helps. Afterward, you'll feel much better -- stronger, healthier, more alive -- and the urge to kill will melt away.
3. When climbing up a hill of sand, backward sliding doesn't mean defeat or journey's end. Take another step and carry on. It takes several years, at least, to kill the urge completely, to find the smell of smoke to be repugnant, not attractive. The smoker will be free at last when cigarettes smell like stink.
4. When a crisis happens, as it surely will, listen to your favorite tunes. The pain will fade away.

No real smoker wants to quit, though many say they do; but every smoker knows he should, and knowing is enough.

 

phloopy
Yeah man it's a crazy addiction. I know that alternatives still continue the addiction but for some cases I think it can give people a bridge to get to the eventual destination of quitting completely. Sure it's better to use nothing than to use something that is bad for your health but that's the wrong comparison. It should be this is vastly better for my health than doing nothing which some might do if quitting is just too much to handle at the moment.

why bother?
Well it appears congratulations are in order because almost two years is a BIG accomplishment. The beginning is always the hardest and since you've over that part I'm sure you will persevere. I don't believe that the desire ever really goes away, you just get better at tuning it out. There's certainly no magic bullet and it all comes down to determination which makes it all the more sweet when a person succeeds. My father smoked his whole life and one day just came home and threw his pack of cigarettes in the trash and said no more. He never used e-cigarettes, gum or patches and that's really commendable. However in a bitter twist of irony more than a decade later (possibly 15 years) he died from lung cancer, what a mindfuck. Then there's the superb ridiculousness of being privy to that knowledge and yet still smoking. That's what's one of the most dangerous things when a person is removed from the consequences of their actions like they are with cigarettes. If you saw right away the final destination it would be that much easier to quit. My condolences on the loss of your brother, that's some painful shit that I know too well as you've read by now. I don't think many people truly understand what it's like to sit there and watch someone close to them die. That kind of thing changes a man.

My doctor actually gave me a prescription for Buproprion but I've heard some stories about it and I'm not really sure how it will affect me. The good news is that it's in my medicine cabinet so it's always there if I want to give it a shot and I'm sure I'll need all the help I can get. Thanks for your story, painful but important. I wish you all the best of luck getting to those two years and beyond.

SineWave
I think the issue is that it's hard to keep the addiction in check all the time especially with cigarettes which are good...just about anytime. Sure maybe today I could smoke less but then tomorrow I might be up to the usual or going for a new record. You're right that rolling your own can help both in terms of purity and the fact that you have to roll them when you want to smoke so if you're lazy this option is for you. If you look at it chemically though nicotine isn't that bad for you, just like coffee isn't that bad for you BUT A) it slows healing B) it makes your bones more brittle especially as you get older. That's not even factoring in the fact that it can kill you, it's expensive and it stinks. Believe me man nobody appreciates a smoke with my morning coffee or out under the stars but if you just remember that there's a chance that you won't wake up for that coffee nor make it to those stars because you smoke or not even to that extreme but instead of sitting there smoking a cigarette at your house you could have taken a trip to Hawaii and been hanging out with a drink. I also smoke weed all the time but I've found that I have way more control over that and with cigarettes I feel powerless. I do a lot of remote work so there's almost never a time when I can't smoke and I drink coffee all fucking day. Bad combo.

SkyRed
I appreciate the info man. There have been some headlines that I've followed on the debate and it's mostly the FDA trying to regulate e-cigs and they're bitching about all these insignificant details. They're trying to ban flavors because it's attractive for kids and all that. I always remind people how bad could it really be? I mean are we forgetting that cigarettes have fucking cyanide in them, I'm not even getting into the rest of the chemicals they use. I too haven't seen any compelling evidence from the FDA or any other entity. Surely the lesser evil in my view.

Kontakt Guru
I may have to take you up on that. *yes*

onhappin
Nice Twain quote.

Yeah I'm at that point and the cost isn't helping nor the fact that it can kill you.

OneReason
I know but it's better than simply being discouraged and doing nothing. At least I can check it off my list and know that it either helped or didn't. The only thing as good as a cigarette is a cigarette but at least it could be a transition.

Pilzy
Not as mad as watching someone die from that very thing and continuing to smoke. With your wife and kids on your mind I have no doubt that you will get there too. I'll be there with some herbal tea...my own special blend, to see you through the hardship.

Thanks mate for the best wishes.

Mikesch
Yeah I expect to be transformed into anger incarnate once I take the plunge. I figure I have to at least try to quit, anything else at this point is just ridiculously irresponsible.

More responses coming soon...​

 

@Catalyst
will you go cold turkey or slowly try to cut down first?
I think someone else mentioned earlier that it's good to set a date some time in the future and this gives you more time to prepare for it. The only way I managed to give up was when I was having a pretty stress free time with no major dramas to deal with which helped loads.

Good luck with it man, once you get passed the first couple of weeks things will very slowly start to become easier with time until you've kicked the habit for good.

 

Didn't even see this answer till now so I'm a bit delayed here.....

The Bupropion stuff isn't all that terrible. All those type of pills make you feel a bit off at first, but a week into it and you're fine. I would definitely try quitting without it, but if you're not getting through it unassisted it might be worth giving it a second thought -- they definitely helped me get through the first few months. Generally for smoking cessation doctor's will only Rx it for 3 months max. The one that's supposedly really dicey is Chantix. That one I would definitely stay away from -- people started committing suicide taking that crap. Bupropion has been around for along time, I've not heard of anyone jumping out of a window because of it. It might make you feel a little revved up though, but that's part of what helps get you off the smoking. You quit one stimulant while (temporarily) using another.

Sorry to hear the story of your Dad. I found that one of the hardest things about quitting as a long time smoker is the constant voice in the back of your head telling you it's too late, you're gonna pay the price anyway, so why go through the hell of quitting? As someone who smoked 2 packs a day for a long time, I always figure I better try 'painting my masterpiece' sooner rather than later. I hope your father didn't have to suffer for too long. Nothing runs deeper than the pain of losing your family. I know, I'm the only one left from my immediate family.

Good luck with trying to quit.

 

I quit after 24+yrs of heavy smoking.

Stopped using Chantix over a year ago and stayed stopped since then.

Heed the warnings of using Chantix, it can be a bit of a mind fuck.. I think mostly due to your body suddenly depleted of all nicotine. I was the biggest asshole for about 3 weeks while I was on Chantix and perhaps another week or so after that.

There is no easy way around the withdrawls. Chantix can make it easy to avoid temptation to begin again by somehow removing the desire to light up, but it wont keep your brain from going into a fit due to no more nicotine.
Hard to explain, but while on Chantix the desire to smoke is removed, but the irritability of withdrawl persists.
My third week on Chantix caused my ears to ring for about a week.. felt like my head was in a fishbowl. It was a annoying side effect that I had to put up with for the last week on the shit.


I can still drink my morning coffee without desiring a smoke, I can be around smokers and my mind still thinks the smell of a burning cigarette smells good (that's the insanity of the addiction still lying in wait), but not have a desire to bum a smoke and begin again.. even stressful situations dont make me want to light up.


Addiction is a form of insanity. It will justify any way possible to feed the addiction it's drug. It will cause you to think that the shitty taste and smell of smoking is the greatest thing on earth... that's BS and deep down we know it, yet the addiction monkey on our backs will make us believe again and again that it smells and tastes good.

Even worse, the addiction will cause us to ignore all the facts about how smoking will kill us prematurely in life.
It is a fact that smokers will die 10-15 years earlier than what a non-smoker would expect in an average lifespan.

Is it not enough to have cold hard facts that YOU WILL DIE 15 YEARS EARLIER than you should??
Addiction say's NO! Who fucking cares man.. I just want another smoke, so LIGHT 'EM UP!

You will get small heart attacks in your mid 40's and the beginning of COPD damage to the lungs that can never heal back, full out heart attacks in your 50's and probably be dead before you reach mid 60's.. but most heavy smokers die in their 50's and it's usually a heart attack that gets them.

If you smoke pot... GOOD NEWS! It is a FACT that pot will cause cells in your lungs that could become cancerous to simply die off. Yes, it is a FACT.
And you can quit cigs and continue to smoke pot without having urges to smoke a cigarette after partaking.
Just keep in mind that heavy pot smoking can still cause COPD and emphysema.



Bottom line for me is that I dont want to die 10-15 years before my expected lifespan. And I'll be DAMNED if I'm going to let some fucking addiction take me to the grave early! So I quit when I began to feel the toll it was taking on my lungs.. that's what triggered me off to knuckle down and plow thru the difficult time to get nicotine completely out of my life.

Good luck and hope you quit earlier in life than I did.. I already have a spot in my left lung that is COPD damaged. It will never heal back.. inside my left lung is a group of bronchial capillaries that have eroded away.. so that area cannot process O2 properly anymore due to lack of surface area to process it.. It's like a group of bubbles that popped and left a big open cavity behind.
This will eventually happen to all smokers, that's why the new phrase for smoking consequences is COPD... I have had the problem for maybe two years BEFORE I QUIT! But my fucking addiction was so powerful that it caused me to ignore the early signs.. it had to finally become painful enough to scare me to quit!

Good Luck Bro.. dont let your addiction fool you into thinking you cannot quit.

 

I stopped smoking, took advice from one wise man that said to eat apples for 3-4 days and than the body will reject the nicotine naturally, so after first day I tried to smoke, I immediately started coughing and felt I'm going to puke, tried second day and it was even worst, didn't tried since than and now when I think about cigarettes I have feeling I'm going to throw up, it was weird first week because routine of drinking coffee and cigarettes.

But than I ditched coffee and started drinking tea and continued to eat apples on daily basis, they are awesome, I feel awesome too, it took a week that I get used to actually natural waking up without caffeine, but after that, it's awesome, you will feel weak and weird first week because caffeine was giving you boost, but it's all in your head, it's routine and nothing else.

About all this, if your body don't accept it (nicotine), your mind should play along, it works if you listen to your body than and don't invest in OCD because something is wrong and different suddenly, embrace it, because it will be different and you should start living it like that without feeling weird, this is 100% natural way without drugs, hypnosis and any mambo jumbo and you just need to buy apples for few days instead of cigarettes, that's all

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHv2iaZUnPk

 

I smoked for about 20 years and, just like Synthetech, I used Chantix (but in Australia it's called Champix). Basically if you have ever had conditions like medical depression you shouldn't take chantix/champix. Other than that the main secondary effects are:

- Bad mood: but you'll get that regardless if you are quitting.
- Crazy, fantastic, super realistic dreams. I actually miss those.

In a nutshell, what champix does is to stop that part of your brain that gives you pleasure when you smoke. So if you do smoke all you taste is tar, nicotine, disgusting stuff. What is also amazing is that the smoke itself will really bother you.

I also downloaded an app called "Cessation Nation" I think it's available for ipoos and android (I use android). You put how much you pay for a packet, how many smokes per packet and how many you smoke a day in average. Then it gives you statistics on your health and progress. It is a nice reminder of how far I've come:



Anyway, you have to see a doctor before you take this drug, if you want to do so. It worked for me.

As you can see, I've saved over $2000. This paid for my e-drums, guitar and other equipment. It's great motivation!

Good luck mate.

 

First cigarettes with 8.
Smoked since last year april. I´m 43 now.

If you realy take a dicision to stop smoking,
it´s not a problem at all to stop it!

How?

The answer for me was: A SOFTLASERACUPUNCTURE.
After 45min of it, there is NO yearning for nikotin anymore!
It´s out of your fucking brain!
So your desicion you take before, can be real now, because there´s no fucking yearning anymore.

NO Pain!
NO Side Effects!
Cost: in my country 200€

You know english isn´t my language, so i can´t describe it more detailed.
Just search the i-net in your country.

IT REALY WORKS!!! *yes*

 

don't pretend you stopped smoking when you switch'd to e-cigs. You're still smoking.

don't e-smoke where it's prohibited, this shit stinks real bad, and it really pisses analog smokers off. Nobody can even say reliably if it's really harmless. Don't e-smoke in trains and bars.

acupuncture sounds good, a co-worker had it, it seems to work pretty well.

 

So what is the update? Its been awhile now. So did you quit and stay quit?