Cigarette quitting experiences/suggestions?

[stefan850]

I'm trying to quit smoking cigarettes.

There are number of reasons. First one is CC's. They are so damn good, cigarettes smell awful after CC's. Difference is like between night and day. Second reason is connected to the first one partially. Cigarettes cost me some 500-600 AUD a month. With that money I can almost buy 2 boxes of fine Cuban Cigars from Czar every month. It just seems a waste of money now to be spending it on cigarettes. And lastly, Australia is not really smoker friendly country. Especially when you compare it with Serbia where you can smoke wherever you want. I feel like a nicotine slave running around, looking for a break/place to smoke.

Anyone here smoked and quit cigarettes?

[DougB]

I'm trying to quit smoking cigarettes.

There are number of reasons. First one is CC's. They are so damn good, cigarettes smell awful after CC's. Difference is like between night and day. Second reason is connected to the first one partially. Cigarettes cost me some 500-600 AUD a month. With that money I can almost buy 2 boxes of fine Cuban Cigars from Czar every month. It just seems a waste of money now to be spending it on cigarettes. And lastly, Australia is not really smoker friendly country. Especially when you compare it with Serbia where you can smoke wherever you want. I feel like a nicotine slave running around, looking for a break/place to smoke.

Anyone here smoked and quit cigarettes?

Hey Stefan...

Congrats, first of all on your willingness to quit. It is the best gift that you can ever give to yourself. For me, I found that replacing one habit with another was critical to my success. So, I traded non-healthy habits (cigs) for healthy ones- running, healthy eating and a much better outlook and attitude. I also used a homeopathic remedy to help with the withdrawal. It was a small chewable tablet made by a company called NatraBio. It worked great- for me...since then I have not had a cigarette for going on 9 years. I do smoke cigars, regularly, but do not inhale and the whole culture, art, and appreciation that is fine cigar smoking and collecting is and has been a fantastic hobby and lifestyle. That cannot be said of cigarettes- in any way. Good luck bro! You are making a great, great step towards freedom.

[HabanosHoser]

I'm trying to quit smoking cigarettes.

There are number of reasons. First one is CC's. They are so damn good, cigarettes smell awful after CC's. Difference is like between night and day. Second reason is connected to the first one partially. Cigarettes cost me some 500-600 AUD a month. With that money I can almost buy 2 boxes of fine Cuban Cigars from Czar every month. It just seems a waste of money now to be spending it on cigarettes. And lastly, Australia is not really smoker friendly country. Especially when you compare it with Serbia where you can smoke wherever you want. I feel like a nicotine slave running around, looking for a break/place to smoke.

Anyone here smoked and quit cigarettes?

Hi Stefan,

It's a tough go, no doubt. I have tried many times... I found the patch worked best for me. I had a bit of a laps recently but I will be patching it up again very soon. This time around I am probably going to hold off on cigars for a month or two. Well, from smoking them anyway...buying them is a different story!

I wish you all the best in quitting. It's hard, but I am convinced it can be done. We'll both be on the wagon soon enough!

[HabanosHoser]

Hey Stefan...

Congrats, first of all on your willingness to quit. It is the best gift that you can ever give to yourself. For me, I found that replacing one habit with another was critical to my success. So, I traded non-healthy habits (cigs) for healthy ones- running, healthy eating and a much better outlook and attitude. I also used a homeopathic remedy to help with the withdrawal. It was a small chewable tablet made by a company called NatraBio. It worked great- for me...since then I have not had a cigarette for going on 9 years. I do smoke cigars, regularly, but do not inhale and the whole culture, art, and appreciation that is fine cigar smoking and collecting is and has been a fantastic hobby and lifestyle. That cannot be said of cigarettes- in any way. Good luck bro! You are making a great, great step towards freedom.

9 years! Bravo, Doug!!!

I will be trying your advice in a few weeks. Hopefully quitting will stick this time.

Thanks for sharing.

[stefan850]

I managed not to smoke 10 days some two months ago before falling back and lighting up

During those 10 days everytime I had the urge to light up, I opened FOH and looked at the members galleries of CC's and told myself "Just hold on a little bit more and this will be your reward"

I never tried patches, I'll read about them now, see how they work and where can I get them

[tinknocker924]

thats a topic thats been on my mind for some time now i know its going to tough when i finally decide to go ahead with it..well stefan i wish you the best and hope you can pull thru..jus think of how nice your collection will get when you do quit lol

[Nocoins]

I did it cold-turkey. I had to force myself to get used to doing without cigarettes all the things I formerly needed to do with cigarettes. I'm talking about routine aspects of life, things like driving, having a beer, having a cup of coffee, finishing a meal, playing pool, going to a concert, walking to the store, sitting outside, sitting inside, and perhaps the hardest for me, the ten minutes before going to sleep. Once you can make it through all those things, you can quit. It takes a lot of self-control for the first two weeks or so. Essentially, you have to learn a new habit of not smoking cigarettes because you don't smoke cigarettes anymore. That idea sounds stupid and obvious, but thinking about it helped me. Quitting smoking is quite worth the effort. Good luck.

[stefan850]

thats a topic thats been on my mind for some time now i know its going to tough when i finally decide to go ahead with it..well stefan i wish you the best and hope you can pull thru..jus think of how nice your collection will get when you do quit lol

Thank you friend, and all the others. I'm going to the local pharmacists right now to see if they have patches/gums and that sort of thing.

[Onsto]

I quit cold turkey in 2007. I was hiking in the French Pyrenees and realised I was blowing like a bellows on ascents that I had done effortlessly previously, which provided the motivation. I had my last cigarette that day and haven't looked back.

Now for the downside - I gave up drinking for a long while; previous efforts to quit had always fallen down when I went out with my mates (many of whom were smokers) and a few too many beers got me thinking that I could have one and then stop again. Needless to say I couldn't... I didn't drink at all for 3 months and was careful to have no more than a couple for another 6 months after that. I also gave up cigars for a year, just because the 'act' was too similar and gave me hardcore cigarette cravings. I also took up comfort eating , and gained about 20 lbs. I managed to lose some but not all of it after.

It's still one of the best things I've ever done. I feel healthier, smell better and enjoy the taste of both my food and cigars much more. Good luck with your endeavour - its tough but worthwhile, and the extra money in your pocket won't hurt either.

[Cohiba Stevie]

Go cold turkey, no matter how much you think your body is telling you, even when every fiber in your body tells you to subject yourself to smoking a cigarette, remember it is all in your head.

Human beings, even in our own state of evolution have no physiological need or dependancy for nicotine.

If you want to quit...then quit

I mean it in the nicest possible way. You dont need nicotine mate.

[riazp]

I was a 2 pack a day smoker 7 years ago. I tried to go cold turkey and I failed. so what I did is I reduced my intake, cutting out 2 cigs everyday, or at least trying, a few months later, i was smoking 2-4 cigarettes a day...One day I told myself, You dont even need these 2-4 cigarettes and i've been cigarette free for 5 years now...all in all it took me about 18 months to be completly cigarette free.

Good luck Bro, tell us how it goes.

[KarlJ]

I quit about 8-9 months ago, cold turkey. The first few days were a little rough and from day 4-14 the physical part was gone and the mental part got easier. I did not smoke cigars or use any other type of tabacco or nicotine. After about 3-4 days of nicotine my nerves started acting right. After day 14 I was so happy I got through it I told myself I'd never start again because I didn't ever want to go through the quitting again. I did twiddle and chew a lot of tooth pics, that helped me. About a month ago I started using nasal snuff. Even though it does deliver nicotine, I never have the urge to do it nor do I feel any anxiety when I don't use it.

Whatever method you choose just tell yourself that your going to do this and failure is not an option. -Karl

[KarlJ]

Meant to say after 3-4 days NO nicotine, my nerves started to act right

[stefan850]

Thanks for the support guys. I had my last cigarette yesterday morning, spent the rest of yesterday not smoking, wanted to see how I'll feel. I got pissed of easily all day long (almost broke my wife's hairdryer because she left it again turned on in the bathroom, next to the shower) and I slept for 2 hours during the day, which I never do. This morning I woke up my whole body begging me to light one up, that's when I opened up this thread. I went to the pharmacists, got the nicotine patches and nicotine gum.

After that I went to my local park (50 meters from my home), I smoked one nice Upmann Mag 46 single that I had, telling myself while I smoked it "This is why you should do it, quit cigarrettes and you can enjoy these properly" and 2 minutes ago I came back home and put my first nicotine patch on my arm.

I'll tell you all how it goes.

[livedavid]

Hi Stefan,

It's a tough go, no doubt. I have tried many times... I found the patch worked best for me. I had a bit of a laps recently but I will be patching it up again very soon. This time around I am probably going to hold off on cigars for a month or two. Well, from smoking them anyway...buying them is a different story!

I wish you all the best in quitting. It's hard, but I am convinced it can be done. We'll both be on the wagon soon enough!

I too have successfully quit with the patch three times. Everytime I started again was totally my fault and I knew what I was getting into. I quit for one year, then 8 months and lastly I quit (for hopefully the last time) March 1st, 2011. I haven't had one since. I really recommend the patch. Good luck!

[perfectform]

Persistence persistence and some more persistence. I tried many times to quit and failed. Most likely you will too, but keep trying and you'll get there. Good luck!

[stefan850]

When you guys quit Cigarrettes did you stop smoking CC's and for how long?

[Maron76]

I quit smoking cigs with the help of Swedish Snus. It worked really good for me. YMMV

[toto]

2 pack a day smoker for 15 years. Quit cold turkey 6 years ago. Replaced smoking w working out. 1st 2 months were tough but after that was a piece of cake After 1 1/2 yr started back on CC just to make sure no cigarette relapse. I'm totally in the camp of replacing one addiction w another. But this time are the natural ones from running n working out.

[HabanosHoser]

Thanks for the support guys. I had my last cigarette yesterday morning, spent the rest of yesterday not smoking, wanted to see how I'll feel. I got pissed of easily all day long (almost broke my wife's hairdryer because she left it again turned on in the bathroom, next to the shower) and I slept for 2 hours during the day, which I never do. This morning I woke up my whole body begging me to light one up, that's when I opened up this thread. I went to the pharmacists, got the nicotine patches and nicotine gum.

After that I went to my local park (50 meters from my home), I smoked one nice Upmann Mag 46 single that I had, telling myself while I smoked it "This is why you should do it, quit cigarrettes and you can enjoy these properly" and 2 minutes ago I came back home and put my first nicotine patch on my arm.

I'll tell you all how it goes.

Good for you Stefan! Like livedavid, I too successfully quit on the patch a few times and each laps was totally my fault. Some say cold-turkey, some say the patch and others, something else altogether. We are all different. Whatever works for you is the most important thing. Keep trying until you stay quit!

Best of luck.

[kiwirwe]

Your in Sydney, good go to your Dr tell him you want to quit, and ask him about champax, he will then tell you all about it and he will ring the quit line for you to reg you,then he will write you out a sript (whice is good) cause then it will only cost you $30 odd instead od $500 over the counter.start off with 1 pill a day and still smoke at the same time BUT you will find after about 7 or 8 days you WILL NOT FEEL like a smoke. Me and 7 other from work jump on them about 16months back(i smoked for 27 years non stop :-( ) out of the 7 we all stoped.

hope this help.

Ps after stopping so long i can smoke a cigar when ever i feel like(1 sometime 2 a week or sometime 1 in 3 weeks)

All the best with it, let me no how ya go.

Jai

[stefan850]

Your in Sydney, good go to your Dr tell him you want to quit, and ask him about champax, he will then tell you all about it and he will ring the quit line for you to reg you,then he will write you out a sript (whice is good) cause then it will only cost you $30 odd instead od $500 over the counter.start off with 1 pill a day and still smoke at the same time BUT you will find after about 7 or 8 days you WILL NOT FEEL like a smoke. Me and 7 other from work jump on them about 16months back(i smoked for 27 years non stop :-( ) out of the 7 we all stoped.

hope this help.

Ps after stopping so long i can smoke a cigar when ever i feel like(1 sometime 2 a week or sometime 1 in 3 weeks)

All the best with it, let me no how ya go.

Jai

Thanks for the suggestion Jai. Unfortunately I still don't have medicare (I am entitled to it since last month but have not gotten around to get it) so I dont have my Dr etc. There's an urgent reason to get medicare as soon as possible, I'll look it up soon. Thanks again.

edit; Just realised that last sentence sounds wrong. What I wanted to say is that I now have a reason to get medicare as soon as possible, so I can get that Champix.

[greenpimp]

I quite smoking cigarettes 12 years ago, and I tried EVERYTHING, from cold turkey to the patch and everything in between.

What finally worked for me was the gum. I could substitute the break and nicotine "spike" of a cigarette for the gum, get a little rush from it, even to the point of being around smokers and having my little gum smokey treat.

Good luck and keep with it. You can do it.

[ZinZan]

I've tried several times, the longest i did was 3 months, the latest was about 2 months ago. It's quite difficult when nearly all my friends smoke, i'm not giving excuses. But when ur chilling out your friends you tend to take 1 or 2 and next think u know ur buying a pack again. I've cut down considerably, a pack prob last 3 days. I dont smoke at work.

[NJP]

Hey Stefan well done. Just the act of trying should be congratulated. I gave 2pkts a day 20+ cups of coffee and Booze all at once. One always led to the other so I had to break the cycle. First couple of days **** house but it lifts very quickly. CC and booze when I decide now. 5 years of smooth sailing.

Mate you are the Boss of you.

All the best

Nic