any quitters here?

[~Emily~]

I don't believe in luck but I do wish you strength. And don't go on a guilt trip and give up if you backslide. For a while it'll be a one-day-at-a-time battle, sometimes one-moment-at-a-time.

Cold turkey worked best for me but it isn't for everyone. Whatever works to get it done.

[Mike.357]

it is very important to not give up. I had a couple of false starts in the two weeks leading up to my actually stopping.

12 days now anyway.

[dralarms]

Mike,

I'm proud that your doing so well. Great news.

[Guest GregRN]

I quit in Jan, 1997. I think Mike has it right; go to bed without the cravings and start in the morning. The first 2 wks were the hardest for me with the dizziness and headaches. I had a cigarette after I had quit for about a year. It did taste like what I assume rotten wet ass would taste like. It definitely did not satisfy. It did bring back strong temptation, though. Now after many years, I wouldn't want one at all. I think it was around 2 to 3 years for me, that I hit the point of never wanting another cigarette. I haven't had a craving since then. I did put on 50 pounds in 3 years that haunts me still. I was diagnosed with high blood pressure and my allergies got worse after I quit, but I think those things were going to happen anyway. The 50 pounds probably helped bring it on as much as the years of smoking.

For all who are quittting, congratulations! You've never heard of anyone saying I wish I had never quit smoking. And now you can afford the gas to drive to work.

[Guest Mech48]

I smoked from the time I was 16 till i was 25 a pack plus a day by the end. I quit cold turkey, just told myself I was done! You know that was 15 years ago and there is still the rare occasion that I get a faint craving for a smoke. "Will Power" , you have to want NOT to smoke more than you want to smoke. Of Course now I can look at the price of a carton of cigs and that more than reinforces my will power;).

[Mike.357]

Greg I would be pretty sure any of the downsides to quitting were going to happen anyway , and they would be way way worse had you not quit.

For me going cold turkey was the way to go. My wife agrees. she had tried all kinds of crutches in attempts to quit and this time seems to be the one we are both sticking it out with. I do not have the nicotine craving at all anymore, though a time or two a day I think a smoke would be good. Of course I tell myself I am crazy and not having a smoke is whats good!

mech you are right it is all about will power.

Tomorrow will be two weeks for me nicotine free. I would reward myself but I already shot the wad at the gun show Sunday. Maybe I will treat myself to an afternoon of cutting grass and some target shooting before dinner. That might be just the ticket.

[Daniel]

So im a week in on quitting. thanks for making this post. i had been wanting to kinda just to see if i could again. quit that is. I smoked from 15 to 25 then quit for a year or so then started again for another couple of years. i think im done now. it just costs to much. i still want to go outside and smoke every couple hours and when im driving but i guess that will pass eventually. it is will power.

[Mike.357]

Right on Daniel, keep it up. Today is fourteen days for me and I feel so much better already.

I have noticed the extra money in my pocket too. I guess I spent 28 bucks a week on smokes. Well two weeks now means 56 bucks in my pocket. A few more weeks of this and I can buy a new gun!! Well I have bought enough for now, ( I mean how many guns does a person need). but you get the idea.

[Guest mikedwood]

Yesterday was my 1st day without a cig. Mercyless! Went and shot at

Gunnies for a a few rounds and that was the only time I was able to forget cigs.

You were right Mike the gum did nothing but make me bite my myself while chewing it.

A mental mess. I hope today is better.

[Mike.357]

hang in there mikedwood. It gets better. Three days or so and the nicotine is gone.

I say eat like a pig if you need to, a lot of water and fruit juices help too. nicotine will flush out of your system through drinking lots of fluids.

ditch the gum go cold turkey

[Daniel]

yeah the first day i was a damn jumpy mess.

[Mike.357]

Canyn, when you gonna man up?

[Guest mikedwood]

Day one and two were almost unbearable. Day three is winding down and it was much better. I had moments of sanity anyway.

Glad you are doing so well with it Mike.

I haven't used the gum, nothing helped much but lots of water, vitamin C, and I cut back a lot on caffeine.

[Mike.357]

mike hang in there, I think you pretty much have the nicotine addiction beat. Now it just comes down to mental toughness and just saying no to smoking.

You did great. The first three days were so hard for me too. It will get better every day for the most part now.

I have a spell once or twice a day where I wish I had a cigarette but I know it is my mind trying to trick me up. I just keep telling myself NO MORE.

You getting any of the "quitters flu" symptoms?

Edited April 25, 2008 by Mike.357

[highshot]

It would be nice if i could get my wife to quit. those things stink.

[Guest mikedwood]

Made it another day, no real symptoms now other than an occasional nicotine fit. I was sure thinking I'd get the flu symptoms. Ok so far, much better than I thought I would be.

[Luckyforward]

Mike:

My mother smoked for 50 years; cancer found in her right lung in 2004. Brought her to Nashville from Chattanooga for surgery; they took the lower lobe of the lung. Then she had three months of chemotherapy; Mom was sick as a dog and lost all her hair.

It is a humbling thing for a son to shave the last of his mother's hair off her head . . .

Mom has done well, but the cancer reoccurred in November of last year. A lymph node was taken out in January of this year and then 25 days of radiation treatments in February. She was sick and weak from all of that, but is now doing better.

The point of my story is for you to remember her experience.

If you stop smoking, may it NEVER be your experience.

I honestly and hopefully wish you the very,very best.

God bless

[Mike.357]

sorry to read about your Mom Lucky. Thanks for sharing her story. An ex boss of mine here in Knoxville has throat cancer and that was the final motivation for me to quit. Reading of others troubles is a good reminder and maybe in some small way their troubles will help some of us. I wish her nothing but the best of luck with her ongoing treatment.

Mikedwood, maybe you wont get the flu symptoms. The lady at my work who quit 6 days ago has none of the symptoms. Her deal is bouncing off the walls. I swear she acts like she is on ten hits of speed all day long. She is driving us all crazy, lol.

All us quitters got to stick together.

[Guest mikedwood]

Sorry to hear about your mom Lucky, glad she is improving. Cancer treatment can be very rough.

Yeah Mike that's me the bouncing off the walls, lots of energy but it's not well placed energy, it's insanity really, I'm driving everyone crazy, they want me back smoking, they will have deal with it.

Are you taking any vitamins or anything? I'm taking a lot of "C" and "B's" and way to much water. I dunno if that's helping or not. Shooting seems to help also.

Last time I quit was about 8 years ago but it never did feel right to me, I didn't want to quit, ex-wife decided I needed to. I dunno this time feels much better.

I kind of took most of the week off from working and have been helping a friend build a chicken coop and help around his mini-farm. It has worked well cause we cuss each other all the time anyway and carry on. he has an archery range out there and fishing off the dock so it's hard to get to stressed. Next week I really have to work. That might be harder.

[Mike.357]

mike it sounds like you are doing great. I have extra energy too but not to the extent of bouncing off the walls.

I guess I had never thought about it before but nicotine is a physical depressant<sp>. So our bodies are just trying to figure out what to do without the nicotine slowing them down. I am finding I enjoy the extra burst of energy.

How are you sleeping? I had a few good nights but this last night was up and down.

Guess that is why I was out of bed at 5:15 and reading stuff on the computer waiting to go to work here in a bit.

Forgot, no vitamins here, but it sounds like a good idea, lots of water is supposed to be very good too.

[Guest mikedwood]

Yes my 1st two nights I slept like a baby, lately it's 3 or 4 am before I get to actual sleeping. Then I'm up about 7:30 or 8. Still lots of energy though. Yesterday I wanted a cig all day, and was so close last night to just quitting, quitting but I didn't.

I was wondering what brand was your main one? I had switched to Winston a couple of years ago. I was just curious cause several years ago I quit Marlboros and had the flu symtoms for a couple of weeks. I made it 9 months too! But I paid for gas and didn't even realize I had bought and lit a cig. It was to late.

[Mike.357]

don't let it beat you mike. Gotta hang tough.

I have been jonesing for a smoke bad the last couple of days but I am not going to cave in. I even had a couple of people light up right in my face yesterday too. Both of whom I easily could have bummed a smoke from. But I stayed strong.

Each day for me it seems easier to stay strong. It is like if I cave in now I will really wonder why did I put myself through this for the last 17 days. I smoked for 35 years, really life long I guess. My mom smoked while she was prego with me I am sure. Back in the 50's no one was concerned. Dad smoked cigar's, My grandpa smoked. I have had second hand smoke in my lungs since day one, then first hand smoke ever since I was 15. It is almost like losing a brother or a best friend. Of course no brother or best friend would keep your pcokets empty and try to kill you at the same time. So 50 years of smoke is a tough habit to break. But I WILL DO IT!!

Stay strong mike.

BTW I used to smoke Winston Lights( last 15 years), but over the years I have had all of them probably. Marlboro Red, Lights, Ultra Lights, Merits, Winston red, Winston 100's, Raleigh, Pall Mall. Screw it they are not going to beat me.

[Guest gunslinger707]

Hang tough guy's you CAN DO IT !! I smoked about fifty yrs and quit Jan.11 2008. I have had COPD for yrs.it came down to quitting or:death: it ain't easy but it CAN be done!

[Guest mikedwood]

WTG Mike! and Gunslinger! Glad you are hanging tough. I dunno I had been thinking about quitting since January and saw your post about it and thought. Ok I'll try it. So thanks, would be nice if we could get together and shoot stuff sometime.

I myself by a thread, but I can inhale a deep breath now and the house is smelling better. I rode by a market today and they were advertising a major brand of cigs for $30.99 a carton like that was a steal.

I'm also starting to think that in 6 months or a year I can get health insurance and life insurance for 25% to 30% cheaper I think. The cost of the smokes is one thing but there are some serious add ons to costs people don't realize.

[robin48]

I was the opposite. I took one smoke about 6 months after I quit and it tasted like week old rotten wet ass. Never had a problem wanting another one after that.

Ummm what exactly does that taste like:D