i started smoking at school 16 .and smoked a few on and off until i was 18.then i met my first wife and she hated smoking so i stopped .when we broke up i was 28 .i was upset at loosing her my home and daughter and i was having the start of back pain ..like a fool i started again! .anyway i met kath {my present and last wife!}she smokes even thou she is a medical professional.!so because she smokes and there was no pressure to quit i carried on for another 5 years .then out of the blue i decided to quit.this time it lasted for 5 years ..then my back went again and i started smoking again !! this takes us to the present ....back to your original question {i wanted to give you the back story}i dont get to see my daughter much as she lives in the isle of man and she and her mum came to visit me over Easter and one of the things she said to me was why do you smoke dad? i told her that i was going to give up and i could see by the look on her face that she did not believe me .anyway she is back home now and unless i go and visit her i won't see her for months and this cost money so do cigarettes .so what do i want the most cigarettes of my daughter?? well she is 13 tall well educated and very attractive and does not smell like and ashtray .that's one reason .{the main one } money of course .and health .i am in my early 40s over weight and take strong drugs and dont sleep ..to me this is a resipie for disaster i need to do something about it .so as well as the stopping smoking i have started to swim as much as my knackered body will allow .my ambition is to stay of the cigs and loose at least 2 stone and keep swimming .it helps with the back pain ..but this bits me back when i am resting as the pain come back and drives me mad.{like now } i normaly manage 3 hours asleep but due to more than normal activity and the fact that i have not smoked for 24 hours my brain and back are fried.and i am awake on here again..so Paul i hope that i have answered your question .i know that i have gone on a bit ! but like i say not much sleep and changes in habit ..not easy but well worth it .i will keep this thread updated
STRAKER

More power to you!!!

"C"

i wondered how many of the regulars on here smoke and would you admit it? and would you consider quitting with me ? i know its only been just over a day ..but for me that's amazing .as i only sleep for 3 hours .and i am awake in the night .there is a huge temptation to go out to the garage and smoke ..but i did not do it and i love a smoke after breakfast but again not on Sunday and not this morning .so things on the right track hopefully as the nicotine leaves my body over the next 24 hours the craving and fried brain should calm down a bit.
STRAKER

Hi straker,

I've smoked almost my whole life - 30 years - with just a couple of short quits in there. My longest was 2 years, but I started back about a year ago. I'm taking Chantix right now and it's working wonders for me. Well, I say that, but according to the directions I was suppose to totally quit last week and I have not done that yet, so it's not been a MIRACLE or anything, but it is really helping. I've gone from over a pack a day to about 4 or 5 a day and I don't enjoy those at all - they are just "habit" smokes. First thing in the morning, driving back & forth from work, after dinner and right before bed. But like I said - I don't like smoking them. I used to smoke at least 2 with my morning coffee - now I only smoke about 1/2 one. And I noticed on this mornings drive to the office I only smoked 1/2 one and haven't gone out for any breaks and it feels ok. It makes me nauseous - that really helps. Like when I got to my desk this morning all I could smell on my clothes was smoke (even though I sprayed perfume) and I could taste it in my mouth more than I ever had before. These are all good things for me because it makes me more nauseous and I really don't want one.

I give you a lot credit for quitting cold turkey - I could never do it for more than a few hours. They say to drink a ton of water and keep busy. I used to read posts on quitnet.com to pass the time and get some good information. I really had wanted to quit last fall because I don't like smoking in the winter, but do in the summer so this is an even harder time for me to quit. I'm having some breathing issues, so I don't have choice anymore. Does your wife smoke in the house?

Good Luck!

Summer

good luck hun hope ya makes it ,
and yes i do smoke, in the house and 20 a day

its been hell for the last few days and i nearly fell off the wagon,but still keeping off them {yay me} the first day was easy but its got harder and harder as the few days have gone by.the worst bit is in the middle of the night and there's no one about and you get board{tyring to keep out of the refrigerate!m is another risk {i am fat enough} no kath smokes out doors {in the garage} dont want a smokey house.i think if i were more active it wold be a lot easier but as most of you know i am not very active due to pain and sleep problems .{i have started swimming on a regular basis} i will keep you up to date
STRAKER

it dose seem to get harder dosent it , i think we are so pumped up for it we think we can beet it this time , then old nic comes a knocking, ive been told its all in our mind set , why miss it if your a non smoker already?? next time old nic turns up just tell him he,s knocking on the wrong door coz there are no smokers here

o dear .could not hold back any longer and i am so pixxxd off with me self ..i had one last night then another in the early hours ..so i have to start to stop again ...i will STOP again this saturday ....{i hope}
STRAKER

I quit 15 years ago and gained 30 pounds. It is a hard addiction to quite but keep on trying you can do it! If you take one step back don't get discouraged, pick yourself up and try again. I think the thing that helped me the most was I could not smoke at work anymore and was not allowed to smoke outside so I had to wait until I went home so I decided that if I could go that long, I could do all day. Good luck, we are cheering you on!

Saturday time to try again .i have my swimming stuff ready to go as soon as i come round from my crap nights sleep!
STRAKER

on wed i have an appointment with the stop smoking nurse as i am really struggling to stop with out any help .i thought i could do it but i carnt .good luck summer !!
STRAKER

Straker-I really admire your honesty.It tells so much about a persons character.

Listen-Don't feel bad for blowing it.You are bound to make mistakes in life and you are smart enough that you already know all the things I might say..but you are being accountable,so in my opinion you are already winning this battle.

Someone VERY close to me has told me that to quit smoking is harder than quitting heroin.He should know,as he is in recovery for heroin abuse but he has not quit smoking.

I am a smoker.

So....how did your meeting with stop-smoking nurse go yesterday? Did you come up with a new plan to quit?

Over the years I have tried:

The Gum - made my jaw hurt

The Patch - thought it made quitting very hard and I started back up as soon as I went off the patch

Hypnosis - very cool thing to do, only worked until I got really stressed one day, don't think I was really READY to quit back then though

Zyban - Again, was ok for awhile and then I went right back

Quest Cigs - these are the ones have 3 levels of nicotine - starting low and going down to zero nicotine. I actually had my longest quit with those. Every heath professional will tell you that is NOT the correct way to quit - but it worked for me - I quit for 2 years.

Chantix - what I'm on now. Day 4 of no smokes and I'm hanging in there pretty good.

Let us know when you quit again, Ok?

Summer

hi summer i carnt use the patches because i have sensitive skin and they dont make a sensitive patch [like the TENS electrode} she wants me to start chantix? but she carnt prescribe it and because i am on so many tablets she was not sure weather i could have it of r not .so Friday i see my doctor..
STRAKER

Hi Straker

I sure would love to have someone on this site be quitting with me right now - and it would be great if it were you - but I completely understand you wanting a little extra "help" to do it and taking your time to make sure you do it right. It is so, so hard. Even with the Chantix!

The weekend was especially tough for me because that is when I do all my housework, yardwork and errands. I would always do a chore then have a smoke break. I'm going to have to re-learn how to take breaks without smoking. Especially when I'm working outside.

The good thing is - and I think it's because of the Chantix - that I just seem to be so totally sure now that no matter how bad I crave or how much I try to convince myself to go ahead and smoke - actually going and getting cigaretts just isn't going to happen. Ever. That's pretty cool. And it is getting easier - I actually go HOURS without thinking about smoking now, lol.

Again, good luck with everything and I hope to see you back in here soon (and maybe a few more people too!)!!

Summer

went to the doctors today ..carnt do chantix because of contraindications so they have put me on the NRT patches and inhaler so here goes again !
STRAKER

Way to keep trying, Straker! I never tried to inhaler, but the nurse at my doctor's office once told they had a lot of patients there who had quit that way and she really praised it - so hopefully you'll have good luck with it.

Yesterday was my 2 week date. My kids were all over for Mom's Day and told me how proud they were of me. I'm feeling pretty proud too! Seriously....I NEVER thought I could do it. I really thought I was the MOST addicted person on the planet, with the LEAST amount of willpower. But here I am - quit.

You've quit before - you know you can do it. Let me know how it goes - especially if that inhaler works for you!

Summer

Right before my 1st surgery. I stopped. It lasted a year. This past November I started up again. Got back on Chantix again a month ago. I'm now 3 weeks smoke free. Get some urges to smoke but not a problem so far.

Same issues as last time on the Chantix. Lower GI issues. Cramps and stuff. Fair trade-off for the results. I only took 1 pill/day. Now down to 1/2 pill then next week I'm probably done with the Chantix.

You have to stick with fighting off the urges. Just one more is not an acceptable answer.

Good luck with the inhaler straker. My buddy quit that way.

Summer if you are taking Chantix. Then stay away from inhalers, patches, and the gum. You want to put no nicotine in your body. That process is for people who want to wean themselves off cigarettes. Chantix blocks the whole desire/enjoyment. If you've gone 2 weeks then you should have the nicotine withdrawal done or close to it. Good luck.

Graham

hi all ..today is my birthday and another reason to stay of the ciggys .i have been on nicopatch for 3 day now and i have not had the desire to smoke .i am very impressed because when i tried to quit cold turkey .all i could think of was ciggys!! but i am amazes at just how well theaes patched are working.i know its early days but it looks good so far. the nurse would not give me an inhaler and nicopatch as nicopatch is a new strong patch she did not want me overdosing on nicotine ..good luck to anyone giving up ..its a life style change and that's a big thing to do but well worth it
STRAKER

happy birthday
good luck with the ciggys!!

LOVE P
OXO

since quitting this time i have got a bad chest {strange because i did not have a bad chest when i smoked!} after doing some research i believe that its a common thing when you quit due to your lungs trying to rid themselves of all the crap that we have put on them during the smoking years.
STRAKER

What kind of patch is that? Is it actually working? Yes..I smoke.

Jackie

its called nicopatch and yes it works!!
STRAKER

You made it through the weekend ok?

Saturday night I went to my first party and drank beer for the first time since I quit. I was a little nervous about it, but it was SO easy. It was chilly out so everyone stayed inside and there was only 1 person there who had to step outside to smoke now & then. I was really happy that 1 person wasn't me! It's getting to be that kind of world, ya know?

i quit drinking over 10 years ago .when my gran got ill and i was on 24 hours stand by..after she passed away i kept of the booze ..yes i am still of the smokes too!! .and i will keep of them this time ..since i reached 43 a switch has been tripped and there's no going back now,,wednesday will be one week..i have saved 30 pounds already!!!
STRAKER

I might have to give that patch a try. Is it stupid that Im actually a little scared to quit. Been Smoking for 17 years and the thought of never having a smoke again actually makes me a bit nervous.

Jackie

Hi Jackie,

I mentioned a quit smoking book I'm reading a few posts up. I'm taking Chantix, so I don't really feel I "need" to read this book - my quit is super strong right now. But still, it's a pretty interesting book. It teaches you to see the whole process as a reason to rejoice instead of feeling like you are giving something up that you love. It shows how much you actually HATE smoking and only fool yourself into thinking you like it. I know what you mean about thinking it's sad that you can never have another one, but the book teaches you to view it all differently.

Not trying to push it or anything, but it's a really cool book you can probably get at your library.

Congrats on the Almost One Week Quit, Straker!!!!

its not been easy but the first week is very hard ..will power is a must ..if you want to smoke ..dont bother tyring to give up as you are setting yourself up for a fall..i have noticed that my hands are smoother and my eyes are brighter and my teeth are cleaner ..every time i had a smoke i washed my hands because i could not stand the smell on my fingers {so my hands got chapped by over washing} i have nice teeth and i hated making them dirty from smoking now they look better and people always comment on my blue eyes now they are standing out even more!..and i have saved 40 pounds..i can get myself an mp3 player!..i am going to keep this up as i am very pleased with myself i did not think that i could stop .but i can .an i have
keep up the good work summer and Jackie i understand what you mean about being scared about stopping as the thought of not smoking ever again can be a bit doughting just tell yourself that you have not smoked today keep a few in a box but keep pitting off lighting up ..when you are stronger snap them up!! but for the moment put almost anything in your mouth other than a cigarette just to get over the first week or so ..good luck to anyone that is trying to stop .and remember if you fail dont beat yourself up be honest tell us that you failed and then try again {like i did}/
STRAKER

Great job! I quit one week before my surgery so that makes it 8 weeks now.. The hardest time was one-two weeks post op. My sister had gone back to Canada, I was stuck at home alone with nothing to do & unable to drive. I thought I was gonna crack up. I don't think I had EVER wanted a cigarette as bad in my life as I did then. I was determined not to smoke because of my fusion but I came sooo close to having one many times. Now I rarely even think about it.

I wish you success. You can do it!

if i can do anyone can ...sometimes i see kath and my step son going out to the garage to have a smoke and i think ..i just want one ,,,then they come back in after a smoke and they smell so bad i think thank god i did not have one !! did i smell like that!? i must have done ..its just over a week but with the patches and will power i am determine to succeed i like saving money too and so far i have 50 pounds in just over one week ..that's over 5k in a year..that's madness its 2 fantastic holidays or a deposit ion a new car ...i know what i would rather spend it on and its not smoking ..now wheres that holiday brochure???
STRAKER

I would save at least $4020 a year!

i have bought myself an MP3 player .still off the ciggies .and not even wanting any i did not think that after 4 years of none stop smoking that i would be able to stop..now i carnt imagine me ever smoking.i have smoked in the past and been able to stop for long periods lets hope that this is a very long period ..keep it up summer and anyone that has stopped every day is a gift ...the further that you get from the day that you stopped the easier it gets
STRAKER

Does it tempt you at all since your wife still smokes? My husband has no intention of quitting and I am afraid if I quit it will throw me off track.

Jackie

at first .when i saw kath going to the garage for a smoke i thought i was missing out but when she came back in the house smelling so bad i knew that i had the best deal.she has been very good .she keeps the cigarettes away from me and tries to smoke away from me .she wants me to stop as much as i want to stay stopped ...the worst bit for me is when i am awake in the middle of the night and in pain .what i have done to stop me from going outside is removed the keys to the back door locked the garage and removed all smoking material when kath goes to bed .and to keep my hands busy i have a number of books and sweets by my recliner ..so instead of me going outside as soon as i wake i come to my recliner have some pain killers and a sweet put my tens on and have a cup of tea and read or go on the computer.anything rather than smoke ..the longer you stay smoke free the easier it becomes.i wake now and dont want to smoke .i dont miss them in the day but still want one in the night so i need to keep on the ball to make sure i stay off them,i have stopped smoking in my car too ..{i enjoyed listing to music and smoking when i was driving so that was a hard thing to do .i have cleaned my car inside and de smoked it now gum replaces cigarettes its not easy but if you want to stop you will .but if you dont relay want to stop you will find any excuse to start again!!
STRAKER

Good Morning - happy Tuesday!

So Saturday night we went to dinner at our favorite bar/restaraunt. We always sit in the smoking section because that's where the Keno is. It went really, really well. The book taught me to look at all the smokers around me with pity - feel bad that they are still addicted to nicotine and I am not. To think about how they are not really enjoying their food, they cannot wait until it's over so they can smoke again. It's mind-games you can play to teach yourself just how glad you are you quit instead of feeling sad or deprived. It's all about the attitude. You have to understand that nicotine has brainwashed you to believe you need it and life would suck without it. Now you have to brainwash yourself the exact opposite. Always look at your quit as the greatest thing in the whole world and celebrate it.

So, keep positive Quitters!

Summer

where { apart from the horrible back pain flare up that i am having at the moment } i am feeling healthier and you start to think that just one cigarette wont harm me ,but it will ..yes i am missing them ..but i am keeping off them ..just!!
STRAKER

That's true - everyone says "just one" and then they are right badk where they started. The quit has got to be a forever thing. You can never, ever have just one. I'm glad you're sticking with it.

Even though I'm still doing great, I'm absolutely terrified that I'm going to blow it when I face this really big challenge. Every August my girlfriends and I go to Lollapalooza in Chicago. 3 days & nights of partying - with smokers EVERYWHERE. I have this horrible feeling I'm going to do the "just one" thing - except I'll do "just one weekend". I think I may have to stay on the Chantix until I get back from that. If I can make it through that weekend, I might just be fine forever.

Straker, keep telling yourself that it is only the nicotine making you think you "miss them", but you really don't. I'm sorry this quit is so hard for you now and you're right - pain doesn't help. But you have to remember, there is always going to be something going on in your life - happy, sad, stress or pain - that you can use as a reason to start again and think how proud of yourself you'll be to know you tackled it at an especially hard time!

Hope your bad flare passes soon & try to stay as positive about what you are accomplishing as possible!

Summer

I've found that "Just none" is the only acceptable solution. I had just one about 6 months ago and started right back up after 1 year of not smoking. Won't work.

I'm on day 45 without cigarettes. I'm also taking the Chantix in a 1/2 pill every other day. Next week I will stop taking them all together.

1 day at a time...

Graham

i could go outside right now and light up because i am missing the smokes like mad but i wont ..i do feel like i am deigning myself especially at the moment as i am going through a bad flare up the thought of a nice cool cigarette would be nice for 4 minutes then it would be regret for breaking my quit .i just hope that the desire to stay off them will last but at the moment i am finding it very very hard .so anyone that is trying to give up something that they really enjoy that includes me i do feel for you if you try and fail dont beat your self up just finish your cigarette and say to yourself that i slipped up but i will try again when i feel stronger .i life long habit and something that most of us enjoy is not going to be easy to quit .especially when you think that you will never have the pleasure or lighting up again !! it really is a battle of wills .you need to be in the frame of mind and feeling fit to quit successfully good luck folks
STRAKER

Hi Straker. I just wanted to check in and see how it's going. Is it getting any easier for you?

I blew my awesome quit last Thursday. I made it through so many hard times and then that day I just couldn't take the stress of what I was doing and bought a pack. I smoked 4 throughout the day. Well, I couldn't actually smoke more than half of one because it was so disgusting, but I tried, because I'm stupid. It tasted really, really awful. And the taste wouldn't go away all day, even after I brushed my teeth. The worst part - or maybe the best part - was that it did absolutely NOTHING for me. I never felt that "ahhhh" feeling I always got before. I realize that the "ahhhh" I used to love was not really my stress being relieved, but my addiction being fed. Now that I'm not addicted, I got nothing from it.

As mad at myself as I am - I guess that it is good to know that having "Just One" will not be a pleasant experience. Unless I become addicted again, I will hate the taste & smell and not get any enjoyment out of it. Knowing that now is a good thing - I hope it will make it easier for me never to try smoking again.

I would have been able to say it has been 45 days that I've been a non-smoker, but now I can only say 6 days. That's sad. I hope you don't ever have to do that.

Don't beat yourselves up if you slip here and there. For me (and this is just ME) one of the easiest things in the world for me is to quit smoking.

It's really hard to stay off of them though. I've quit so many times it's not funny.

Cold turkey was the worst! I guess what I should have done is set a date and about a month before that date I should have begun tapering... Just like narcotic pain meds for those who have stopped them.

My mother, bless her, tried hypnosis, laser treatment, Chantix, the gum, the patches, just about everything under the sun. We even quit together once. Did not last. She and I are still smoking.

I tried looking at the stressors that make me want a cigarette.... Let's see, getting in the car to drive somewhere (but only if I am alone); talking on the phone (but only if alone and outside); after eating (again, as long as no one else is around); if I am bored... Oh gosh - too many to name.

My hat is off to any of you who can quit, and quit for good. Best wishes and good luck. Hope you can be a success where I have only failed!!

Jeaux

I'm on day 59 and haven't taken Chantix for a few weeks now. So far so good.

Summer if you continue smoking they will taste good again. After a year of not smoking I tried one. It tasted terrible. A pack later it tasted so-so. Two packs later it tasted fine. After that relapse I realized 1 is too many. I'm glad you realised they don't really help your stress and just feed the addiction. During the whole year I didn't smoke I still had all my other problems and stresses. Then when I started back up. Yep. Cigarettes didn't fix a thing. Had to stop all over again.

The other day I went looking for a used truck. So I am wandering around the dealers lot. Opening doors and looking inside. I get to this one truck. Open the door. Phewww... This is a smokers truck. Yechhh. Sales guy says nope. It wasn't. Bull!!! They couldn't hide the smell even with all the junk they sprayed in it. Silly boy. He had several that I could pick up the smell as soon as I opened the door. They say reformed smokers are the worst, he, he...

Keep on trying. Every day you don't smoke is a good day.

Tomorrow we are going to the casino. I am really, really hoping all the smoke in that place smells terrible instead of good!

listen dont beat yourself up about slipping up ..i have felt so pissed off since i quit i relay dont know if i want to stop smoking .i know all about the health implications but lets face facts i am chronically ill and take large amounts of oxycontin ..i am hardley going to live a full live and die in my sleep at 90 am i ??! with my health problems i will be lucky to make 60! ..i will stay off them but its no fun stopping and staying stopped .i think that because i have been in so much pain over the last 3 years .cigarettes have been a comfort to me and now i am missing the act of smoking not the nicotine its self .who cares ..smoke if you got em!
STRAKER

too much pain and family problems too weak willed .maybe i will try again when i am in a better frame of mind
STRAKER

As I've said before - it's easy to quit smoking! Never lighting up again is the REALLY hard part. I've quit a bazillion times. And then one day, you'll stop and realize you've actually quit for good.

We still love ya!

i think i managed a month ..but if anyone has been following my progress {regarding the ALIF operation} i chose to quit smoking last week {Monday} ..i know its only early days BUT because i want the operation more than a smoke and i am not using anything to substitute like NRT {horrible side effects} i have found it easier this time ..so instead of starting another thread i am just activating this one ..the ALIF operation is a big one and i need to be as fit as i can be .i have smoked around 20 a day for the last 4 years {they are the very low tar and nicotine ones 0,1 } but they are still death sticks aren't they.so i will keep this thread updated .unfortunately i am at the unpleasant taste in the mouth stage .i looked it up and this is a good sign !! why you may ask ?? because your body is cleaning its self of all the crap and the worst it is the better your body is at clearing all the crap ..so the various Internet post say {including the NHS website} ..so it must be good !!..i think if you want to stop then you must just stop without using anything {the times when i stopped for a long periods i never used anything i just stopped} its only when i tried NRT i had problems ..i don't crave a smoke now .like when i phoned anyone ..the first thing i did was light up ..so on my first phone call i thought ..there's something missing!! but i got through it .and its been like that with everything .when i wake in the night the second thing i would do {after taking pain killers was to go out for a smoke } but i don't do that now i just take the pain killers and get on my recliner .and after about 5 minutes the smoking feeling has gone .so its mouth wash and mints for me .! and wish me luck ..some how i think i will do it this time i just has a feeling there's too much at risk
tx

Tony it sounds as though this time you have such a great attitude and that you are actually ready to quit.
Yes I smoke and have been told repeatedly that I should quit. Having spinal issues and going through a fusion already I know smoking is just terrible for me. In addition since my rt vocal cord is paralyzed the in home speech therapist could not stress enough that I needed to quit. I truly believe you have to want to quit and you most certainly sound like you are at that point. I am going to be completely honest and may have members lashing at me but I am not ready. Like you I spend much of my day in my recliner due to constant pain. I do not smoke in my home I go out to the FL room. So that has caused me to decrease the amount I smoke but I have no excuses. I have quit in the past several times and it was always a stressful situation that caused me to return to my terrible habit. Again that should not be an excuse.
I find that not being able to sleep more than two hrs a night, probably being somewhat depressed, feelings of lonliness the list goes on. Smoking for me is relaxing. Sounds like a load of crap doesn't it? I wish I could quit with you and we could help each other along the way but you have to want to and you have to have the motivation and strength to get past the rough times. You sound like you have all that going for you Tony and I truly commend you. Getting yourself healthy before this huge surgery you will be going through has obviously given you the incentive to really do it and you should be so proud of yourself. But just to let you know if you need any support I am here for you. Night or day since they all blend together for both of us. If you need support you have every member on here pushing for you. With all you are going through I am in awe of your strength. Keep up the good work and I will say and prayer for you.
Jan