Any advice on getting off these smokes?

I just have to quit smoking, it's just too much of a pain in the ass these days, the cost, etc. I've tried cold turkey, I'm psychotic. I've been smoking for over 20 years, I know the only reason I'm doing it is because of the addiction. I know the patch helps but eventually, you still have to put up with the withdrawals, right? I wish I had something or someone to quit for, like kids or something but I don't...it's just me and a couple of dogs...pathetic.
tia travels's Avatar
I've never smoked, but I know of 2 people who've stopped smoking on this:

http://www.chantix.com/index.aspx?so...00003016618103

I'm pretty sure this was the pill. It was several years ago and it started with a C. (You know what, now that I did a search for quit smoking pills...I think it may have been ZYBAN). These people were taking this in the '90s. If Chantix hasn't been around that long, it must have been Zyban*.) I know they were each taking the pills for different time periods and the pills are expensive...but it worked.

Here's another interesting link:
http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/07/05...ide/index.html

Quit for your dogs AND yourself. If you quit smoking, you'll probably meet someone special. Most people like dating non-smokers. You'll also get to live longer and think of all the money you'll save on not having to buy an IRON LUNG or cigarettes anymore! Your nails won't be yellow, your walls and curtains won't have grungy smoke residue, your hair and breath will smell better and you'll be able to BREATHE better.

You won't be giving 2nd hand smoke to your dogs OR yourself. Yes, not only are you giving yourself FIRST HAND SMOKE, you're giving yourself 2nd-hand too by being in the same room you exhale all that terrible smoke in. Add first and second hand smoke together and you get third hand! <----3x as bad. LOL

Good luck with your effort. If you do anything for 27 days? or something like that in a row, "they say" it eventually becomes a habit. Try and stick it out.

Help yourself out by not hanging out in bars or restaurants where smoking is allowed. Carry mints or something else to eat on you at all times so that you're not tempted to reach for a cigarette after a meal, sex, or drinks.

Keep some of these items (below) by your bed, in the car, or by favorite chair to reach for when you feel the need to reach for a cigarette:
http://www.muscledriverusa.com/MD-Gl...FUy4tgodo2n3zw
or
http://www.prohands.net/home.php

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRLTBPxVL7k <-----this might help get your mind off cigarettes while strengthening your muscles as well as with masturbation too.

Or some of these interesting stress balls:
http://www.officeplayground.com/Stre...FUeFQAod3T7wzA

Use these balls above if you feel like being more casual about your squeeze.

Good luck

OTHER RESOURCES:
http://whyquit.com/ (for cold turkey help)
http://www.cancer.org/Healthy/StayAw...gSmoking/index (American Cancer Society)
http://www.smokefree.gov/
* http://www.quitsmoking.com/zyban/index.htm
* http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000970/ (some Zyban warnings, but don't all drugs have warnings?)
ElumEno's Avatar
Been thinking about quitting myself.

I spend on average between $2200 - $2600 on smokes per year, damn that’s a lot of money.

And I just found this new hobby, Just think of the fun I can have with the extra $$.
Starry69's Avatar
Chantix helps. I quit after smoking and chewing for over 30 years. I've been tobacco free for nearly 4 years now.

Bottom line is you have to WANT to quit, otherwise nothing is going to work.
ElumEno's Avatar
I tried Chantix - I just couldn't get past all the strange and weird dreams.....

I did quit for over a year by using the patch and Wellbutrin (ZYBAN), but alas I started back up.

Starry69 is right - YOU HAVE TO WAIT TO QUIT.
Enchanterlingum's Avatar
My old man quit after more than 40 years of smoking, so I know it can be done. He used hard candy for a while, and then quit that when he started gaining weight. It helped that his old lady quit at the same time, and she was at least a 20 year smoker as well. Therefore there were no smokes to be found in the house, and it was a 15 minute drive to town to get more.

They both have been free of it for three years now.
Smoking Monkey's Avatar
I stopped 25 years ago when I had Mono and strep throat. Everytime I smoked it was like sandpaper in my throat. I had weird smoking dreams for years afterwards and cravings when some stray smoke drifted my way. Just goes to show how addictive it is!
Quit smoking, start running or walking, ride a bike, chase your kids, anything physical, slowly at first. Stick with it and that should cure your urge.
Sadly, I think these smokes have become my only friends, after I eat, driving, talking on the phone, after exercise, after sex, while getting head (lol) and even thinking. Guess I';ll have to find something new to get addicted.
You think you got it bad try "lighting up a cig at the dice table while waiting on an outcall provider."
I tried Chantix - I just couldn't get past all the strange and weird dreams..... Originally Posted by ElumEno
I tried Chantix, too. In addition to the odd dreams, it made me very overreactive and borderline hostile. And it just didn't decrease my urge to smoke as effectively as I had hoped. (It did help a little, just not enough.)

I had much better success years ago with the patches & Welbutrin. I quit for about 8 months & thought I was over it. Unfortunately, I went through a stressful divorce shortly afterwards and started right back up again.

I wonder if the patches can be used along with Chantix?
Hypnosis works.

$60 for a group session.
It is very hard to quit. I smoked over 25 years, and quit cold turkey. For months I reached in my pocket after meals out of habit. It made me feel like crap for about 1 month, then it got better. It was hell the first few days, but I started a pretty intense workout program on my own. I thought my lungs would explode, but it made me appreciate being able to breathe even more. I threw some coats and jackets away, I didn't realize how bad they smelled, I probably did too. If drugs would have been available then, I still would have gone cold turkey. Their warnings about suicide and mood swings are enough to keep me away.
Uncle Dick's Avatar
over 20 years ago. The outfit also did hypnosis for weight loss with life time guarantees. That part of the business ran them into bankruptcy. I gathered the hypnosis for smoking cessation is/was more effective on men than women.
Mr. Crowley's Avatar
As a former 3 pack a day smoker I can say it was the most difficult of my vices to quit. Drinking, just stopped. Gambling, just stopped. Screwing... anyway it was difficult.

Here is what I did.

I made sure that 4 days were available at Thanksgiving. Told all friends and family I was otherwise occupied for the holiday. I smoked all of my cigarettes until midnight the night before. Destroyed any remaining. Prepared a full Thanksgiving day meal. That gave me something to do along with 3 NFL games to watch. Lots of water, caffeine, food and quite a bit of discomfort. Went to bed 1st night about 8 pm. Next day was a little easier, as was the next and so on. As with any endeavor, if you are willing to do anything to acheive, you can.