I have been a two pack a week smoker for 3 years. I am trying to quit. Any advice? I Just had wisdom teeth pulled and cant smoke for another couple of days. Trying to use this as an opportunity

first have to understand how nicotine works.....  http://science.howstuffworks.com/nicotine1.htm
so pretty much it's all willpower......for me it's was the though of liveing past the age of 50 not in hospital every breath a struggle..... how much money you save http://www.calculatorpro.com/calculator/cigarette-savings-calculator/ ..... in a nutshell nicotine confuses your brain in thinking you need the nicotine and like i said all willpower to surpass it....it isn't easy

Quit drinking too, if you are not sober already. It increases the chances of you actualy making it. Being sick in some way really helps you to get started, as you have already noticed. My personal record so far is three days. I hope you can top that.

And forget about looking at statistics. They just make you want to smoke one.

Brigand : Tried the no drinking thing and that works well. My biggest problem is at work. All of my willpower goes out the window almost instantly. I am a dispatcher for FedEx and my stress levels go through the roof. I fold like a deck of cards once I am there.

mgriffith27 :

Oh yeah, I forgot the work part... Especially if you are in a group of friends in work who mingle only when they go for a smoke. Its what always have gotten me... I bet if you could just be at home and not meet with any other human beings and not having to deal with any kind of stress it would be easy to quit. But sure, we all can do that, right?

Yeah, I quit smoking 3 weeks ago. I am thinking about trying the vapors though to fill the gap. They will be a hack of a lot cheaper than me buying a crap load of Cheese Nips and Monsters.

Brigand : LOL. You said it. Too bad I don't have a trust fund. I could just sit at home and play Mario Bros on this website.

Hey I do tobacco counseling almost daily at work for patients (3rd year med student) so I'm hoping I can give you a little info. You got a lot of good advice in this thread already, but to add to this, but if you really want some extra support in kicking this, make an appointment with your doctor. Chantix (generic name: varenicline) is a medication that can be prescribed that is extremely effective. Research has shown that the rates of staying smoke free is about 3 times greater just quitting cold turkey. The medication itself reduces your cravings and actually reduces the pleasure you get from having a cigarette. All you have to do is take it for 12 weeks, and you're smoke free. I'd HIGHLY recommend trying this out if you're serious, it is a great medication.

If you don't want to go that route, there's always the nicotine patches or the nicotine gum you can use for breakthrough cravings if you want to continue the way you're trying. Personally I'd recommend the gum, as people seem to do better with it and it's easier to carry around, etc... And above all, as a few people said, you have to have a good support system, whether it's family, friends or co-workers. If they want to help, it completely changes the odds of quitting in your favor.

Good luck with this, and if you have any questions, I'd be glad to help.
-Mike

Thanks for the feedback Mike. I have heard about really bad side effects from Chantrix. I started using one of the vapor inhaler things the other day. It curbs the craving but makes me a little nauseous. What have you heard about those type of products?

mgriffith27 : Damn right.

mikez913 : I am wary of using gum and patches since they still provide you with nicotine, which is the stuff you try to quit. Though it might help you break the habit, you are still adicted to this "drug". Also I am very wary of taking any extra kind of medicene of any sort and I am not even sure if the stuff you recomend is even available here in my area.

But sure, going cold turkey is very hard and I have seen many people eventually fail.

Yeah, I do not think I will be getting that vapor that I mentioned a day or two ago.

I think you just have to have the mental edge. Certain situation occur where smoking is just habit. Regular chewing gum helps a little bit. Where I work there is a gas station close by that sells loosies(Keepin it real in the D). I grab up like 4 for 2$ and try to conserve but always end up grabbing a couple of more before the day is through. I find myself spending more than normal packs cost anyways. I gotta stop.

mgriffith27 : The inhalers work much like the patches and gum, where it gives you a little bit of nicotine to fight off cravings. The theory behind those are that since you're inhaling like you would a cigarette, the act of puffing helps fight the psychological aspect of quitting. They're still a pretty new concept so not much research has been done comparing it to other methods, but it's certainly an option if you think you'd like to try that. You're swallowing the air instead of having it go to your lungs so the most common side effects are stomach-related. The nausea is pretty common with those, but that tends to go away (or at least become much more tolerable) after a week or two. You might get a little heartburn/acid reflux with it, and it may irritate your mouth a little, but that's about it for the common stuff.

The Chantix side effects are pretty similar. If you have nausea with the inhalers, there's a good chance you will with the pills as well. I will add people tend to feel bloated and often get constipated with the pills, so keep that in mind. The big difference is the pills don't have nicotine, and you use it for 12 weeks, and the inhalers do have nicotine and are used for about 6 months.

I think I am going for a smoke now.