Help me stop smoking

[Doctor Smith]

I am 38 years old I have been smoking since I was 15 and I am on 10 a day

I have tried gum,patches, zyban and alan carrs the easyway. My latest attempt lasted 3 days, it was my first day back at work and I got a bit stressed so I bought 10.

Any tips or words of encouragement will be great

 

[signs]

It's cool to smoke

 

[signs]

I am 38 years old I have been smoking since I was 15 and I am on 10 a day

.

Any tips or words of encouragement will be great

buy bigger ciggies and get down to 5 a day

 

[wormvortex]

buy some cheapo ones you've never heard of. I bought some before and they tasted absolutely horrible. Of course I did then give em to my mate for his Mayfairs but that isn't the point

 

[t1m103]

the way i look at it ,its down to nothing but will power,all those patchs,gums,tablets are all money spinners for some other big pharmicutical company,if you really want to give up i think you must 100% comitment to giving up and not rely on other methods to "help".

 

[John Simon]

Sounds easy - all you need to do is to want to stop, you ask the question so you obviously doubt that you can, if you really want to you can do it all by yourself - you just need to really, really want to - enough.


Good Luck.

 

[fortean]

I gave up in April after smoking for over 35 years, since I was eleven. I gave up because I just got fed up with smoking. The thing is you really have to want to either stop smoking or you have to no longer want to smoke. There are probably other reasons too.

The NRT is only useful to help you get over the loss of smoking; it 's not really there to help you quit; it's you that needs to quit.

I may not be putting this over too well but it's got so much more to do with your state of mind than anything else.

Getting stressed, or excited for that matter, is probably the most common reason people go back to smoking; stress got me smoking again after over a year not smoking, that was about 20 years ago.

Perhaps if you think stress is going to be the most difficult part to manage you should put off giving up until you can take a week or two off work. Staying at home and having a kip if things get tough can get you by from one crisis to the next. What is good though is that the longer you go the less frequent the bad points are.

Good luck trying anyway.

 

[Singh400]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/6968580.stm

That should help.

 

[dognosh]

I gave up around feb after 31 years

I gave up because I just got fed up with smoking. The thing is you really have to want to either stop smoking or you have to no longer want to smoke.

so so true

doc, you are not ready to give up by the looks of it

 

[signs]

Now i'm not condoning smoking in any way (i'm sure this topic has been done a thousand times)

but... their was a lady in the paper today who started smoking at 7 and today she celebrated her 100 birthday

as for putting nasty pictures on fag packets whats all that about what's next ? drunks on cans of beer !!!!!

 

[wormvortex]

drunks on beer cans ahahahah that be classic. They should use random taken CCTV pics. One day your drinking a can of stella and you notice its used ****** out your head on the can

 

[RMCF]

Always wonder about smokers asking for other peoples help to get them off the fags.

What can I say or do to help you? Its all in YOUR OWN hands.

As has been said it doesn't take all the expensive gadgets/patches etc - just cheap old willpower. The nicotine is out of your system in a few days, after that its all in your head. If you REALLY want to quit then you should be able to do it. But you must be 100% genuine in your desire.

I was a relatively light smoker from 14 -> 18. About 10 a day. When I stopped at 18 I got headaches for a couple of days but then I was ok. I still smoke the odd fag when I am drinking, but it doesn't want me to start smoking full-time again.

I used to have a thought about quitting smoking, when people used to argue that they couldn't give it up. What is you were offered £1 million to quit - never touch another fag again? You would lose everything if you had a single puff.

Bet you could do it then !! If you agree, then it is all in the head.

 

[fortean]

Now i'm not condoning smoking in any way (i'm sure this topic has been done a thousand times)

but... their was a lady in the paper today who started smoking at 7 and today she celebrated her 100 birthday

I've often wondered if genetics play the most significant role in how smoke effects people. My great grandparents, grandparents and parents smoked/smoke and those that have died did so at a ripe old age whilst those that are still going are doing fine so far.

It will be interesting to see how the balance of smoking related illness and pollution related illness swings in the years to come.

 

[williemaykit]

Doctor Smith, you can do it. Honestly you can. You do have to want to give up. Sure stress can make you jump for the nearest fag pack but you have to remind yourself why you are off the fags in the first place and use the money you save for something nice for yourself (in much the same way you may have rewarded yourself with a fag when you accomplished something).

I am currently in the process of giving up using Pfizer's Champix which is available on NHS prescription. I have found it pretty effective so far. Ask your doctor about it. The pharmacist today was saying they were flying off the shelf.

The difference between Champix and Zyban is that the former has no nicotine. It blocks the receptors in your brain that thrive on Nicotine. For the first ten days of the treatment, you can keep smoking with a view to cut down or stop completely.

Side effects are potential nausea and insomnia. I have suffered from insomnia. To avoid the nausea, have a decent breakfast and dinner, then take the tablet with a 1/4 litre of water.

Since I stopped smoking last week, I haven't had any cravings even with three neighbours (below, above and next door) smoking on their balconies and the smell coming into our flat. I do miss the flavour of ciggies but I don't want to stop smoking for my family and for me. I am tired of feeling lethargic and that redemption only comes in the next fag break. I am tired of having to change shirt every hour just to give my daughter a hug. Think you guys get the picture.

 

[signs]

I've often wondered if genetics play the most significant role in how smoke effects people. My great grandparents, grandparents and parents smoked/smoke and those that have died did so at a ripe old age whilst those that are still going are doing fine so far.

It will be interesting to see how the balance of smoking related illness and pollution related illness swings in the years to come.

My great grandfather was a heavy smoker too (100 a day, woodbine) it took 4 hours to cremate him !!!

 

[williemaykit]

Until the 50's, fags were pretty much a herbal product but after the 50's, they started blending it with the chemicals that we endure today. Probably explains why our grandparents/parents who smoked from a young age were able to keep smoking and die old.

 

[gus607]

Only 10 a day...........You're not a smoker !!!

 

[mjn]

Some methods other people have used:

Everytime you have a cigarette, give £10 to charity
Everytime you have a cigarette, get somebody to slap you round the face
Everytime you buy cigarettes, paint them yellow with pink stripes.

 

[huntere]

Guys guys guys

I know this topic has been covered here before, but I seriously recommend Allan Carr's method.

Read the book, got to the clinic, listen to the tape. Do whatever. Its a eye opener.

Its not about willpower, and its certainly not about nicotine withdrawl. The chemcial supplements mentioend earlier and their side effects are far worse than nicotine withdrawl.

I started at 15 y.o. and am now 42. I've smoked up to 30 a day on avarage. I'm reading the book and cannot wait to give up! May seem an odd comment but read the book and see wat you think.

Oh and good luck!

 

[Kevo]

Allen Carr's book worked for me

Started smoking when I was 15, was on 20 a day in later years until the age of 38. Three and a half years later i'm still off 'em and don't miss 'em at all.
In fact the only time I think about them or that I ever smoked is when it's on the news or when reading threads on this forum.

I couldn't even contemplate being a smoker again. It's just absurd.

 

[mrtbag]

The difference between Champix and Zyban is that the former has no nicotine. It blocks the receptors in your brain that thrive on Nicotine. For the first ten days of the treatment, you can keep smoking with a view to cut down or stop completely.

Zyban does not have nicotine in it. Just like Champix it blocks the receptors inj the grain. The difference between the two is that Zyban was originally designed as an anti depressent. It is just co-incidence they found it stopped patients wanting to smoke. Champix was designed specifically for the job, and therefore is the better option of the 2.

 

[dBrowne]

Anyone remember that 80s Stephen King movie Cat's Eye?

It contained a wonderful short film with James Woods signed up to a very effective anti-smoking program.

 

[Doctor Smith]

Ive read Alan carrs the easy way, it is a good book and made me give up for a few months. I gave up on zyban for over a year until my Dad died which made me start again.

I will pick the right time when Im off work.

Thanks for all of your tips

 

[Doctor Smith]

Doctor Smith, you can do it. Honestly you can. You do have to want to give up. Sure stress can make you jump for the nearest fag pack but you have to remind yourself why you are off the fags in the first place and use the money you save for something nice for yourself (in much the same way you may have rewarded yourself with a fag when you accomplished something).

I am currently in the process of giving up using Pfizer's Champix which is available on NHS prescription. I have found it pretty effective so far. Ask your doctor about it. The pharmacist today was saying they were flying off the shelf.

The difference between Champix and Zyban is that the former has no nicotine. It blocks the receptors in your brain that thrive on Nicotine. For the first ten days of the treatment, you can keep smoking with a view to cut down or stop completely.

Side effects are potential nausea and insomnia. I have suffered from insomnia. To avoid the nausea, have a decent breakfast and dinner, then take the tablet with a 1/4 litre of water.

Since I stopped smoking last week, I haven't had any cravings even with three neighbours (below, above and next door) smoking on their balconies and the smell coming into our flat. I do miss the flavour of ciggies but I don't want to stop smoking for my family and for me. I am tired of feeling lethargic and that redemption only comes in the next fag break. I am tired of having to change shirt every hour just to give my daughter a hug. Think you guys get the picture.

Is there any reason that the doctor could refuse to give me the drug

 

[Curly99]

I was on 30+ a day for the last 25 years and gave up last Oct 15th main reason was my housem8 got cancer and my ill health, I used will power and gave my self a goal saving the money I would have spent and upgraded my computer, av and tv, you have to really want to do it though, I feel patches, drugs etc while good in the short term are really only a crutch that you can use to blame if you fail.

Curly