O/T how have people stoped smoking?

Sammi, I quit smoking on the 9th of April this year.

I don't want to make it sound like its easy to quit cos I know it isn't but I actually did find it waaay easier than expected. I did this:

I bought an electronic cigarette, which comes with cartridges of nicotine and you smoke it like a real fag. It even puts out electric smoke!!

My OH bought me some nicorette lozenges to help too.

I had my last cigarette at 4pm on a Saturday night, and thereafter I started using the electric one - as much as I wanted no limits apart from I wouldnt do it in the house (I wouldnt smoke real fags in the house either so I didn't want to be in danger of becoming even more addicted by having free reign 24/7) on the Saturday and Sunday.

On the Monday I was at work so I was limited to breaktimes for smoking, I went out for a fake puff at my usual first 'fag' break time, but at the 2nd 'fag' break I thought I'd try a lozenge - it was boufing. Not nice at all so that put me off. In the afternoon I cut down from 2 breaks to 1, puffing outside on my fake one.

The 2nd day I tried the same again and that was fine, by the 3rd day I was just popping out about twice a day for a puff, this went on for the first 2 weeks, I was able to go outside my house as often as I wanted but to be honest I eventually stopped bothering just couldn't be bothered, although the fake fag satisfied my hands and let my brain think I was still smoking, it couldn't completely fool me. I think the brain just realised hey this isn't a fag, its fake - you don't look cool haha you don't need this -

I thought I was going to have a nervous breakdown the middle Saturday when I was at a wedding and everyone ws drinking and going otu smoking but I used my fake one and then as of that night I just stopped. On the Sunday I was so rough - I wasnt even tempted to use her, and that was it. Thereafter I still missed it, took a good 4 months to stop missing it, but finally I am over it!

I had my last one friday night at 11pm, so today is my fourth day. I have to say up until yesterday home time it was ok, but driving home was so hard. Ive done it cold turkey as well, but I do have the inhulator from the doctor. So i took the nictotine thing out and just use it to help me breathe (if that makes sense at all)!!

Im struggling to see my life without smoking, so Ive changed a few things. I know longer go for a walk at lunch time - Instead sit at my desk, eat my food and read a magazine (wedding of course lol!!). Im trying to do things that I dont normally do - because Im afraid if i keep my same routine Ill miss where the smoking used to be!

Ive started having baths of an evening (instead of a quick 5 min shower!), and i get into my pjs. (I wouldnt have smoked outside in my pjs!), and i get into bed and watch tv.

What I love though is that I dont smell of smoke anymore, my OH doesnt smoke and he hugged me monday and said i smelt lovely!!

I needed to give up because I couldnt afford it any more!!! And because I want to be healthy for my children (when we have them!) and to grow old with my H2B!

Its not easy - but Im told it does get easier! and its all worth it!!

I ave up smoking 3.5 years ago - I had hypnotherapy ... it wasn't cheap £125, but compared to the cost of smoking and/or nicotine replacement it is not too bad ..... worth EVERY penny, I left his office not wanting a cigarette and have never had one since, no difficult withdrawal symptoms or anything ... best thing I ever did!

Good Luck in giving up

x

I've smoked on and off since I was 13, more regularly in the last year (about 10 a day), but when I got engaged I vowed to never smoke again. Apart from the odd 1 on a night out, I've not smoked since the beginning of August.

I found it really easy to give up. I literally just woke up one morning and didn't have a cigarette. When I do have a cigarette on a night out, the next morning I go back to not smoking again.

I know it's not always that easy for everyone, and some people have to go completely cold turkey, but I think the biggest part of giving up smoking is WANTING to do it. If you're heart's not really in it, you wont succeed. You have to reaaaaaally want to give up. Mind over matter and all that...

I quit smoking in November of 2008. I had been trying for years to stop and tried all sorts of nicotine replacement gum/patches etc. Nothing worked!

I then heard about Alan Carr ( not the comedian!!) and the "easy way" to stop smoking- there is a book and there are also sessions you can go to. I went to a session which I think was about £175, but offered a 6 month money back guarantee if I started again. I thought I had nothing to lose so along I went! It isn't hypnotherapy, and you actually smoke whilst you are there( outside of course!) but at the end of the 6 hours I never wanted to smoke again, and never have. I don't believe in things like hypnotherapy and stuff like that and I am generally quite skeptical about things, but this for some reason worked! It was honestly the best 175 quid I have ever spent!

I tried about 6 times before I finally managed to quit - it's not easy. But I'd say motivation was a big thing - you need a good reason to quit. I couldn't move in with my OH until I had - that was all the motivation I needed!

I finally managed it with gum as a crutch, but it was more about the routine - I used to go out for a fag in advert breaks, so I took up cross stich to give me something else to concentrate on. The gum isn't too bad, it just takes the edge off the craving, but you need something to keep your mind and fingers occupied too.

I also put some money aside each day - the same amount that I would have smoked. I just put it in a pot. At the end of the first month I had enough money to take me and OH out for a movie & dinner, and bought my OH a little pressie for his support. I couldn't belive how much I used to spend!

I've just given up, approx 4 days. I've been smoking on and off since I was 16, I seem to give up then give in really easily. I gave up 3 months ago for 4 weeks (cold turkey) but went on a night out and sparked up, I was totally Pi*sed at myself. So this time I'm giving up with the patches and it seems a little easier but I do have those certain times of the day when I just crave like mad...after food, drink. I'm at home all day long with my toddler so I used my smoking as a little get outside excuse, my little 2 minute baby break. I tend to do the house work over and over again now to keep the cravings at bay! My partner also gave up every time I did which didn't help, excuse I know but it's not a pretty sight when we're both on nicotine withdrawal especially when he comes out with "god your naggy, have a fag" makes me fuming lol so I'm just smiling but ignoring him now ?

I got champix from my doctor, I quit two and a half years ago.

My aunt, mum, beaitician, hairdresser, stepdad, and sister in law have all quit with champix since. Some of them had been smoking for over 30 years. Definitely give it a go.

Nuts and dried fruit was my main source of snackage and I didn't put on any extra weight, I didn't even do any extra exercise to what I do now either.

I smoked 40 a day. I tried lots to quit, electronic cig, hypnotherapy cold turkey. I went on champix in the end and stopped for a year now. I still get the occasional craving but am much happier as a non smoker

Meeeee!!! Had my last fag Sunday night and havnt give in since.

Still craving like mad but not as bad as the last few times I tried and this time im cols turkey!

Anyone else had trouble sleeping since stopping though?

x

I gave up over a year ago now….i used tablets from the doctor…champix… they were magic…you need to go through NHS direct to get them prescribed though….and you can take them for 3 – 6 months…I actually only took them for 2 months as I felt I was ok after this….I ate a lot of sweets for the first few weeks but in the grand scheme of things putting on a few pounds is better than continuing smoking…you can lose the weight after!! Carrot sticks are a good solution too!!

Don’t get me wrong sometimes i crave a cig when I have a glass of wine….but the moment passes and you are so glad you didn’t!

My husband tried numerous times, trying patches, gum etc etc but finally quit using nicotine lozenges, after my mum was diagnosed with cancer. It was extremely hard for him to start with but got easier over time. We also looked up the differences over various time scales it makes to your health and body and kept tracking it along the way to keep him motivated.

I noticed he replaced his after dinner cigarette and evening ones with cups of tea! (and biccies!)

He does tend to eat more, lots of sugar!

Go for it, it's so worth it!!!

I stopped smoking on 7th January, this year, I went cold turkey and, after a few days I was starting to feel better and I really enjoyed being a non smoker, being able to taste food again, have money! etc..

Unfortunately I started again on 27th June, which I do regret doing and it just seems so hard this time to get that same motivation to stop as I had in January.

I don't like taking medication though so all inhalators/tablets are out so I guess its time for the motivation to kick in again...

Go for the electronic fag KBS, If you did it the first time you know you can do it the 2nd time. Its just getting the motivation back.

Heres something that motivated me apart from money, I didn't want to spend my wedding day sneaking around smoking or constantly craving a fag or being photographed smoking in my dress or my dress smelling!!!!

I thought about the electronic cigs before but my thought process was that if I had a "cig" in my hand then I would want a real one. I think cold turkey and tictacs is my option (this is what I did the 1st time).

Sammi, if you a stopping smoking partner I am willing to give this another shot if you are??

and then after a month we can do a virtual treat and go buy ourselves something nice and flash it on here

What a great idea KBS.... im going tomorrow to a local stop smoking group! to see if i can have some of these magic tablets......i cannot go cold turkey im not brave enough! i dont think my kids or my partner would ever stay in same as me!

i will let u know how i get on when i get home. hoping to have stoped by 1st october (maybe just wishful thinking!!)

xx

Yeah, let me know how you get on and when you are ready to stop, I will stop at the same time so that we can motivate and support each other too! x.

I quit a year ago and i was a 30 a day smoker!! and i had been smoking for 12 years, the H2B doesnt smoke and was always on at me

and i used champax

You name it i have tried it from the e cig, to patches to the gum to hypnotherapy to reading alan carrs easy way to quit smoking!!

went to the stop smoking clinic said what i had tried and then they gave me champax after taking them for 10 days i said that was it and i havent looked back,

i have save myself a fortune, i can taste my food and OMG i dont smell lol,

i do have to say that i put on a stone but i have now lost that stone, and i havent looked back and the smell of cigs makes me feel sick!!!

so i would say give it a go

Champix rule!!

I gave up in 2005. I used Alan Carrs Stop Smoking for Women book and a packet of patches. Worked well - haven't touched one for 6 years x

Not preaching at all

I know what I said was slightly contradictory, saying that I dont like taking "drugs - medication" but I am happy to inhale all sorts of cr*p when I smoke! May have a look at different alternatives to what I have tried stopping with before as they, quite obviously, havent worked..

Although I haven't quit smoking completely (yet), I've successfully managed to stop smoking while I'm on placement (so no fags for between 8 and 14 hours at a time) by using the new QuickMist (can't remember if its niquitin or nicorette). But its just a fine mist mouth spray, and I swear its the best nicotine replacement product I've ever tried! (I've previously tried patches, inhalator and the little tongue tabs). Works really quickly, and totally takes away any cravings - I've never been able to go without a ciggie for that long before without going all cranky but its easy with this. It has also slightly reduced my dependency on smoking as I have found that I am smoking less when I'm at home too. Although I haven't quite got the motivation to quit completely just yet, but its a step in the right direction ?

OH lasted 6 months with Champix - Once he had stopped taking the tablets his cravings returned. They also gave him really bad nightmares, and as a result was really tired all the time with them.

Its all mind over matter... I had given up and failed so many times. Had hyponotherapy,patches,gum,cold turkey and tablets.

I bought a new car a few years ago and thought I am not smoking in my new mini. Then I decided if I had not had three fags on the way to work and back I may as well not smoke that night. I just carried on like this until I gave up. I took it one day at a time and I never reallly thought about it too much. I guess as I never put pressure on myself I just stopped.

Previously I would have been crawling the walls for a fag. Even after a few weeks. Its all I could think about. That was my problem I just thought about it far too much and it was all in my mind. I was stressing myself out to have a fag. You are not actually addicted to it after the first 12 hours. After the first 12 hours its all about will power.

My husband is also an ex smoker. He said to me once. How mental is it smoking. You put a fag in your mouth inhale something that is killing you,makes you look ugly and smells terrible and you are paying a lot of money for the so called pleasure of this.... Putting it that way its madness that we start in the first place.

Goodluck I am sure you can do it. xxx

Hi, KBS i have a letter to drop in at drs today hoping to get the tablets monday so roughly stop day will be 4th october! How does it sound to you?

xx

Oooh I forgot about my counter.

I've quit for 166 days, put 146 hours on my life....and I've saved £626 ?