Stop Smoking Support Thread
Comments
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Christy: Try, try again. I can't even remember how many times I've quit.
Seaside: Thanks, I'm doing good, still on IV antibiotics at home, but no fever. See the doc on Monday, and I'm hoping I can stop the meds. Onc. says we'll get back to chemo next Thurs if the doc releases me Monday.
O2B: ((HUGS)) Dumb question: Why is a new primary better than mets?
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Thanks ladyinbama I will keep trying maybe one day I will succeed! If you don't mind me asking where in Bama are you from? I live in Columbus Ga.
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Welcome Christy2,
Those first few days are the worst! As one who has been there, you really have to believe that it DOES get better (wouldn't have believed it in the beginning but it IS true! )
Are you using any of the stop smoking aids? Sometimes they can help.
Lots of different people here with different methods that they used! What matters is finding the one that will work for you!
I do know what you mean! I was FAR more frightened about stopping smoking than I was of cancer. BUT the THOUGHT of quitting FAR outweighed the reality of quitting.
I quit cold turkey and , I will be honest, the first 5 days were hard. I got through them by saying that I would go on faith that, no matter how bad things were today, they would be better after 5 days AND, if they weren't , then the whole stop smoking thing was up for re-negotiation at that time! Well, at the end of the 5 days, I wouldn't say EVERYTHING was better, but I WOULD say it was a whole lot better!!!
I now have over 9 months smoke-free!! Last year, NO ONE could have told me that this is where I would be today, yet here I am!
You CAN do it!
We will be here to help!
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Smokers need to stop beating themselves up for not being able to stop. Nicotine hijacks the "survival" part of the brain. The half-life of nicotine is 2-4 hours, so as the nicotine leaves the body, the survival part of the brain lights up and sends the message--"I'm going to die or go crazy if I don't smoke". This overwhelms the thinking part of our brain--so it's not a lack of desire or willpower but nicotine has changed the structure of the brain. Cessation medications take the "edge" off--moving that craving from--"I'm going to die..." to "I'm having a desire to smoke but I can resist it by doing....(having a plan for different triggers)."
I'm a former smoker and have been helping smokers quit for 20 years. Ihad posted earlier that I would send anyone on this list a PDF of the workbook that I use for my workshops--no charge, just want to help. It may give you some ideas of what to do that you might not have thought of before. Just send me a private email to VJSL8@CS.COM. Have a joyous day.
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Thank you Seasidememories,
You are a strong woman! I bought the patch 6mo ago but am scared to use it. I keep seeing myself overdosing on nicotine . So I honestly haven't tried anything. Suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Another fear of mine is weight gain, I am scared to death that I will gain a crap load of weight and I am already having an extremely hard time getting rid of the 15lbs I put on during treatment. UGGGGHHHHH
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I keep repeating: GOOGLE AURICULAR STIMULATION. It worked for me, a person who quit smoking by every means 30 times. This worked, BUT I wanted it to work. That is the key.
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christy2 - i have tried almost every non-smoking aid. i am the queen of quitting and then starting back again 2 weeks later.
chantix is the only one that has worked for me to the point where i had quit for close to a month. it takes away all of the phyical cravings by turning off certain receptors in your brain. it is not a low nicotine dose method. you are not getting any nicotine at all.
smoking is 50% physical and 50% mental. with the chantix you only have to worry about the emotional need/desire to smoke. you do not get physical withdrawals at all.
this was the first time that i was ready to quit. before i was always trying to quit to please others and hence i was the queen of failure.
think of it in the same context as an alcoholic. you can't force them to quit drinking. they have to want to do it themselves. same thing with smokers.
set the quit date based on when you are really ready emotionally to stop - not because of cancer or trying to please anyone else.
i was also worried about weight gain especially since i had gained 30 chemo pounds. i keep yogurt on hand and instead of going for the sweets, etc, i will eat a yogurt instead. my other problem is that i am injured so i can't do any form of exercise for at least 3 months so i have cut my calorie intake to 1200 calories or less per day. this way while i am healing i won't gain another 10 lbs in the process. i can't wait to be able to exercise. i might even take up running - something i could never do in the past because i would lose my breath.
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Barbara that is very interesting. Where would you get something like that done? Is it actually accupuncture or a device? did you use this for smoking or weight loss?
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Christy2,
Do not be afraid to use EVERY bit of ammunition that you can! The ONLY reason that I didn't use a nicotine replacement aid was because I knew eventually I would have to get off of that and I only wanted to deal with this junk ONCE.
Basically the nicotine replacement therapies allow you to deal with the psychological addiction without also dealing with the physical addiction at the same time. With cold turkey it's the reverse. You deal with the physical addiction before the psychological. In either case it all has to be dealt with! BUT it really can be done!
Post if you need support! Lots of really great women here!
I will check in tomorrow to see how you are doing! You will know WHEN your time is RIGHT! If not tomorrow than another day! You are in the same time-frame as Jancie! I hope that you can both lend support to each other!
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Janice you are doing great! I am setting my date for tomorrow night. That way i can go to sleep and get through the first 8 hours without biting anyones head off lol. ou know the funny thing for me is I can get through my 6 hours of work and not even think about a cig. but as soon as I get in the car IT HITS and it hits hard! My other tough times are in the morning with my coffee, and after I eat, or when I am upset. I think I will try the gum and see if it helps. And tomorrow I am going to buy the store out of yogurt lol.
Thanks so much ladies for you help!!!!!
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VJ,
Glad to hear from you! Hope your surgery went well! I think you were at UCLA as was Dutchy! She seems to be doing well and I hope you are too!
Appreciate you checking in here! I did find your workshop PDF to be VERY helpful!
Thank you so much for providing it to people here free of charge!
Jennifer
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Christy, the auricular stimulation is like a TENS unit delivering electrical stimulation to areas in your ears that are blocked (according to my tx givers) by nicotine. I went in, had about a 20 minute explantion of opening up the nerve that had been blocked by nicotine and I kid you not, after tx, I had NO nicotine addiction. For me that was always the worst part...the brain dead fog stuff that lasts for 3 weeks. I left and was fine. I did have the situational cravings. I could deal with them. I did have to go back three days later for a re-charge but after that...I still can't believe it but I am fine. I have my moments but I am fine! They will offer a free re-charge for the first 30 days. It cost me $100. Best $100 I ever spent.
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Where did you go to have that done? I would be willing to try it if I can find someplace here that does it.
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christy2 - the best way to deal with triggers is to first recognize them. That coffee in the morning - maybe switch to a hot tea for the first week. just the smell of coffee would bring out that need in my to go grab a smoke. that is what i like about the chantix. you don't wake up craving a cigarette. also you aren't supposed to quit until you have taken the pills for 5 days. by the 5th day the smokes don't taste as good as they did before. then on day #6 you quit. i had cut down to 2-3 smokes a day during those first 5 days.
before i would wake up in the morning and it didn't matter what time it was - i wanted a smoke before i even talked to anyone - before my coffee, etc. that was the only thing on my mind. after taking the pill the first night, the next morning i woke up without cravings.
i don't drive by the store where i used to buy my smokes. i avoid it at all costs because that is a trigger/memory for me - so i am adjusting to my own personal triggers.
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Thanks janice I will talk with my doctor re a rx for chantix and try some of your suggestions. I am sooooo ready to quit I can taste it. I am kind of excited that I found you all. maybe doing this along with others might be just what I needed because I was definately not getting anywhere on my own. Ok tomorrow is my time to quit! GEEEZZZ I am starting to sound like a commercial.
HUGS
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Christy: I'm from Birmingham, but moved to Huntsville last year after I remarried. I'm a huge Auburn fan; do you love them or hate them, since you are so close?
I used the nicotine patch along with Wellbutrin this last time. I'm don't have tons of willpower, so the patch helps tremendously with the physical withdrawal so that you can concentrate on gettijg your mind right. And Wellbutrin takes away the cravings, or it did for me. I have a friend who did something similar to what Barbara did; she had accupunture on her ear. She swears by it. I say try it all until you hit on something that works for you. Somebody on here suggested hypnosis tapes by Max Karsten. I got one at Itunes that I listen to about once a week. I don't particularly believe in hypnosis, but I like to listen to it in the hopes that my subconcious will soak up some of what it says.
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PS Wellbutrin helps some people with the weight thing too. they say it evens helps some people lose a little weight, though it didn't have that effect on me.
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Barbara - am happy to say I DO KNOW where your DH can find everything he needs to fix his jones next time you are in Cottonwood. My DS is learning to play the guitar, so I frequent the local music store.
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Christy - I chewed doublement gum like a cow chews its cud!!! My PS said I had to be nicotine free 2 weeks before surgery. I had quit the week before my dx using the nicotine gum and was pretty damn proud of myself two weeks later when my PS dropped his little bomb. Soooooo, I started with a piece of nicotine gum, when it lost its flavor I added a piece of doublement gum. When that lost its flavor, I would take the gum out of my mouth, tear it in half, toss half back in my mouth with a new piece of doublement and threw the other half away. Basically I was tricking my brain (myself) by saying I still have a little bit of nicotine gum left somewhere in that wad of gum.
Another thing that I did was I bought a 20 pack of those little bottles of bubble that people hand out at weddings. When ever i really felt the urge for a puff I would grab a bottle of bubbles and BLOW...inhale and blow... it actually mimic's what we do when we would smoke and for some reason it calmed me (watching the bubbles float away can be soothing to).
Bama - a new primary means that my breast cancer did not spread to my thyroid, it is just a new type of cancer, NOT a recurrence. If it had been BC mets to the thyroid then the likely hood of my BC having spread to other organs would be been extremely high and I would then be Stage IV...Thyroid cancer is really treatable and rarely ever spreads to other organs. So if I had to be dx'd with cancer again, I am thrilled it is a new primary. Hope that makes sense.
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PS... I am 1 year, 5 months and 22 days smoke free!!!!!!!!!!
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Every method will work for some smokers, there is no method that works for everyone, which is the challenge of quitting--to find out what will work for each of us.
Often a combination of medications will work better for the very physically addicted, Zyban with NRT works well for weight managment--if used right. NRT needs to be used 1 hour prior to a meal to be an effective appetite suppressant. There is current research (not published yet) being done with ta combo of Chantix and Zyban --that is getting really good results. All of the 5 NRT's enter the body at a much slower rate and at a lesser amount, whereas smoking (or inhalation) is the quickest way to the brain and gives the most bang for th buck. So with NRT's, the patch will give a slow amount over a longer period of time but oral NRT (gum, lozenge) can give a quicker boost. Combo therapy (patch plus oral NRT) works well for many. Use should be matched to the amount smoked. Someone smoking 5 cigs a day would not go on a 21 mg. patch--too much nicotine.
Please email me privately if you would like more infor or guidance about which meds would work best for your situation. (VJSL8@CS.COM)
To Jennifer--thanks, I'm doing great--6 weeks post-op. still a little fatique at times and sore skin but I am so very pleased with the results (BMX w/DIEP flap), although, I do look like Little Orphan Annie (at least until I get my nipples and areolas done). I'm back working part-time, which is the best medicine for me. I've decided against have chemo, but I am taking arimidex. So besides the follow-up surgeries, my treatment is over.
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I just wanted to wish each of you the best. I am now smoke free for 10 years. I used the gum, kept just a little between my gum and cheek. And took breaths as if I was smoking. Deep, and slowly. After 2 weeks I had more control. The way to quit is to never light a cigarette again. If we can handle this, we can handle anything. I was a smoker for decades. And I really loved my cigarette and coffee...
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Chewing nicotine gum like regular gum can give you heartburn, upset stomach and cause burping. It needs to be parked between the cheek and gum to be absorbed through the mucosa of the mouth.
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VJ- LOL, the first time I put the gum in my mouth it hit me like a light! I didn't want a cig for a very long time. That's when I did just a corner off at a time and tucked in my cheek. My husband still laughs about that to this day. Thank goodness he was not a smoker.
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the drawback of chantix is the wild and vivid dreams. i have them every night and I remember in detail each dream when i wake up in the morning.
what is odd is that every single night i have a dream about sneaking a smoke and getting caught by dh, a friend, someone in the church, etc. each time i am only taking about 4 puffs - not even smoking the whole thing and someone walks up and catches me and then i am angry with myself for even taking those 4 puffs because that means i have to start stopping all over again.
what a relief to wake up in the morning and realize it is only a dream - now if I could just not have those dreams anymore!
i am still so glad i got injured the same day i was planning on quitting and not being able to drive those first 2 weeks made a huge difference. i don't have a single friend that smokes - i am the only one - well not anymore - i have to remember i can put that in the past tense now - lol
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You all have alot of really good Ideas. I am praying one of them will help me. As soon as I get the rugrats off to school I am headed to the drugstore with my quit smoking shopping list. Today is the day and I am really siked up for it so fingers crossed!
LadyinBama,
WAR EAGLE ! I am a serious Auburn fan. I almost fell out when they made #1 in the BSC rankings. I am getting ready for the Homecomming game tomorrow against Mississippi.And what about that Cam Newton, he has really turnned things around for Auburn that is for sure!
HUGS
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O2B: OK, that makes sense. Glad it's a cancer that is easily treated.
Christy: Have fun at the game. War Cam Eagle!!
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ladies - don't know how i managed to get through today. it was my 3 week anniversary. i also drove to the barn for the first time since my accident and barn days are smoking opportunities. so i had to deal with the triggers, hurting like heck from the drive, nobody turned my horse out today so she was stuck in her stall and was a lunatic. my trainer didn't want to ride her today and i can't blame her one bit. so nervous horse = nervous owner because you never know what they are going to do.
to top it off, was going to dinner with dh tonight - figured we would celebrate 3 weeks of not smoking and at the last minute he on his own invited his 15 year old son who i don't get along with so that immediately put a damper in what i thought was going to be a nice night. those that deal with teenagers know this is a bad age - THEY KNOW EVERYTHING AND PARENTS ARE STUPID! ok, so i didn't want to deal with his attitude.
on another note i had asked my dh to respect my privacy and his son is not to be in my bedroom on top of my bed watching tv. i come upstairs after we got back from dinner and the two of them are on my bed watching TV - i was pissed off to no end! I need one room in this house that is my sanctuary - my peaceful place - my place to go when things are dark - whatever - my bedroom - my rules!
So dh and I get into an argument and then he starts with the 'you are starting up because you want to go smoke' me on the other hand am trying to get out of the bedroom and away from the situation as quick as possible so i can take an ativan and calm down because i was getting worked up and in the past i would stop smoking, dh and i would have a fight and first thing i would do is go smoke. instead i looked at my husband and said 'you are not winning this one, you want to tempt me to smoke but it isn't going to work' and with that i shut the door and left the bedroom.
how many ativan can i take? this prescription is 1 mg and i would love to just fall asleep and get through tonight. is it safe to take another one because i am so wired up not sure this is even going to work. i did go ahead and take my chantix at the same time.
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{{{{JANCIE}}}} Thinking calming thoughts and sending them to you!!!! Step-children and husbands have many of the same characteristics. Stubborn, immature, know what buttons to push and so on.
Wish I had seen this last night so I could tell you to take two and fall asleep on the couch.
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Ladies, there are so many of us now it is hard for me to keep track so I will just talk to all of you. The support here is so wonderful and if I did not have you ladies I do not believe I would have quit although I had no choice if I wanted the DIEP. PS told me I had to be six weeks smoke free or he would not perform the DIEP. I wanted the surgery so bad I did it and am coming up on week 12 and the end of his mandatory do not smoke time. I no longer want to smoke when the time is up because I never want to have to go through quiting again. I figure if I do not pick up another cigarette to smoke then I never have to quit again. I remember that one of the quick and easy things I did when I had the cravings was to cut a straw up and use it like a cigarette. Funny but it got me through those difficult times especially when I was wanting to go for a break at work.
Yesterday I went to the casino and boy are those places smokey. It was a first for me since I quit smoking and I did have cravings but I got through it although I lost quite a bit of money. I could have bought some nice clothes with that...oh well can't cry over spilt milk.
Ladies keep up the good work and welcome to all the newcomers.
Evelyn
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