Stop Smoking Support Thread
Comments
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Hi, all, I smoked 50 years. Hard to believe, but had my first cigarette at 10, and by 13 was a full-fledged addict. It's taken me a long time of trial and error to get a sustained quit. Ultimately what worked for me was both pharmaceutical (Chantix and nicotine lozenges), and emotional/spiritual support.
I didn't have any bad side effects from Chantix, so with my doctor's consent and support, I stayed on it for several months before I completely stopped smoking, and then I switched to the generic nicotine lozenges, and then weaned myself off of those.
I've found an on-line group that I mentioned here in January and it's part of Nicotine Anonymous, a twelve step program. The program and meetings are free, and you might find them helpful. Voices of Nicotine Recovery is a chapter of Nicotine Anonymous and has voice meetings several times a day on a website called Paltalk. Links for both NicA and Voices are below: The support I receive there is enormous.
You can also search the Nicotine Anonymous website to see if there are face-to-face meetings in your area.
Feel free to private message me with questions, and never quit quitting!
xoxoxoxox
Calico
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Calico Cat - thanks for posting. This is good information. Interesting your doc let you stay on Chantix for several months. It was my life saver for quitting.
Oh Bosum - yes I got sucked into the same thing, but it was my ex-husband who pushed me after several months of not smoking. We were out to dinner with some of his business acquaintances and the wife smoked. (of course you could smoke anywhere then) He said - oh you can have just one or two, I said no I can't, he said - oh go ahead and be gracious. And you all know what happened. I did smoke only in the garage for awhile when I started back, then that seemed so juvenile. That incident is not directly the reason he's an ex, but I found it funny that one of his reasons for wanting a divorce after 20 years was that I smoked. Well duh, I smoked when he met me and he never seemed interested in my quitting.
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Judi - when you're feeling better we'd love to hear the highlights of your Africa trip.
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The crazy things that go on in our lives .. dammed if ya do ad dammed if ya don't ...xoxoxxo
Lisamarie
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Bosum - thanks for my 'belly laugh' of the day. MEN!!!. Don't get me wrong, there are lots of good men out there & in fact I'm still good friends w/my ex and we eat lunch every 6 weeks or so. But I sure wouldn't live w/him again. Men just don't seem to think like we do for the most part. ('Men are from Mars'?)
On that note - how are you doing w/your BF LisaMarie? Did he ever quit smoking in the house? Is he supportive with your classes & schooling? And good luck with the MRI tomorrow.
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Hello all!! I have been looking at all your posts to find the inspiration to stop smoking. I tell myself every day that today's the day but it hasn't happened yet. I suffer from anxiety and take meds but since my total hysterectomy it seems to be worse. The hot flashes/ night sweats/chills cause fast heartrate and more anxiety. I'm either hot and sweaty or shivering and freezing..is this normal? I'm also having issues with the skin healing on only one breast from bilateral mastectomy, it's purple and has small spots that look like scabs. doc says that it's blood vessels and thin skin issues..no infection. I know smoking doesn't help it but I just can't stop. my recon is scheduled for 4/22 and I pray there are no further issues or delays. I'm afraid that recon wont be successful. My husband also smokes and is unwilling to stop which makes it even harder!! If the cigarettes are in front of me I'm going to smoke. I don't buy cigarettes but he always does. My dr doesn't want to give me meds to help because of my anxiety and fast heartrate. Has anyone tried laser therapy? If anyone can please give me advice on how to deal with this I would be so grateful. Congrats to all of you that have been able to quit.Thank you
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Pattie - welcome. Sorry for your troubles. I was past menopause before BC started, and fortunate that it was easy for me so I don't have any advice there. The skin thing sounds weird but sounds like you have a doc monitoring it. Yes - we all know how hard it is to quit even w/o the "assistance" of a spouse or significant other who is determined to continue 'Blowing Smoke In Our Faces' - as it were. Can you send him away for a couple of weeks? LOL Can you at least get him not to smoke in the house or the car? That makes the temptation so much worse.
I've never even heard of laser therapy and have no experience with hypnosis for that matter. Maybe someone else will know about those areas. VJ may have some good thought since your doc doesn't want you to use drugs. Can you even use nicotine gum or patches.
Although our motto is Just For Today I Will Not Smoke. In your case, it would be understandable to say - just for the next hour!! Can you measure out a "quota" for the day and then work on gradually decreasing that number?
BridgeGal - how are you doing? Still cutting back gradually? Even if you're smoking we still think about you & hope to hear from you.
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Thanks minustwo. I'm going to talk to my husband again as he does smoke in the car and in our bedroom. The Dr didn't get specific on meds but I asked about Chantix and she said no. I'll ask about the patch and I'm also going to try the "quota" idea. That might be easier than stopping cold turkey. Maybe I can get hubby to try it as well. Maybe I will go a for a few weeks instead of sending him away..lol! a nice tropical island to help me stop smoking good!!
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Several people have used Wellbutrin. Bosum?
You might also try the E-smokes. I spite of the recent controversy, several people on the thread have quit using those, eventually dialing down the nicotine to -0- but still hanging on to the hand to mouth motion for awhile. April - am I remembering that you're one?
I agree - after your winter you deserve a beach vacation. Sigh!! If you could just convince DH to quit everywhere in the house, that would help. Sounds like I'm saying 'send him to the woodshed', but I'm not sure any of you are old enough to remember when grandma's sent their men out to the woodshed for a belt & a smoke - and I mean spirits not spanking. Of course that was in the days when women didn't smoke anyway and we hadn't "come a long way, baby". Isn't it the very devil being equal?
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Hi Pattief, I am close to you . I live in Mastic Beach . I am shocked they did the surgery . MY breast surgeon and plastic surgeron would not do it .. But needless to say that I only quit for my operation s and healing like 3 months .. I did that by the patch for 2 weeks then cold turkey .. and have been off and on since .. This time I took Chantix but for 3 months and I am now 5 months quit . I also live with a smoker . In fact he smokes 2 packs a day .. he was smoking in the bathroom and it drove me crazy , finally he is now respecting it and smokig outside .. I understand it makes it harder . he also said he wont quit , but just the other day he said I think I am going to quit I cant breathe at night . so we shall see .. Its not an easy task , But like I said im close by if ya need any support . Welcome to out group .. there are so many Amazing women on here some still smoking and some not but all amazing ... and great therapy and support here ..Oh I forgot to say I have seen the commercial for laser but never attemped ..
Minus .. he is so much better ... I guess leaving him helped it all out .. but yes he is now proud of me he says .. and he spports my school .. and he is doing more family stuff .. things have been okay ty for asking ..
Bosom ... I miss ya ... Hugs .. did ya read my last Private message .. and get a good laugh .. xoxoxox
Judi, April, Seaside .Beckers .. thinking of u all
well I got my clinical final today : 0 got the jitters .. But thinking I am gonna do well tomorrow is written final then school comes to end and graduation is here .... xoxoxox
LIsamarie
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Just wrote a long post and lost it
...have to go back to work now but wanted to say hi to all!0 -
LisaMarie? How did the clinical exam go? Didn't you have some med tests today too? Glad to hear about the BF. It wouldn't have been pretty if we'd all had to fly up there & come kick his rear.
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Lol Minus ... yes I had a clinical exam at school today and I passed .. woo hoo tomorrow is the written final .. then graduation ... I had a MRI on Friday .. still waiting on results .. guessing it is okay because no calls from MD ..April haha I have don't that as well.. xoxoxo
Lisamarie
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Bosum - 2nd appointment today, right? Hope you still liked the lady as much. (oops, I can't remember if it's a lady??)
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Thanks LisaMarie. you are close by and I appreciate the offer of support. This is just so hard.. I smoke and then feel guilty that I gave in and then berate myself. Though there's some controversy over them I bought an e cigarette and will see if that helps at all. When I was working I didn't smoke all day (only when I came home) but being on disability changed that. I'm bored and can't get out of my own head. Guess I just got to keep trying.
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My next book is going to be about e-cigarettes. I have done a lot of research, I've even sat through two- 2 day seminars given by the FDA (they were broadcast and I watched over the web). there is another one in June that I will be attending. The controversies that make headlines are not the real issues, such as-cig containing formaldehyde--that chemical was only created at very high temperatures--a temperature that no vape users would use and very few devices go up that high. While they may have some carcinogens, they are 9 to 450 times less than traditional cigarettes.
1. The biggest problem is dual use long term, using it while you are still smoking and continuing this practice long-term instead of quitting smoking. Using an e-cig for short term while trying to quit, probably isn't a problem. but with dual use, even reducing the number of cigarettes doesn't help with the damage smoking does to your cardiovascular system. Unlike cancer where exposure to a carcinogen is linear (the more exposure, the greater the risk of developing cancer), heart disease is not linear. 50 to 80% of the damage to the cardiovascular system from smoking occurs within the first 3 to 5 cigarettes. For those who do use e-cigs to quit smoking but continue to use them long term, there are no long term studies as to the health effects. Very likely it will not be the same as smoking but e-cigs will have their own disease profile.
2. The cig-a-likes don't deliver enough nicotine to really help with cessation. The mods or tanks do a better job of that. A lot has to do with the particle size in the vapor. Being either too small or too large and the vapor isn't absorbed. For example, the MarkTen offers some of the highest nicotine content (44mg) but very little of that is absorbed by the smoker, so you can't count on the label. Almost all users start with a cig-a-like and either find them unsatisfying and go back to smoking, or they switch to a tank/mod which delivers enough nicotine to satisfy.
3. The problem really isn't with the nicotine but with the flavorings. Vapor shop owners will say that the flavorings are "FDA" approved--which most are--as a food, but not as an inhalant. (Actually flavorings are not FDA approved but approved by FEMA--Flavoring & Extract Manufacturing Assoc). Two very different delivery systems. Some flavorings are toxic when inhaled--like cinnamon, buttery flavor and cherry. There are probably more but little or no testing has been done on the over 7000 e-cig flavors available. When eaten, a flavor goes through the stomach and digestive tract and is filtered by the liver where toxins are removed. When inhaled, substances go straight to your blood system with no filtration.
4.Users like the hand to mouth use of e-cigs and say that e-cigarettes give a better throat hit than the nicotine inhaler--which is an FDA approved device for cessation and also substitutes for the hand to mouth motion. A common issue with people using NRT is that they don't get enough nicotine from one delivery system, so we now suggest combination therapy, such as the patch or bupropion with either the inhaler, gum, lozenge, or nasal spray. This pairs one long acting agent with a short acting one. I have heard of many people using both chantix and bupropion together with great success but I haven't seen any research studies on it, only anecdotal.
5. Up t0 90% of these are made in China (regardless of what the label says--no one is looking to see if the labels are true), where there are no manufacturing standards, the batteries can be defective and blow up, poorly made atomizers can leach metals into the vapor, contents of the e-liquid can be very different than the label--for example instead of using pharmaceutical grade nicotine, a less pure grade could be used or instead of propylene glycol, they could use diethylene glycol--which is cheaper but toxic. Plus there are many counterfeits on the market, so even if the manufacturer is one who is trying to create a good product, you may not know if the one you buy is real or counterfeit.
Having said all that, I do believe that once some of these issues are addressed through regulation, there is a place for e-cigarettes to help a smoker quit tobacco cigarettes and hopefully only use them for a short time.
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Bosom , so glad that things are going so well for you .. xoxoxoxoI graduated .. hurray I am now a certified Hemo Dialysis technician... now to get a job ... and all my results came back good nothing wrong .. makes me frustrated .. I am now 132 lbs .. I started at 105 .. I am wondering if its all from quitting smoking ... but I thought most people gain 10 lbs average and then even out . I gained so much and am still gaining ,, and I look pregnant ,, I took my self to th gym today... I am bugging out . I thought if not smoking is doing this im gonna be sad ... anyway I don't know how to feel ,... I just want to know why ? I have never been able to gain weight in my life ... well sending my love out to everyone ..
Lisamarie
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Pattief , I understand what you are going through and I also know that we all go through it . so first thing first . don't beat yourself up . second is this is the hardest thing to quit . I hear it is harder to kick than heroin .. so know its not easy . I tried the e cig but nothing really helped me except the Chantix.. but like I said feel free to send me message if ya need I am here .. xoxoxo
Lisamarie
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LisaMarie - WOO HOO!!! CONGRATULATIONS. I had to look up HemoDialysis Tech since I was ignorant. Wishing you the best of luck finding a job. As for the weight gain, thrilled that there were no "bad" things discovered. How do you feel physically other than the weight gain? It will be a "pain" if the solution is sit ups & crunches. I lost 60 lbs w/chemo but have gained back 35. Now I want to stop gaining. So of course I had two pieces of Edwards Hershey's Chocolate Pie today while I was playing dominoes. (ok, I know I slacked off this afternoon but my OT told me that playing dominoes was really good for the neuropathy in my fingers).
Right now I hurt everywhere. I told my PT yesterday that I was sore from working in the garden on Wednesday. After her workout yesterday, my thighs don't want me to get up from the toilet seat. And that tells you what bad shape I am in. All the work ahead is depressing.
VJ - thanks for all the info about e-cigs. Most interesting. I still think it was April who quit using those & hope she gets a chance to replace the post that evaporated into the cloud.
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Whooooooo hooooo LisaMarie. I'm so proud of you. I told you that you can do anything you want once you set your mind to it. About the weight gain, I know how your feeling. I kept blaming my 20+ weight gain on the cancer medication, quit smoking but definitely not eating too much. Well, for me, it was the eating too much. I joined a boot camp in October and have lost a total of 20 lbs. It's hard and there are times that I get frustrated, like right now. Drove dh to airport and had severe, severe diarrhea when I got home. Thinking it was the apple that I ate yesterday - core was not looking too good. Anyways, in boot camp I had to record every thing I ate and I signed up at MyFitnessPal. Great tool and it's free. You can adjust your goals as you see fit. I'm still doing it but right now I just had kiebsalla and triscuits - and I don't give a damm! If you need more info, PM me and I'll send you what the lady set me up for - 1200 calories a day. At first, I was starving all the time but not now.
MinusTwo, your thighs will get better. I had that before and damm it is hard to get off of the toilet seat. Right now I haven't exercised in 3 months and my knees are starting to hurt from the meds. But I'm back at it on Monday - 2x a week.
Welcome patties! I would comment more but the toilet is calling my name! BTW, hi to all the other ladies!
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Thank you so much Minus and Judi H ..As I begin to think its the quitting smoking and eating more , I thought I cute down eating . but maybe its too late . I am going to the gym . I am going to try 3 days a week . I have been looking up recipes that are healthy along with healthy menu plans .I mentioned one time that I have Hashimotos and it is an auto immune disorder that slowly kills the thyroid . The thyroid does a lot of things . one being metabolism .. so my levels are still high . I am going to MD on the 30th .. maybe get blood levels drawn again .. but glad no cancer and nothing bad ... The funny thing about the whole thing is the weight seems to be in the belly only .. and high up as if I am preganant . On a side view in the mirror you can see I look very pregnant .. I did do 5 sets of 12 crunches yesterday at gym .. lol .. Hoping to find some solution ..Judi , I hope you feel better .. and minus I am same way . I am crouched down in garden and cant get up . I have joint pain and muscle pain all the time . I would love any info you have to offer judi about diet as well ..
Bosom and Pattif how are you ladies doing ?
xoxoxoxx
Lisamarie
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LisaMarie..I'm doing well..thanks. I am determined to kick this habit. Spoke to hubby about not smoking in the house and how I really need his support in this and he agreed but we shall see. I told him it will help him as well since he will not want to keep going outside and as a reward we could so something with all the money we save, maybe a nice weekend away. I am trying to cut back as someone suggested .. I smoked 7 cigarettes yesterday and today my goal is 5. I pointed out to hubby that I smoked 2 cigarettes during the 8 hours when he wasn't home and 5 more when he came home so he can see how his smoking in the house tempts me. I hope cutting back daily helps. When I feel the urge to smoke I am just telling myself that I don't need it and I do something to distract myself. Now I just need to get rid of these tissue expanders so I can do more as they hurt if I do to much. I also don't like the taste of the e cigarette so sometimes I'll use that and it turns off the urge to smoke
Vjsl8. thanks for all the info on e cigarettes. Very interesting and informative. I am hesitant to use it as I know health effects aren't well known yet. I don't intend to use frequently just as an aid to help cut back. I don't like the taste at all so when I use it, I take 1 or 2 drags and put it down. It seems to help when I get the urge and cant distract myself. Since the taste turns me off I don't smoke a regular cigarette.
Hope you all enjoy the rest of your weekend
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Pattif, I totally understand the tissue expander and te pain in the butt they can be .. You seem to be doing awesome ... good luck .. xoxoxo
Lisamarie
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Pattie - I agree with LisaMarie - you're making good progress. Hope the DH will honor your wishes. We're all thinking of you.
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Alas, yes it was me that vaped and sometimes still vape with a 0 nicotine e-cig from www.greensmoke.com
I feel it is not going to hurt me with all that I have read about the "dangers" of e-cigs. Most of the studies were not with the e-cigs but with the huge vaporizer (they look like a bong for a frame of reference - not that any of you would know what a bong looks like...ahem! HA!) and they heat the liquid to a zillion degrees unlike the e-cig does. I am not at all worried (yet..lol) about my small amount of use.
VJ, excellent info as always!
Lisamarie, CONGRATS on finishing your training. I just know you will find a great job soon! As for the weight gain, your Hashimoto's may have all but destroyed your thyroid which of course controls so many things, in particular our weight. You will get answers. Just hang in there!
Pattief, welcome and best of luck on your quest to get rid of the evil sticks. We are here, no matter how long it takes!
Judie, are you truly back from South Africa yet? Not just in body, but in your spirit? LOL..am still jealous!
Ok , at work, gotta run.
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"Most of the studies were not with the e-cigs but with the huge vaporizer (they look like a bong for a frame of reference" ---
Actually it is just the opposite, most of the studies have been done on the first generation of e-cigs--the "cig-a-likes" and very few studies have been done with the tanks or "mods", The technology is moving faster than the science and really ANY study you read about e-cigs is already outdated. It also ONLY applies to the specific type, brand, e-liquid used etc. There are NO generalizations that can be used to over all e-cigs.
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I guess I read a study that said the opposite but I trust you more than whatever I read since you know this stuff really well! I read that the latest knock on e-cigs was the toxin created by heating the liquid to whatever degree causes damage and that the only thing that could heat to that level were the "mods." Most people don't use those but rather rely on the e-cig so was thinking it was just another alarmist study with nothing to back it up. I made up my own mind on my tolerance for risk with this and have decided that if it keeps me from going back to real cigs, it is worth it to me!
Back to your regularly scheduled programming.
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The study you are talking about is one that showed high levels of formaldehyde--which was created at very high temperatures--which can only be achieved with a "mod" or tank system with a high voltage battery. It would deliver such a harsh vapor that no smoker would use it that way. But the media doesn't tell you that.
Unfortunately the press sensationalizes everything instead of giving facts. On the other side, the vape web sites that I have seen also give false information. The truth really is in the middle somewhere. Regulations are needed to stop the abusive practices and non existent manufacturing standards and some standards so we can have some reliable data.
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VJ - Isn't the biggest worry that teens & pre-teens will take up e-smokes instead of real cigarettes and become addicted? Particularly since there's no firm data showing long term dangers. That's much different than using them once in a while as a quitting aid.
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Yes MinusTwo --the access that teens have is a problem.
Ideally we don't want any child or teen to use them at all but that is hardly realistic. I heard of a unique way to take care of that though--we know that teens like new technology, the flavors and are very cost conscious. E-cigarettes have the ability to provide an e-liquid with 0 nicotine. So tax the nicotine e-liquid and not the 0 nicotine ones. The kids will more likely buy the 0 nicotine ones and not become addicted. This is assuming that the flavors are tested and show no harm. If not addicted, once the novelty wears off, they will stop.
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