papsrus Posted June 28, 2008 Report Share Posted June 28, 2008 (edited) ... It's been 24 hours. I went to a stop-smoking clinic and got one of those injections of a cocktail that shuts down the nicotine receptors in your brain. Also got a pocket-full of other drugs specifically designed to aid in the process, and am determined to break a 35-year habit that would likely give me emphysema (at best) if I continued. The drugs (particularly the initial injection) are very strong drugs. And why not? This is a very strong addiction. But, if anyone else wants to take a run at breaking this nasty habit, check out www.quitdoc.com ... Feeling woozy from the drugs, but have had zero cravings in the first 24 hours. None. Amazing. Edited June 28, 2008 by papsrus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted June 28, 2008 Report Share Posted June 28, 2008 I did the Chantix thing a year ago, and it worked as advertised. I've since gained weight in spite of exercising, which sucks donqui dix, but... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzbo Posted June 28, 2008 Report Share Posted June 28, 2008 Hey, congrats (to you both). I quit eighteen years ago next week and it's one of the handful of things I've done that I'm proudest of. James, keep the strong will to quit. I quit cold turkey after eighteen years of smoking and it was that will to quit that got me through. I was damned determined to stop! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papsrus Posted June 28, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2008 Hey, congrats (to you both). I quit eighteen years ago next week and it's one of the handful of things I've done that I'm proudest of. James, keep the strong will to quit. I quit cold turkey after eighteen years of smoking and it was that will to quit that got me through. I was damned determined to stop! Quitting cold turkey with no drugs takes enormous will, I would think. My motivation is pretty strong, so I'm confident that with the help of the drugs, I'll be over the physical addiction in two or three weeks. Then it's just a matter of never taking a single puff again, like an alcoholic with a drink. That was one of the main points the doctor stressed. He said, "You will never be a casual smoker, like the person who can have one or two on the weekends." I'm an addict, and a single puff will put me right back to a pack a day. The second thing he stressed was this: Cravings will come at some point, but they will only last 2 to 5 minutes, and then they'll disappear, whether you act on them or not. I found that a huge reassurance. Anyways, thanks for the encouragement fellas! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllenLowe Posted June 28, 2008 Report Share Posted June 28, 2008 man: do you smoke after sex? woman: I don't know, I never looked - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheldonm Posted June 28, 2008 Report Share Posted June 28, 2008 Congrats to each of you for taking the steps to quit a nasty, harmful habit!!!! m Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
user0815 Posted June 28, 2008 Report Share Posted June 28, 2008 ... It's been 24 hours. I went to a stop-smoking clinic and got one of those injections of a cocktail that shuts down the nicotine receptors in your brain. Also got a pocket-full of other drugs specifically designed to aid in the process, and am determined to break a 35-year habit that would likely give me emphysema (at best) if I continued. The drugs (particularly the initial injection) are very strong drugs. And why not? This is a very strong addiction. But, if anyone else wants to take a run at breaking this nasty habit, check out www.quitdoc.com ... Feeling woozy from the drugs, but have had zero cravings in the first 24 hours. None. Amazing. i wish you all the best! and i hope one day i will stop smoking too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
user0815 Posted June 28, 2008 Report Share Posted June 28, 2008 I did the Chantix thing a year ago, and it worked as advertised. I've since gained weight in spite of exercising, which sucks donqui dix, but... i've gained weight in the last 18 months despite smoking a pack a day. and let me tell you ... it sucks too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Free For All Posted June 28, 2008 Report Share Posted June 28, 2008 It's been six years since I quit. I used Zyban to help me (and it was a big help), but the main reason I was successful was because ***I*** wanted to quit, not because anybody was pressuring me to quit. That's really the only way you can succeed at behavioral changes. I got through my divorce w/o starting up again, so I think I'm done with it. Next up: weight loss! Congrats to those who have quit, and good luck to those who are in the process. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewHill Posted June 28, 2008 Report Share Posted June 28, 2008 Same here. Congrats to anyone who's quit (ing) smoking. You got my total respect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niko Posted June 28, 2008 Report Share Posted June 28, 2008 (edited) quit smoking after reading allen carr's book and it lasted for a bit over two years... started again two years ago however, hope i will make it once more... i know the first two weeks of not smoking pretty well by now (like, i know depression will come on day 4 or 5, first time around i didn't really know how to take it by now i can more or less laugh about it... usually i start again after two or three weeks when i stop taking quitting to smoke seriously enough... put differently, i don't think the physical addiction is the difficult part if you have a strong enough will... despite the fact that i am smoking i would definitely recommend carr's insightful book... huge respect for anyone who's made it! Edited June 28, 2008 by Niko Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seeline Posted June 28, 2008 Report Share Posted June 28, 2008 (edited) Quitting is one of the hardest things I've ever done. I was in grad school at the time, which made things even harder (I was a chain smoker), but... M&Ms and prayer got me through it. (I'm not joking!) I'd tried to quit many times, and had always given up after day 10 or so, when I'd have a "cheat" cigarette. The final time - when I actually was able to quit - I'd decided that a few cheat smokes were allowable, and not a sign that I'd failed. I only allowed myself to have them in the student union's lounge area (not the car, not at home, etc.). The few times I did give in, I'd buy a pack from a vending machine, have 1-2, then crush the rest of the pack in my hand and throw it in the trash. The final straw came on an evening when I was waiting to take a very tough exam. Many of my classmates were smokers, and they were all lighting up... so I decided that I needed a cigarette, too. I went to the vending machine and dumped my quarters into it, pulled the lever, and... nothing. (It wouldn't give back my money, either.) So I repeated the process - same deal. And again... and after the 3d time, I just started laughing, and walked away. I won't lie: I had cravings (off and on) for years; usually coming out of nowhere and hitting hard. (I think this happens to most people, or at least, it's happened to most of the ex-smokers I know.) This can really throw you for a loop - I tried to stay focused on the fact that I really *didn't* want to be enslaved by the habit again, and that seemed to work. (M&Ms helped, too.) Like Lon, I do feel proud of this accomplishment, but am also aware that I could easily fall back into it... it's easier to stay away now that it's not such a common, socially acceptable thing. But... it's the psychological part of it that's the hardest (I think), not the actual nicotine addiction. (The only drug available at the time was Nicorette, and I didn't use it, because I didn't want to get hooked on chewing it - which can and does happen.) Edited June 28, 2008 by seeline Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PHILLYQ Posted June 28, 2008 Report Share Posted June 28, 2008 It's tough to quit- I smoked for about 25 years and finally quit after doing acupuncture to help me quit. Three sessions of human pincushion and I haven't smoked now for 16 years. I also drank Smokers tea, which has something called Lobelia root which is chemically similar to nicotine. Of course it also helped that my wife was pregnant at the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noj Posted June 28, 2008 Report Share Posted June 28, 2008 I quit smoking cigarettes cold turkey about nine years ago, after smoking for seven. I'm three years removed from smoking pot, which I smoked heavily for thirteen years. Best of luck to you guys in the midst of quitting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papsrus Posted June 29, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 29, 2008 (edited) One thing that does work in my favor is that I don't drink (beyond the occasional glass of wine, which I can nurse for hours) and don't do any other drugs. So there won't be that pressure at a pub to sneak off and light up while I'm throwing back a brew. I hope I don't become one of those anti-smoking nuts, but I'm really coming to the belief that these things should not be legal. They are proven to be harmful to your health and they are highly addictive. But I know that's impractical. Super high taxes might do the trick. $10 per pack anyone? Edited June 29, 2008 by papsrus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nessa Posted June 29, 2008 Report Share Posted June 29, 2008 I have smoked since I was about 20. A few years ago (4?) my doctor gave me a scrip for Wellbutrin to help. I reacted by contracting shingles and went blind in my left eye. A wonderful eye surgeon brought my sight back via steroids. I would like to try something else but do not want to go blind again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papsrus Posted June 29, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 29, 2008 (edited) I have smoked since I was about 20. A few years ago (4?) my doctor gave me a scrip for Wellbutrin to help. I reacted by contracting shingles and went blind in my left eye. A wonderful eye surgeon brought my sight back via steroids. I would like to try something else but do not want to go blind again. Man, that's a terrible experience. This doctor I went to is a pulmonologist who has developed an injection that uses two medications: scopolamine, which is used in sea-sickness patches, and Atarax, which is an antihistamine. Together, they work to block the nicotine receptors in the brain. Very powerful injection. You feel drunk afterward. Someone has to drive you home and when you get home, you sleep through to the next day. Then, the day after the shot (today), I put a patch on behind one ear. The patches contain transderm-scop, which when used in conjunction with a medication called Chantix, works to continue to suppress any urges to smoke. Then I got some alprazonlam (generic substitute for xanax) to calm me down if I get edgy. All in all, pretty drugged up. But worth it, because I have had zero urges to smoke going on 30 hours now. They also give behavior modification suggestions to break up the "habit" pattern. Things like, take a shower first thing in the morning before you have a cup of coffee. Take a walk after dinner instead of going outside to light up. That sort of thing. Edited June 29, 2008 by papsrus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave James Posted June 29, 2008 Report Share Posted June 29, 2008 I've never smoked and never had any desire to do so. First of all, it would have gotten in the way of sports which was my number one concern growing up. The other reason is probably the most important. When we were five years old, my Dad, who was a smoker, made my twin brother and I split a cigarette. Outside of the fact that it about killed us, it certainly reduced the idea od smoking to nothing more than an afterthought. Maybe the best this my Dad ever did for me. Up over and out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seeline Posted June 29, 2008 Report Share Posted June 29, 2008 (edited) I have smoked since I was about 20. A few years ago (4?) my doctor gave me a scrip for Wellbutrin to help. I reacted by contracting shingles and went blind in my left eye. A wonderful eye surgeon brought my sight back via steroids. I would like to try something else but do not want to go blind again. Man, that's a terrible experience. This doctor I went to is a pulmonologist who has developed an injection that uses two medications: scopolamine, which is used in sea-sickness patches, and Atarax, which is an antihistamine. Together, they work to block the nicotine receptors in the brain. Very powerful injection. You feel drunk afterward. Someone has to drive you home and when you get home, you sleep through to the next day. Then, the day after the shot (today), I put a patch on behind one ear. The patches contain transderm-scop, which when used in conjunction with a medication called Chantix, works to continue to suppress any urges to smoke. Then I got some alprazonlam (generic substitute for xanax) to calm me down if I get edgy. All in all, pretty drugged up. But worth it, because I have had zero urges to smoke going on 30 hours now. They also give behavior modification suggestions to break up the "habit" pattern. Things like, take a shower first thing in the morning before you have a cup of coffee. Take a walk after dinner instead of going outside to light up. That sort of thing. Those are all very powerful drugs - ad Xanax is probably the nastiest of the benzodiazapines, in that its half-life in the body is extremely short and - well, it's the thing that made me start chain-smoking. Is this a doc you see regularly, or is this someone you went to specifically re. quitting smoking? I don't want to sound like an alarmist, but I feel leery of such "cures." (The behavioral mod stuff sounds good, though.) Edited June 29, 2008 by seeline Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papsrus Posted June 29, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 29, 2008 Those are all very powerful drugs - ad Xanax is probably the nastiest of the benzodiazapines, in that its half-life in the body is extremely short and - well, it's the thing that made me start chain-smoking. Is this a doc you see regularly, or is this someone you went to specifically re. quitting smoking? I don't want to sound like an alarmist, but I feel leery of such "cures." (The behavioral mod stuff sounds good, though.) Yes, they are powerful drugs. But the program is carefully designed and was recommended to me by my regular doctor (repeatedly). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seeline Posted June 29, 2008 Report Share Posted June 29, 2008 All the very best to you in this, paps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzmoose Posted June 29, 2008 Report Share Posted June 29, 2008 Not to bring a downer into the thread, but I guess it's about time to confess that I started smoking again when things started going south with Barb. After nine years of not smoking. I sure hope it doesn't take me twenty years to quit again; if I keep smoking I might not have twenty years... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christiern Posted June 29, 2008 Report Share Posted June 29, 2008 I never smoked thread, but I did quit cigarettes about 30 years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A Lark Ascending Posted June 29, 2008 Report Share Posted June 29, 2008 (edited) Good luck, papsrus, with the quitting. I've never smoked - don't know if it was fear of my father finding out or just a natural inclination to avoid doing things that made you hip. I did quit chocolate cold turkey seven years back (you only have to try chocolate cold turkey once and you'll never eat chocolate or turkey again!). I'm always saddened when I see wonderful kids I teach or have taught out and about 'with a fag on'. Part of the rituals of growing up for many, I know, but if only we could persuade them otherwise. The lure of the image of casually puffing the cigarette seems to overcome all the science we can throw at them. Edited June 29, 2008 by Bev Stapleton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BruceH Posted June 29, 2008 Report Share Posted June 29, 2008 But remember, the cigarette companies insist that nicotine is NOT A DRUG so it shouldn't be regulated. How reassuring! Papsrus, how often are you going to get that double-whammy shot? That sounds scary. Best of luck to you and I hope you kick the habit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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