quitting smoking: easier or harder than pill WD?

[troubleinohio]

I know alot of you have smoked (or still do)...how is different from quitting pills? is it truly harder? I mean I should know this because I have quit smoking before, but never for very long, i always went back to it quickly. I think the longest I ever made it was a week except when i was pregnant. Now that I am over 80 days off Vicodin, I am wondering how much different it will be to quit the smokes? Will it be harder or easier? I set my quit date for Saturday..meaning that Friday night at 11:59 pm would be the last time I ever light a cigarette. I really need to do this. I was supposed to quit over a month ago anyways but then i had all that drama with my husband going on and i just couldnt make myself quit when that was happening (yeah, stupid, always finding an excuse to use, right?) But anyhow I made up my mind and tomorrow will be my last day of cigs.  What should I expect and is there anythign that will help? is there a "thomas recipe" for nicotine WD?? LOL   Or do I just gotta suffer it out with no help? Im pretty nervous about this...i ended up probably picking the wrong week to do this, I have major PMS right now so my moods arent too great to begin with, LOL   but oh well, I picked the date and am stickign with it so will just have to deal with it grumpier or not. Just looking for any advice you veteran ex smokers may have for me though!    

[w_dawn]

Hi,
2 week ex-smoker here. I've quit for long periods of time in the past...once for 7 yrs. Timing was very key to me. This time I caught bronchitis and simply could not smoke any more. And since I wanted to quit this spring I just simply let it go. Then I quit ultram about a week later. I was never a heavy user...quite the light-weight actually...but I've been going thru w/d non-the-less. Holy Crappidoodles! In my mind quitting smoking is WAY easier!! With quitting smoking you do become a bit of a bear and you have to find other things to do to occupy your time. (I always sat down w/ a cig like it was some kind of reward for accomplishing things, so I had to find a different reward system.) But all in all, if you have the personal strength to quit an opiate and deal w/ the w/d, you can do just about anything you set your mind too!! You can do this! Just stay the course....keep trying...even if you fail a couple of times. Eventually, thru drive and motivation, you will become smoke-free.

[dnsmommy]

I quit smoking 2 wks before I c/t off of lortabs, kinda a dumb move on my part, but I was ready.  I have to tell you honestly, I smoked for about 14 yrs. and I could not have quit w/o help, I am takin this new medication called chantix and it blocks the nicotine receptors in the brain, so you do not get the "high" or enjoyment out of the cigarette.  I had tried to quit too many times and always cheated, this time I was ready and with the combination of willpower and medication was the only way I could do it.  It has been 1 month and 1 week smoke-free and I tell you it feels really good and everyone is telling me that I look better (always a +).  So my opinion would be to go to your doctor and get the prescription, it is well worth it.  It is expensive about 120/month but I was lucky and my ins. covered it so I only have to pay $20 copay. If you were like me we spend that much or more on cigs, so well worth it. BTW it is not addicting as far as I know.  I am supposedly to be on it for 4-6 mos. but my hubby quit smoking 6 mos ago and only used it for 3 mos., so I am hoping that I will be the same.  Good luck to you and if you have any more questions, let me know.  :)

[gizzy32]

glad you posted this trouble. for the first time i am ready to quit smoking, it is a disgusting habbit and so unhealthy. i have never even tried to quit. now that i quit coke i am ready to toss the butts, but i am scared, lmao. they have been my friend for 10 years. i have no doubt quitting smoking will be easier than quitting coke, but it is going to be tough. does anyone know how long that really bad cravings are for when you first quit smoking. man i enjoy that first smoke in the morning with my coffee, that will be the toughest part

[w_dawn]

That morning coffee w/o cigs is a tuff one to conquer!. Everyone is so different w/ cravings. I just tell myself NO! at the least hint of a thought and within 2 weeks I hardly think about them. But others struggle. My w/d from smoking hardly compare to my w/d from ultram....absolutely minor as far as I am concerned but...look at "trouble's" comment. They obviously have a harder time. I can tell you that you don't suffer from RLS when you quit smoking, and for the most part you can sleep undisturbed.

[candy74]

Good for you for wanting to quit smoking! I'm not a smoker myself...but from what I've heard, it's tough. Seems to me that if you can quit vic's (my doc)...then you can do anything! Plus think of all the $ you'll save--not to mention the years you'll add to your life. GOOD LUCK!

[gizzy32]

what is the best thing to use to quit smoking, im gonna need help, lol, and im not wearing a patch, i'd have them stuck all over me when i had cravings, haha. the gum sounds gross to chew, hmmmmm maybe ill just start chewing tobacco, that looks so attractive, lmao. yuck

[candy74]

The best thing to use?....how about looking at a picture of a smoker's lungs every time you want to light up?

[w_dawn]

hard candies work fairly well, at least to quell a small craving. snapping a rubberband on your wrist, chewing a toothpick, pencil erasers? LOL There are some good short term drugs that help w/ craving but since I've always done cold turkey I've never used them, so I can't comment. SOooo glad the chewin' solution is repulsive to you! lol
Just keep heading in the right direction...you will get there.

[Oxy_Moron]

Wow, that's so subjective because it will be different for different folks. For me after 27 years of smoking, back in April of 2000 I decided it was time to throw my butt on the floor and stomp on it for good. I had 2 packs left from a carton and decided I was going to be quit by the time those two packs were gone. I took all smokes, lighters and ashtrays outside to the most inconvenient place I could put them and if I did go out to take a smoke, it would only be a couple of puffs. It turned out to be a great motivator because by the time the first pack was finished, I was tired of the whole thing and never even opened the second pack...the stale thing must be around here someplace still. Having to slog outside whenever I wanted to have a nico shot just wasn't worth it. I'm trying the same method getting off the pills--well, at least as far as tapering goes. The caviat here is when I started the addiction to the pain pills, it seemed like all my good judgements went outta the window, and I picked the butts up again back in '05. I guess like all addictions, you are never safe from going back to it, but I'm only going to try to tackle one addiction at a time...don't think I can put down the butts and the pills at the same time. Seems like human beings are the only animals that are happy and willing to seek out ways to purposely poison themselves...higher inteligence INDEED! lol!

[gizzy32]

ive decided im setting a quit date to stop smoking. may 1st. im gonna do this, never tried, but man if could quit coke, this will be a catwalk. im gonna come on here and whine and complain, cause ill be ***** y for a few days, lol, so ya'll better be ready. haha. im gonna do this

[troubleinohio]

Gizzy i can see you now with 20 patches stuck all over your body, a couple hanging on your forehead covernign half your eyes even lmao.  Hey about the nicotine gum...i was considering that myself and just looked at some today at the store...cripes sakes the cheapest box they had was 42 dollars!!! i was like screw that!! that costs way more than cigs LOL  So Im not gonna use anything like that......and Id never try that Chantix...ive heard too many scary things about that, and i surely dont need to take a nother pill anyways even though "its not addicting". I will just do it the old fashioned way...COLD TURKEY.  I cant taper cigs either, just like i couldnt taper my vicodins. Im sure tomorrow I will be puffing my head off so bad, knowing its my last day that I'll be wheezing and coughing so bad by the night that I'll be on the verge of going to ER for not being able to breathe, lol.   So thats my plan... and btw, Im one of the worst hard core smokers...heavy smoker.......i go outside even when its 20 below zero out just to have a cig all day long. I used to even put my smokes waaaaay out in the back of our acerage and make myself walk 10 acres through the woods in the cold just to get my stupid cigs and even that didnt deter me...so that gives you an idea of how badly crippled I am by this addiction. Im really nervous about doing this since I am so horribly addicted. But i HAVE to... i have breathing problems.......really bad at times. And it will be a miracle if I dont die of cancer from these things. Im sure Ive done irreversable damage (Ive smoked for 22 years now!!!!!!!) So by quitting, Im hoping I can at least hold off the onset of cancer for awhile longer so i can live long enough to see my kids go through school for heavens sake!  Im tired of being a slave to these cancer sticks!      
PS-- that is a good idea about carring a picture with you of black cancerous lungs! I think i will print that out and keep it on me as a reminder when i get a craving! They havea lot of pictures and great info on WHYQUIT.COM if you want to check that site out. It has tons of tips, suggestions, info, support , everything. its a great site. I still havent gone through everything on it, its so large.

[VicUser]

How bad do you want to quit? I smoked for several years and wanted to quit while my wife was pregnant with our first son. I loved smoking, I enjoyed all aspects of it. I thought about quitting for about a month and thought about ways to taper off. This was way before patches, gum, ect one day I was by a pond and bent over and the pack of cigarettes fell out of my pocket and into the water. That was the last I smoked, it was hard for about 5 yrs not to give in. It’s been 24 yrs since I quit and at times a cigarette still sounds good.  

My advice, when you have decided that you really want to quit and throw away what you have left and stop. It’s hard but you can do it, just be strong.

[allaboutmary]

I am lighting a cigarette and will contemplate this question.
Oh did you see the e-cigarette on the news the other day.  It is run on batteries and blows smoke.It's just to take care of the mental part of the addiction. It's brand new out and they cost 200.  I signed up for a free trial on the local news.  We shall see.

[gizzy32]

im going cold turkey. trouble you are hilarious, yes i would have those patches stuck all over me and i don't need another overdose, 4 were enough, lol. i want this bad, i just have to pump myself up about it. since you don't have w/d's from coke, i know i will w/d from smokes. i gonna be one mean son of a bitc h for a couple days so im warning ya'll now, haha.

[flmagi]

I think quiting smoking will be harder than the drugs (for me at least). Because you will always be somewhere that someone is smoking and their legal and you can just run down the block for a pack.
I have quit before, longest was 7 months, 3 months and 2 months. I use to cut plastic straws down to cigg size and chew on the ends of them and hold them like a cigg.   Ciggs are the next thing on my quiting list.  I'm gonna need a new vice.

[jim811]

Hi...I quit patches/percs 59 days ago and smoking 34 days ago...which is harder?  Mentally...smoking by far but one day at a time...you have to learn what your triggers are and cope..

I don't have any cravings for pills any more but experience smoking cravings everyday...

Nick

[troubleinohio]

ok Nick if you dont have anything nice to say, just dont say anything at all, rofl!

man this sucks...im up early, been out to smoke once already and all the while thinking "this will be jmy last 6 a.m. cig ever!"

I also have to go back out once daylight hits and pick up all the butts that in the dirt in my smoking spots..cant have them laying around for me to see and trigger a relapase, ugh!

[VicUser]

Just think though, no more smoke smell, on your clothes, hair or breath. It is a positive to think of when you do want one. Also I pictured my lungs as black and shrivled and then what they would be pink and healthy. The mental picture helped when the cravings hit.

[feohmoon]

You are going to feel great!  We will be sooooo jealous, we will have to quit too!