Safest way to quit?

[Me967]

I have smoked for ALOT of years.  I don't want to quit but, have to.  I get pains in my chest, neck and shoulder so bad it's unreal and my heart is racing like a roller coaster- really high, down and up again.  I get sweaty and out of breath sometimes just sitting because of the pressure and pounding heart.  It frustrates me and I smoke.  ha ha

TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT, A few months ago I tried to quit and failed because the pains intensified 10 fold when I tried, which I did not think was possible.  I thought I was going to die.  I went from 3-4 packs a day down to 3 smokes a day within 2 weeks.  Now I smoke ~ 1 pack a day.  

If anyone out there has experienced this or has an answer on the safest way to quit without all the pain and numbness, I would greatly appreciate it.  I feel so ashamed somehow even putting this up;  getting desperate though and I'm trying to get the will power, or strengh or something somehow.  

I thought about chantix; (sp) but, was leary of side effects with anger issues.  

[bosnianworrier]

I quit once with wellbutrin. It was very easy.

[kathyjo]

I sympathize with you but even with Chantix you will have some discomfort.....we all did (do). It will not work unless you truly want to quit. Please read the articles on whyquit.com and it will help you to mentally prepare for your quit. Then go to your doctor and ask for 2 prescriptions, 1 being chantix and the other for an anti-anxiety medication, short term, to get you through those hard times. Between the two, you will only have to rely on your willpower to get it done.
The key to quitting is to understand why you smoke in the first place. It's a little about the physical side and a lot about the emotional side......work on your emotional attachment and it will be so much easier. Try to understand the triggers that make you want to pick up a smoke and try to work on those issues. It isn't easy but the benefits will pay off immediately.
I smoked for 38 yrs. and I have quit for nearly 7 months now......I never imagined myself as a non-smoker but I thank the Lord daily for giving me the power to quit and stay quit. It is the hardest thing I ever did and my emotional addiction was so much stronger then the physical addiction.....that only takes 3 days! Work on the mental/emotional side and you will have a successful quit : )
Good luck to you and remember that this board is here for your support. Write often and post your doubts...successes...worries...whatever...we are here : )
Kathy Jo

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6m 3w 1d 12:10 smoke-free, 4,516 cigs not smoked, $1,083.84 saved, 2w 1d 16:20 life saved

[Sajonna]

I tried 8x to quit and this last time has lasted 2 years.  

I used a NRT Gum from Australia.  It was soft and had a good flavor. I used the 2mg Fruit Habitrol ..and bought it off of a gal on ebay..I just looked and she is still selling it there. Her ID is dogparlor.  She was the cheapest and had the freshest gum.  This brand was softer than the Gum sold in the states- plus I noticed she was selling it for around $14 a box.  The US version is hard and nasty and cost around $40 a box.  

I too had chest pains and sounded like I had emphesyema. But luckily I didn't.

I am 2 years quit May 30th of this year.  I feel so good.

I think she also sells the patches. I couldn't do it CT.  I tried and failed.

I also joined a quit site called quitnet   .     C  o  m
Just remove the spaces for the site.  There are some great stories there and support.

Good Luck.  You can do this.  I was up to 3 packs a day when I quit.

[Me967]

Hi.  Thank you for your responses.  After I had my bad attack in Feb., I have picked back up to 1 1/2 packs a day.  I silently read alot of post while chain smoking.  ha ha.  

Finally decided to go to the Dr. and get my heart checked and told her I am ready for the chantix.  My health reports are not that great for my age of 41.  I have smoked for 31 of those years.  GEE I wonder why it came up COPD and Heart issues.  Crazy part is I truly don't know if I'm ready.  I took my first pill today and my stop day is on this Wed. (the day of my recheck Echocardiogram and SPECT stress test w/ EF.)  Good incentive for 1st day to quit I thought.    

Every time I crave one now and think (I don't "really" want to quit); I ask myself if..........

Is it  just because the monkey is on my back scratching at me and my nerves?                
Do I just want it out of habit?.  
If I can get the monkey OFF my back it can no longer scratch me.

Trying to psych myself out I guess.  Wish me luck.  

AMY, a soon X smoker

[kathyjo]

You know you have to quit, especially since your health is at issue now. Chantix is a good start and hopefully, because the jones won't be to bad, it will help you to further understand the neccessity. With each day that passed, I grew stronger and I was able to rationalize why I need to stay quit and make it last forever.
Chantix support tells you to set a date but please, don't give up if you have a slip. Make a new date. Me personally.....I didn't set a date but I knew the day that I quit was my last day.
Try to change up your smoking habits. I smoked my cig before my meal and not after. I smoke when I got off the phone, not while I was on it. My morning smoke got later and later until I had waited up to 6 hours after and that is when I knew I had a good chance of kicking it.
The funny thing is that when I quit, I did it more because Chantix boasted such success and I wanted to see if there was truly a "wonder drug" out there to help me quit comfortably : )
You can do this and you HAVE to, so try your hardest and ask your friends and family for help and ask us for support, that's what we all need and that's what we are here for.
Hang in there, it will get better, promise : )
Kathy Jo

[Me967]

Hi.  Thanks for your comment and your support.  Actually as far as my health goes it "has been" an issue for a few years.  I was told a couple of years back I was a ticking time bomb.   I guess I am really stubborn.  lol.  For a couple of months this year though I would try to talk and not even be able to finish my sentence before taking a breath, and my EKG was showing a AV mobitz ll block.  I don't know if that was what made me finally decide or not; nevertheless, I'm going to give it a shot.  Your kind words and words of wisdom meant alot to me though and really boast my spirit.  Thank you so very much;

Amy

P.S.  Glad to see there's a weight tracker now; if I quit smoking I'll probably need help with that next.  ha ha ha.  Love my treadmill.  :-)

[kathyjo]

Make sure you give it more then a shot, make it happen! I smoked for 38 years and here I am, 7 months and 1 week smoke free and feeling so, so, so much better! In retrospect, the 3 day physical withdrawal, hardly memorable and the emotional & mental addiction which was harder by far, is so very do-able now : )  I guarantee that when you look back a year from now, you will wonder what all the stressing was about ; )
You can do it Amy, have faith