Quitting Smoking

[Scott]

Don't know if everyone gets side effects but I had a rough go with the stuff about 6 years ago. I was throwing up after meals, shaky, hallucinating, unbalanced.

I binned the pills after about a month. The Doc told me to expect some discomfort when I was first starting them but I just couldn't handle all that BS.

 

[navymich]

     Springroll was there any adverse effects with the zyban?

Sorry, I know you were asking Springroll, and hopefully she can provide more info for you too.  But my husband was on Zyban about 6 years ago.  When he first started on it, he found he was really itchy all the time, almost like you would be if you had hives, but there was nothing to show for it.  As well, he was unable to sleep more then catnaps every once in awhile.  He was extremely wired.  After a few weeks of this, he gave up and tossed them.

 

[Springroll]

     Springroll was there any adverse effects with the zyban?

                            Regards OLD Fof S

Most of the side effects were pretty minor. I had some sleeping issues, dry mouth, occassional headaches and night sweats.
Keep in mind too that we were also in the midst of our relocation, so some of those symptoms could be stress induced(relocating from one coast to the other)

If I could have been able to afford the Zyban again(and had enough time to do it properly), I would have taken it again for sure...just make sure you follow the directions to the "t".

Whatever method you plan to use to quit, I hope it works for you!
Good Luck!

 

[muffin]

I am sure people have had success with Zyban, which is a rename of the anti-depressant Wellbutrin... hence some of the bizzare side effects.  - this is my 2nd hand experience with it (I was not ever able to take it).

Some people are not able to take it. My mom and my sister-in-law had bad reactions to the drug (rashes and extreme itching) and my Sister in Law was not able to sleep for months, and was cleaning her house at 3 a.m. ...she eventually gave it up. Both were told the rash was an allergy to the medication. It has also been linked to increased seizures in some.

My Dad was not ever permitted to take it as he has PTSD and is contraindicated with his other medication and has been known to increase suicide risk.

... now as I stated - this is all information that doctors have given family members of mine, not to me personally - so please feel free to challange anything here that may appear inacurate.  ;D

muffin

 

[Springroll]

I will add that as with any medication, what works for some does not work for all.
Just because I had mild symptoms and was able to carry on doesn't mean that you would have the same. I also know of a friend who suffered a seizure because of Zyban. As it turned out she was given the pills and was taking them, while continuing her own antidepressents....bad combo!

As with any medications, please consult your doctor before taking any(including the patch, the gum etc)

 

[winchable]

Any type of Med's no matter how good their intentions are, are going to give some people the worst of the side effects.
Accutane comes to mind for me personally, I had the minimal side effects (cracked lips and dry skin) but there are people who catch the bad end of it (depression, random crying spells, liver damage) and zyban is probably alot like that.
The only way to find out is by trying it I suppose.
Best of luck to all who do.

 

[OLD F of S]

      Thanks to everyone this has answered some of my questions and I appreciate the quick response.


After reading the info on zyban and various reactions from spouses and members, I decided to go cold trukey. 
So far have only kicked the dog once, pretty well left wife alone she fights back. All in all the symptoms I have are no worse than the zyban would likely have given me.  I just won;t smoke one day at a time.




                               Regards OLD F of S

 

[Kat Stevens]

I said this somewhere else, I think (damn you, mess tins).  for at least the first two weeks of cold turkey-ing, drink lots and lots of water.  Not tap water, that stuff will kill ya!  distilled or RO water will help leech the toxins (our old pal nic) faster.  No crap, it works.

 

[qyrang]

A trick that my uncle tried was that you should get a time consuming hobby or project to take your mind off of smoking. I think that perhaps if one started TRYING physical sports again. Just my 2 cents. Congrats to everyone going cold turkey and take it one day at a time.

      Good Luck To All
                    Geoff

 

[beach_bum]

I started smoking when I was 14 and quit going on 5 years ago now.  Quitting was THE hardest thing I've ever done, and that alone has stopped me from picking up a pack again.  I did the Butt-Out program through the CF and found it quite helpful, though out of everyone who started it with me, I was the only person who actually quit.  Ah well.
Some of the things I did to help were:
1.  Used the patch.  I tried cold turkey before and never had long term success.
2.  Changed my routine around totally.  Little things really, like got up and did the dishes right away after a meal ('cause everyone likes that smoke break)
3.  Drank LOTS of water!  When I would have a craving I would go drink a cold glass of water.
4.  Ate scotch mints....something about that clean minty taste helped for whatever reason
5.  Took it one craving, then one day, then one week etc at a time

These are things that helped me through it.  I'm not going to lie....I still get cravings all these years later....but I just wait it out and the craving goes away.  I will not succumb to the "just one" while out as I know that will result in me smoking again. 

Good luck to all!!!!!  ;D

 

[CallOfDuty]

  Had a breakdown yesterday. 

  I was at the seaking club afterwork yesterday and I ran in to an old friend from BMQ.........many beers later I asked him for a smoke and which of course led to more and more and more.  UUuggghhhh    When I woke up this morning, my lungs hurt.
  I guess the good thing is, that I'm not craving them again today.
Cheers guys
Steve

 

[17thRecceSgt]

Smoking.  ugh.

Start at age...15?  Found some on my paper route and smoked them.  I must have quit 100 times since then. 

I will smoke alot when I have some beer to go with them...then the next day I wake up and think "those might have been the ones that finally give me cancer".  Oddly, then I won't touch em for a week, or more. 

I used to smoke with a Timmies.  So now I don't do Timmies in the morning.  Or the day.  Rarely at all.

Scary.  Cutting your lower lip off. 

One of the guys at work smoked until he watched his father die of cancer.  Now you can't even get him to stand there and talk to you while you have one.

Good luck to all trying to quit.  Stick in there, it really is a matter of live and death.

 

[Hot Lips]

I was a late starter...18 before I had a puff...was always dead against them, as I had a lung collapse when I was 8 and told never too smoke...well that stuck until then
I showed cattle on the professional circuit for a number of years and drinking and smoking were as much part of the day as the work itself...it was all social.
I have two children and never smoked while pregnant and after my daughter didn't start up again until she was 18 months old and my marriage was flying to hell.
I have quit off and on for years...I had quit 6 years from 1997 until 2003 when I started working emergency medicine...lol and smoking again.
I still smoke some...not everyday and usually not through the day...I enjoy one in the evening with a coffee or a drink.  Wouldn't smoke a pack a week...
My intention is to give them up altogether when I am sworn into the CF and off to IAP/BOTP...
When I quit for the 6 years I replaced cravings with physical activity...I actually lost weight, got fit and was a non-smoker...
I am always available to assist whereever necessary with any info on products for smoking cessation as well as support.
One thing I never did was smoke in the house...so sitting at a computer with my hands busy always helps...

HL

 

[Springroll]

CallofDuty....there will be many times when you will breadown and have one(or a few)...that is normal.

After 15 years of being a nonsmoker even my grandfather would ask for a smoke from me when we were having a few together.
I even broke down last night when hubby and I were sitting with the neighbours having a few....but I feel fine today..no cravings...it was just a temporary set back. Keep going with quitting...you will always stumble a bit.

 

[17thRecceSgt]

I smoked on Thursday night.  None yesterday, none today.  1 bad day, 2 good ones.  Got to be positive about it I guess!   ;D

 

[Kat Stevens]

I guess I must be very lucky.  Even when I was a pack or better a day guy, it never really had a grip on me.  The day I stopped, I just said "this sh*t is killing you, jackass, so stop doing it".  It worked.  Never looked at one since, convinced myself they smelled like arse, and carried on.  Not bragging at all, your mileage WILL vary.

 

[rogsco]

I'll share my smoking story too. Started at 13. One of my brothers thought it would be fun to watch me inhale and have fits of coughing, but it was "cool" to smoke with the older guys, so I kept doing it. Then in my early 20's when posted to Cold Lake I was returning from Edmonton and stopped off at Bonnyville for a pack of smokes and discovered the price had his a mind boggling $2/pack! Could you imagine? So, I said to myself that is just way too much money to spend on smokes, so I quit. Then and there. I guess money was my motivator. How cheap am I to get all p-o'ed about $2? Ha Ha. Anyway, there was a few times of the next couple years when I would do the smoking/drinking bit, but never managed to really start again. Its tough to quit. Everyone who tries needs to find their own motivator and just try. If you have a bit of a relapse don't freak. It happens. Stop again. Smoking - the alternative to quick suicide.

 

[MommyMedic]

I hope the battle is still going well, for for those of you brave enough to try and quit. I couldn't have quit if it wasn't for becoming pregnant with my daughter - I really admire those of you that have the sheer self-motivation to do it, without your body being in a hostile take-over situation. I honestly don't think I could have done it on my own. It's been over three years, and 8 months ago, the cravings finally subsided to a managable level. I went to my mess dinner at Christmas, Niner Domestic issued me an emergency leave pass when I called home at 22h00 to report that I was somehow drunker than I had initially intended to be - several hours later, I found myself with a cigarette in my hand for the first time in 2 and a half years. Just had a few drags; next morning I was disappointed with myself but was able to carry on as a non-smoker. Somehow that one break got the monkey off my back - I hardly think about smoking now. I would NOT recommend to anyone to try this method of curing cravings! BUT ever since I feel that I have it beat at last. Must be a control issue - I choose to not smoke now even though I can - before I was not quitting of my own accord. As a paramedic, I constantly see the consequences of smoking; everytime I start to regret not smoking, I see a patient that reminds me of why I stay quit. I can find lots of other ways to live dangerously...

 

[Hot Lips]

Will be smoke free for two weeks this coming Tuesday

Haven't been sworn in yet...but hey I figured...might as well quit ahead of time...(only thing I plan to quit by the way  )

As with previous smoking cessation periods for me I have increased my physical activity...for some reason that keeps me motivated.

Mud seems to think I will start again some time during IAP/BOTP but I am determined not too

HL

 

[Springroll]

I started again 

I know I will quit again, but next time it will be when my husband is not around...