How did you STOP smoking?

I smoked for 15 years. Was on a pack of 20s a day - more over weekends. My father died from cancer (he was still quite young, in his early 50s), and so did my grandfather. This all happened in a space of 1.5 years. I had no choice but to stop. Getting cancer is a certainty for me if I don't fix my lifestyle choices.

In 2013 I tried to stop. I was down to around two a day. Did this for a couple of weeks, and then lost the will due to my father getting sick. I did this on Champix.

In 2015 I finally decided that enough was enough. I was sick of the smell, I used to get sick easily as the smoking weakened my lungs, it was expensive, and I am scared of getting cancer. After watching loved ones die from it, it is a very scary thought and a powerful motivator.

I used Champix again the second time round. Champix really helped me. It however is not a miracle drug. It will stop the physical cravings, but not the ones from habit/routine. You need to be committed to stopping smoking. If you are not, nothing in the world is going to help you.

Some tips and info:

  • The side effects of Champix are hectic. My doctor was very casual about it. I would not treat it lightly. I had very bad nausea which started about 20 minutes after taking the pill. It would last around 30 to 60 minutes. My mouth would constantly salivate in preparation to throw up the pills. I pushed through this. It's handy to have a bucket around. The second week is the hardest (when the tablets dosage doubles).
  • I had crazy dreams whilst on the tablets. They also messed with my moods. Felt like I was on cloud 9 some days. I was lucky that my moods were stable and set to happy most of the times. I only had 1 real temper tantrum the whole course.
  • Write down and stick to your cut off date. I cannot stress how important this is. If you don't have that date in your mind, you will just continue smoking.
  • Try doing this with a friend or family member. The competition / support can help. It was also helpful to commiserate together on how hard it is. Yes, misery loves company.
  • It took me 4 weeks to get down to zero cigarettes a day.
  • The cravings never go away. They reduce in severity and duration over time. I am 10 months in now, and I get a craving maybe once every couple of days. They last three or four seconds and just vanish.
  • I had to change my habits and routine very drastically. I am a gamer, so when I was smoking, I would have one lit up most of the time while on my computer. They usually went half unsmoked, but did create a very bad habit of having a smoke lit whilst in front of my PC at home. I literally avoided my PC for a few weeks. I also stopped drinking. Not solely for quitting smoking, but it is a trigger for me.
  • I picked up a lot of weight. Around 10kgs.
  • I had to find out ways to take breaks at work. I drink a lot more water now as well as I need an excuse to get up and walk around.

Despite all of the above, it is totally worth it. It's amazing how much better I smell (and taste). The savings is also nice, and very noticeable. I have not been sick once in the 10 months. I can feel my lungs getting stronger. I no longer cough or wheeze either. And my loved ones around me don't have to breath in my second hand smoke.

Good luck and always keep your end goal in mind.
 
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Smoked for 14 years. Stopped the day I found out I was pregnant and never started again as my kids health was way more important then my fun. In the last 13/14 years I have maybe craved 5 times and only when really upset about something. Smoking always calmed me. Now the smell repulses me instantly and I can small a smoker a mile away. My kids are never going to be able to smoke and hide it.
 
I stopped in September I think, or October. Haven't had a cigarette since. My dad still smokes in the house though so I still smell it 90% of the time I'm awake. But it stinks so bad, I don't crave that stink anymore. Smokers, you stink! :D

Also used Champix. Only side effect I got was vivid dreams. I murdered many people in my dreams and it felt real a few times. I didn't bother going for month 2 and 3 like the doctor recommended, at week 4 the smell of it repulsed me.
 
I completely forgot about this thread - 22 March I was smoke free for a year. Still going strong!
 
Akasha said:
I stopped in September I think, or October. Haven't had a cigarette since. My dad still smokes in the house though so I still smell it 90% of the time I'm awake. But it stinks so bad, I don't crave that stink anymore. Smokers, you stink! :D

Also used Champix. Only side effect I got was vivid dreams. I murdered many people in my dreams and it felt real a few times. I didn't bother going for month 2 and 3 like the doctor recommended, at week 4 the smell of it repulsed me.
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I warned you :p
 
So I had a dream that I started smoking again, was smoking 4 packs a day in this dream. When I woke up I was sick :sick: luckily I couldn't actually taste the yuckyness
 
I just upped and quit 2 years ago, went from 20 a day to vaping and have not touched a smoke since. The smell puts me off completely these days, my wife smokes but only outside and I refuse to even be close when she does, literally makes me feel sick. Now to kick the vaping habit. I don't vape alot at work but when I'm home gaming I use alot.
 
Reading the vaping thread reminded me of this. It's been like almost a year now that I've stopped. Smokers still stink, especially if they smoke cheap stuff. My brother was smoking that nice camel flavoured cigs yesterday and it smelled so nice until he got close again and I just smelled him stink :sick: I've started eating a lot more since I stopped smoking as well which is depressing
 
Yeah, still battling on here. I vape and smoke. From 20 a day, to 15, to 10 - to about 5 now on a bad day. I just can't seem to take that final step though. I've done all the research but I seem to have this mental block. It's killing me slowly, it costs a fortune (£11 for a pack of 20), it stinks (I've stopped for long enough at times to know how bad it smells) - but even that's not enough motivation.

I only smoke outside, and vape wherever I want, really. If I could just make that final transition...
 
Buy the 4'th generation of e-cigs and you will never smoke stinkies again. the days of ciggie likes are gone as they were never successful.
 
Oopsie said:
Buy the 4'th generation of e-cigs and you will never smoke stinkies again. the days of ciggie likes are gone as they were never successful.
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I bought myself a sub-ohm (Eleaf iJust2) device, vaped it outside with the smokers at work next day when a coworker offered me a sig, realised I didn't have any craving for it.

Easy as that, been free for just over 3 months.
 
I've quit quite easily a couple of times (a year each time). You just tell yourself to stop. Problem is the drinking - thaaat's when you crave a ciggy :(
 
theratman said:
I just upped and quit 2 years ago, went from 20 a day to vaping and have not touched a smoke since. The smell puts me off completely these days, my wife smokes but only outside and I refuse to even be close when she does, literally makes me feel sick. Now to kick the vaping habit. I don't vape alot at work but when I'm home gaming I use alot.
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Quit smoking the same way. I'd already cut down to less than a pack a day when I bought a twisp but the transition went pretty smoothly.
 
I recently spent a month in Ireland & UK, visiting family & my Grandkids.
I have been a "20 per day" smoker since the 1970s.

A pack of 20 fags in UK cost me over 5 Pounds. I decided to quit once I got back home in SA.

Needless to say that didn't happen! But just on a month ago, I became determined to stop smoking, and I finished my open pack of Camel Filter, and vowed I would stop smoking for good.

It's been hard, but I have managed to stick to my determination to cull the smoking habit. So far so good.
I keep reminding myself of the money I save ... at about R40 per day .. that's R1,200 per month. That's around R14,000 per annum.

I can fly overseas to visit my 2 x sons & 4 x grandkids every year on the savings:love:
 
I also quit cold turkey on the 24th of April this year after realising I'd been smoking for 20 years (pack a day).

It really is all in the mind. The worst was the irritability but that was almost gone after a week or so. Instead of snapping at people I'd actively try to relax the muscles in my face and neck... after a few seconds the rage would subside. Just remember that your body needs time to adapt and that once that's done you're free.

I still get the urge to light one up once in a while (my wife still smokes), but I just remind myself how dumb that would be. The cravings only last a few minutes and it looks like they get further apart as time goes by.
 
Champix - after 15 years of smoking non-stop, I have been smoke free for 18 months.
 
Tried Allan Carr - self hypnosis doesn't work for me. Tried Champix - felt like a completely different person while on it, and not in a good way. Also, nausea, so I stopped. Tried going CT - but I couldn't stand the haze it left my brain in. Vaping may be my only option.
 
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