Smoking.

[Alastor]

Wow, and I thought I was kind of annoyed at Gimper's response.

Holy crap!

That's funny, and it honestly made me feel better. Seriously. You rock, Sarge! That was awesome, and I needed it!

 

[rivrrat]

What does Chantix do if it doesn't help with the withdrawls? I mean... Then what the Hell is it for? Without the withdrawls there wouldn't really be much of an addiction that needed kicking, would there?

It blocks the nictone receptors in the brain. So even if you DO smoke, you don't get the effects of the nicotine. You continue smoking for a bit after you start taking the drug. Then slowly you realize that the nicotine does less... then nothing. Once you make that connection that the cigs will not satisfy your craving, you start wanting them less.

That was the easy part of it. I didn't have much of a withdrawal because I was/am 'addicted' to the habit of smoking, not so much the nicotine. There were certain times that I felt a really really strong desire to smoke, and many times I felt none at all. It's been difficult to figure out what my triggers are, and actually I don't know what all of them are. It's been 4 months since I've had a cig, so I think it's safe to say the nicotine and any addiction to it is gone. However... I still have times when I'm sitting here working on the computer or watching TV, or whatever and suddenly the desire to smoke one hits me pretty damn hard.

I had to drive across the country with my parents and 10 year old niece about a month ago. THAT was the true test. I used to chain smoke like a mo'fo when I drove. Driving was the most difficult thing for me when I quit. But, I did it. Even despite the fact that both of my parents smoke. LOL

Thanks for the sympathy. Today is better, and it helps that I can drink coffee again without making the cravings spike through the roof. Retraining my body is a chore, but it's resulted in progress so far. I think I'm good to go from here on out.

It gets easier and easier.

For me, I had to substitute the hand-mouth habit thing. So I ate lolllipops and twizlers quite a bit.

At least cigars are aromatic. Cigarettes just f'n stink.

Oh dear god. There are few things in this world that I think smell worse than a g'damn cigar. They make me nauseous.

 

[Alastor]

Heh, as soon as I read this thread earlier I started getting a headache. I didn't want to mention it for fear of manifesting it more in my head.

It's actually still here (the headache) but is far better now than it was.

Something did annoy me today though. I called the Colorado Quit Line and I asked them about it.

I was pretty specific in my question. I wanted to know if I had one cigarette in order to alleviate the headache, what the impact would be on my body's physiological withdrawl/recovery process.

The guy on the phone of course wanted to make it clear that they don't encourage that because one smoke leads to two, which becomes three, and so on - and then the person is back where they started.

I explained that I was an adult, and that I understood that, and that I wanted him to listen to my question and answer it without blowing smoke (heh) up my butt. He said okay.

So I asked, "My head hurts. It has been about 48 hours since I quit. If I smoke one cigarette to alleviate the headache, will this impact my body's progress away from addiction and if so, to what extent?"

The ONLY answer I could get this guy (Eric - yes, I know your name and you can count on hearing from me tomorrow too you little weasel) to give me is that "It can cause a full physiological relapse, as though you had only just now stopped smoking your 40 cigarettes per day."

In other words, he claimed that smoking that one cigarette would potentially put me back to the moment I had put out my last cigarette over 52 hours ago now.

So I accepted his answer after I made him swear he wasn't BSing me.

Then I hung up. Then I checked on the net.

AND HE IS A DAMNED LIAR WHICH I KNEW AT THE TIME BUT GAVE HIM A CHANCE ANYWAY!

Duh - no way in Hell does a person's nicotine, carcinogen, or other additives levels return to previous levels, and no, the brain does not respond to 1 MG of nicotine (which is what we take in from one cigarette) the same way it would if it was already flooded with 40MG of nicotine (like it was when I quit smoking 52 hours ago).

That's simply not realistic, and I didn't buy it when he told me it on the phone.

So I called back and talked to someone else, and I told them that I had checked on the net and found Eric to be a liar.

I pointed out that if I call them and they lie to me about things, I simply won't call them any more, and will get my information and support from other sources where they probably are not as well trained or as educated about the topic.

I also pointed out that I am an adult, and that it is possible to "trick" children and puppies into doing certain things, but that it would be a stiff challenge indeed to "trick a full-grown educated adult into not smoking for the rest of their life."

I got kinna snotty. I was pissed. Of course right now everything pisses me off, but this would piss me off regardless.

You can tell me there's a gas leak, and I might stop smoking for a bit in that area, but you're not going to keep me from smoking for life with this gag. At some stage, I have to reconcile the truth on my own. I'm a big boy, and I eventually have to come to that decision on my own, based on facts that I understand and accept, or I simply will not quit.

I did NOT appreciate calling the quit line of all places, asking a point blank honest question, acknowledged what Eric was saying and insist on a straight-forward answer, and have him lie to me as though I am a child.

Obviously, smoking one cigarette will probably ease the headache. No, it's not a good idea to smoke the 1 cigarette. It will not put me back to square one, however (duh).

In any case, the headache is mostly gone, and I never did smoke the cigarette... But I do plan to let Eric know he's a dumbass tomorrow. Yeah, I'm going to call back and hunt him down - because I am a smoker who is angry and quitting and who has time on their hands.

Anyway, headache's mostly gone, but it does come and go in terms of strength, and it's always present to some degree. The cravings are incredibly manageable now - not bad at all really. The headache and dizziness are all that really remain. I do still have some other cravings, but by and large, this is okay.

This thread has helped a lot. Thank you all very much.

 

[Donc]

Men don’t even think about smoking one Cig, that would be like me trying to eat one potato chip, imposable. As for a chantax better do some research on the side effects of that.

Keep up the good work, you can do it, just sew another pocket on your shirt where your ripped the other one off, grabbing for the now nonexistent pack of butts. :mrgreen:

 

[Kelzie]

Seriously? You're going to hound some guy on a help line because he tried to help you quit? That seems a tad...psycho.

 

[new coup for you]

but if you don't smoke how will you look like a cool rebel while cutting class?

I freely admit I smoke as a fashion and social accessory.

 

[Kali]

Men don’t even think about smoking one Cig, that would be like me trying to eat one potato chip, imposable. As for a chantax better do some research on the side effects of that.

Keep up the good work, you can do it, just sew another pocket on your shirt where your ripped the other one off, grabbing for the now nonexistent pack of butts. :mrgreen:

Based on what I have read and heard the worse side effects are the crazy vivid dreams you have while taking Chantix. I have heard the dreams compaired to an acid trip. :2razz:

 

[Sergeant Stinger1]

Heh, as soon as I read this thread earlier I started getting a headache. I didn't want to mention it for fear of manifesting it more in my head.

It's actually still here (the headache) but is far better now than it was.

Something did annoy me today though. I called the Colorado Quit Line and I asked them about it.

I was pretty specific in my question. I wanted to know if I had one cigarette in order to alleviate the headache, what the impact would be on my body's physiological withdrawl/recovery process.

The guy on the phone of course wanted to make it clear that they don't encourage that because one smoke leads to two, which becomes three, and so on - and then the person is back where they started.

I explained that I was an adult, and that I understood that, and that I wanted him to listen to my question and answer it without blowing smoke (heh) up my butt. He said okay.

So I asked, "My head hurts. It has been about 48 hours since I quit. If I smoke one cigarette to alleviate the headache, will this impact my body's progress away from addiction and if so, to what extent?"

The ONLY answer I could get this guy (Eric - yes, I know your name and you can count on hearing from me tomorrow too you little weasel) to give me is that "It can cause a full physiological relapse, as though you had only just now stopped smoking your 40 cigarettes per day."

In other words, he claimed that smoking that one cigarette would potentially put me back to the moment I had put out my last cigarette over 52 hours ago now.

So I accepted his answer after I made him swear he wasn't BSing me.

Then I hung up. Then I checked on the net.

AND HE IS A DAMNED LIAR WHICH I KNEW AT THE TIME BUT GAVE HIM A CHANCE ANYWAY!

Duh - no way in Hell does a person's nicotine, carcinogen, or other additives levels return to previous levels, and no, the brain does not respond to 1 MG of nicotine (which is what we take in from one cigarette) the same way it would if it was already flooded with 40MG of nicotine (like it was when I quit smoking 52 hours ago).

That's simply not realistic, and I didn't buy it when he told me it on the phone.

So I called back and talked to someone else, and I told them that I had checked on the net and found Eric to be a liar.

I pointed out that if I call them and they lie to me about things, I simply won't call them any more, and will get my information and support from other sources where they probably are not as well trained or as educated about the topic.

I also pointed out that I am an adult, and that it is possible to "trick" children and puppies into doing certain things, but that it would be a stiff challenge indeed to "trick a full-grown educated adult into not smoking for the rest of their life."

I got kinna snotty. I was pissed. Of course right now everything pisses me off, but this would piss me off regardless.

You can tell me there's a gas leak, and I might stop smoking for a bit in that area, but you're not going to keep me from smoking for life with this gag. At some stage, I have to reconcile the truth on my own. I'm a big boy, and I eventually have to come to that decision on my own, based on facts that I understand and accept, or I simply will not quit.

I did NOT appreciate calling the quit line of all places, asking a point blank honest question, acknowledged what Eric was saying and insist on a straight-forward answer, and have him lie to me as though I am a child.

Obviously, smoking one cigarette will probably ease the headache. No, it's not a good idea to smoke the 1 cigarette. It will not put me back to square one, however (duh).

In any case, the headache is mostly gone, and I never did smoke the cigarette... But I do plan to let Eric know he's a dumbass tomorrow. Yeah, I'm going to call back and hunt him down - because I am a smoker who is angry and quitting and who has time on their hands.

Anyway, headache's mostly gone, but it does come and go in terms of strength, and it's always present to some degree. The cravings are incredibly manageable now - not bad at all really. The headache and dizziness are all that really remain. I do still have some other cravings, but by and large, this is okay.

This thread has helped a lot. Thank you all very much.

---
I was a butt smoker but quit years ago. I now smoke a stoggie every now and then. I have a 30'x30' 'smoking room which is so well ventalated that many of my non smoking buddys come over with no problems about the smoke. The heat OR air conditioning run continuosly because of the air always going outside.
I quit cold turkey and these are some of my findings after learning the do's and don'ts of quiting cold turkey on my own: Oh! Yes it took me a few times to quit only because I left myself with no options like taking a candy and learning as I quit.
1- Don't light that first butt as soon as you get up, this will help you a great deal.
2- Don't lite up after a meal.
3- When I did cheat and lite up it was like 'inbetween' meals and NOT when my cravings were at their worse. I am a Black belt in Tae Kwon Do and I got into it much more to take me away from the thoughts of smoking butts.
Find something to fill the butt void!
3- Chew on some goodies when you get the craving to lite up. Take a walk, clean out your cellar or garage. Wash your car or truck. Take up a sport or weight lifting in your house. Go on the computer to more forums, write some songs, poems. Write your life history, do some drawings, sketches of houses or cars. Etc.
4- Its really HARD to do but it can be done. Every time you get the craving remind yourself of what you want, need to do, should do.
Theres no doubt that you can do it you just need to convince yourself that you really want to quit and FILL those butt VOIDS with anything that will take your mind OFF of the butts.
Good luck.
Sergeant STOGGIE smoker!