6 weeks and counting

JHMEG

Just like to say thanks to all you who voted in the "Ex smoker poll. What helped you give up?" poll. You proved to me that giving up can be done, and that people do it every day.

6 weeks now, using the cold turkey method, if you could call it a method. Was going to read Alan Carr but after 1.5 chapters lost patience. Went over to the chemist and bought a 105 pack of nicorette chewing gum, despite the fact that the shop assistant told me it should take about 4 months to give up (2 months at 4mg and 2 months at 2mg), and I thought Alan Carr was going to take forever! Anyway, took maybe 10 of them in total over 3 days but found they were burning my throat (how ironic is that), and stopped taking them.

It dawned on me in the first couple of days that despite what the govt says they clearly don't want people to give up as cigarettes are available everywhere, 24/7, and aids to quitting are not, eg nicorette, available only at your chemist, mon-fri, 9am-6pm. That really annoyed me, but galvanised my determination to quit.

Very obvious withdrawl symptoms for the first 5 or 6 days.. sleep pattern gone arseways, no concentration (so much so that I thought I shouldn't drive) and general restlessness. But that was only for 5 or 6 days. I still get cravings, but they're just cravings, I'm not sure what for. I don't ever see myself going back on the fags tho, as I now officially have a chewing gum problem (Lidl does the best flavours)! I can honestly say tho that giving up was tough but not as tough as I was expecting it to be. And it was you guys who have quit that gave me the courage to go for it. Sounds tacky, but it's true.

35 years old, 19 years a smoker. I'd really like if I got another 35 years out of this life, as all my years from now will be as a non-smoker. God gave me only one set of lungs and I'm going to look after them from now on.

ali.c

Congrats!! Well done on kicking the smokes esp in the run up to christmas!!

cance

JHMEG wrote: »

35 years old, 19 years a smoker. I'd really like if I got another 35 years out of this life, as all my years from now will be as a non-smoker. God gave me only one set of lungs and I'm going to look after them from now on.

Amen chap, this is my sixth week too.

Well done and keep it up. I felt the same about the Allen Carr route, reading the book always smacked of effort to me, funny really.

DEmeant0r

Well done OP! Keep up the good work. I'm on my third week now

JHMEG

How are ye finding it lads.. no doubt life is different without the fags alright.

ali.c I didn't think of the timing, but it was nice to have a smoke free Christmas for once! (My wife gave up 5 years ago using Alan Carr, and hasn't blinked.. fair balls to her)

DEmeant0r

Well I have a substitute addiction(coffee) so it's not so bad, I actually don't miss cigs, I don't miss the bad breath, the cravings, the inability to climb 3 or 4 flights of stairs, the coughing, the chest infections and all other nasty stuff about cigarettes.

JHMEG

DEmeant0r wrote: »

Well I have a substitute addiction(coffee) so it's not so bad, I actually don't miss cigs, I don't miss the bad breath, the cravings, the inability to climb 3 or 4 flights of stairs, the coughing, the chest infections and all other nasty stuff about cigarettes.

I know there are improvements to general health to be had, but jeez I dunno if they're that quick!;)

Actually I have to agree with you.. I notice the out of breath thing doesn't happen like it used to, my wife tells me the bad breath thing is gone, the cravings are now for Lidl chewing gum etc.;) I can safely say like yourself that I don't miss cigarettes one bit. There are 142 duty free (my last actual box has 2 left in it) sitting on top of the press in the kitchen since I gave up. I think I'll get them encased in solid glass as a monument!

The one time I will say there's something missing is when having a pint of stout. Not saying it's smoking, as I'm not 100% sure, but it does feel like there's something small missing.

DEmeant0r

JHMEG wrote: »

I know there are improvements to general health to be had, but jeez I dunno if they're that quick!;)

Actually I have to agree with you.. I notice the out of breath thing doesn't happen like it used to, my wife tells me the bad breath thing is gone, the cravings are now for Lidl chewing gum etc.;) I can safely say like yourself that I don't miss cigarettes one bit. There are 142 duty free (my last actual box has 2 left in it) sitting on top of the press in the kitchen since I gave up. I think I'll get them encased in solid glass as a monument!

The one time I will say there's something missing is when having a pint of stout. Not saying it's smoking, as I'm not 100% sure, but it does feel like there's something small missing.

Lol, the health in general has been slowly improving for the last week, I can now climb 2 flights of stairs without being tired lol. Yeah I think it's the same when I'm out drinking as well, something small is missing.

Oh and I also don't miss paying €7.30 every 3 days to kill myself.

JHMEG

DEmeant0r wrote: »

Oh and I also don't miss paying €7.30 every 3 days to kill myself.

€7.45 now, I *think*.. a dirty smoker friend of mine was saying but I wasn't paying much attention as I was more interested in getting the message over to her that *I don't smoke*:D

I smoked about 25 a day, so I would be paying €7.45 every 20 hours or so!

Crazy Catlady

Hi
Thought I'd jump in! I'm 7 weeks off them now meself and absolutely delighted!
To any one starting out. Sit out the madness. I had days where i lost concentration, forgot words mid sentence etc. But after 2 weeks it really was just about repeating new patterns. Definitely after 3 weeks, I stopped wondering what was missing after a meal, or on a car journey. It does and will get easier.
Hang in there! Its SO worth it!

JHMEG

I meant to post here on the 20th of November, as I'm off them 2 years since then.

Have to say first 3 months were the hardest, and then I developed a dependency on chewing gum (but hey, that won't kill ya!) which irritated my wife and other close family members. So I quit the chewing gum too.

Have to say that despite being a smoker for 19 years I don't really remember smoking.

It's great being a non-smoker, and by now it's totally effortless! I don't think about smoking at all unless I see someone at it.

Anyone getting off them, stick with it. It can be done, and it's worth it.

Wreck

JHMEG wrote: »

I meant to post here on the 20th of November, as I'm off them 2 years since then.

Have to say first 3 months were the hardest, and then I developed a dependency on chewing gum (but hey, that won't kill ya!) which irritated my wife and other close family members. So I quit the chewing gum too.

Have to say that despite being a smoker for 19 years I don't really remember smoking.

It's great being a non-smoker, and by now it's totally effortless! I don't think about smoking at all unless I see someone at it.

Anyone getting off them, stick with it. It can be done, and it's worth it.

Good work dude, I'll be two years off them at New Year's and feel exactly the same way as you. For anyone thinking of giving up, just do it, the effort for the first while is so worth it in the end.

InTheTrees

Six weeks and you're almost there. Best of luck to you.

Myself and my better half will be at one year on Jan 1st.

I'm still sucking on the nicotine lozenges but I'm down to the 2mg. I dont think I could have done it without them.

JHMEG

InTheTrees wrote: »

Six weeks and you're almost there. Best of luck to you.

Myself and my better half will be at one year on Jan 1st.

I'm still sucking on the nicotine lozenges but I'm down to the 2mg. I dont think I could have done it without them.

Thanks, but I was updating an old post... over 2 years off 'em now

InTheTrees

JHMEG wrote: »

Thanks, but I was updating an old post... over 2 years off 'em now

Yup i'm a noob...

Well done on the 2yrs.

Cork Boy

5 1/2 days now and its been great! I love being a non-smoker so much, especially when i can smell stale tobacco of other smokers (did i really stink that much :eek:).

I do find the evenings a bit tough at times as the weather is cack so can't go for a walk without breaking my arse on the ice! Luckily the UL arena is just down the road and even though i hacked up an awful lot of gunk, the steam room was magnificent! I mean, if that's how chicks feel after a spa treatment, no wonder they're such a big deal!!!

For those of you who are wondering, I'm 26, spent the last half of my life smoking.

I quit using Alan Carr's 'method*' and even though its only day 5, I really feel like this time I will succeed like a toothless budgie!

Keep up the posts everybody, they're a source of inspiration to us all!

Wreck

Cork Boy wrote: »

5 1/2 days now and its been great! I love being a non-smoker so much, especially when i can smell stale tobacco of other smokers (did i really stink that much :eek:).

I do find the evenings a bit tough at times as the weather is cack so can't go for a walk without breaking my arse on the ice! Luckily the UL arena is just down the road and even though i hacked up an awful lot of gunk, the steam room was magnificent! I mean, if that's how chicks feel after a spa treatment, no wonder they're such a big deal!!!

For those of you who are wondering, I'm 26, spent the last half of my life smoking.

I quit using Alan Carr's 'method*' and even though its only day 5, I really feel like this time I will succeed like a toothless budgie!

Keep up the posts everybody, they're a source of inspiration to us all!

Good work dude, keep it going, it only gets easier. Physically you'll keep on feeling better and better for the next few weeks.

InTheTrees

Cork Boy wrote: »

(did i really stink that much :eek:).

Yeah. we did...

That rancid badmilk kind of smell.

yech...

Aibreann

good work.

but what is it to do when everyone around is smoking? :mad:

InTheTrees

Aibreann wrote: »

good work.

but what is it to do when everyone around is smoking? :mad:

I found that i really enjoyed being around smokers (suprise!), I really enjoyed the second hand smoke and it iddnt seem to affect my resolve, that was between me and myself if you know what i mean.