Been really wanting to quit.....

[tryintohelp]

I am so glad you created this forum. I've been smoking about 20 years now, and I'm really starting to feel it. I found these boards trying to get info on heroin addiction concerning my nephews. I've tried to quit a few times in the past, with no luck. When I learned as much as I could about addiction and heroin, I kinda made a deal with myself that if I could expect to see my family get away from the heroin and stay off, I could quit smoking--to prove to them and myself that I could give up something that I'm extremely addicted to. Well, the thought's still in my head, but I haven't attempted it yet. Always an excuse, stress of holidays, stress of all this other stuff in my life........

I've been thinking if I start spending as much time reading about the negatives of smoking and best ways to quit as I have been spending on the heroin/addiction thing, maybe, just maybe, I'll be ready to quit soon. And then here it is, the nicotine/smoking forum. So I can still get on these boards everyday, and hopefully help myself to get to that point where I'm ready to quit smoking.

I tried the zyban thing about a year ago. My friend told me she didn't even want to quit, she starting taking cuz her husband wanted her to quit, and she started forgetting to smoke--like for hours at a time, and then she really didn't have a desire to smoke. I was on about 2 1/2 months, waiting for that magic to kick in and it never did. I smoked the same, if not more while I was on it. This time, I'm considering getting back on that, and using the patches when I set my date, and using a fake cigarette. I admit it, I have no willpower and I'm addicted to smoking in every form there is. But I hear myself coughing every morning and night, and I have a 5 yr old daughter I now have to think about, so I know I've got to start preparing myself that I'm going to quit soon.

Does anyone have any good/bad experiences with zyban? Someone told me there was a brand new drug on the market, but I've not heard of one. How do you pysch yourself up to get to that point of wanting to quit? Maybe like with everything else, when you hit that bottom for smoking, or when you die. Thanks!
Lori

[Chalkie]

I was on Wellbutrin about a year and a half ago. It's similar to Zyban, perhaps it has even the same ingredients. Like Zyban, it's an anti-depressant. I LOVED it! I too smoked while taking it, you're "allowed" to. I followed the directions precisely, taking about 4 weeks (I think) to work up to full dose. Before hitting full dose, I already began to feel the effects of the drug. It didn't make me "forget" (like I need help forgetting anything) to smoke, but it mellowed me out. It didn't really take away cravings but the little things that would normally cause me to pick up a cig didn't cause me to react that way any more. More often than not, it was "oh well" or "yeah, whatever"...in other words, I was so very much more relaxed. I liked the way I was feeling and at the same time, I was tapering. With Wellbutrin, you are still supposed to set a target quit date, and taper.

Unfortunately, almost as soon as I hit full dose, I developed a horrendous allergic reaction that I wouldn't wish on anyone. Naturally, I stopped the drug immediately, I knew it was the Wellbutrin as I wasn't taking any other medicines at the time. It took me another 4-5 weeks to recover from the reaction and I still have flare-ups from time to time. My doctor will not give me any other artificial support, so it's gonna have to be cold turkey for me.

I'm not trying to scare you, Wellbutrin/Zyban has worked for so many people. I'm not prone to allergic reactions to anything so I guess it was just my turn and unfortunately, it couldn't be something more simple like St. Joseph's Aspirin for Children.

Good luck!

[AvieG]

I am taking Zyban, as this is what helped me stop last time, and I stayed stopped for three years. I also have nicorette inhalator, the 'dummy cigarette' for when the cravings hit.

Here are a couple of links to Nicotine Anonymous literature online. Nicotine anonymous is anoter thing I used last time I topped, and the support is brilliant.

http://www.nica-norcal.org/literature.html

http://www.nicotine-anonymous.org/publications.asp

[spirit]

hi lori, well i guess i have pretty well gone cold turkey.

a few years ago i had a bit of a mind f...k and then went on valium for a few weeks. during that time i stopped smoking for two weeks, and only lit up again one night while drinking.

this time seeing as i havent been drinking for some time, i thought, hey why not just stop the ciggies too. the first few days i had some left over fali's but now going cold turkey. i am thinking of it like drinking, being careful of the fav times to have a ciggy and doing something else. the ones i miss the most are the first one in the morning, so now i wander in my garden and take deep breathes with my coffee, before coming on here. the other is the "post coital' one, that is pretty weird, not sure what one should do then, cant really get up and wander around the garden, bit rude and hubby would think i was really bonkers haha. so i have to talk to him instead which is interesting haha.

i guess the thing that has helped the most is i am thinking about the money i am saving already in two weeks i have saved about $200 on smokes and booze. i have bought treats for my kids, lots of cool drinks haha, treats for me, even paid some bills. i just tell myself now that i cant afford to smoke and i have other things i want to spend my money on instead, like i dont have smoking money, if that makes sense.

doesnt make the cravings much easier (would kill for one now - but have my pj's on so i cant go out and frighten people haha) but i am getting through it.

good luck with it all

kath

[PassDTab]

Hey There-

I went on wellbutrin (zyban) for the anti-depressane reason, but was looking forward to the smoking reason as well.
I ended up having to hold my nose everytime I smoked!! They smelled so nasty, but I still didn't cut down! I ended up stopping because I just couldn't take the stank anymore!
It's bad when you are still willing to put something in your mouth when it smells like butt (haha, a pun!)

I'm planning on quitting as soon as I'm done with these horrendous methadone withdrawels. Ick.

Take Care!