Hi, my name is [...] and I am a smoker

[wwit]

Another update, not so fortunate this time.

Since I´m on vacation, it´s not a huge deal, but today I woke up dizzy and nauseaous. I have no idea if it has anything to do with the varenicline, but it´s not something that happens to me regularly...more like never.

I had a cup of coffee in the morning, and a piece of bread. That´s it. I´m not tired or anything, just light headed. I´ll try to eat something and see if I can keep it down.

Still, it beats the hell out of wheezing.

Are you on a patch or any of the smoking meds? Those things can realy throw folks for a loop. Ive known lots of people that used those when they quit or tryed to...both friends and family, not just stuff I heard....anyway those helper devises can be nasty. I concider myself lucky that I was able to just go cold turkey and quit for good on my final attempt.

Good luck to your brother, your almost there.

 

[Mexicanbreed]

Are you on a patch or any of the smoking meds? Those things can realy throw folks for a loop. Ive known lots of people that used those when they quit or tryed to...both friends and family, not just stuff I heard....anyway those helper devises can be nasty. I concider myself lucky that I was able to just go cold turkey and quit for good on my final attempt.

Good luck to your brother, your almost there.

I´m using Champix, or Chantix, as I think it goes by in the US. I know there are some side effects, but it seems to be doing what I needed it for.

 

[Rocknburn]

Come on guys you can do it even Slash stopped smoking!

 

[leftyguitarman]

Have you had any of these side effects?

My grandpa used Chantix to quit smoking. He was a two pack a day smoker for 60 years. He says the Chantix made him have dreams about having threesomes with hot young women

 

[3rdstone]

God...I love smoking.

The little lightheadness that it brings.

Watching the little curls of smoke rise up.

The feeling of euphoria that happens.

Blowing out the smoke, and watching what it does.

Feeling the euphoria that occurs.

I didn't start until I was thirty five, and then realized

Lee

You've been bitten, I'm in reminiscent mode now, it felt so good..

Sadly, it has to come to an end someday, lungs aren't forever...

 

[Mexicanbreed]

Quick update, in case anyone is interested.

This is my second week smoke free, and the third of the Chantix treatment. I still have one more week to go, and then I´m on my own. My breathing has become much easier, I cough far less, I don´t even clear my throat as much as I used to. Cigarettes other people smoke are starting to smell!

I´m really looking forward to getting some of my former lung capacity back. As soon as I am rehabilitated from my back injury, I´ll go swimming.

 

[FrankieOliver]

Good news. You're doing it.

 

[Mexicanbreed]

Dude, it´s amazing... I guess I needed to feel really sick to take the next step. I didn´t think I´d feel so much better in a short time. That, coupled with going to therapy to help my back, and I feel renewed!

 

[SexyGibson]

Congrats Mexi B ! Im still right there with ya ! It is amazing how quickly the body starts repairing itself. I really don't miss smoking as much as I thought I would, but I am still chewing the gum which gives me something to do.

 

[leftyguitarman]

Congrats! I think I'm somewhere around the one month mark, smoke free. And I feel way better everyday!

 

[Username1]

So i quit smoking when i was 16 or 17, i started when i was 13, i'm 23 now. So long that i quit that i almost never crave it anymore. Lately i've been getting the urge, tonight bummed a cowboy killer and smoked it. First cigarette in ages, don't want to get addicted again, but the other part of me says 'screw it life's short just do it if you want to'

 

[James Carney]

I'm 33 and stopped in early 2010. I had started when I was 16, smoking Marlboro reds, about two packs a week. Then I smoked more and my chest hurt waking up, reds are brutal. I switched over to Camel Lights (best cig ever) and smoked about half a pack a day for years. Mostly chain smoking when I was drunk or stoned (which was pretty much every day).

Then I had (and have) massive blood pressure problems, so no more smokes.

The only time I miss smoking is when I'm drinking, which I shouldn't be doing anyway...

 

[Peeker]

30-odd years of smoking here.
hand-rolled, unfiltered.
though the gal and I both plan on quitting.

and kmk108 brings up a good point.

I find myself far less likely to smoke if I'm actually doing something.
sitting at the computer, gaming, watching movies, songwriting...this is when I smoke the most.

the worst is that 1st of the day cig.
trying to break that routine is tough.

 

[Bigfoot410]

Brian, smoking 16 years, ill be quitting as soon as i can get time to go to the doc and get chantix. Good riddance

Watch that stuff. Funky side effects. By week three, I wanted to kill. Stopped taking it and stopped wanting to kill.

 

[SteveGangi]

Brian, smoking 16 years, ill be quitting as soon as i can get time to go to the doc and get chantix. Good riddance

That's how I did it, I couldn't quit on my own, and failed ,many times. When the doctor mentioned quitting and offered to presecribe that to help I agreed. It didn't STOP the craving but it made it a lot more manageable.

 

[Ides of March]

Any of you guys tried those Blu electronic cigs. I have one and I like it.

 

[RL_Gretsch_09]

Dec 6 was my last day smoking.... Champix here in Canada. From day 1 of taking I had the dreams, and I tended to wake up at least 1/2 hour before my alarm....

The good news - this drug seems to take away all cravings for smokes.

Similar to others, I smoked for +30 years.. stopped occassionally over the years, never really quit. I developed clogged arteries - after walking a few holes of golf my calf would tighten up .. trip to the doctor, found out what the problem was, found out smoking was a large factor in the cause. When faced with quit smoking or you will likely have heart attack or stroke - I quit smoking.

You have to want to "Stop" smoking for yourself, and yourself only. You won't succeed if it is for your kids, your wife, or for anyone else - YOU have to want to stop for YOU.

This addiction is a mind thing, Champix works on the mind - worked very well for me.

Good luck to all that try.....

 

[Mexicanbreed]

I´m still smoke free. I stopped taking the Chantix treatment last week because I noticed I felt slightly nauseous and dizzy. I hope that suspending the treatment one week early will not matter too much.

I went back to work this week and I told some of my colleagues that I had stopped smoking by taking this treatment. Two of them are considering going with it as well, since I assured them it had worked for me.

I´m slightly concerned that I haven´t felt so much improvement on my lungs and heart since the beginning of the treatment. My breath still comes short (not so much as before), and I still feel my heart...struggling or something. Not too much or whatever, but still, it´s noticeable.

I´m going to wait another month and then start swimming once again.

 

[Electroman67]

Mexican, IMHO you're expecting too much too fast. I quit may 2nd last year, and although i'm way over any desire to smoke after 28 yrs.....i do treadmill and then a mile round the block afterwards every day for the last few months, and i still get short of breath at times.
It has gotten better as the months go by, i feel healthier overall but imho the damage done by so many years of smoking is not gonna just go away by not smoking. I understand there is a very long healing process, and it is slow going. I still hack up shit and it is understandable when you look at the shit you did to your lungs < and i'm referring to myself >
Congrats on quitting btw, a friend i know that quit before i did told me he hacked up shit for over a year after quitting fwiw. The health reasons alone are enough to keep you from starting back, then there's the $$. The annual amount of $$ from not smoking has turned into several guitars over here.......good luck and hang in there man.

 

[benryanuk]

Good luck man - quiting smoking is a good thing... i also smoked from 16 years old up. I'm 35 now and haven't smoked for about 10 years - i'll never go back. I've also got a young child and it just puts life into perspective.

Plus beer tastes so much nicer when you're smoke free - trust me on that one!!