# Quiting smoking.



## MannDude (Nov 12, 2013)

So, November 4th was my last cigarette.

Want advice on quiting? Just don't smoke. I ran out of cigerettes. It was cold, the gas station was closed (only place that sells them downtown where I live). So I didn't have any. The next day, for whatever reason, I didn't go out and buy more. At that point, it had been 24 hours without one. So I said, "Well, I've gone 24 hours without... would feel like an ass for smoking now."

Been 8 days. I'm still alive.

To be fair though, I had cut back drastically prior to fully quiting. I used to smoke a pack a day. Then a pack every two days. I was smoking a pack every 3, 4 or 5 days before I quit.

No e-cig, no patch, no whatever. Just quit 

(Full disclosure: I did have a cigar around a campfire Saturday night, but I was five beers deep and it was a social setting. That doesn't count).


----------



## Francisco (Nov 12, 2013)

Get an e-cig.

Aldryic got one while on the drive and he was entertained for 2 solid days with it.

You can get the refillable ones and you'l spend like $150 - $200/y total, depending on how much you smoke.

Francisco


----------



## Shados (Nov 12, 2013)

Yeah, I've got a few friends who have swapped to e-cigs pretty happily. It's a lot cheaper, and you still get the rather potent nootropic benefits of nicotine - without the carcinogenic effects of everything else in tobacco .


----------



## concerto49 (Nov 12, 2013)

I know someone that traded cigs for VPS'. True story.


----------



## KuJoe (Nov 12, 2013)

My younger brother tried quitting a year or 2 ago and that lasted about 6 months before it started affecting him to the point where he had to start back up. He said that the first few months are easy until the nightmares start and it begins to affect your sleep. He tried the e-cig route but it wouldn't stop the nightmares.

My friend was able to go almost a year on just the e-cigs but they said the nightmares were unbearable also and it was impacting their job and family so they had to start smoking again.

I quit cold turkey 10 years ago so my wife would date me, I guess that's why it was easy for me to quit but it also could be that I smoked less than a 2 packs a week. I picked up a pack a few years ago just for kicks and the first drag made me physically sick so I'm 100% sure I'll never smoke again.


----------



## MannDude (Nov 12, 2013)

The e-cigs don't interest me that much. Healthier, yes. But still nicotine and still an addiction.


----------



## Aldryic C'boas (Nov 12, 2013)

Nightmares?  Gotta be honest, first time I'd heard of that.  I quit a few years ago when my wife and I started dating (she's allergic to the smoke) - aside from a couple cigars on the cruise I hadn't really missed nicotine at all until picking up the e-cig in Buffalo.  Still don't really have any cravings.. but I'm debating picking up a few come December since that's when things get really nuts at work, and it'll take more than determination to keep me from strangling people.


----------



## HalfEatenPie (Nov 12, 2013)

Aldryic C said:


> Nightmares?  Gotta be honest, first time I'd heard of that.  I quit a few years ago when my wife and I started dating (she's allergic to the smoke) - aside from a couple cigars on the cruise I hadn't really missed nicotine at all until picking up the e-cig in Buffalo.  Still don't really have any cravings.. but I'm debating picking up a few come December since that's when things get really nuts at work, and it'll take more than determination to keep me from strangling people.


This may be a really weird suggestion.

But get a blow up doll.

To strangle.

Am I an expert on this? No. But it'd be a great reason to have a blow up doll in the office.


----------



## trewq (Nov 12, 2013)

HalfEatenPie said:


> This may be a really weird suggestion.
> 
> 
> But get a blow up doll.
> ...


Or, you know, just go to the gym and punch stuff...


----------



## Aldryic C'boas (Nov 12, 2013)

I used to have an impact dummy (something similar to this) that I would practice on when I got frustrated.  HR made me take it out of the office because "people found it threatening" -_-


----------



## MannDude (Nov 12, 2013)

Aldryic C said:


> I used to have an impact dummy (something similar to this) that I would practice on when I got frustrated.  HR made me take it out of the office because "people found it threatening" -_-


If I had my way, I'd have an indoor shooting range, accessible via my desk. But then I'd have no electronics left.


----------



## drmike (Nov 12, 2013)

I hear folks on the office aggression.

Blow up doll  hehe... that wouldn't go over except a home.  But I do know folks abusing them for HOV lane passengers.

I do like the shooting range from the desk idea...


----------



## Echelon (Nov 12, 2013)

I'd suggest against e-cigarettes... or at least the cheaply made ones. I've seen too many of them ignite already.


----------



## Ivan (Nov 12, 2013)

You can do it, MannDude  Surprisingly my dad also is trying to quit, starting today, in fact. No tablets/medicine/drugs/e-cig. Just quitting, for his own good.


----------



## drmike (Nov 12, 2013)

Keep a pencil/pen in pocket to deal with the hand learning compulsion.

Boost up on selenium and B vitamins.   Get plenty of exercise.   Throw sugar out of diet and cut down on carbs... 

That should make it easier.


----------



## scv (Nov 12, 2013)

I switched to vaping a month ago or so, and it's significantly better than cigarettes. Already I'm spending much less time vaping and will probably be switching to nicotine-free e-juice in a month's time. I spent $50 on a nice kit and $10 of e-juice lasts me two weeks easy. Plus, I can do it inside the office without any worries.


----------



## Maximum_VPS (Nov 12, 2013)

Went from a pack a day+ (13+ years) to e-cigs still the occasional craving for a real cigarette but been over 2 months doing good.


----------



## drmike (Nov 13, 2013)

Someone should start an e-cig thread... I know we have some high end e-cig folks on here with their custom juice and gear....

Me, next year, I am growing tobacco finally... I use nicotine as an insecticide.


----------



## earl (Nov 13, 2013)

I hear the e-cigs are worst for you. I don't think they have any standards or regulation in place for e-cigs. Not sure if that has changed.


----------



## Maximum_VPS (Nov 13, 2013)

earl said:


> I hear the e-cigs are worst for you. I don't think they have any standards or regulation in place for e-cigs. Not sure if that has changed.


Worst? I don't know, basically your taking thousands of chemicals and cancer causing agents and trading them for just two or three (possibly in concentrated amounts).

I am also un aware of any standards or regulation with e-cigs.



drmike said:


> Someone should start an e-cig thread... I know we have some high end e-cig folks on here with their custom juice and gear....


Would be interesting im sure.


----------



## shovenose (Nov 13, 2013)

Glad you're quitting. Great choice. I work at a local computer repair shop and the smokers' computers small disgusting and have a layer of slime over everything internally and externally in addition to being obviously discolored. If it does that inside your computer think about inside your lungs!


----------



## nunim (Nov 13, 2013)

I'm on Day 3....I've found that, aside from right when I wake up in the morning and have my coffee, the day time isn't too bad. It's not until  night time when my cravings kick in and I lay awake thinking about the 24 hour gas station that's 1.5 blocks away.


----------



## javaj (Nov 13, 2013)

I think the FDA has been trying to take control of e-cig regulations in the US, but I don't think that's happened yet.I also think they are much healthier but nobody really knows yet.

If you know anyone who wants to buy e-cigs cheap order directly from a wholesaler in china, that's what I do, they are much cheaper than ordering in the UK or US. not sure if its appropriate to post a link but just google "healthcabin" I've always had really good luck with them and they carry brand name stuff cheap, much cheaper than domestic suppliers.


----------



## Ruchirablog (Nov 13, 2013)

I should try buying my dad an E-Cig. He smokes about pack a day and he is 60 now. He told us that he started smoking at the age of 15  :unsure:  He is healthy for now but I guess the damage is already done.  

But I doubt if he ever switch to E-cig because he doesn't smoke any brand except this one  -_-


----------



## MannDude (Nov 13, 2013)

Update: Still haven't smoked.

However the past day or two I've been an irritable asshole. I've wanted to toss my PC into the street multiple times and break a laptop over my knee. If I had a lot of spare dishes I'd probably have broken some, just for the stress relief.

My sleep was interrupted this morning by someone wanting to talk about Jesus. I didn't answer the door, but they left a pamplet. After that, couldn't go back to sleep. A few hours later, was dead tired again and crashed. I had the most vivid and lucid, depressing dream. I even woke up once or twice, fell back asleep, and re-entered it. Weird shit. (Wasn't a nightmare, I never have them. Just a... sad dream)

Hungry, then I eat, then tired. Then I nap/sleep. Then I wake up hungry. Rinse and repeat.

I've quit in the past for a month or two, so this is about the time (one to two weeks in) that shit starts getting rough and 'withdrawal' is noticeable.


----------



## mitsuhashi (Nov 14, 2013)

Wow, I never realized there were so many vapers and friends-of-vapers here. Great to see.

Although I hope your going cold turkey succeeds, if it doesn't, I'd also recommend trying ecigs at some point to steer off almost guaranteed health problems. There's actually a crap ton of different devices out there, and most are more powerful than the pinky-sized ones on TV and magazines (those things are mostly for newbies that need something cigarette-sized to hold).

Just a few things to note:

1. Switching to vaping takes work, too. A lot of people, including myself, have gone through tobacco withdrawal symptoms despite initially doubling nicotine intake compared to cigarettes. The cause for that is generally attributed to the additives in cigarettes that make smoking much more addictive than nicotine alone. The sickly taste and smell that you're addicted to can't really be duplicated yet, either. So you have to settle for much cleaner tastes.

2. However, inhaling dozens of burned toxins long known to kill you vs. inhaling one known toxin and a few generally benign chemicals... The odds for this gamble are easy to see. (Feel free to pick my brains on safety issues -- I can't guarantee safety but I could give details on why the odds factually and logically favor the ecigs.)

3. Did I mention the lifestyle improvement? Nothing beats going back in time to an era where you can enjoy inhaling and exhaling stuff indoors, while on the computer, with much milder smells, at work (if you work with good people), in a car with the windows still closed, and without killing your friends/family/coworkers. In fact, I'm vaping on and off as I type this while the wife and baby are asleep in the other room, in peace. If I was still smoking, I'd be outside getting a mosquito bite each minute, then coming back in to hear some blah-blahs about bringing carcinogenic remnants into the house and how I'd be hurting the child if I don't change my clothes, brush my teeth, and wash my hands twice after every smoke.  

Two years into steady vaping now after a two-month attempt in 2009 that failed due to super shitty hardware, I'm at a point where vaping nothing but glycerin for days is fine, but it gets boring. A touch of nicotine and food flavoring still makes things a lot better.


----------



## drmike (Nov 14, 2013)

MannDude said:


> My sleep was interrupted this morning by someone wanting to talk about Jesus. I didn't answer the door, but they left a pamplet. After that, couldn't go back to sleep. A few hours later, was dead tired again and crashed. I had the most vivid and lucid, depressing dream. I even woke up once or twice, fell back asleep, and re-entered it. Weird shit. (Wasn't a nightmare, I never have them. Just a... sad dream)


Leave a posted sign that on your front door that say:

DO NOT INTERRUPT. BY APPOINTMENT ONLY.

With small text that says, "any violators subject to lead poisoning".


----------



## nunim (Nov 14, 2013)

Well, my "accountabili-buddy" wasn't around watching me, so now I'm back to day 1...  The worst part is the cig wasn't even that enjoyable, after not smoking for a few days I was expecting something much more =/  Relapses are always disappointing.


----------



## NodeKid (Nov 15, 2013)

Coincidentally I ceased poisoning myself on the 4th too; picked up some seasonal lurgy and just figured enough was enough. I've been puffing my way to a painful, early death for 23 years.

Also leaving the booze alone which is always a smoking danger zone for me.

Still hacking up alien slime though… yummy!

Edit: oh yeah, cold turkey; tried patches/gum/chantix before which all made me worse.


----------



## drmike (Nov 15, 2013)

Congrats to everyone kicking the smoking habit.

Keep it going!


----------



## raindog308 (Nov 16, 2013)

I quit 20-odd years ago.  Still crave a cig periodically.  Used to smoke a pipe as well and inhaled with that - had a tobacconist who stocked a custom blend for me.  Cigarettes are really the McDonald's of tobacco in comparison.  But I quit it all.

E-cigs, vaping, blah blah - just quit.  Putting nicotine in your system is not a good idea.  BTW, as of January 1, 2014, the last nicotine-based insecticide will be removed from the US market.

I've given up all my vices except caffeine...I expect that one will be with me until I die.  An afternoon without coffee means a headache, and after a couple days it feels like the flu.


----------



## shovenose (Nov 16, 2013)

raindog308 said:


> I quit 20-odd years ago.  Still crave a cig periodically.  Used to smoke a pipe as well and inhaled with that - had a tobacconist who stocked a custom blend for me.  Cigarettes are really the McDonald's of tobacco in comparison.  But I quit it all.
> 
> E-cigs, vaping, blah blah - just quit.  Putting nicotine in your system is not a good idea.  BTW, as of January 1, 2014, the last nicotine-based insecticide will be removed from the US market.
> 
> I've given up all my vices except caffeine...I expect that one will be with me until I die.  An afternoon without coffee means a headache, and after a couple days it feels like the flu.


I think I like coffee way too much these days.


----------



## bizzard (Nov 17, 2013)

Btw, when did you guys got started with this? I am 24 and hasn't smoked a cigar or anything of that kind yet. May be that can be called determination


----------



## Aldryic C'boas (Nov 17, 2013)

First started when I was 8.  Quit for awhile in my teens, started again after enlisting.


----------



## Danthe (Nov 17, 2013)

I'm on my second day without a cigarette right now. I switched to vaping and it is going well.

I bought all my vape gear when I still had 11 cigarettes left in my pack yesterday, after vaping for a few hours, I flushed the rest of the pack of cigarettes down the toilet. I find that whenever I'm crazing a cigarette, I just take a few puffs on my vape and the cravings go away.

I'm currently using a single setting 1100mAh battery with an Evod tank. There's a local vape shop near me that makes their own e-liquid and has over 110 flavors. The owner of the shop claims that all of his ingrediants are domestic (not imported from China or any other country for that matter), so hopefully I can trust whatever is going into the e-liquid!


----------



## MannDude (Nov 17, 2013)

bizzard said:


> Btw, when did you guys got started with this? I am 24 and hasn't smoked a cigar or anything of that kind yet. May be that can be called determination


I was 20, I believe. I'd roll my own on the occasion, and was living out west in the desert at the time. The first time I had to drive from Nevada to New Mexico, I, for whatever reason, bought a pack of Camels. I didn't roll any smokes for the trip and driving stresses me out. Once I got to New Mexico I met up with a buddy from Indiana who was to come stay out there. He smoked. I had lived alone in the desert for a couple months before he came out, so it was nice stepping out on the back porch and having a smoke and catching up.

EDIT: Tomorrow will be 2 weeks!


----------



## NodeKid (Nov 17, 2013)

bizzard said:


> Btw, when did you guys got started with this? I am 24 and hasn't smoked a cigar or anything of that kind yet. May be that can be called determination


I had my first when I was 10 but didn't start regularly until I was 15. I'm 38.

I'm not even 'determined to quit' this time I'm just sick of smoking (thankfully not seriously sick yet). I'm done with it. I've found it pretty easy this time* since I actually don't want to smoke. A lot different from trying to force the issue as a lot of it is psychological rather than physical.

Some inspirational—although somewhat harrowing—videos.

*yes, I've stopped before; I didn't want to though.


----------



## NodeKid (Nov 17, 2013)

MannDude said:


> EDIT: Tomorrow will be 2 weeks!


Right there with you mate, get in


----------



## nunim (Nov 19, 2013)

I'm back on Day 2!  I'm using the patches this time and it's helping, I still want to smoke but at least I'm not going through nicotine withdrawals at the same time.  I figure once I get out of the habit of smoking, which will take 2-4 weeks at minimum, I can stop using them and go through the nicotine withdrawal.  

I started when I was 18, ironically never smoked and hated cigs before then, I was working at a Quiznos and it was very very slow, the person I worked with smoked.  He'd always go out for smoke breaks, and eventually I got tired of sitting in there alone and picked up the habit. That wasn't the only reason I started smoking but that's what got me going initially.


----------



## MannDude (Nov 19, 2013)

Been two weeks for me.

Went to the shooting range today with my step-father who smokes like a chimney and never wanted one. In fact, hated the smell and didn't like being in the truck with him when he was smoking (even with the window cracked).


----------



## Aldryic C'boas (Nov 19, 2013)

Did he know you were quitting?  Bit of a dick move there on his part, if so.


----------



## bizzard (Nov 19, 2013)

I am trying to get my cousin quit smoking. He smokes almost a pack a day. Everytime I see him, I try to convince him, but he just says he is trying and continues the same. Maybe its because I haven't smoked and don't know how hard its to give up.


----------



## nunim (Nov 21, 2013)

On Day 4 again! Craving a lot less this time around, the Nicotine patches are certainly helping.

Also, it's too cold for me to want to go outside for a smoke, Welcome to Canada:


----------



## MannDude (Nov 21, 2013)

Aldryic C said:


> Did he know you were quitting?  Bit of a dick move there on his part, if so.


Yeah, but he can't go 20 minutes without one. It didn't make me crave them, that's for sure.

Its still too early to say, but I'd like to imagine I got this kicked now. I've been around cigarettes and have note bummed one, I've been drinking without smoking one (though I did puff on a cigar), I've gone through two prolonged outages/downtime/issues on the site without smoking one (aka STRESS), and just generally have not wanted one.


----------



## Pete M. (Nov 21, 2013)

My brother quit smoking a 3 years ago. He got to the point of smoking a pack a day so he made up his mind to quit. This was the second he was quitting. The first time around it was about 8 years ago and he went cold turkey. Then two years later he bounced back. So this time around instead of going cold turkey he gradually smoked less and less until he got it down to a cigarette a day, then half a cigarette and finally nothing. After that he gained some weight and the first two weeks after quitting were kind of painful for him, but 3 years later he is happier than ever. Smoking sucks, I can't stand the smoke, the smell and the dirt and misery that cigarettes bring, not to mention the health implications. You're better off eating chocolate when you crave a cigarette ;-)


----------



## nunim (Nov 21, 2013)

MannDude said:


> Yeah, but he can't go 20 minutes without one. It didn't make me crave them, that's for sure.
> 
> Its still too early to say, but I'd like to imagine I got this kicked now. I've been around cigarettes and have note bummed one, I've been drinking without smoking one (though I did puff on a cigar), I've gone through two prolonged outages/downtime/issues on the site without smoking one (aka STRESS), and just generally have not wanted one.


Sweet, GJ accountabilibuddy! Drinking without smoking... What a foreign concept, I'll have to learn to wrap my head around that one..


----------



## Hannan (Nov 21, 2013)

Just smoke one cigarette very few days or sometime goes one or more per day. but luckily still good after few years and can stop it for a long time whenever I want to


----------



## TSS - Conor (Nov 23, 2013)

Great job to those who quit! I imagine it wasn't easy. I've never smoked and don't plan on it.

Here is a horrible video for you though; but won't really put anyone off I expect.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1E793Iemjg


----------



## nunim (Nov 24, 2013)

By the end of tonight, I will be at one week without smoking, not a single puff!  I figure 2 more weeks of patches and I'll be good to go.  They say it takes 3 weeks to make or break a habit, although I think that's just a myth.


----------



## MannDude (Nov 24, 2013)

Twenty days, cold turkey. Unsure if I should feel different yet as compared to when I smoked, but I don't. =/

If I keep this up to the New Year I can make a different New Years Resolution than, 'Quit Smoking'.


----------



## ChrisM (Nov 24, 2013)

MannDude said:


> Twenty days, cold turkey. Unsure if I should feel different yet as compared to when I smoked, but I don't. =/
> 
> If I keep this up to the New Year I can make a different New Years Resolution than, 'Quit Smoking'.


Good job! Have a Celebratory Cig!


----------



## fapvps (Nov 25, 2013)

Congrats to all the quitters! January 11 will be my 3 year anniversary of not smoking anything at all. Quit cold turkey and never looked back or made any exceptions. No cigars or ecigs or hookah. I used to smoke more than a pack a day for 10+ years and I knew it was destroying my health so I had to quit.


----------



## MannDude (Nov 25, 2013)

21 days today.

So for New Years, I guess my resolution will be to drop that extra 20lb thats keeping me from my 32X32s. Too cheap to buy new pants.


----------



## ModulesGarden (Nov 28, 2013)

My close friend used to smoke. And so he did for many years. On his birthday I bought him an e-cig with 18mg nicotine liquids. Then he decided to use 11mg, then 6mg and finally 0mg. After some time he stopped smoking completely. At least for him, it worked well.


----------



## MannDude (Nov 28, 2013)

I went out to the bar last night to celebrate Thanksgiving with friends. The day before Thanksgiving everyone who is from here but lives out of town is in town, thus there are tons of people out and about. Lot of old faces I've not seen since last year and all around a good time was had.

Despite not really wanting one, I sparked up a cig. I think I smoked half of it and put it out.

Was tempted and didn't like it. I'm still considering the 4th of November my 'quit' date


----------



## scv (Nov 28, 2013)

Nooo!

In related news, I'm making the move down to 6mg eliquid. I probably will continue with 0mg eventually because the actual action of vaping is enjoyable, not to mention delicious.


----------



## nunim (Nov 28, 2013)

MannDude said:


> I went out to the bar last night to celebrate Thanksgiving with friends. The day before Thanksgiving everyone who is from here but lives out of town is in town, thus there are tons of people out and about. Lot of old faces I've not seen since last year and all around a good time was had.
> 
> Despite not really wanting one, I sparked up a cig. I think I smoked half of it and put it out.
> 
> Was tempted and didn't like it. I'm still considering the 4th of November my 'quit' date


  Smoking and drinking go together like bread and butter, it will be a tough habit to break, especially since the more you drink the more likely it is that you'll break down and have a smoke.

I'm on day 12 without having a puff, this is further then I've ever come before so I'm going to do my best to keep on track.


----------



## MannDude (Nov 28, 2013)

Meh. One cigarette in 23 days ain't bad. I don't want one now and that further proved I didn't want one, else I'd have finished it or smoked it without any sort of guilt.

You can smoke in bars here in Indiana, at least in my town. It was crazy wall-to-wall packed, I'm sure the second hand smoke in that place alone was the same as me smoking half a pack.


----------



## drserver (Nov 28, 2013)

e-smoke, best way to quit


----------



## nunim (Nov 28, 2013)

MannDude said:


> Meh. One cigarette in 23 days ain't bad. I don't want one now and that further proved I didn't want one, else I'd have finished it or smoked it without any sort of guilt.
> 
> You can smoke in bars here in Indiana, at least in my town. It was crazy wall-to-wall packed, I'm sure the second hand smoke in that place alone was the same as me smoking half a pack.


That's lucky, you must be one of the few states left.  FL had it outlawed, and of course it's not allowed in Canada...  I guess I don't have to worry about that now, not that I really like going to bars in the first place.  I'd like to try the E-cig but I don't want spend a ton of money and I'm not sure the wife would approve =/


----------



## hostemo.com (Nov 30, 2013)

drserver said:


> e-smoke, best way to quit


i like your idea. But i havent start to quit


----------

