To ask you to tell me what happened when you stopping smoking?

[Looobyloo]

I've smoked for 30 years but I'm coughing a lot more lately so have decided to try my best to give up on the 1st January. I'm also a runner (started 10years ago) so spend the end of my runs coughing and even cough mid run sometimes. Then I think what the hell am I doing! I'm keeping fit then breathing this filth into my lungs.

I'm pretty much an all or nothing person so think just going cold turkey will be the best option. What can I expect? Will I be grumpy? eat more? Anxious? Was it harder or easier than you thought?
Can you tell me your experiences of stopping please?

I went cold turkey.
It worked for me.

for a start - I had more money for other things.
my health improved.
I no longer smelled of fags.

I seemingly stopped smoking 10 weeks ago. I bought a vape after the holiday fags ran out and haven't had one since.
I find it really strange when people congratulate me on stopping since I don't really think I have, I've just swapped to something not quite as bad. And I'm sure that in itself has helped.
I do feel better and the wheeze has gone and I find the smell of real cigarettes vile, goodness knows how bad I must've smelt.
I guess I'll have something else to give up at some point but I'm happy I've made the switch and I've saved a fortune.

Everyone is asking why don't I use the vape to help.
I don't trust them. I really believe that in 10 years there will be a massive scandal about how bad they actually are, like it was with cigarettes I am seriously petrified of them and don't even like to be around them. Bit illogical, I guess, when I smoked 20 a day, but stepped away from vapers

I stopped coughing when I stopped smoking. So will you. Teeth and gums will be better too.

I smoked heavily for over 20 years. I gave up when I became pregnant with my first child. Then seventeen years later, during a really stressful time, I began to vape.

Vaping made me feel really ill. This may not be the case for everyone, and could have something to do with smoking so heavily as a young person.

I have given up vaping now and feel much better, but I do use a Nicorette inhaler thing. I only use it two or three times a day and think it really is a placebo, but it is safer for me than either vaping or smoking.

I also swim or cycle every day. Once you start to feel fitter, it really improves the incentive to satay off the cigs.

I felt bloody shocking when I stopped! Was pg so no choice really except to power through, I used patches with the advice of my midwife.

I have asthma and that got significantly worse. I had horrible hayfever for about 8 weeks, really, really bad. I got a face full of coldsores from constantly sneezing and blowing my nose. A lousy headache.

However. The symptoms stopped after about 2 months.

I stupidly started smoking again when ds was 1, mainly because of stressful things happening. Housemove, our business on the verge of bankruptcy, dh in hospital, blah blah blah. 5 months later dh had a heart attack and we both stopped again, this time with a vape.

Longterm, I have never felt better. My asthma is 1000 times better, I have more energy, more money, more time. I sleep better, my skin is better and I am generally better.

I will quit vaping at some point. But it's not like smoking, I don't crave it if I can't use it.

The first time I stopped for 6 months, I craved a fag every day of that 6 months. I wanted to throw myself under a bus, & I wanted to kill people. So I started again as Dr said it was best to. I had nightmares that I could never, ever, repeat. I tried to think of ways where I could eat constantly, like drink soup. I’d follow people who smoked so I could smell it, or walk past pubs to get a good sniff. I was pressured into giving up by 2 family members who’d recently stopped smoking, I never wanted to stop.

Second time I stopped as I was diagnosed with cancer, within a week I’d stopped smoking & knew that I’d never smoke again. I had a Nicolette inhalator for 3 weeks as I felt I still needed that hand to mouth thing. Also I attended a group every week at the Dr’s for support.

Both times were different. Although I thought it was easier second time around, it could be as I was having treatment & feeling quite ill. Or the bad side effects from the treatment could’ve been the side effects from stopping smoking. Whatever it was I became a raving lunatic for about 5 years. Bear it mind that chemo bought on the mad bad memo too!!!

I only gave up because of falling pregnant. Constantly thought about it for days but obviously knowing I was carrying was motivation enough to not smoke despite the cravings. Now the yellow stains have left my hands and I can properly smell how smokers smell because I no longer have the permanent smoker smell, that's motivation enough to not start again!

If you are a heavy smoker with a persistent cough you can't shift I would really reccomend visiting your GP for advice. Good luck giving up, alot of people find the patches really help.

That being said I felt absolutely awful for about 3 weeks but don't know if that was due to giving up or due to being pregnant.

Now I notice my chest is a lot clearer, I don't have the constant cough, stamina is better, and my sense of smell is a lot better. Also a lot more focused and less anxious which I think is down to not thinking about when I can next gave a cig.

Treat yourself to something nice every month from the money you save, so you have something tangible as a reward
Good luck

I went cold turkey. Initially I was very mindful of not replacing cigarettes with food so didn't put on weight to begin with. Then I got a bit gallus, let it slide and put on 3 stone.
I found that I visited the cash machine less often but didn't seem to have loads more money.

@Crosscrosscrackers I wouldn't say it's persistent just that I cough a fair bit, particularly after exercise. I didn't think you'd have nightmares.
I do know people who've given up who then get poorly, cold after cold and chest infections. I guess that's all the crap leaving your system and your body going into shock. Mine will definitely be shocked!

When my aunty found out she had terminal cancer she gave up, her daughter pointed out to her that it was a bit late but she still wouldn't have another cig.

@DryHeaving I could buy a horse I'll just buy more trainers and perhaps enter more races abroad.

I smoked for 20 years, gave up 3 years ago, moved on to a vape which i had for about 8 months, at first using all day and gradually used less and less, realised after a while it wasnt so much the nicotine i craved but the hand to mouth action.
Iv never felt so healthy, no coughing my guts up every morning.
Did put on weight though.

You can do it

Got a chest infection that scared the bejaysus out of me (crackling lungs, hallucinations). Missed out on a much anticipated hobby/trip as a result. The infection probably took me over the initial physical withdrawal but psychologically every time i fancied one I just thought about the great time I'd missed out on. 11 years later i haven't had a fag since but there are the occasional twingest. I was previously a "serial quitter". Good luck and strength to you.

whyquit.com/joel/Joel_02_01_my_cig_my_friend.html

Something to read when you feel you’re slipping.

I stopped quite a few times with a vape and failed, mainly because I think for me, it was keeping me in the habit of smoking. So, if I ever forgot my vape when out, I'd end up buying fags, then when I'd had one of them I'd think well I may as well carry on smoking now, and ended up stuck in that loop many times.

Cold turkey worked for me. Torturous as times, but worth it because it felt like more of an achievement to me every day that passed without inhaling anything, whereas with the vaping I still kind of felt like a smoker, if that makes sense, so didn't feel too guilty about sneaking a fag here and there.

When I quit, I coughed up a load of gunk that made me panic, but apparently it's your lungs kicking back into action again. Insomnia. A weird one was I had to poo a lot it a day don't know what that was about. And I broke out in the most horrific acne I'd ever seen in my life. I was literally smothered in red, painful spots. They're called Quitzits, so I'm told

It's been completely worth it though. I wake up feeling like I've actually slept and not groggy, don't get migraines as regularly any more, don't have yellow fingers ruining the beautiful effort I make with my nails Oh, and my nails don't flake and peel any more.

You might hate it in the process, but you'll be so glad you did it when you're through the worst of it OP. Good Luck :)

I know the vape is a lifeline for many. I believe after one month vaping a smokers cardio vascular system clears completely.
Though they are recommended for short term use.
My good friend is vaping 6 years, she is off it now after spending time in hospital with lung issues, she has polupes and scaring on her lungs, she has a lung age of 60. She is 32, the consultant couldn't say for certain, though suspected the vape, he advised her to dump it immediately.

After smoking quite heavily for fifty plus years, being on traction in hospital for eight weeks after a fall about five years ago worked for me. They slapped patches on me and I haven't smoked since.

I tried Allen Carr a couple of times, just didn't work for me, I hope it does for you. Good luck.

I also used Alan Carr's book, it tells you to smoke through reading it and exactly what to think whilst you do so. He is a brilliant man! I shamefully struggled during early pregnancy to quit, tried to give up straight away but turned into a nicotine craving wreck and kept having maybe 3-4 a day for another week. I read the book and it just puts everything into perspective, I finished it, had my last smoke, and then went to work for a nightshift (which was where I depended the most on smoking) but I didnt even think about it, then it became 'wow I've gone 3 hours and still not craving' then 'I've done the whole shift and I still dont need one' and then as each day passed it was like wow I never thought I could do it but I have! Literally not a single craving. When I had those fleeting thoughts I just reminded myself 'ah but I'm a non smoker now' and that was it. Highly recommend!

Why wait until Jan 1? Do it now!!

I experienced lots of coughing, with bits of dark stuff coming up- maybe for about 2 months? I also had trouble sleeping and was hungry more. It only lasted a few months though and haven't smoked since (8 years ago). Was a smoker from 16 until aged 40. 8-10 or so a day.

OP if you've smoked for 30 years and you've started to cough more lately, you need to see your GP to have a chest Xray.

Once you stop, you will wonder how you ever managed to inhale that cancerous poison. You will wake up every morning with a fresh throat, no pain or discomfort. You will be able to breathe properly. Your taste buds will feel reborn. Your nails, hair and clothes won't be coated in a layer of disgusting & stinky nicotine. I stopped a 15 - 30 a day habit 12 years ago. I smoked from the ages of 13 - 30. I know I sound like a nazi ex smoker but I don't care, I can breathe freely and I've reduced my chances of lung cancer or stroke and who knows what else ! Good luck

I remember too rewarding myself with a fag after a run, totally skewered smoker's logic but there you go !