Need to stop smoking!!

[GotOutOfBedOnTheWrongSide]

Hi sorry for posting here but I never seem to get many responses when I post on other boards.

I desperately need to stop smoking. I have a constant sore swollen throat, sore chest and can barely breathe...I'm 24

For those of you who have successfully stopped smoking, how long did it take for the above symptoms to go away?

I'm thinking of quitting cold Turkey, is this the easiest way to stop for good?

Thanks for reading

Hi op I gave up with Champix that I got from my doctor , which although they do come with some side effects, for me it was totally worth it as there was no effort involved and by far the easiest way to quit.
Good luck and never allow yourself to be tempted again - no matter how drunk. (That last bit of advice was for me).

I haven't personally done it but my husband stopped cold turkey about 7 years ago. He felt like he could breathe easier within about 2 weeks. I'm not sure if cold turkey is the easiest way, but it worked well for him. You could give it a go and if it proves to be too much, look for an alternative?

Good luck!!

I stopped smoking cigarettes 2 weeks ago today, but only by using a vape. I’m not sure if that counts but I’m still pretty chuffed.

I second pp! Champix is the way to go! I actually ordered it online from a pharmacy, it was expensive but worth it.

I smoked 30 a day for 15 years and haven't touched one in a year and 4 months.

Following with interest. I only smoke when I drink which has been every day for the past week since I found out about my dm's fucking lung cancer diagnosis. I really really want to stop forever. :(

You have to just stop. The first few days are awful. The thing that stopped me restarting again was remembering how awful the first few days were and not wanting to do them again. That stopped me having a sneaky one... you would have to go through all that “withdrawal “ pain again. I used to look at those articles that say stuff like “1day since your last cigarette.... 2 days etc” and tell you how your body is healing itself.

Remember every time you have a cigarette you are topping up your addiction... when you smoke you are just trying to feel “normal” ie not have the cravings anymore.... life without the cravings is great. Don’t need to think about when I can next have a fag, just get on with life.

I am now the worst ex smoker and think it’s revolting... I can’t believe I used to do it as I HATE the smell now!

A few friends of mine have stopped using the Allen Carr method. DP has stopped in the past using the book but picked it up again some time later, he's booked for a seminar based on the same method next weekend so fingers crossed!

Good luck OP. Could also be a good incentive to put £10 in a jar every time you'd have bought a pack and visually see it stack up to spend on something lovely for yourself

I stopped cold turkey it was easy as I was in the right frame of mind to stop
I know a few people who read Allen carrs book and stopped! I think that book put you in the right mind set for stopping
Good luck
Also I got a horrible cough for about a month after stopping! I tho n if was just my lungs clearing themselves out lol just a pre warning

My mum moved onto vaping after 50 years of smoking. Saved her a fortune and she thinks it’s better for her and has no intention of quitting.

If you decide to try vaping remember not to take big drags, only small ones. You will cough like crazy for the first three days (you might want to time it over a weekend so you’re not at work) but then you will be fine. Takes three weeks to forget the enjoyment of fags and transfer it to vapes.
Good luck.

I managed to stop cold turkey for 7 months when I was pregnant with Ds by reading Allen Carr’s ‘The easy way’ I did still crave them constantly but what I’d read and the fact I was pregnant acted as a deterrent. Unfortunately I developed PND and started again when DS was 8 weeks old.

Also stopped for 6 months and vaped instead quite successfully but started a new job where everyone smoked and started up again!

Now on day 2 of stopping using a patch which I’ve never tried before and I must say it’s excellent, I’m quite a heavy smoker (20 a day) and there’s not really any cravings at all which I’m surprised at it,it’s like I’ve just forgotten about smoking. On the odd time where I’ve really fancied one,like first thing in the morning I’ve just had a couple of puffs of my vape and been fine. I’ve even had people smoking around me and not been bothered. There’s no cravings there really at all, I’m feeling really positive about it.

Allen Carr is good, if you are ready.

I used Tabex, I've also been on Champix.

Tabex was my final go, I found that really effective.

When I quit (12 years ago) I was in my early 30s and I was constantly coughing, would wake up in the night unable to breathe and couldn't climb a flight of stairs without resting. I started feeling better within 2 days of quitting and by the end of 2 weeks I no longer had any of these issues. I went cold turkey although I did chew nicotine gum now and then for a few months afterwards. It was really hard and I did put a lot of weight on unfortunately that I never managed to shift completely but I truly believe I would be dead now if I didn't quit.

Good luck, op, I hope you succeed.

I quit in my 20s. Best thing ever. I did it gradually over a few weeks using the following rules (from what I recall. It's a lot of years ago now).

• introduce a 'gap' between food or alcohol and being allowed a cigarette. Start at 15 mins and after 2 days 30 mins then 45, hr etc. This breaks the cycle of habit. If you have other triggers you could do the same.
• track what you smoke and when in the day using a tally. It's scary laying it out on a piece of paper. If there are obvious triggers apply the same time based rules eg not until x mins after sleep.
• keep the butts in a jar with water for a few weeks. If feeling desperate sniff it - it is so rank it helps cement why you want to quit.
• never ever have a single smoke again. No exceptions.

As you're giving up, make use you understand why you feel like wanting one. Nicotine rises as you smoke, making you feel relaxed. Once you stop it rapidly declines, which leads you to want to top it up so you regain that feeling. It's breaking this physical pull which is an addiction as well as the mental one and the sensation of constantly touching hand to face that's hard because there's a lot going on at once to "break ". Also the social side if your friends still smoke (far fewer will by your late 20s as kids arrive). Sometimes friends aren't that supportive if they're a bit jealous and feel they couldn't have succeeded. But if you want to do it badly enough it is possible
Good luck!

Iv been a smoker for over 20 years. Iv

On Tuesday at 4pm I had my last cigarette. So it has been 5 days and 7 1/2 hours yep I'm still noticing the hours

I'm not using anything to help. I was going to go to meetings but covid cancelled them all and that just gave me an excuse to keep on smoking.

I'm not going to lie and tell you it's easy but it's worth every minute of feeling like thisif I can stick to it and I am absolutely determined to not fail now.

If I can do it anyone can it just takes you deciding to do it and riding it out until it doesn't feel so bad which Iv been told will be very soon!

Patches - they help the cravings as you gradually withdraw - the rest while you get your fix helps the mental connection- I realised that when the phone rang I walked off to get cigarettes before answering it - that kind of thing also cup of tea and cigarette, I was able to work on mental bit then the addiction- hard work but worth it and don’t worry I’d you fail the first time, keep trying and you will do it

The Easy way by Allen Carr was amazingly effective and I was a total non smoker for 2 and a half years, but succumbed at a new years eve party 🤦‍♀️.
The reason I tried the Champix is because I wasn't sure the book would work the second time around because there are very few books I can read again, when I already know what's coming. I won't be fooled again though, as I don't want to have to go through this shit again.

Sorry for derailing but I think these threads are a good reminder if you have given up but may have the odd craving.

Stay strong people.

I stopped and started vaping. Went from 30 a day (20 year habit) to none
The smoke free app helped me - this is the money saved and I haven't smoked 47,000 cigarettes

@Doingtheboxerbeat what were the side effects? Every time I've tried to give up I get such a bad cough, which I know is your lungs recovering, but I feel now isn't the time to get a horrible cough lol

My husband can easily quit with patches, I think mine's the nicotine addiction and having a couple of minutes outside to myself and doing something with my hands

I quit cold turkey with the Allen Carr book. I've never really been tempted to smoke again and it's been over 15 years.

@MinnieJackson same as me. Exactly. I gave up a month ago along with booze but then some stresses of life made me buy again! Interested to know about the meds I've never heard of. I tried gum but made me get a sore throat! Good luck OP if u are in the right frame to stop you can do it!!!

I tried to stop a few times on my own before seeing the Dr about help to stop smoking. Within 3 weeks I’d stopped with the Nicorette Inhalator, I felt that I needed that hand to mouth thing. Plus I attended a No Smoking group every week which helped. I knew I’d never smoke again, that was over a decade ago. It was probably one of the greater shocks of my life that I managed I stop so easily that time, but I did have cancer so perhaps I needed a reason. When I tried to stop on my own I had unspeakable mares, & wanted to kill people 😳.

Thank you for your replies!

My main triggers are:

• morning cigarette with a cup of tea
• 'pudding' cigarette after food
• to get five minutes to myself

I've managed to quit cold turkey once before but I was pregnant so it felt easy. I knew that if I smoked i would be putting the baby in danger so I didn't touch a cigarette or vape from the moment I got my positive pregnancy test. I started again when the baby was a few days old and have continued ever since

Its definitely something that I need to do. I wake up so breathless in the mornings and cant even play a short game in the garden with my son because my chest kills! I tried to take up running at the start of lock down and after a small, slow jog I was absolutely gasping for breath and had the strongest chest pains I've ever felt, I really though that I was having a heart attack.

I will have a look at the book mentioned and perhaps get some patches or gum.