Today I checked web sites on "cold turkey" tobacco cessation.

[DDD]

I am increasingly aggitated and grumpy. Decided to see what the American Cancer and the American Lung sites said. Not too happy with the facts. The percentage of cold turkey people having success??? 2% to 6 or 8%. YES...I yelled at the monitor. I am a NON SMOKER and I will do it.

Second fact is that it takes SIX MONTHS for the body to adjust. WTH!! Oh, well. If it takes six months you guys will just have to put up with a short tempered, rude and feisty family member. If I'm finished with the addiction by October that will be appropriate. I fell off the wagon in October 2009. So...I'll be a 71 year old drunk in October who has clean lungs. Gee, can you tell I'm going nuts? DDD

 

[pepperann915]

You've already made u're first leap. Good work

 

[HaoZi]

I have found that I have less cravings and irritability when I take more Omega-3 supplements than my usual one per day.

 

[exhausted]

I just had a friend have a bloody nose she couldn't stop as a result of too many fish oil capsules. ended up in ER. Blood was thinned from this. She thought she was on the right dose.Be careful.

 

[Hound dog]

3D you just killed any desire I had to go cold turkey. Not that I had it to begin with.

You're also under a LOT of stress right now, that is sooooooooo not helping.

((((hugs))))

 

[DDD]

LOL, Hound. If I waited for my stress level to ebb..........I'd be pushing daisies. It's been since 1964 since I had anything resembling a "normal live". Sorry, guys, if I made it sound impossible. I don't believe it is.......BUT, it is provind to be more challenging than I recall it being twelve years ago when I did cold turkey the last time. DDD

 

[susiestar]

I am proud of you. Stopping cold turkey from nicotine is one of the hardest things a human can do. Nicotine is one of the most addictive substances we know. For a long time it was considered the most addictive substance and the hardest to quit using any method but now i think meth is considered harder. I recently learned how hideous withdrawal is due to a doctor mess up with my pain medications (not not not because I took too many and ran out, a refill rx did not arrive). I do NOT envy you as you go through this, but will send hugs and support in every way I can!

Just think, if you stop cold turkey you will have achieved something that 92-98 % of the population cannot do! You will be one of the super elite because you will have done it twice!!!! But if you feel you are slipping, please use nicotine gum or the patch or chantix to help. It is better to slip up with the gum or patch or to use chantix if you can tolerate it rather than smoking. You will be eliminating many of the harmful things in cigarettes by doing this.

Don't worry about being witchy or rude here. We understand and are here to support you no matter what - because we LOVE YOU!

 

[susiestar]

by the way, most states have stop smoking programs operated and paid for by the state and the big tobacco companies (they are forced to contribute in addition to all the taxes). here it is through the county health dept and another through dhs. I think medicare/medicaid also has programs. here you can get the medicaid program for help as long as you are under a super generous income limit.

This will take you to a google search for them. www.floridaquitline.com is the program for your state from what I see. It says it has free programs tools and products to help. Plus if you keep an eye on the Walmart free samples they sometimes have free samples of the nicotine gum. Last year I noticed one and sent the samples to my gfgbro, my mom, myself, my aunt in OH and a neighbor and they sent 12 pieces to each address. We gave them to my gfgbro because he was again talking about stopping using skoal. Shortly after I had to cut him from my life so I don't know if he used them.

 

[Malika]

This statement that it takes six months for the body to adjust is highly suspect, in my opinion. I know it takes some years for the LUNGS to repair themselves after the damage done but in terms of the sensations due to nicotine withdrawal, all the figures I have read are from three days to ten days... I stopped "cold turkey" (some years ago) and it wasn't hard at all. But I was really motivated and convinced that I was doing something great for myself, walking into freedom from cigarette addiction rather than giving up something wonderful that I then had to crave and miss... Doing lots of exercise and drinking lots (preferably non-alcoholic ) also helps. This idea that it's so hard to give up by just stopping might be a myth put about by the nicotine patch manufacturers!! (I'm joking, but anything is possible...) It's actually easier doing it that way from the body's point of view rather than prolonging the agony by cutting down or using patches... In a week, it's as if you never had smoked!!
Just to play devil's advocate - the edginess and irritability could have nothing to do with nicotine withdrawal... Could have been there anywhere and the smoking was masking it. Now you are allowing yourself to feel what was being suppressed...
Just a thought.

 

[DDD]

Actually...I am not fixating on six months etc. on the other hand I am sure you were extremely lucky to have the easy withdrawal you did.
I do need to get my head on straight and find some new positive focus. DDD

 

[Shari]

DDD you can do it! And with those odds, you'll be a superior being, you know, like Chuck! You won't be a weakling or a troll! Lol (j/k about the chuck part)
You can do it. Mind over matter, and from what I've seen, you have an exceptional mind.

 

[HaoZi]

I just had a friend have a bloody nose she couldn't stop as a result of too many fish oil capsules. ended up in ER. Blood was thinned from this. She thought she was on the right dose.Be careful.

Can you define "too many"? Don't need that kind of mess here! I'm just taking an extra one a day.

 

[Hound dog]

Well I'm not so sure I buy the 6 months to adjust either.......

The only "experience" I had going cold turkey was when I had the accident. Four days in hospital and a cigarette never even came to mind once. No withdrawal, nothing. Desire wasn't there, thought wasn't there.............of course I wasn't completely there either and I'm not talking pain medications here cuz they have a tendency to make me want to smoke. lol

On the way home from hospital husband smoked in front of me. It was like a switch turned on in my brain. I not only wanted one, I needed it NOW! I swear it's like he reminded me I was a smoker. It was sort of strange.

And since I've kicked myself repeatedly for lighting that first one up. For me, it replaced nail biting.......and I was a severe nail biter.......so more of a "nervous habit". Which I think makes it harder to break.

I will say when I was hospitalized for the heart attack........I knew going in I wouldn't be able to smoke. I accepted it, reminded myself I'd done it for 4 days before, and made myself think of other things....did not let myself become irritable ect. Except moment I was discharged it was a whole other ball game. ugh lol

Maybe reminding yourself you did just fine without them for years before would help in those weaker or more stressful moments?

This is why I like chantix. I lost the desire but didn't have the viciousness I usually get trying it cold turkey. (I got just as vicious trying not to bite my nails too fyi lol )

 

[ML]

We'll just start referring to you as an 8 percenter! Someone has to be in that group and it might as well be you. You can do this!

 

[Malika]

Well, I truly don't think I was "extremely lucky" so much as I didn't have psychological cravings for cigs after I gave them up because by then I was just so desperate to be free of them.... and so relieved and happy when I was. I just meant that because the withdrawal symptoms, so- called, are psychological rather than physical, if one can crack the cigs-give-me-something-good myth, then stopping isn't hard at all...
Advice is cheap, as they say - so here goes
Keep congratulating yourself on your strength and sanity in having stopped. Don't let yourself start thinking, even for a second, that you would be better off with a cigarette in your life (or mouth?) - you know, of course, you wouldn't... Exercise a lot, even if just long walks, do everything that accentuates the positive and healthy thing you are doing for your body. Do you have Allan Carr books in the States? He was a kind of anti-smoking guru and very motivational to read after you've given up!
The worst, such as it is, is over. Welcome to the world of freedom!!!