75 Hours Later...The Shakes Are Starting

[THUNDER HANDS]

Damn nicotine. I was reading it should be totally out of my system after 48 hours. Why do I still have these insane cravings?

DU quitters, how long does it take before the cravings subside?

BTW, I'm just doing this cold turkey. No nicotine gum or patches or anything but good old fashioned will power.

I have to say it does feel good to take a deep breath and not hack something up for the first time in like...5 years.

BTW, I'm not actually shaking. But I do like to be overly dramatic. :)

[Bunny]

1. Hang in there, Magic Rat.

You're on the way now!! :thumbsup:

[Worst Username Ever]

2. The nicotine IS out. Thats the problem.

Nicotine addiction is basically your body adapting to a poison. It manufactures other chemicals to counter the nicotine. When the nicotine level is low, these other chemicals are still high, and you feel a craving. Once those other chemicals go back to their lower levels, you will be fine.

[BurtWorm]

3. Get yourself a straw and drag on it like it's a Lucky.

Keep dragging and puffing till the craving subsides. Always have the straw handy. Works like a charm.

[THUNDER HANDS]

6. a straw huh?

I'll try that!

How about a toothpick, does that work too, or does it have to be something roughly the size of a cigarette?

[BurtWorm]

8. A straw is good because you can actually draw on it

But a toothpick might work. It's amazingly effective.

PS: Just mime smoking a cigarette now, even if you have nothing in your hand. See if it works. I think it will.

[Imperialism Inc.]

41. Works especially well if it is a mint flavored toothpick.

I have been using these toothpicks called "Tea Tree Australian Chewing Sticks". Their flavor is particularly long lasting and strong. I'm sure another brand would work fine too though, but someone recommended these to me on another internet forum and I have found them to work quite well.

[L84TEA]

4. My Mom told me this

She quit after smoking for 30 years.
She said she would tell herself this constantly...and go clean! lol

"The urge for a cigerette will go away, whether you have one or not!"

It didn't work for me... but I hope it works for you!!!
Try chewing on a straw or somethin!
good luck!

[denverbill]

15. Your mom is correct.

I said the same thing.

The only difference is that if you do succumb to temptation to quiet the urge, the next urge will just come sooner. If you don't succumb, the urge will eventually go away. (or at least become much, much less frequent).

[lapfog_1]

5. My girlfriend did this

she had no luck with gum or patches...

BUT, she started a course of acupuncture, which worked wonders
for her. Check it out for yourself.

[Speck Tater]

7. For me it was on and off craving for about 2 weeks. But then...

YOU ARE FREE!

Free from those bloodsucking tobacco companies that take your money and give to the Republicans.

On edit: What really seemed to help me (I tried, but failed to quit hundreds of times over the previous 40 years) was to repeat this mantra/affirmation to myself day and night, and especially as I was dozing off at night: "I am content to be a non-smoker." After a while, a surprising short while, it becomes true.

It's been 8 or 9 months for me now. (I stopped counting months ago.)

[papau]

9. 2 weeks for the really serious, a few months for the serious, and a year

for drink plus smoke combo desire to end (effectively you have to stop/cut back on drinking for a while).

the neat thing is that your sense of taste and smell come back in 2 weeks - and just get better and better - and food really does taste better! - beware the wieght gain!

good luck

:-)

[Coyote_Bandit]

10. I Once Dated A Guy Who Quit Smoking

after having a 3 pack a day habit for 27 years. He carried worry stones with them and would play with them to give him something to do with his hands. And he kept sunflower seeds nearby to munch on - he didn't really eat that many because he only bought the ones with hulls.

When he started trying to quit he first tried to just cut back gradualy. Then he tried the patches. But he finally quite when h went cold turkey.

There can't be a more difficult habit to break, IMHO. Kudos to you for trying.

[VOX]

11. MR, look at it this way -- it won't get any worse than it is right now.

This is probably as bad as it will get for you -- so you're right on the hump, not to say that it's easy -- it isn't.

My nickel's worth:

1) Stay away from any booze for awhile, even a beer -- it will just increase the cravings.

2) Like the good advice upthread, get something to fiddle with, so your hands can stay busy.

I can almost guarantee you this -- if you can hang on awhile longer, you will actually become turned off to the idea of a smoke. (Like when you go without eating long enough, and the idea of food is no longer appealing.)

Hang tight, my man -- this is probably the *best* thing that you can do for yourself! :thumbsup:

[Renew Deal]

12. My dad and my boss quit like that.

I think it's the most effective way. You just have to do it. Your insides will recover in no time.

BTW, good luck.

[THUNDER HANDS]

13. i hope so

I've only been smoking 5 years so my lungs shouldn't be that messed up.

[juliagoolia]

36. It isn't just LUNGS!!!!!!!!

I say this all the time. But you probably like having your pee inside your body, and not in a bag strapped to your leg?
________________________________
Causes and Risk Factors

Cancer-causing agents (carcinogens) in the urine may lead to the development of bladder cancer. Cigarette smoking contributes to more than 50% of cases, and smoking cigars or pipes also increases the risk. Other risk factors include the following:

Treatment
Treatment for bladder cancer depends on the stage of the disease, the type of cancer, and the patient’s age and overall health. Options include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and immunotherapy. Treatments are sometimes combined (e.g., surgery or radiation and chemotherapy).

Surgery
The type of surgery depends on the stage of the disease. In early bladder cancer, the tumor may be removed (resected) using instruments inserted through the urethra (transurethral resection).

In advanced stages of the disease, partial or radical removal of the bladder (cystectomy) is performed. Radical cystectomy includes removal of nearby lymph nodes. In men, the prostate gland is also removed. In women, the uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, and a section of the vagina may be removed as well. Radical cystectomy requires a urostomy, an opening in the abdomen created for the discharge of urine. Complications include infection, urinary stones, and urine blockages.
______________________________________________
Imagine the Marlboro man with a bladder bag.. Sexy huh?

Just a bit more motivation for you. Bladder cancer sneaks up with no coughing and no pain. By the time you realize you have something wrong you already HAVE IT!

HANG IN THERE>.. BREATHE DEEP HOLD IT.. then let it go...the urge will leave soon. DRINK LOADS OF WATER to help clear the system. You are almost there. Tomorrow will be better, and ever day after that better and better.

[skygazer]

14. It may not seem so but you have it licked

I have found that a substitute does help - Tootsie Pops were what I used but then you have the sugar thing. You will be amazed at how much better you feel. Also, you'll notice how bad smokers smell - I can't believe I used to smell like that and I had no idea.

Try not to focus on it (yeah, I know, not easy), chew some gum or stick a lollipop in your mouth and congratulations! You're doing great! :thumbsup:

[arwalden]

16. I Did It The "Coward's" Way... Nicotine Patches

Much easier to give up the two elements of smoking (physical craving and psychological cravings) one at a time.

With the patch, I still get the nicotine while I'm getting accustomed to NOT lighting up and NOT doing all the mechanical things associated with smoking. (And even though I suffered NO nicotine withdrawal symptoms... the psychological addiction was VERY difficult to master.)

Eventually, it becomes easy enough to step-down to the next level of patches. I never finished the 8-week program and quit using the patches after 6 weeks.

The cost of the patches was about the same as a carton of cigarettes for the week. And the money we saved over the past two years PAID FOR our new pop-up RV!! --- The savings was a VERY strong motivator for us.

There's a twinge from time to time (even now, nearly three years later) where I think about how "nice" it would be to light up. But it's not a craving, it's just a memory and a desire for the pleasant feeling I got while smoking. --- It always passes within a minute or two.

Good luck.

[THUNDER HANDS]

17. re: the patch

do you go through withdrawl when you eventually go off the patch too?

I mean, do you need a patch patch? ;)

[jukes]

21. taper on the patches

they come in diminishing strengths. it did make it easier...

[Shakespeare]

26. Dude, USE the patch (or gum or whatever you prefer)!

My poor, sweet husband couldn't have done it without them. Seriously, it'll save at least a smidgen of your sanity. It's not a crutch--nicotine is a major addiction, and it helps to taper off by using the patch (or whatever) instead of going cold turkey.

Good luck--I think you'll be happy (and proud of yourself) when you make it through the hard part.

[arwalden]

29. Nope... Each 2 week period was a step-down

in patch size and strength. When changing patch sizes, there was a day or two of mild difference, but you learn to fight the urges and win the small battles one at a time.

Seriously, the urges only last a minute or two, then they are gone. Another one WILL come again, but they get less and less intense and less frequent.

I would put on a new patch EVERY morning then go back to snoozing for another 15 minutes so that it had a chance to kick-in before I started my day. Around week 6, I was forgetting to put on a patch AT ALL so I knew I didn't need them any more.

HINT: Even though the patch is sticky... it wouldn't always stick the entire day. I solved this by wearing my patch UNDER my socks. I had to shave my legs around my sock-area (no biggie... better than tearing out hair, and it grew back). I'd pick a new spot each day (but still under my socks) and the elastic of the sock bands held them in place perfectly. --- Even though the commercials show them on the arm, it works ANYWHERE.

Best thing I ever did for myself. And I thought I'd NEVER quit. I loved my cigarettes, they were my "friends". I just got pissed off when they hit $45.00 a carton and I said NO MORE... EVER! It was just stupid for me to be throwing away $90 a week between the two of us. $360 a month. About $4000.00 a year... poof!

Good luck!

-- Allen

[Stevendsmith]

18. Hang in there

I once quit for six months, but I lost my control during a heavy night of drinking. A few months later I quit for good. I felt completely out of the woods after a year without a cigarette. The gum worked very well for me.

Watch out for emotional triggers--negative and positive. For instance, it's obvious that if something crappy happened, that would be a trigger. But I had equal difficulties with triggers when something good would happen. I was happy, and the natural inclination was to "celebrate" with a smoke. Beware. Stay the course.

Just keep patting yourself on the back for making such a positive and potentially life-saving decision to quit those nasty things. It's been about three years since I quit, and I still congratulate myself.

You will, too!

[ocean girl]

19. Lollipops

That's what worked for me - they kept my mouth and hands busy. It took me a long time to stop wanting a cigarette - I loved to smoke - but I took it one day at a time, just like when I quit drinking.

Oh yeah, I went to Smoker's Anonymous too and that helped a lot.

Also, I started walking every day and that helped me to physically heal.

Don't give up - just ride out each craving and realize that not smoking WILL NOT KILL YOU - but smoking will!!!

Good luck.

[jukes]

20. good job, 'Rat!

hang tough.

a warning though: it's forever. give in 1X & you're hooked all over, & it's even harder the 2nd X...

[rinsd]

22. I am about to start my 2nd quit this year.

The physical lasts anywhere form 3 days to a whole week.

After that cravings can come on like gangbusters for a whole year.

I was done in after 2 months by way way way too much alcohol at a recent wedding.

[WilliamPitt]

23. You're obviously a lying asshole

;)

Don't feel bad about using the gum or something. It helps.

(says the guy who has tried and failed to quit half a dozen times)

[tavalon]

31. So where is your current spot

Smoker or non-smoker? I would guess the former with the shit election cycle we just had.

I'm very blessed to have never, ever touched a cigarette. My mother was a smoker and an asthmatic and she died of status asthmaticus when I was eight years old. I made an indelible connection between the two. Probably a good thing since I also have asthma.

[Doctor_J]

24. when I quit,

it was my 4th serious try (I'd been smoking for about 12 years). When I finally made it, it turned out to e pretty easy - more like i wasn't smoking any more, instead of that i WAS quitting, if you get my meaning.

IOW, maybe this isn't your time.

[JimmyJazz]

25. HANG IN THERE!!! It's one of the hardest things you will

ever do, but it is sooooo worth it. Go someplace where smoking is prohibited - a movie is always a good choice. This feeling will go away! I promise. I quit cold turkey more than four years ago and, believe me, if I can do it, anyone can... Good luck to you!

[fishnfla]

27. you've 2 weeks

think about something else

[hippiechick]

28. Proud of you, dude !

:yourock: Hang in there !!


:hippie:

[THUNDER HANDS]

30. thank you, and everyone else

I had my first round of greasy fried food tonight - which always makes me want to smoke. But I didn't. Even when I passed like, 10 7-11s on the way home and could have stopped in to buy a pack.

I just kept on driving. I'm now going to go to bed having not smoked for yet another day.

Yay me.

Thanks for all the support everyone. I'm sure there'll be days when I'll need you guys to talk me off the ledge. :loveya:

[Left Is Write]

32. I can't remember how long it took.

It wasn't very long before the physical cravings were gone, but the irritability lasted a while. And my psychological cravings were hard to beat (I used Tootsie Pops for those).

Hang in there. It DOES get better, I promise.

[bigwillq]

33. Best of luck, Magic Rat

I heard that the nicotine stays in your system for up to 3 WEEKS and if you can make it through those 3 weeks than you should be fine.

I quit for a year and a half about 5 years ago and I never got physical cravings (just mental) never got the shakes or head aches.

But now I smoke much more than back then so if I tried to quit now I bet it would be pretty bad.


Please keep us updated on your situation. Take care and good luck!


If you just need to scream once in a while, I'll listen!!

[buddhamama]

34. take some vitamin C

It helps to speed the nicotine out of your cells.

Good on You. Good vibes for continued success. :hug:

[rucky]

35. Use Smoke Away....I'm serious. I did and it worked.

I quit in April after a 15-year habit. Been on and off the patch & this stuff is the only thing that's kept me calm. It's hard to believe I ever was a smoker now.

I tapered down to Step 3 of the patch, then started on the Smoke Away.

[canuckforpeace]

37. Hypnosis

My MIL tried quitting numerous times and that's what finally worked for her.

[barackmyworld]

38. you can do it!

I have no experience whatsoever in quitting smoking, but I can tell you that secondhand smoke gave my cat lung cancer. And if saving kitties isn't motivation enough to quit, I don't know what is.

[Barad Simith]

39. the key is WATER -- inside and out

Like hiccups, nicotine cravings can be "drowned." Drinking glass after glass of cool water -- as much as a quart or more, if necessary -- will temporarily suppress the craving, which will not return until you become thirsty again. I found this method to be more beneficial than any of the others.

Wash your face and hands often. Increase the number of baths or showers you normally take.

This works, if you remember to do it. "Water in, water out." When a craving hits, gulp down a lot of water, wash your hands, wash your face, repeat as necessary.

I've had this article posted online for a few years now. It covers effective methods of quitting cigarettes:

http://smithbrad.nventure.com/quit.htm

My last cigarette was July 24th, 1998.

[ronzo]

40. I've found that when you get past day five, you're over the hump.

From there on out it's willpower.

...and I've quit dozens of times.
Good luck, man.