E Cigarettes...

[ChristopherCoy]

Have any of you used them with any success? Do they curb the cravings?


I've been wanting to quite smoking for quite sometime, and have thought about chantix, but I'm very scared of the side effects related to depression. I recently discovered these things, but have yet to use one.

[WarrenG]

Hey Chris,

No advice on the E-Cig, but here is my experience. I quit 3 years ago... I did not use Chantix or Nicorette, but I did use lollipops. Sounds funny, but for me it was not just the nicotine cravings, but the psycological aspect of smoking when I did certain things... after meals, when driving, etc. I would get out a lollipop instead, and I would not leave it in my mouth the whole time. I think it tricked my mind into thinking it was satisfied.

After the first couple of weeks, it got easier. One thing I will acknowledge, the biggest step to quitting is convincing yourself that you want to quit... no matter what.

[rab3rd]

I quit 8 or 9 years ago, first thing is you really have to want to quit. If you are halfass into it, it wont happen. I woke up one day and realized that the ciggies owned me. At that point I had tried (halfassed) to quit twice before in previous years. I was smoking 1.5 -2 packs a day in the last two or so years I smoked. I smoked for about 25 years.

I used the patch and it worked great, however its not a no brainer. You may think this is BS but it helped me. I woke up every morning and told myself "I never was a smoker" and I am convineced that it help. You have to learn what your triggers are and then find ways to redirect your brain when they come. I used sugar free gum. Of course I had to quit that habit eventually but it helped me with the triggers and my breath smelled better as a side effect ;-) .

Two words of warning. First, the directions on the box tells you that if you are a smoker that grabs a cig when you first get up that you should wear a patch at night while you sleep, it also warns of intense vivid dreams. They are not BS'ing when they save vivid dreams. I was a morning smoker and I only wore the patch one night and then never again.

Second, you will gain weight. On average 10-15lbs. Nicotine is a natural appeitte(SP?) supressant so you will be more hungry when you come off the patch. Having said that, everything I read at the time said that you would have to gain apx. 100lbs to have the equivalent health risks. Just dont make the mistake of feeding your triggers with snacks. I know some people that used exercise as the trigger control and they were able to keep from gaining much weight.

One last word of advice, seek support from family and friends, me and my ex quit together and it helped to be able to have reinforcement. Still the bottom line is you have to want it, I mean really want it.

You can do it, and you will notice a difference in the first week. I promise. If you need to E-chat wilth someone about it. Just look me up.

Best of luck!

[dmcantrell]

No matter how long you've smoked, the physical dependency on nicotine is gone from your body in 72 hours -- 3 days. That's it. If you can make it three days, then you've beat the physical dependency.

It's the psychological dependency that's much, much harder to overcome. Just as Warren says, you've (most likely) associated smoking with "break time", or driving, or socializing, or any number of fun activities.

I used to smoke for 15 years. Once someone told me this thing about the 72 hours, I felt violated -- like I had been mind-controlled by the little white cancer sticks. I threw away a half pack, shredded them up so that I couldn't go into the trash and get them, and haven't had one since. That was 6 or 7 years ago. The first three days is all you have to get through, the rest of it is just mind control. Lollipops, chewing gum, or some other oral fixation usually helps in overcoming the psychological aspects of it.

You can do it. 3 days is nothing!

[ChristopherCoy]

Oh I really want it. I've really wanted it for a while. Just like I've really wanted to get in shape. I quit cold turkey in 2008 for two months but started again one weekend while I was working the arena for a rodeo. In 2009 I decided I was going to get healthy and started dieting and working out 5x a week. I lost 30 some-odd pounds and was starting to tone up etc. But Easter came along and I started eating and that was the end of that.

I'm now 6 months into my 30's and one of my goals for the last three years was to live my 30's much more healthier than I did my 20's. I started that goal by quitting drinking almost 2 years ago. Haven't had a drop since 09/01/08. Now its time for me to move on and continue getting healthy. I'm looking into another gym membership currently, and I thought that these e-cigs might help me breathe better, but also allow me to wean myself off the nictotine by controlling the doses over a period of time.

[dmcantrell]

Originally Posted by ChristopherCoy

allow me to wean myself off the nictotine by controlling the doses over a period of time.

If you can make it three days without nicotine, your body will be totally over the physical dependence of nicotine. There's no need for "weaning", and I think that these products are really just crutches to help the user deal with the real issue -- the psychological dependency. If you focus your quitting regimen on the psychological aspect, you may choose a different technique to break it.

Don't take my word on the 72 hours though, look it up for yourself or ask your physician -- this info is readily available.

[WarrenG]

Originally Posted by ChristopherCoy

and I thought that these e-cigs might help me breathe better, but also allow me to wean myself off the nictotine by controlling the doses over a period of time.

I am no doctor, but the more you "wean" the more you continue to allow nicotine into your system, and the longer it will take for it to be free of your body.

LOL, I remember food tasting SOOOOOOO good after I quit. Oh, and one other thought Chris. I am not sure about the others, but for me... even after 3 years, I still get cravings to want to have a cig. It can be anything, a movie, someone else smoking, etc. The craving does rear it's head every now and again.

It is a mental game. Tear em up, throw em out, and do not ever look back. That means put out that cig your burnin as you read this thread!

[rab3rd]

Originally Posted by ChristopherCoy

I thought that these e-cigs might help me breathe better, but also allow me to wean myself off the nictotine by controlling the doses over a period of time.

Here is the problem I see with the E-cig. It is still catering to the "triggers". Like the previous post said, 72 hours and the nic is gone but the mind is a powerful thing. Becuase the half life of nic is so short, our brains create a trigger level, when you go below that level you are told to bring those levels up. The patch brings those level to a constant and allows you to concentrate on the triggers while you step down the threshold of your brain. The first couple of days are a little rough as you arent getting that spike and dive thing on the nic levels but once you get past that and start to deal with the triggers you have won 3/4 of the battle. Some can do it cold turkey but I needed the help of the patch. I always recommend the patch over cold turkey as it helps to easy you off in a very controlled way. I had no fits of rage or anything on the patch, and let me tell you brutha, I did trying cold turkey.

[rab3rd]

Originally Posted by WarrenG

LOL, I remember food tasting SOOOOOOO good after I quit. Oh, and one other thought Chris. I am not sure about the others, but for me... even after 3 years, I still get cravings to want to have a cig. It can be anything, a movie, someone else smoking, etc. The craving does rear it's head every now and again.

I can say that I never craved another cig after I quit. They dont even really bother me to be around, other than burning my eyes. Of course I dont like the smelly clothes from it but being in a bar doesnt make me want one.

As far as the getting it out stepping down being worse for you, its not the nicotine that the bad health issue, its the tar and chems that are in the cigs that are the really bad part. If stepping down over a few weeks is what it takes, that is certainly better than just continuing to smoke.

[dmcantrell]

Originally Posted by rab3rd

If stepping down over a few weeks is what it takes, that is certainly better than just continuing to smoke.

Great point, and very true. Not to beat a dead horse, but this 72-hour thing was like a revelation to me. Once I understood what it was that I was actually battling against (the mental problem, not the physical one) I felt much better equipped to beat it. "Know your enemy" so-to-speak. :)

Whatever technique gets someone to quit smoking is the one that's right for that person -- the quitting is the end goal.

[ChristopherCoy]

Originally Posted by WarrenG

It can be anything, a movie, someone else smoking, etc. The craving does rear it's head every now and again.

It is a mental game. Tear em up, throw em out, and do not ever look back. That means put out that cig your burnin as you read this thread!

I quit drinking two years ago, and every now and then I still have a craving for a beer, but I learned how to deal with it and re-direct my attention.

When it comes to quitting smoking, I've done it cold turkey for two months. I carried a bag of peppermints everywhere I went, and when I felt the need for a cigarette, I ate a peppermint. It is usually when I'm driving, and needless to say I'd eat them constantly on my drive to/from work. I find the task of quitting smoking a lot harder than quitting drinking was, and I was quite the drinker. But maybe thats because I had friends and a program to follow.

I dont know. I want to quit and have told myself that I need to quit for quite some time. I just can't get over that initial hump.


And to who ever mentioned the patch... I tried that too in the past. I found myself smoking a pack, and still wearing the patch and it never phased me.

[rab3rd]

Originally Posted by ChristopherCoy

And to who ever mentioned the patch... I tried that too in the past. I found myself smoking a pack, and still wearing the patch and it never phased me.

Then you really didnt want to quit.

[ChristopherCoy]

Originally Posted by rab3rd

Then you really didnt want to quit.

True. That was about 10-12 years ago, and I was 19/20 and wasn't too serious about my commitments then.

[rab3rd]

[QUOTE=ChristopherCoy;1180739]

I dont know. I want to quit and have told myself that I need to quit for quite some time. I just can't get over that initial hump.
QUOTE]

You need to get this line of thinking out of your head and replace it with I will

[fishcat]

Allen Carr's "The Easy Way to Stop Smoking" may be of some help.