Stop Smoking, Helping Each Other to Quit

[The Gentleman Scamp]

Me too, I am going to try to give up as from midnight Saturday and make a fresh start when I arive back in the U.K.

Out of sheer principle I refuse to pay 350bht a packet back home.

Unless nicotine patches are considerably cheaper here also, then I won't bother with them either.

[Jai Dee]

Honest answers guys.

I'd like to give it a go too... after the next wave of social gatherings I think... a heavy nightlife planned for the next 2-3 weeks...

Any others?

[Wolfie]

Over 1 month later and i've still quit...

and i feel great, i can BREATH again!

[Jai Dee]

Over 1 month later and i've still quit...

and i feel great, i can BREATH again!

Well done Wolfie...

Any unpleasant side effects? ... put on any weight? ... think all your smoker friends stink? ... etc?

Any positive side effects? ... increased libido? ... etc?

[Rinrada]

Also makes sense since local authoritys (especially Manchester) are now using CCTV to fine you (same as bangers) if you drop your Fag ends in the street.

For our US comrades fag -ends ..read "little doubts"

...£50...approx =Bt 3750.

So if you dont smoke or drive (clamping rules)you will save/make a fortune...the streets are paved with...............fag ends.

Welcome back Scamp.

[Wolfie]

Put on Weight a little bit, but thats because i've got an appitite again. I'm trying to cut back a bit on the meals...(Quantity and frequency)

I've noticed that smokers do stink a bit, but its not really something i concern myself with... and certainly not something i point out

Libido.. well... err... umm... not having a regular girlfriend its difficult to say... but i've made some new friends

I cant really explain it, or pin-point what exactly but i do feel better, healthier, my perpetual cough has all but gone, i can breath deeper and tastes and smells are more apparent than before... its a nice feeling...

still get the feeling of loss... dont know what to do with my hands sometimes, or there will be a lull and my brain thinks of ciggies.. just triggers where i'd used to grab for the smokes and light up... no real "cravings" as such anymore...

Overall i do feel better for giving up.

[h90]

my wife who smokes a lot, smells terrible, nos sure what I shall do.....

Put on Weight a little bit, but thats because i've got an appitite again. I'm trying to cut back a bit on the meals...(Quantity and frequency)

I've noticed that smokers do stink a bit, but its not really something i concern myself with... and certainly not something i point out

Libido.. well... err... umm... not having a regular girlfriend its difficult to say... but i've made some new friends

I cant really explain it, or pin-point what exactly but i do feel better, healthier, my perpetual cough has all but gone, i can breath deeper and tastes and smells are more apparent than before... its a nice feeling...

still get the feeling of loss... dont know what to do with my hands sometimes, or there will be a lull and my brain thinks of ciggies.. just triggers where i'd used to grab for the smokes and light up... no real "cravings" as such anymore...

Overall i do feel better for giving up.

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[Jai Dee]

Overall i do feel better for giving up.

Well done mate.

Just one thing... do you still have a "stash" somewhere?

A little "just in case" packet with a lighter?

Or have you completely chucked them away?

[Wolfie]

For the first two weeks, i had a unopened pack of LM reds, and Ashtray and a lighter on my dinning room table... i know that goes totaly against the idea as it allows a quick and easy way out should the temptation get too much, but i did it because i wanted to "prove" something to myself.

After 10-14 days i decided to give them away to a friend of mine who still smoked, and now i just have a couple of old lighters kickign around (which are used to open beer bottles and light mozzie coils)

[MikeWill]

my wife who smokes a lot, smells terrible, nos sure what I shall do.....

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h90,

How can you handle this, not only the smell, but... having a hard smoker near you while quitting is simply beyond my vision.

If I were wear your shoes... no questions ask!

Myself still struggling day-by-day... I have been quit for 3 Weeks, 2 Days, 18 hours, 12 minutes and 39 seconds (23 days). I have saved $33.25 by not smoking 475 cigarettes. I have saved 1 Day, 15 hours and 35 minutes of my life. My Quit Date: 4/20/05 4:09 AM.

[h90]

I am at 32 days, not smoke 1303 ciggies.

thats may be the reason that I restarted when I tried to stop before.

the worst is that on every table there are open packs of ciggies.

I made it more to a personal proof of strong will. Now this is getting easier, the smoke starts to smell bad in my opinion and not small good anymore.

But on the other side my will get gets a bit weak. Specially when everyone is drinking and smoking. And they offer ciggarets for me, because they know I don't want to stop.....

But than I would loose face against my Thai staff.

But I see a lot of advantages now, I prefer to be non-smoker, that gives me some power to resist

Much luck, and look back, what you thought when you wanted to stop smoking and how hard the first week was....

my wife who smokes a lot, smells terrible, nos sure what I shall do.....

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h90,

How can you handle this, not only the smell, but... having a hard smoker near you while quitting is simply beyond my vision.

If I were wear your shoes... no questions ask!

Myself still struggling day-by-day... I have been quit for 3 Weeks, 2 Days, 18 hours, 12 minutes and 39 seconds (23 days). I have saved $33.25 by not smoking 475 cigarettes. I have saved 1 Day, 15 hours and 35 minutes of my life. My Quit Date: 4/20/05 4:09 AM.

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[huski]

here is a news article i saw today about a nicotine vaccine that was tested for about 6 months...

http://business.timesonline.co.uk//article...1612028,00.html

[thymode91]

I only smoke once during my college then I realised that I am burning my own money got nothing (I am working student that time) so I quite till then, I never smoke again. . its a self descipline actually if you really wanted to quite for any habit you wanted to loose.

[keda]

Me too, Malcolm.

Male, 55, 39 of which has seen me smoking between 1-3 packs daily for 35 years, then started rolling my own; now about 30-40 daily. Have tried patches, hypnotherapy, acupuncture, Zyban and several other treatments/courses, all with nil success. Am already suffering the consequences with general ill health, and convinced it boils down to raw will power but game to try anything.

Best result yet was with Zyban, which helped me for 10 weeks, some 4 years ago; then reached for my driver's cigs outside Toul Sleng - and been looking back ever since!

I pledged years back to donate for life a token daily consumption sum of £10 (reduced to 100 baht when I came to LoS) to charity, for each day that I do not smoke beyond a month...yes, my 10 weeks of freedom did reap 4k to the Pattaya Orphanage.

keda

[MikeWill]

"it's a self descipline actually" - one can't put it more accurately! And it takes a lot of it day after day...

I have been quit for 1 Month, 1 Week, 1 Day, 18 hours, 17 minutes and 29 seconds (38 days). I have saved $54.25 by not smoking 775 cigarettes. I have saved 2 Days, 16 hours and 35 minutes of my life. My Quit Date: 4/20/05 4:09 AM.

Sunflower seeds is my last endeavor.

[h90]

Condo, how is your feeling about it, now! the start was pretty hard for you.....

for me it is not pretty easy, but I still have to be carefully, everywhere in the office are these evil ciggis which want to jump into my face.

But at least my staff stopps offering me cigarettes all the time (they still don't understand the reason, as I have enough money)

"it's a self descipline actually" - one can't put it more accurately! And it takes a lot of it day after day...

I have been quit for 1 Month, 1 Week, 1 Day, 18 hours, 17 minutes and 29 seconds (38 days). I have saved $54.25 by not smoking 775 cigarettes. I have saved 2 Days, 16 hours and 35 minutes of my life. My Quit Date: 4/20/05 4:09 AM.

Sunflower seeds is my last endeavor.

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[MikeWill]

Hi h90,

Self discipline is still very much a key word in my case. At times the urges for a cigaret are almost unstoppable. The time does not help a lot as it seemes to me. When I'm amongst smokers I have to inform everybody around that I quit and thus reinforcing myself.

I think I gain some extra weight while trying to keep my mouse busy.

I have been quit for 1 Month, 1 Week, 5 Days, 21 hours, 16 minutes and 27 seconds (43 days). I have saved $61.43 by not smoking 877 cigarettes. I have saved 3 Days, 1 hour and 5 minutes of my life. My Quit Date: 4/20/05 4:09 AM

P.S. I will PM you later (or you may PM me) so to dicsuss our common issues in private.

[h90]

Condo: you are a difficult case somehow, for me it is pretty easy now! Yes I must be carefully but not any big problems.

I think it is more a psychologic problem. Something inside yourself is telling "smoker who is not smoking at the moment" instead of "nonsmoker". But not sure on how to fix that......

Yes also some more weight, I don't think I eat more, maybe I work more efficient, without 2 packs per day (maybe it was even more.....)

(I count in the ashtray of my wife at 10 o'clock usually 10 ciggies, but she wakes up at 8.30.

At 12.00-13.00 there are again 10 (cleaned between). So from wake up to go sleeping (she sleeps 5-6 hours only) that must be many and I always smoked more than her.......

Good luck!

Hi h90,

Self discipline is still very much a key word in my case. At times the urges for a cigaret are almost unstoppable. The time does not help a lot as it seemes to me. When I'm amongst smokers I have to inform everybody around that I quit and thus reinforcing myself.

I think I gain some extra weight while trying to keep my mouse busy.

I have been quit for 1 Month, 1 Week, 5 Days, 21 hours, 16 minutes and 27 seconds (43 days). I have saved $61.43 by not smoking 877 cigarettes. I have saved 3 Days, 1 hour and 5 minutes of my life. My Quit Date: 4/20/05 4:09 AM

P.S. I will PM you later (or you may PM me) so to dicsuss our common issues in private.

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[The Gentleman Scamp]

I've been smoking for about 14 years, roughly 20 a day.

I've had less than 20 the past week and from my own experience I have to say that there is no point in giving up if any part of you doesn't want to.

The first step which is easy if you can get through two days is to give up at home but the hardest step is when out with a beer.

Every smoker is different but I always thought I could never give up because i always enjoyed one after a meal or flavoured drink... I NEVER enjoyed a cigarette after a glass of water or with an empty stomach but this isn't the case for all smokers.

To my surprise I found that I got over needing one after a meal but it was much more difficult when down the pub, and I gave into the craving after two days and it was bliss the first day and the 1 ciggie kept me going for 24 hrs until the next time I was out.

There's no point avoiding bars to give up because you will have to get used to being a non smoker in a social environment but the second day I gave in the cigarette was quite nice and the third day I gave in it was nothing special and I regretted it.

I had one today which i didn't really need but it was just for the sake of it, which let's face it, 95% of the cigarettes we smoke are, we don't enjoy them that much, it's just a habit.

The other 5% I believe are the ones we crave for and that's the part i have to get over now.

I have never tried patches or leflets or any kind of programme because I believe that if you are determined enough to quit then you will do it.

I have to make myself determined enough because the main reason I quit is because they're so expensive here which is why i have given in when offered because physically I am not that bothered, but I am trying to be and I did notice a difference after day two and I hope to post here again soon and announce that I have managed a week.

Anyone reading this who wants to quit (Not easy in Thailand when they're so cheap) should try giving up at home first.

Good luck and wish me some.

[Bilko]

When I used to Smoke, I rarely smoked at home, it made too much smell..

I was lucky that I only really smoked when I was in the Pub, so I gave up drinking and smoking on the same day. 5 years later I started to have the occasional drink, but had broken the habit of smoking completely.

For me it was certainly the habit of drinking and smoking, I could smoke 20 on a night out, and not touch another cigarette for 2 weeks or as long as it was before another night out.

In the UK where Pubs and Cigarettes are so expensive, I think maybe staying out of the pub to give up smoking is a good idea.

Think of the money you will save. Some guys smoke 40 - 60 a day plus their wife smokes, there could be some families with a 5 packs a day habit, over 20 Pounds a day for the Husband and wife = over 40,000 baht a month on Cigarettes, Governments should Ban it immediately, it's addictive and unhealthy and super expensive.

Good luck with giving up, maybe your drinking when smoking habit will make things easier, just stay out of the pub for a while, it worked for me.

[ThaiPauly]

I've been smoking for about 14 years, roughly 20 a day

I have never tried patches or leflets

Patches work better than leaflets Scamp as they have a special sticky bit on them., wheras leaflets keep falling off even if you lick them.

Try the patches.

Seiously though I always use patches when flying back and forth from UK to LOS and they DO work. They DO take away the craving, although they are not advocated by Malcolm in the Quit programme.

I wanted to stop and had them prescribed to me by a Doctor here (you cant get them in the Chemist like you can in the UK.) Unfortunatley for me the dosage of nicotene is too low for me (I smoke 30 a day whereas the Patches in Thailand are only for those that smoke 10), so I have not started to stop yet, but the Nicitonel LARGE patch works wonders whilst flying. If you have managed to cut down to 20 a week, the Patches MIGHT help you stop completely.

THIS IS JUST MY OPINION, I am not expecting to be flamed by anyone for this post, I am just giving an opinion that could be right or wrong, it is up to the OP to decide

Cheers

TP

[h90]

I don't really understand the sense of the patches. Isn't it, if you stop smoking with them, you have the same craving when you stop with the patches? so you have the craving anyway.....

But if the patches are not strong enough, why not just take 3 of them (3x10=30 ciggis) (they are sticked on the skin, or?).

I've been smoking for about 14 years, roughly 20 a day

I have never tried patches or leflets

Patches work better than leaflets Scamp as they have a special sticky bit on them., wheras leaflets keep falling off even if you lick them.

Try the patches.

Seiously though I always use patches when flying back and forth from UK to LOS and they DO work. They DO take away the craving, although they are not advocated by Malcolm in the Quit programme.

I wanted to stop and had them prescribed to me by a Doctor here (you cant get them in the Chemist like you can in the UK.) Unfortunatley for me the dosage of nicotene is too low for me (I smoke 30 a day whereas the Patches in Thailand are only for those that smoke 10), so I have not started to stop yet, but the Nicitonel LARGE patch works wonders whilst flying. If you have managed to cut down to 20 a week, the Patches MIGHT help you stop completely.

THIS IS JUST MY OPINION, I am not expecting to be flamed by anyone for this post, I am just giving an opinion that could be right or wrong, it is up to the OP to decide

Cheers

TP

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[xyz]

I used to smoke about a pack a day and have stopped smoking several times. The last time about 8 years ago, I had to take Zyban, which is a prescription drug to help you stop. I took it for a few weeks and had no problem stopping.

[The Gentleman Scamp]

I used to smoke about a pack a day and have stopped smoking several times. The last time about 8 years ago, I had to take Zyban, which is a prescription drug to help you stop.  I took it for a few weeks and had no problem stopping.

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I've since relapsed, only a couple a day but a relapse all the same but am determined to have a fresh start tomorrow.

Can I get this drug in the U.K. on perscription?

[RDN]

Take up a sport, like "squash" - see how you feel after 30 minutes playing against a woman

[The Gentleman Scamp]

Take up a sport, like "squash" - see how you feel after 30 minutes playing against a woman

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I don't have the balls.

BTW I am smoking my last cigarette right now.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

[The Gentleman Scamp]

Do you smoke Doc?

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Nope Scamp. Stinky habit

[The Gentleman Scamp]

Nope Scamp. Stinky habit

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But nowhere near as bad as chewing the stuff.