# Can Food Help Quit Smoking?



## Lisa445 (Mar 29, 2019)

Hi forum members!

I have a quite strange question: can food help quit smoking? After I found out my son started smoking I've been looking for additional information on quitting. Sure, he doesn't want even to hear about it. But yesterday, I found an article on VapingDaily which says there are foods that may help alleviate cigarette cravings or even make the taste of cigarettes repulsive even for the most avid of smokers. For example, drinking milk prior to smoking makes cigarettes taste unappealing and potato chips, salted nuts, or popcorn with loads of salt and real butter, salty snacks have shown to reduce nicotine and tobacco cravings. 

Have you ever heard of this? Or maybe you have such experience? I'd be very appreciated for any advice!


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## dragnlaw (Mar 29, 2019)

Smoking is an addiction.  If he doesn't want to quit he won't and no food will help - if it doesn't agree with his smoking he just won't eat them. 

I'm truly sorry there is no quick and easy answer.  

Also please be keep in mind that often an addict (of anything!) never really gets rid of their addiction - they just change it for an addiction to something else. 

You don't want to switch your addiction from one thing that is bad for you to another which could be just as bad in another way.  

Damned if you do and damned if you don't!  I hope for you he will quit before he becomes truly addicted.


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## Roll_Bones (Mar 29, 2019)

I smoked cigarettes for over 40 years.  Quit a couple times but always went back to smoking. Patches, gum and Zyban did nothing to help.
I had heard about a medication that helped people quit.  So I brought it up with my doctor.  He had a coupon for a month supply for free.  The drug was Chantix.

There were some unpleasant side effects like vivid dreams and my wife said I was very grouchy.  But I took the medicine as prescribed on the packaging and within three weeks I was wondering how I was going to smoke the rest of the carton I bought.

By the time my last week arrived, smoking had become a chore. A nuisance.  Something almost foreign.  It had become as if I had never smoked before. It just became something others did.  I have not had one cigarette in 10 years.
I have never had any urge and there are no triggers. Other people smoking does not bother me at all.

If your son is an adult.  He may want to consider this approach.  It worked for me.


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## dragnlaw (Mar 29, 2019)

Roll Bones, I too smoked for 45 years, it has been 15 years since I quit. But I don't think that matters when it comes to quitting - you still have to want to.

Chantix wasn't around at the time.  My daughter has used it and has had her ups and downs with it.  She does still recommends it.   Different strokes for different folks.


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## Andy M. (Mar 29, 2019)

If you give a smoker foods that make smoking less enjoyable, they will stop eating those foods so they can continue to smoke.


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## roadfix (Mar 29, 2019)

Hi !!


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## Kayelle (Mar 29, 2019)

I was addicted to smoking for most of my adult life until I quit 8 years ago. If someone is addicted there is no food that will help with the addiction. That's really a prime example of junk science.


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## Linda0818 (Mar 29, 2019)

Andy M. said:


> If you give a smoker foods that make smoking less enjoyable, they will stop eating those foods so they can continue to smoke.



Yep.


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## Rascal (Mar 29, 2019)

Food help me stop, a night on the drink and then I went home and ate a packet of cashew nuts, didn't chew properly and part of the nut nicked a hole in my oesophagus, ruptured it resulting in a life saving operation. 10 days in a coma. Never wanted to smoke again. That was 13 years ago. Prior I was 40 a day.

Russ


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## Linda0818 (Mar 29, 2019)

Rascal said:


> Food help me stop, a night on the drink and then I went home and ate a packet of cashew nuts, didn't chew properly and part of the nut nicked a hole in my oesophagus, ruptured it resulting in a life saving operation. 10 days in a coma. Never wanted to smoke again. That was 13 years ago. Prior I was 40 a day.
> 
> Russ



Ouchie. I think that would make me want to stop drinking as well.

Glad you were able to quit smoking. I can tell you right now that's a habit I wish I had never started.


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## Addie (Mar 29, 2019)

I am presently fighting the smoking battle. Last summer I had a traumatic event occur. The worst time to try to quit. Plus, I have two smokers in my home. I have been on Chantix. I do find that if I take it according to directions it works for me. Then I get interrupted with another trip to the hospital. Come home, and have to start all over again. 

I also have a friend who wears a "quit smoking" patch. It is working for him. But let a day go by without the patch, and he will light up again. It didn't work for me. I needed something stronger. 

But the difference between me and my two boys, is that I want to quit. They don't want to. 

Smoking is a very strong addiction. Unless your son wants to quit, feeding him certain foods and any thing else, simply is not going to work. He has to be the one who wants to quit. Not you.  

Good luck in your efforts to get your son to quit smoking. I hope you succeed.


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## Linda0818 (Mar 30, 2019)

Addie said:


> *I am presently fighting the smoking battle. Last summer I had a traumatic event occur. The worst time to try to quit. Plus, I have two smokers in my home. I have been on Chantix. I do find that if I take it according to directions it works for me. Then I get interrupted with another trip to the hospital. Come home, and have to start all over again.*
> 
> I also have a friend who wears a "quit smoking" patch. It is working for him. But let a day go by without the patch, and he will light up again. It didn't work for me. I needed something stronger.
> 
> ...



Won't they allow you to continue taking the Chantix in the hospital?


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## Roll_Bones (Mar 30, 2019)

dragnlaw said:


> Roll Bones, I too smoked for 45 years, it has been 15 years since I quit. But I don't think that matters when it comes to quitting - you still have to want to.
> 
> Chantix wasn't around at the time.  My daughter has used it and has had her ups and downs with it.  She does still recommends it.   Different strokes for different folks.



I quit for my wife. She had been quit for several years and I did it for her.  I knew it was hard for her to see me smoke and to have access to her brand and mine anytime she wanted.  She remained firm and quit cold turkey.

When I started the Chantix I did not expect anything to happen but it did.
It did something to my brain I could not do alone.
In the past when I quit, I still had urges and relapses.  The Chantix changed me as far as smoking.  I feel as if I have never smoked in my entire life.



Addie said:


> I am presently fighting the smoking battle. Last summer I had a traumatic event occur. The worst time to try to quit. Plus, I have two smokers in my home. I have been on Chantix. I do find that if I take it according to directions it works for me. Then I get interrupted with another trip to the hospital. Come home, and have to start all over again.
> 
> I also have a friend who wears a "quit smoking" patch. It is working for him. But let a day go by without the patch, and he will light up again. It didn't work for me. I needed something stronger.
> 
> ...



I would have never thought you were a smoker!
Funny how you picture someone you do not know by posts and threads.....LOL


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## Addie (Mar 30, 2019)

Linda0818 said:


> Won't they allow you to continue taking the Chantix in the hospital?



Unfortunately, no. My pill list was so long, the doctors were stunned. One doctor alone was given the job of going over the list and crossing off the list of what I really need to fight the infection and what was good for my heart. Chantix went to the wayside.

I get every month, these cards called MOT's. That stands for *Medicines on Time. *They are color coded. Yellow for morning, orange for afternoon, white for evening and blue for bedtime. I was receiving seven of those cards just for the morning. And the windows on each card was jammed with pills. It finally got to me. And I stopped taking any. And when the hospital ran a blood work on me, it showed I hadn't been taking any. The doctor asked me about it, and I told him the whys. He was in agreement with me and completely understood.

Every time Winthrop saw me, without looking at my medication list, would just add another to it. They never checked my chart to see what I was on or receiving something all ready for my present problem. When I left the hospital and received my next supply of MOT's, There were two yellow cards. None for the afternoon. The hospital really trimmed it down. (Thank you hospital doctor) 

I do have a stash of the Chantix. Although if you are following the protocol of the drug, you should take it twice a day. I am trying to stretch what I have and it is partially work. I am smoking a lot less than if I didn't have it.


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## Addie (Mar 30, 2019)

For anyone who is trying to really quit, Chantix did work for me before. But then I got very sick and headed right back for the tobacco. Got over that sickness and headed for the Chantix again. Quit again, then lost my leg. Guess what. 

That was more trauma than I could handle on my own.


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## Kayelle (Mar 30, 2019)

Addie, I'm amazed you are still a smoker for many reasons. 

Not to mention the cost of cigarettes, it seems impossible for you since you are restricted by law from smoking inside your government owned apartment, although you mentioned once that your smoke alarm is covered in plastic thanks to Pirate. I know you haven't been able to get the required distance outside the building to smoke for many months and how you were smoking in the hospital is a real mystery.


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## Linda0818 (Mar 30, 2019)

Addie said:


> Unfortunately, no. My pill list was so long, the doctors were stunned. One doctor alone was given the job of going over the list and crossing off the list of what I really need to fight the infection and what was good for my heart. Chantix went to the wayside.
> 
> I get every month, these cards called MOT's. That stands for *Medicines on Time. *They are color coded. Yellow for morning, orange for afternoon, white for evening and blue for bedtime. I was receiving seven of those cards just for the morning. And the windows on each card was jammed with pills. It finally got to me. And I stopped taking any. And when the hospital ran a blood work on me, it showed I hadn't been taking any. The doctor asked me about it, and I told him the whys. He was in agreement with me and completely understood.
> 
> ...



I'm sorry all of that happened. I know quitting is hard. They say quitting smoking is harder than trying to quit heroin.


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## Addie (Mar 30, 2019)

Kayelle said:


> Addie, I'm amazed you are still a smoker for many reasons.
> 
> Not to mention the cost of cigarettes, it seems impossible for you since you are restricted by law from smoking inside your government owned apartment, although you mentioned once that your smoke alarm is covered in plastic thanks to Pirate. I know you haven't been able to get the required distance outside the building to smoke for many months and how you were smoking in the hospital is a real mystery.



Believe me Kayelle. There are many ways to sneak outside when you are in a hospital. And there is always a spot where all the smokers gather. I am always surprised that the security never stopped it. But then I have seen members of security join the patients for a cigarette. 

Quick story. Spike had driven Pirate to a doctors appt. The question of smoking came up. How many cigarettes do you smoke? Pirate told the doctor and the next question was about the rest of the family. When it came to Spike, Pirate had already mentioned the eight heart attacks he has had over the years. "And he is still smoking. " The look of shock was on the doctor's face. You're kidding!" Pirate said to the doctor, "Go outside. Spike in in the driveway right now having a cigarette." The question of smoking hasn't come up since. 

Smoking is not an activity I am proud of. But I seem to be the only member of the family trying to quit. And BTW, in this family, we roll our own cigarettes. Much cheaper.


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## Addie (Mar 30, 2019)

The company that runs this place, also runs about four or five others in this part of Boston. When the non-smoking rule went into effect, one of the building residents took the managing company to courts. Their grounds were that smoking is an addiction the same as hereon is. The company has not provided any relief for the smokers. They are forced to the outside in all kinds of weather placing themselves to illness. They won. The company built a small shed so a smoker wouldn't have to stand in the rain, strong winds and in the sun on very hot days. 

I wish they would do the same here. But there aren't enough smokers here. And you can tell who the smokers are. They all have a window fan going. The manager knows. But she understands the addiction. She just lets it slide until someone complains that they can smell the smoke in the hall. And that has happened only once since I have been here. That person was evicted and sent to live in another facility for the elderly. All that accomplished was to give that headache to another manager.


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## Cheryl J (Mar 30, 2019)

Just.....wow.  I certainly wouldn't be putting all that info out here on a public forum, Addie.


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## GotGarlic (Mar 30, 2019)

Addie said:


> Believe me Kayelle. There are many ways to sneak outside when you are in a hospital. And there is always a spot where all the smokers gather. I am always surprised that the security never stopped it. But then I have seen members of security join the patients for a cigarette.



So when you could barely walk because of a leg infection so serious you ended up having the leg removed, and then were recovering from the surgery, you were sneaking outside every day for weeks to smoke? Huh. 

Security can't stop people from doing something doesn't break rules or the law.


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## Addie (Mar 30, 2019)

Cheryl J said:


> Just.....wow.  I certainly wouldn't be putting all that info out here on a public forum, Addie.



Management pretty much leave the smokers alone. And I never ever put my family names out here. I don't even belong to Facebook. I simply do not trust it.


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## Cheryl J (Mar 30, 2019)

Addie said:


> Unfortunately, no. My pill list was so long, the doctors were stunned. One doctor alone was given the job of going over the list and crossing off the list of what I really need to fight the infection and what was good for my heart. Chantix went to the wayside.
> 
> I get every month, these cards called MOT's. That stands for *Medicines on Time. *They are color coded. Yellow for morning, orange for afternoon, white for evening and blue for bedtime. I was receiving seven of those cards just for the morning. And the windows on each card was jammed with pills. *It finally got to me. And I stopped taking any. And when the hospital ran a blood work on me, it showed I hadn't been taking any. The doctor asked me about it, and I told him the whys. He was in agreement with me and completely understood.*
> 
> ...


 
Addie....you've mentioned this several times before.  Just because you didn't actually *see* the physician reviewing your chart, doesn't mean they didn't.  If that were standard practice, the facility and the doctors would have malpractice suits galore and likely be either out of business or in prison.  I can guarantee you that they looked at your chart and med history before randomly prescribing more meds - probably before you arrived for your scheduled appointment.   

Also, Addie....why in the world would you take it upon yourself to just stop taking prescribed meds?   I don't know what meds you take, but I do know that many are very dangerous to just quit cold turkey rather than be weaned off of.  I would venture a guess that your doctors know what they are doing.


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## GotGarlic (Mar 30, 2019)

Cheryl J said:


> Addie....you've mentioned this several times before.  Just because you didn't actually *see* the physician reviewing your chart, doesn't mean they didn't.  If that were standard practice, the facility and the doctors would have malpractice suits galore and likely be either out of business or in prison.  I can guarantee you that they looked at your chart and med history before randomly prescribing more meds - probably before you arrived for your scheduled appointment.
> 
> Also, Addie....why in the world would you take it upon yourself to just stop taking prescribed meds?   I don't know what meds you take, but I do know that many are very dangerous to just quit cold turkey rather than be weaned off of.  I would venture a guess that your doctors know what they are doing.


+1

Also, since this seems to be something that bothers you, there's nothing stopping you from asking your doctor to review your meds every time you see one. At every single appointment I go to, for many years now, the medical assistant checks my vitals and reviews my meds, asking if anything has changed since the last time I was seen. I'm pretty sure it's a basic standard of care to at least review the meds along with the medical chart before the patient arrives, as Cheryl said.


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## taxlady (Mar 30, 2019)

GotGarlic said:


> So when you could barely walk because of a leg infection so serious you ended up having the leg removed, and then were recovering from the surgery, you were sneaking outside every day for weeks to smoke? Huh.
> 
> Security can't stop people from doing something doesn't break rules or the law.



I guess you were never a smoker. It's an incredibly strong addiction.


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## taxlady (Mar 30, 2019)

Linda0818 said:


> I'm sorry all of that happened. I know quitting is hard. They say quitting smoking is harder than trying to quit heroin.



I have an acquaintance who managed to quit heroin, but he can't manage to quit smoking.


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## Linda0818 (Mar 30, 2019)

taxlady said:


> I have an acquaintance who managed to quit heroin, but he can't manage to quit smoking.



It's a horrible addiction. I know an older lady who literally drags an oxygen tank around with her so she can breathe and still smokes.


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## Linda0818 (Mar 30, 2019)

For that matter, I also know someone who has COPD. She still smokes as well.


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## GotGarlic (Mar 31, 2019)

taxlady said:


> I guess you were never a smoker. It's an incredibly strong addiction.


I smoked for 12 years. Then I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease at age 27. I was told a year later that smoking caused flare-ups and I quit. That was almost 30 years ago.

And I was referring to the logistics of "sneaking" out of the hospital when she was barely able to walk and then recovering from the amputation of her leg. I've spent a lot of time - several months, all told - in hospitals, especially over the last 12 years. She didn't walk out, obviously. So did she push herself out in a wheelchair? How did she get a wheelchair? They're not just sitting around taking up space in the room. Did she ask a nurse to take her out? I don't think so. Come on now.


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## Just Cooking (Mar 31, 2019)

I'm not certain its important why or how a person decides to live his/her life..

Ross


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## taxlady (Mar 31, 2019)

GotGarlic said:


> I smoked for 12 years. Then I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease at age 27. I was told a year later that smoking caused flare-ups and I quit. That was almost 30 years ago.
> 
> And I was referring to the logistics of "sneaking" out of the hospital when she was barely able to walk and then recovering from the amputation of her leg. I've spent a lot of time - several months, all told - in hospitals, especially over the last 12 years. She didn't walk out, obviously. So did she push herself out in a wheelchair? How did she get a wheelchair? They're not just sitting around taking up space in the room. Did she ask a nurse to take her out? I don't think so. Come on now.



Fair enough


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## CharlieD (Apr 1, 2019)

Definitely food helps quit smoking, just look at me. When I was trying to quit, every time I had an urge for a cigarette I instead took up to eating something. Now 10 years latter I am free of smoking and only, only 40 pounds heavier.

So be careful about eating instead of smoking. I think I was a lot healthier when I smoke.


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## Kayelle (Apr 1, 2019)

One of the things I hated the most when I was a smoker, was being a social outcast. 

I felt so stupid and yes, I cared what other people thought about my disgusting stinking habit. Worse than that, I was disgusted with myself. It's a real head trip to be sure. The truth is, people are not addicted to tobacco, they are addicted to nicotine.
In the past, tobacco poison was the only way to get nicotine into the body. That's a thing of the past today.


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## Addie (Apr 2, 2019)

There are days when I will have just a few cigarettes and other days when I could probably go through a whole pack if I didn't control  it. That is when I hit the Chantix. Unfortunately it give me a bad case of the dry heaves. Not an activity I relish. Plus I have two kids in the house that are smokers who have no interest in quiting. But every time I light up, I am fully aware of it and usually smoke only half. I then hand  off what is left to one of them. The one rule they do stick to is "only one cigarette can be lit at a time.


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## Roll_Bones (Apr 2, 2019)

I guess they changed the way Chantix is taken.
When I was given the prescription it was a blister card with enough tablets to last exactly one month. Kinda like some antibiotics are packaged.
The first two weeks were .5 mg and the following two weeks were 1 mg.  I don't remember if it was two a day or one.

But it was not prescribed like Addie is using hers. For me it was a one month thing and it was over.  So were the cigarettes.
Seems counter productive to take something that has the side effects this drug has over long periods of time.
I mean a whole month of nightmares and an altered personality was almost more than I/wife could stand.  But in the end it was almost the best thing I have ever done.


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## RPCookin (Apr 2, 2019)

CharlieD said:


> Definitely food helps quit smoking, just look at me. When I was trying to quit, every time I had an urge for a cigarette I instead took up to eating something. Now 10 years latter I am free of smoking and only, only 40 pounds heavier.
> 
> So be careful about eating instead of smoking. I think I was a lot healthier when I smoke.



This was going to be my comment.  A great many people gain weight when they quit smoking, in part because they replace cigarettes with food.  I started smoking young at 15, and quit young at 26.  I was a heavy smoker - 2 packs a day when I quit cold turkey.  

I did what most experts say is the most successful method - I quit for _myself_.  I quit simply because I didn't want to be a smoker any more.  I made my last pack last for 4 days.  After the last cigarette from that last pack, I never touched another cigarette.  That was in 1975, 44 years ago.  

After about a month, I had no interest in smoking, because that was perhaps the hardest month in my life, and I never wanted to repeat it.  I was a nervous wreck, but I was also determined.  After the first couple of weeks, the cravings were brief, and as long as I didn't succumb in the first minute or so, I'd get distracted and the urge would pass.  Once I figured out how that sequence worked, the rest was easy.  

My "Chantix" was a 3 foot piece of rope that I kept next to my chair in the TV room.  When a craving hit, I'd grab that rope and tie knots to keep my hands busy.  I got really good at tying a bowline, and I beat the smoking habit in the process.


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## dragnlaw (Apr 2, 2019)

Roll_Bones said:


> .....something that has the side effects this drug has over long periods of time.
> I mean a whole month of nightmares and an altered personality was almost more than I/wife could stand.  But in the end it was almost the best thing I have ever done.



Roll Bones - were they side effects from the drug itself? or withdrawal symptoms from the nicotine. 



RPCookin said:


> ......
> 
> I did what most experts say is the most successful method - I quit for _myself_.  I quit simply because I didn't want to be a smoker any more.  I made my last pack last for 4 days.  After the last cigarette from that last pack, I never touched another cigarette.  That was in 1975, 44 years ago.
> 
> ...



LOL I also thought I was healthier when I smoked.  I never had a smokers cough - to this day I rarely catch a cold but when I do it's a dandy. 

I tried a lot of things - in the end it was the patch that worked for me but it was over a long period of time.  I went thru heavy withdrawal symptoms every time I dropped the dosage.  I was petrified when I was down to my last patch - I wore that patch until it finally fell off in the shower.  Must have taken a week - LOL  but I drained every last vestige of nicotine from it.


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## GotGarlic (Apr 2, 2019)

Roll_Bones said:


> I guess they changed the way Chantix is taken.
> When I was given the prescription it was a blister card with enough tablets to last exactly one month. Kinda like some antibiotics are packaged.
> The first two weeks were .5 mg and the following two weeks were 1 mg.  I don't remember if it was two a day or one.
> 
> ...


That's because Addie isn't following the directions.

https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-144470/chantix-oral/details

Btw, Zofran is quite good at stopping nausea.

https://www.goodrx.com/nausea/drugs


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## Linda0818 (Apr 2, 2019)

dragnlaw said:


> Roll Bones - were they side effects from the drug itself? or withdrawal symptoms from the nicotine.



I don't know what Roll Bones' exact experience was, but I'll hazard a guess and say it was side effects from the drug, simply because I've heard and read of several people over the years who say that, while taking the Chantix, they had horrific nightmares. 



dragnlaw said:


> LOL I also thought I was healthier when I smoked.  I never had a smokers cough - to this day I rarely catch a cold but when I do it's a dandy.
> 
> I tried a lot of things - in the end it was the patch that worked for me but it was over a long period of time.  I went thru heavy withdrawal symptoms every time I dropped the dosage.  I was petrified when I was down to my last patch - I wore that patch until it finally fell off in the shower.  Must have taken a week - LOL  but I drained every last vestige of nicotine from it.



May I ask you a question? Did you do just the patch without smoking at all? Or did you gradually wean yourself off the cigarettes while using the patch at the same time?


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## GotGarlic (Apr 2, 2019)

Linda0818 said:


> I don't know what Roll Bones' exact experience was, but I'll hazard a guess and say it was side effects from the drug, simply because I've heard and read of several people over the years who say that, while taking the Chantix, they had horrific nightmares.



Yes, those are known side effects. I'm sure it's difficult to go through that, but the consequences of smoking are even worse.

https://www.rxlist.com/chantix-side-effects-drug-center.htm#overview


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## Linda0818 (Apr 2, 2019)

GotGarlic said:


> Yes, those are known side effects. I'm sure it's difficult to go through that, but the consequences of smoking are even worse.
> 
> https://www.rxlist.com/chantix-side-effects-drug-center.htm#overview



Very true.

Years ago I took Celexa for anxiety and that caused crazy dreams for me as well.


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## Addie (Apr 2, 2019)

Roll_Bones said:


> I guess they changed the way Chantix is taken.
> When I was given the prescription it was a blister card with enough tablets to last exactly one month. Kinda like some antibiotics are packaged.
> The first two weeks were .5 mg and the following two weeks were 1 mg.  I don't remember if it was two a day or one.
> 
> ...



You are right. I don't take them like prescribed. One stupid dream I had involved a baby that I took to Australia so the kangaroo could babysit. But never any nightmares. 

Right now I take two a day if I notice I am smoking to much. It does cut me back, but I do get a full blown case of the dry heaves. It is usually two or three days before I am up to the level I was. So I think twice before I take one.


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## Aunt Bea (Apr 2, 2019)

I never found any magic foods that helped to limit my smoking.

Food actually contributed to my smoking because I always had a cigarette after eating anything.

I used Chantix to quit in 30 days and was amazed at how well it worked for me.

Chantix dulls/blocks the nicotine receptors in the brain so that you actually need to smoke more cigarettes to get a benefit from the nicotine.  During my first week of taking it while still smoking, I noticed that and was concerned that it was not working but I did quit on the designated date and it wasn't easy but it worked for me.


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## Addie (Apr 2, 2019)

Cheryl J said:


> Addie....you've mentioned this several times before.  Just because you didn't actually *see* the physician reviewing your chart, doesn't mean they didn't.  If that were standard practice, the facility and the doctors would have malpractice suits galore and likely be either out of business or in prison.  I can guarantee you that they looked at your chart and med history before randomly prescribing more meds - probably before you arrived for your scheduled appointment.
> 
> Also, Addie....why in the world would you take it upon yourself to just stop taking prescribed meds?   I don't know what meds you take, but I do know that many are very dangerous to just quit cold turkey rather than be weaned off of.  I would venture a guess that your doctors know what they are doing.



Cheryl, my apologies in getting back to you. Many, many years ago I was diagnosed with diabetes. I was hell bent and determined to get it under control. And I did. I brought my A1c way down to normal. The doctor took me off the Metformin. I was controlling my sugar level with diet alone. Then one morning when I took my fistful of meds, about 15 minutes later I started to have a crash. I was totally baffled. I hadn't eaten anything that should have caused my sugar levels to crash like that. A mad dash to the sugar bowl to get my A1c back where it needed to be. This went on for about a week. I finally looked at the list of morning meds I was taken. Without letting me know, I was put back on the Metformin either by the NP or doctor. That is when I stopped taking a fistful of pills every morning. When I mentioned it to the doctor, he informed me that it wasn't him. So it had to be the NP. That little action on the part of the NP could have cost me my life. Since then my A1c has been the envy of anyone who knows me. I control my diabetes by diet alone. I was in more danger taking the Metformin than I was by stopping it so suddenly. 

The next time I went into the hospital, the doctors there understood why I had stopped taking my morning meds. And there were some that were repeated at noon and evening. When you consider how many B vitamins there are and I was receiving them individually. Taking a B12 was so much easier. 

So no, doctors don't always read  your chart to see what has been added since they last saw it. The doctor who was looking after my leg, always forgot to enter new instructions onto the computer. I had to remind him every single visit. The staff at Winthrop certainly wasn't going to take my word for what he said.


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## JustJoel (Apr 2, 2019)

I’m a little afraid of Chantix. The whole “if you are experiencing thoughts of suicide” thing. But I DO need to quit!


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## Aunt Bea (Apr 2, 2019)

JustJoel said:


> I’m a little afraid of Chantix. The whole “if you are experiencing thoughts of suicide” thing. But I DO need to quit!



Take it from me, nothing will work until you are ready.

Talk to your PCP about Chantix and your concerns with taking it.  

When I took it I had odd dreams in technicolor that continued for several months and then gradually went away.  Nothing that resembled nightmares just odd dreams.  I limited my use of Chantix to 30 days instead of the 12-week program because of the expense.

When I took it they also had a daily telephone contact to let them know how you were doing, offering various tips, etc...  That daily call did help to keep me honest.

Good luck!


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## taxlady (Apr 2, 2019)

JustJoel said:


> I’m a little afraid of Chantix. The whole “if you are experiencing thoughts of suicide” thing. But I DO need to quit!



Have you tried vaping instead of smoking? I started vaping two years ago and I haven't had a cigarette in that time. I had a couple of puffs off a friend's cigarette, but I didn't like it. I am in the process of weaning myself off of nicotine. It's not a perfect solution, but it's a lot less toxins than the stinky sticks. I had tried the gum, the patch, something similar to Chantix, as well as cold turkey and that timer thingee everyone was using in the late 1980s.


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## JustJoel (Apr 2, 2019)

taxlady said:


> Have you tried vaping instead of smoking? I started vaping two years ago and I haven't had a cigarette in that time. I had a couple of puffs off a friend's cigarette, but I didn't like it. I am in the process of weaning myself off of nicotine. It's not a perfect solution, but it's a lot less toxins than the stinky sticks. I had tried the gum, the patch, something similar to Chantix, as well as cold turkey and that timer thingee everyone was using in the late 1980s.


I do vape, but for some reason, sometimes it makes me cough violently. And it’s not as satisfying.


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## taxlady (Apr 2, 2019)

JustJoel said:


> I do vape, but for some reason, sometimes it makes me cough violently. And it’s not as satisfying.



I haven't had an issue with coughing. I use flavours that imitate Canadian cigarettes and I made sure to get a device that would produce a satisfying amount of visible vapour. I know it doesn't do it for everyone, but for me it really does.

The first device I got was not satisfying. I bought it online. I had to go to a vape shop and talk with someone who found me a device that was satisfying. Now I buy that kind online.


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## GotGarlic (Apr 2, 2019)

Addie said:


> And there were some that were repeated at noon and evening.



Sometimes people need a steady amount of a medication in their system for it to work, so it has to be repeated. 



Addie said:


> When you consider how many B vitamins there are and I was receiving them individually. Taking a B12 was so much easier.



Are you saying you think B12 is a replacement for all the other B vitamins? It's not. They are each chemically different and do different things in the body.


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## Dawgluver (Apr 2, 2019)

I've been a smoker since I was stealing cigs at 14 from my smoker parents. I'm also a Chantix advocate and was able to quit even after DH died and I was an emotional wreck. No nightmares or mood swings, Chantix really did curb my urge to smoke after decades of addiction. And so far no excess eating either.


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## JustJoel (Apr 2, 2019)

taxlady said:


> I haven't had an issue with coughing. I use flavours that imitate Canadian cigarettes and I made sure to get a device that would produce a satisfying amount of visible vapour. I know it doesn't do it for everyone, but for me it really does.
> 
> The first device I got was not satisfying. I bought it online. I had to go to a vape shop and talk with someone who found me a device that was satisfying. Now I buy that kind online.


I use the Suori (sp?j Drop. It’s convenient and it uses refillable cartridges, so I don’t have to mess with coils and the like. I like creamy flavors with notes of tobacco and booze. The fruity flavors turn me off.


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## Linda0818 (Apr 2, 2019)

JustJoel said:


> I do vape, but for some reason, sometimes it makes me cough violently. And it’s not as satisfying.



I have the same issue with the first couple of hits. After that, it gets better.


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## Cooking Goddess (Apr 3, 2019)

This thread has been a fascinating read. I've never been a smoker either because I 1) was too cheap to spend money on something that, literally, went up in smoke or 2) was afraid my Mom would make good on her promise to kill me no matter how old I got.

I lived in a house with three smokers until I got married and moved out at age 23 1/2. Mom was around a pack a day smoker, Dad went through two packs, and my aunt probably smoked a little less than half a pack a day. My only safe zone was up in my room, with an old accordion door closing it off from the rest of the house. I'd have my bedroom window open almost all year long, leaving it just a crack in cold weather so that I had some fresh air in the room. Maybe the fact that I spent so much time in a house with smoke was just what I needed to avoid it.

Mom quit cold turkey in 1988. That's when she had her heart attack. By the time she left the hospital three weeks later, her urge was gone. Dad, on the other hand, continued to smoke - even on the sly after he told Mom he quit. You see, over his life (six weeks shy of 75 years) he ended up getting four (five?) different cancers. It's the one in his kidney that did him in. Or was it his lung? Anyway, my aunt managed to live to the ripe old age of 96. But she had mini-strokes from her early 80's, so it's not like she got off scot free. I'm pretty sure she lasted that long because, like her aunt before her (my great aunt Rose), God and the devil were arguing over which one *had* to take her. Loved her, but she wasn't easy to love.

Congrats to you who have conquered nicotine and are now smoke-free. Good luck and God bless to those of you trying to quit. And *Charlie*? You don't need to be an ex-smoker to put on 40 pounds. I did that when we moved by indulging in what I call "depression eating". I'm afraid I'll never get back home to OH unless I first leave those 40 pounds here in MA...


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## Kayelle (Apr 3, 2019)

Dawgluver said:


> I've been a smoker since I was stealing cigs at 14 from my smoker parents. I'm also a Chantix advocate and was able to quit even after DH died and I was an emotional wreck. No nightmares or mood swings, Chantix really did curb my urge to smoke after decades of addiction. And so far no excess eating either.




 Dear Dawg, it's my opinion that if you could successfully quit smoking after the life changing trauma of being newly widowed, nobody has an emotional excuse for not doing the same. Good for you!!!!


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## GotGarlic (Apr 3, 2019)

Kayelle said:


> Dear Dawg, it's my opinion that if you could successfully quit smoking after the life changing trauma of being newly widowed, nobody has an emotional excuse for not doing the same. Good for you!!!!


It looks like the key is taking Chantix as directed...


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## Addie (Apr 3, 2019)

Aunt Bea said:


> Take it from me, nothing will work until you are ready.
> 
> Talk to your PCP about Chantix and your concerns with taking it.
> 
> ...



Not everyone has nightmares. I had scenes of small children, babies being born, always a pleasant dream. Some times I had night with no dreams.


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## Linda0818 (Apr 3, 2019)

Kayelle said:


> *Dear Dawg, it's my opinion that if you could successfully quit smoking after the life changing trauma of being newly widowed, nobody has an emotional excuse for not doing the same*. Good for you!!!!



Amen to that.


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## Rascal (Apr 3, 2019)

Cg, my nana died of emphasemia sp? At 66, my mum and her were very close, (only child) my mum always said she would die at 66 as well. Very spooky, I never took it serious. Sure enough she was found unconscious one day and life support switched off 3 days later. Aged 66. I sometimes think she wished herself dead. 

Russ


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## Addie (Apr 4, 2019)

Well our member only got a few answers to her question. This whole thread has been overtaken by Chantix.


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## Linda0818 (Apr 4, 2019)

Addie said:


> Well our member only got a few answers to her question. This whole thread has been overtaken by Chantix.



I feel she received _many_ good answers to her question. That and she never came back to join the discussion. It's possible she prefers not to join the discussion, and that's perfectly fine. But we're still on the main topic and Chantix was a suggestion for her to look into.


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## Roll_Bones (Apr 4, 2019)

dragnlaw said:


> Roll Bones - were they side effects from the drug itself? or withdrawal symptoms from the nicotine.



Chantix was the cause.  That is certain.  But it was worth a little pain to achieve the big goal.



JustJoel said:


> I’m a little afraid of Chantix. The whole “if you are experiencing thoughts of suicide” thing. But I DO need to quit!



If I listened to all these commercials that are required to list the possible side effects of any medicine, I would not be on any medicine.
You can always discontinue the use of Chantix at any time.
In fact the package directs tell you to discontinue use if there are severe side effects and contact your doctor.



Linda0818 said:


> I feel she received _many_ good answers to her question. That and she never came back to join the discussion. It's possible she prefers not to join the discussion, and that's perfectly fine. But we're still on the main topic and Chantix was a suggestion for her to look into.



I will scream "Chantix" from the mountain top.  To anyone that will listen.

I did not quit because I really wanted to either, thats why I'm such a big proponent of Chantix.  I did it for my wife who quit before me.
It actually worked without any assistance from my smoking brain.
The drug did something to me I could not do.

I used to be envious of people that had never smoked.  Knowing how easy it was for them to resist picking up this most nasty habit.
Today I am one of those people even though I smoked for more than 40 years.


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## Kayelle (Apr 4, 2019)

Addie said:


> Well our member only got a few answers to her question. This whole thread has been overtaken by Chantix.




Addie, she made one post and then split according to her profile. She got lots of good answers but didn't even care enough to stick around and read them. You know it happens all the time and we get over it. The conversation has been a good one in spite of that.


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## Linda0818 (Apr 4, 2019)

Roll_Bones said:


> I will scream "Chantix" from the mountain top.  To anyone that will listen.
> 
> I did not quit because I really wanted to either, thats why I'm such a big proponent of Chantix.  I did it for my wife who quit before me.
> It actually worked without any assistance from my smoking brain.
> ...



I wish I had never started. Because you can't miss what you've never had. But once you start and then see other people smoking while you're trying to quit, you feel almost envious of them. Sounds ridiculous, but there it is.

Both of my parents were smokers. And they would always tell me not to smoke. Well, me being a rebellious know-it-all teenager, I felt that was rather hypocritical of them. So I decided to smoke. When my dad found out, he did the typical punishment of sitting me down at the table and making me smoke one after the other in order to make me sick. Didn't work. I was determined to not let my parents - or the cigarettes - beat me. I mean, hey, they were telling me not to smoke with a cigarette hanging out of their mouths. How dare they tell me not to do something, then turn around and do it themselves. Made no sense to me.

But now it does. I now know they were only trying to save me from the same fate. I should have listened.


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## dragnlaw (Apr 4, 2019)

Linda-  don't beat yourself up about that - we all did. 

Even back in the late 50's when it had not yet been proven detrimental my father (who did not smoke) said it was bad for you health. Somehow I knew he was right but by then it was too late. And I had been smoking for barely a year.

My mother was a chain smoker.  My girlfriend and I started because we thought it made us look grown-up. (14 years old)


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## Rascal (Apr 4, 2019)

The only thing I miss about smoking is meeting people outside or in smoking areas. I love meeting and talking to people.

Russ


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## Linda0818 (Apr 4, 2019)

dragnlaw said:


> Linda-  don't beat yourself up about that - we all did.
> 
> Even back in the late 50's when it had not yet been proven detrimental my father (who did not smoke) said it was bad for you health. Somehow I knew he was right but by then it was too late. And I had been smoking for barely a year.
> 
> My mother was a chain smoker.  My girlfriend and I started because we thought it made us look grown-up. (14 years old)



I think a lot of us felt the same way when we were that age. Makes you look grown up, makes you look cool. 

I had an aunt who was a chain smoker. She would smoke a cigarette down to the butt, then use the still-lit butt to light another one before she would put that one out. Needless to say, she died of lung cancer.


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## Kayelle (Apr 4, 2019)

Rascal said:


> *The only thing I miss about smoking is meeting people outside or in smoking areas. I love meeting and talking to people.
> *
> Russ




I agree with you Russ. It's the only thing I miss as I met some of the nicest strangers who happened to be smokers.


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## taxlady (Apr 4, 2019)

I still meet people outside when I go outside to vape.


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## Roll_Bones (Apr 4, 2019)

Linda0818 said:


> I wish I had never started. Because you can't miss what you've never had. But once you start and then see other people smoking while you're trying to quit, you feel almost envious of them. Sounds ridiculous, but there it is.



I have the same feelings about this.  People that have never tasted a cigarette, do not have the same issue us smokers and ex -smokers have.
We smoked,  we got addicted, and some of us quit and others may not ever  quit.
I know several people that are in their golden years. And they are dragging smoke. Smoking cigarettes.
My wife's aunt was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer.  She refused any life saving efforts and finished out her days smoking in a hospital bed at home.
She lived 10 years.  They gave her 6 months.



Rascal said:


> The only thing I miss about smoking is meeting people outside or in smoking areas. I love meeting and talking to people.
> Russ



I love to meet new folks.  I also need to shut up now and again.



Linda0818 said:


> I think a lot of us felt the same way when we were that age. Makes you look grown up, makes you look cool.



No doubt Linda. Peer pressure played a big part in smoking.  My first smoke was on my friends roof. 13,  I think.


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## Cooking Goddess (Apr 4, 2019)

Rascal said:


> Cg, my nana died of emphasemia sp? At 66, my mum and her were very close, (only child) my mum always said she would die at 66 as well. Very spooky, I never took it serious. Sure enough she was found unconscious one day and life support switched off 3 days later. Aged 66. I sometimes think she wished herself dead.
> 
> Russ


That is so sad, *Russ*. My Mom had her heart attack at age 60. I swore I would avoid that. By not smoking and following a much different diet, so far at age 67 I've got a pretty healthy heart.


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## Linda0818 (Apr 5, 2019)

Roll_Bones said:


> I have the same feelings about this.  People that have never tasted a cigarette, do not have the same issue us smokers and ex -smokers have.
> We smoked,  we got addicted, and some of us quit and others may not ever  quit.
> I know several people that are in their golden years. And they are dragging smoke. Smoking cigarettes.
> My wife's aunt was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer.  She refused any life saving efforts and finished out her days smoking in a hospital bed at home.
> ...



Ahh yes, the good old peer pressure. But then when I was a teenager, it was common for people to smoke. Everyone I knew smoked. Parents, aunts, uncles and most of my friends.

Your wife's aunt lived 10 years after that diagnosis, wow. I had an aunt who was diagnosed with leukemia. They gave her a year, at best. She lived 11 years beyond that. My husband, on the other hand, was diagnosed with liver cancer this past August 17th and died September 22nd. Cancer affects everyone differently, I guess. But with liver cancer, you're pretty much doomed. It was very aggressive and he never even had the chance to start chemo. He was so far gone that the chemo would have killed him faster than the cancer itself.

I too know an older man - 70 something - who still smokes.


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## Roll_Bones (Apr 5, 2019)

Linda0818 said:


> Ahh yes, the good old peer pressure. But then when I was a teenager, it was common for people to smoke. Everyone I knew smoked. Parents, aunts, uncles and most of my friends.
> 
> Your wife's aunt lived 10 years after that diagnosis, wow. I had an aunt who was diagnosed with leukemia. They gave her a year, at best. She lived 11 years beyond that. My husband, on the other hand, was diagnosed with liver cancer this past August 17th and died September 22nd. Cancer affects everyone differently, I guess. But with liver cancer, you're pretty much doomed. It was very aggressive and he never even had the chance to start chemo. He was so far gone that the chemo would have killed him faster than the cancer itself.
> 
> I too know an older man - 70 something - who still smokes.



My sincere condolences Linda.


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## Linda0818 (Apr 5, 2019)

Roll_Bones said:


> My sincere condolences Linda.



Thank you, I appreciate that.


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## Just Cooking (Apr 5, 2019)

I've smoked for over 65 years.. I do smoke about half of what I did when younger but, its just something I do..

I've made attempts to quit, always for someone else, and it just never took.. Of course I wished I'd never started but, it is what it is and I enjoy sitting outside, smoking and thinking..

Ross


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## Linda0818 (Apr 5, 2019)

Just Cooking said:


> I've smoked for over 65 years.. I do smoke about half of what I did when younger but, its just something I do..
> 
> I've made attempts to quit, always for someone else, and it just never took.. Of course I wished I'd never started but, it is what it is and I enjoy sitting outside, smoking and thinking..
> 
> Ross



Yeah, see, that's my whole problem. I know I should quit, but I truly enjoy smoking. And ever since my son was born, I started smoking outside. I too like sitting outside with a smoke, especially on a nice evening.


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## Rascal (Apr 5, 2019)

Cooking Goddess said:


> That is so sad, *Russ*. My Mom had her heart attack at age 60. I swore I would avoid that. By not smoking and following a much different diet, so far at age 67 I've got a pretty healthy heart.



 I'm 62 and travelling quite well. Bp was perfect last time and watch what I eat. Still working full time even after I retired last year. Gotta keep fit. I don't plan on going any time soon. I've got grandkids that need to get to know me.!!


Russ


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## Rascal (Apr 5, 2019)

Kayelle said:


> I agree with you Russ. It's the only thing I miss as I met some of the nicest strangers who happened to be smokers.



A friend of mine lost his license (drunk driving) so he had to catch a bus to work. The first day he told me there were about 6 or 7 people at the bus stop. He introduced himself and said what he did. Within a week they were all talking as old friends. Within about a month they had all been out to dinner. This was a year or so ago. They all still see each other at their homes regularly.  It's a strange world?

Russ


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## kasuqidu (Apr 26, 2019)

great


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## Addie (Apr 27, 2019)

Chantix is working. I lit up a cigarette after I had eaten a very small meal and taken my meds. Immediately became very nausea. Cigarette is still unfinished and sitting in the ashtray. I probably will try again tomorrow.


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## Linda0818 (May 1, 2019)

Addie said:


> Chantix is working. I lit up a cigarette after I had eaten a very small meal and taken my meds. Immediately became very nausea. Cigarette is still unfinished and sitting in the ashtray. I probably will try again tomorrow.



I've been meaning to ask my doctor about Chantix, but I'm pill-paranoid. The medications I *do* take was a fight getting me on them in the first place. I read too many horror stories concerning side effects and that puts me off.


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## GotGarlic (May 1, 2019)

Linda0818 said:


> I've been meaning to ask my doctor about Chantix, but I'm pill-paranoid. The medications I *do* take was a fight getting me on them in the first place. I read too many horror stories concerning side effects and that puts me off.


Taking medications always involves a risk-benefit analysis. Which is worse - the likelihood of known effects from smoking, or having high blood pressure, or having cancer? Or the possibility of side effects from the medication?

Talk to your doctor and ask about the side effects, how likely they are, and what you're risking by not quitting smoking. Then you can make an informed decision.


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## Linda0818 (May 1, 2019)

GotGarlic said:


> Taking medications always involves a risk-benefit analysis. Which is worse - the likelihood of known effects from smoking, or having high blood pressure, or having cancer? Or the possibility of side effects from the medication?
> 
> Talk to your doctor and ask about the side effects, how likely they are, and what you're risking by not quitting smoking. Then you can make an informed decision.



I will. I'll ask her about it and see what she says and if I could take it with the meds I'm already on. It should be okay because I just take BP meds and cholesterol, plus ativan for anxiety on an as-needed basis. Which is pretty much every day. I can't take SSRI's because I have horrific side effects to those things, as well as other medications I've tried, which is what has me concerned.


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## Addie (May 4, 2019)

Even the simple aspirin has side effects. (although aspirin is not so simple.) As GG stated. Every medicine has some side effect. For some foods, there are side effect for certain folks. Pros and cons for everything you do or eat.


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## Linda0818 (May 4, 2019)

I know.


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## Addie (May 4, 2019)

I got  home from the hospital late last night. I never once gave a thought to missing having a cigarette. While I was sitting in the lobby waiting for my driver to open his van to load me on, an old man (about 70-80ish or so) came in from outside. He had on a pair of construction boots and two jonnies. One backwards and one forward to cover his everything. "Out for a cigarette?" I asked. Yeah. I better get back to my bed before someone misses me. I told him my son goes out for a smoke also when he is in the  hospital. (I never said he was the brightest human on earth.) The old man laughed and off he went.

I had a rough night and Pirate took a bad fall. (Neuropathy) It wasn't until this afternoon that I reached for a cigarette. I hadn't taken any Chantix while in the hospital. Just long enough for the urge and the rough time with Pirate to set me off again. But I immediately reached for the Chantix. About a half hour later I got a severe case of the dry heaves. Chantix are back at work. Yea! I am determined. I started to smoke at the age of ten. Nobody has ever told me quitting is easy. But it might have been easier years ago if I had received more encouragement. 

So if you know of someone who is trying to quit, bolster their resolve with encouragement.


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## Oldvine (May 9, 2019)

Quitting smoking is easy.  I did it a 100 times before the last quit.  What finally did work was to ease into restricting the smoke that came through the cigarette.  I poked needle holes in the paper below the filter.  Adding more holes as time went on and trying to restrict the number of drags I took. Finally one day my brain said "why bother?" and I was done with cigarettes.  That was 25 years ago.  Best of luck to anyone and all trying to quit.


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## Addie (May 10, 2019)

I am on my fourth attempt to quit smoking with Chantix. Having two kids in my  home smoking, doesn't help with my efforts. I give up. 

Before I always had funny dreams from the Chantix. This time it is just not the same. Horrible dreams to the point of dangerous dreams for me. A few nights ago, I almost fell out of bed while trying to kill all the huge animals in my dream. And I let out a scream that scared Pirate to no end. Now it is becoming too dangerous for me to stay on Chantix. With all my medical problems, I need to concentrate on them, not smoking. Considering that I smoke about seven or eight cigarettes a day, I am not to concerned about smoking. You would think with the few amount of cigarettes I do smoke it would be easy to quit. 

Right now I am trying so hard to learn to walk with a medical leg and it is very painful. Yesterday was a somewhat successful day. I didn't smoke for several hours after the lesson. But in the process, I fell and managed to remove the skin on top of my hand. Success on one hand, failure on the other side. Pirate and I went outside to have a cigarette. I took one or two puffs. That was it. The both of us are down to our school days. We both share one cigarette when either one of us lights up. He does it for financial reason. Just too expensive. Sooner or later when my stress level goes down, I know I will quit. Just not now. 

I would like to find something to relieve my stress level other than smoking. But doing that only adds to my stress. I really need to concentrate on getting my health problems solved first. 

Oddly enough I find coming to the computer and reading my emails from DC, is a lot of help in the quitting department. I find that I would rather read what is going on here, than reaching for a cigarette. Thanks to everyone who is posting. It makes it a lot easier to cut back on the cigarettes.


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