yes....  I have sat next to someone in the specialist rooms as they have had heard..... 'we've found two shadows on your lung'...  then it's a whole different ball game...  

Yes, gospel.

I had no problem in deciding what to do with my ciggie savings.  Upgrading/building computers became my new hobby/distraction, and most goes on that.  Not only that, I never eat out, go clubbing or pubbing, don't run a car, rarely need to buy new clothes and never go to cinemas, theatres or concerts... meaning I can probably save more than most to feed my PC addiction and home entertainment needs, such as DVDs and CDs, etc.

Oh, and while some of you might hink I'm a tight arse, which is totally true as well, part of the reaon I don't spend money on such things is down to having mobility issues/being unable to travel very far without suffering motion sickness.  It just means that I don't/can't enjoy a night out like most people can.

An information update for anyone interested in this type of quitting drug...

Friend went to the doctor to chat about best method for quitting..... Doctor said would not recommend Chantrix for the reasons stated above...

He did however recommend another medication, Zyban.... with the following explanation:

Chantrix was deliberately designed as an anti smoking tablet which can have some abrasive effects on the personality.... 

Zyban was originally devised to be an anti anxiety anti depression tablet where it failed to live up to expectations in it's design, it did however become an equally effective pacifier of the receptors in the brain with far milder overall effects...

I just thought, given the negative experiences people have had with Chantrix... anyone considering this kind of method, may be interested to know there is a similar and safer alternative available...

Friend starts today... we'll see how it goes..  

Zyban info...  link...

how ya going Po'  

I tried Zyban twice during previous attempts to quit and both times had quite devastating consequences.  Let's just say that I became aggressive, violent and my moods swings were unpredictable.  I was like the Incredible Hulk on steroids and sometimes so totally out of control I'd hurt those I love and most important to me.  What was worse, there was nothing I could do to stop it, and when I was told later of what I had done I couldn't remember any of it, all I'd recall was darkness and shadows, murky something or others that made no sense to me at all.

So why did I try it twice?  There were other factors involved the first time, and because much of it was a blur, I didn't understand what had happened to me.  It was only during the 2nd attempt that I had family members around who recognised the symptoms and coached me down before I'd done too much damage.  However, it took several weeks after I stopped taking the Zyban for me to return to normal.

Now I know of several people who tried Zyban and had similar issues to me, so mine is not an isolated case and anyone who is prescribed it needs to be aware there are side effects and should only take it under supervision so that early intervention is possible should there be an adverse reaction such as the one I experienced without realising it.

So yeah, please be cautious and speak with your doctor to get all the relevant information prior to taking it.  Zyban may be safe for some but it's not for everyone.

thanks Starkers.....  I'll keep a watchful eye out....

that kinda rivals the Chantrix stories...  

it's all making cold turkey sound good...  

  yep, that's about it..... good one Doc...    

Yes, cold turkey was the only option left for me, given my Zyban experience and the fact that nicotine replacements seemed to prolong my craving... plus the fact I could never get the darned patches to stick and the gum/lozenges tasted like crap.

My doctor prescribed Champix [same thing as Chantix] but I only took it for the week prior to quitting and had to stop due to feelings of irritability and not wanting a repeat or similiar to the Zyban episodes.  I was supposed to take the remaining 8 weeks supply to better my chances of quitting  but I wasn't taking the risk and it wasn't necessary anyway.  Due to my commitment to quit I was in control from day 1.  It has been 4 plus years now and I've not once felt like taking the filthy habit up again.

thanks Starkers... passing that on...

in an ideal world... the tobacco companies would take the nicotine out... then it would be a clearer choice for people to smoke or not.... and easier to give it away...

but less taxes to be milked...

nothing bought legally... should be this medically hard to give up....

even I can give up chocolate for awhile... without this drama..   

I've been off 'em for nearly 20 years. On my third try (all cold turkey) I quit drinking as well, as one fed the other. Bit wobbly at first but after a few months it was done. The smell of a durry is enough to make me sick these days so I'm cured. Better still, I can again have a beer or wine (or 3) without the urge to light up. 

I quit drinking 'proper' several years before quitting the smokes.... it was costing more than the smokes and I wasn't the most pleasant person once I'd had a few.  However, since quitting the smokes I have a few shandies here and there with no craving/urge to light up... that's like an inch of lemonade in the bottom of a glass to a can of mid strength beer, usually Powers Gold.  A carton of 30 cans will last me up to 8 weeks or more, depending on the weather... if I've done the mowing, etc.  However, I drink it for the taste, not the alcohol content, cos I don't like Coke or other soft drink that much as I prefer something more bitter.

As for the smell of a durry....YUK with a capital EEEW!

keep an eye out for this.... comes in a larger single bottle as well... might be worth a try...

Angostura Lemon Lime and Bitters...  

20 years.....great going...  

I lose track, but I think it's 6 or 7 years off smokes for me come May 18th.

Best thing I ever did, quitting.  

I have tried it and don't mind it at all... now and then, however. 

I still prefer a shandy cos it's more bitterer... because of the hops, I guess.

In fact, the tobacco is treated with ammonia to make it more available in the smoke and more addicting. 

The only product designed to kill and maim and yet legal.

Actually? Firearms were designed also for defense and for hunting.

Can you say anything positive about ANY tobacco product? 

Frankly, I wish neither had ever been invented/discovered.  No matter how you look at it, firearms were designed to kill and maim, irrespective of whether the target is human or animal... not that the two are mutually exclusive in some cases.  For mine, 'so-called' hunting should be with a bow and arrow or a spear... make a real sport out of it and not some slaughter-fest at the end of a rifle.  And what's the betting that 90% plus 'hunters' would quit doing it if ALL firearms were crushed by government and they were forced to 'hunt' the original way... with a spear, skill and finesse.

As for tobacco products, the peace pipe was used to broker and seal peace treaties among American Indian tribes... sometimes with the white man, too, so it could be said there was a positive aspect there.  However,  tobacco products today are no more than legalised, non-medical and expensively slow, euthanasia.

So glad I quit when I did.

1,137 days and counting.............