POZ Community Forums
Main Forums => Pre-HAART Long-Term Survivors => Topic started by: phillypinko on April 26, 2013, 07:58:30 am
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Im 41 years old. I didn't start smoking until I was 30. I was repulsed by smoking until I started dating a guy who talked me into smoking with him. I am completely hooked now but want to stop. Im starting to get a little paranoid about all the health problems smoking can cause. I stopped smoking for 6 months using chantrix but started again during a trip to europe. I find the motivation to get started then pick up a day or two after I stop. How do I get over the hump?
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Hi Philly , I have battled with nicotine addiction for many years and have not smoked in 2 months now .
Im for what ever it takes to quit but for me it was realizing and excepting the fact that its tough to quit and it sucks but do be free of the habit I just had to be willing to be uncomfortable for awhile and do it .
I have a buddy who tried to quit with me and he didn't make it , I think its because he was using an electronic cigarette and that is essentially reinforcing the hand to mouth and chemical addiction , so now he is back smoking .
He was my inspiration to quit . He can barely breath and will be on oxygen within a year but he just cant stop .
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Hey Philly,
I smoked for 32 years. I took Chantix and it helped me kick it.
Talk to your doctor about it. It's worth a shot.
HUGS,
Mark
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I haven't had a cigarette since last September and I use an e-cig. My doctor said they're perfectly fine and a better alternative than real cigs. I don't have any inkling to start smoking the real thing. They're also much cheaper.
You do what you need to do. My best friend hasn't smoked in over 2 years and she still uses nicotine gum. We were fiends, though, so having a better substitute is alright for the time being. If you don't smoke much maybe you can use a nicotine alternative and taper off. Or, like Mark said, try Chantix again. Whatever it takes.
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I haven't had a cigarette since last September and I use an e-cig. My doctor said they're perfectly fine and a better alternative than real cigs. I don't have any inkling to start smoking the real thing. They're also much cheaper.
You do what you need to do. My best friend hasn't smoked in over 2 years and she still uses nicotine gum. We were fiends, though, so having a better substitute is alright for the time being. If you don't smoke much maybe you can use a nicotine alternative and taper off. Or, like Mark said, try Chantix again. Whatever it takes.
I agree with the whatever works statement ... I bought one of those electronic cigarette and it just made me want a real cigarette and gave me a rash , so that's why I had to just suck it up and quit the old fashion way ... by being a bitchy old queen for a week .
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Hi Philly,
This must be very hard for you to quit. I sympathize with you. I smoked for 23 years. I smoked menthol the worst of all.
I really woke up and smelled the flowers in Sept. of last year (2012) when I was getting all the morning caughing, hacking and breathing stuff and it was getting worse. I have less than 200 CD4's and have been smoking about a pack a WEEK, like 3 or 4 a day for 23 years. I said to myself this is awful what I'm doing to myself and my lungs. Plus I thought about contracting CANCER!
Bottom Line: I went COLD TURKEY. I haven't wanted one since. NOW the smoke smell makes me wanna barf. PLEASE what ever it takes, patches, Chantix?, snapping a rubber band on the wrist, or in my case, COLD TURKEY.
DO IT NOW! Save your life. Your body will thank you.
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Hi Philly,
This must be very hard for you to quit. I sympathize with you. I smoked for 23 years. I smoked menthol the worst of all.
I really woke up and smelled the flowers in Sept. of last year (2012) when I was getting all the morning caughing, hacking and breathing stuff and it was getting worse. I have less than 200 CD4's and have been smoking about a pack a WEEK, like 3 or 4 a day for 23 years. I said to myself this is awful what I'm doing to myself and my lungs. Plus I thought about contracting CANCER!
Bottom Line: I went COLD TURKEY. I haven't wanted one since. NOW the smoke smell makes me wanna barf. PLEASE what ever it takes, patches, Chantix?, snapping a rubber band on the wrist, or in my case, COLD TURKEY.
DO IT NOW! Save your life. Your body will thank you.
Mars, I understand you mean well, but as someone who was diagnosed in 2007, you are not permitted to post in the Long Term Survivor's forum. Please don't post in this section of the forums again.
Thank you for your cooperation. :)
Ann
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I agree with the whatever works statement ... I bought one of those electronic cigarette and it just made me want a real cigarette and gave me a rash , so that's why I had to just suck it up and quit the old fashion way ... by being a bitchy old queen for a week .
I still think about smoking the real thing from time to time, but what former smoker doesn't? I guess I'm fortunate in that the e-cig does not make me crave a real one. I couldn't go cold turkey, I'd be a real horrible person to be around, and with me when I'm feeling bitchy, I usually turn it inward.
Philly, I think the other thing that made the difference for me is that I really wanted to quit. I've tried before when I wasn't totally into it, and it didn't work. Commitment is also a big part of it.
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I did pass a test last night , sort of a mile stone . I went out with friends last night and although I wanted to smoke after a few drinks I managed to say no way . The bar we were at was smoke free but they have a nice patio that allows smoking .
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I met someone who didn't smoke and instead of starting him smoking, we stopped me smoking. That was over 5 years ago. I used the Chantix prescription with 2 refills, bought myself $7.00 presents every day and reminded myself the physical addiction was over, I do not smoke.
On a lunch break adventure I wanted to see the Picasso that was stolen at that Union Square gallery and replaced. We were walking past Lefty O'Douls on Geary and he said, "I am so glad we don't smoke." 8)
Oh, the Picasso stolen is the better part of the story. It was a nice beautiful afternoon, a guy from New York ran into the gallery, took the Picasso and got into a cab. The Lefty O'Douls cameras got a good picture of his face.
Edited to add... Oops! I thought I was LTS because I have lived with AIDS for 17 years. I diagnosed in 1996 and don't qualify to be here. Please disregard anything I may have said 8)
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Edited to add... Oops! I thought I was LTS because I have lived with AIDS for 17 years. I diagnosed in 1996 and don't qualify to be here. Please disregard anything I may have said 8)
Oh puleeze, Michael, you qualify! :D
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Im going to miss them when I drive listening to the radio. Im going to miss them when I watch sports. Im going to miss them after a couple beers. THis is going to suck!
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Im going to miss them when I drive listening to the radio. Im going to miss them when I watch sports. Im going to miss them after a couple beers. THis is going to suck!
Every once in a while I feel like smoking, but more often than not it's when I'm around someone who's smoking. I just remind myself of "why" I'm doing it, and remember watching my parents die, one from lung cancer from second hand smoke, and one from COPD. Not something I want to happen, not pleasant not being able to breathe.
Just remind yourself of the benefits of quitting; it will get better.
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I stepped out the door and in a gentle shift of breeze, I could smell Jasmine, then a blast of Lavender, followed by Rose. It was subtle but I could recognize the individual scents. I don't smoke any more. 8) Have the best day
Michael
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yea Jeff! Yes we did go out and you DID NOT have to smoke! I was so proud of you.
Maybe we should go out, more often, than say...once every 5 years.... :o Maybe we could go every 2 or 3 years. :)
HUGS, Alan
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yea Jeff! Yes we did go out and you DID NOT have to smoke! I was so proud of you.
Maybe we should go out, more often, than say...once every 5 years.... :o Maybe we could go every 2 or 3 years. :)
HUGS, Alan
LOL ... I did have a nice time and as always it was great to see you guys .
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I have to second Betty 's suggestion. My mom smoked since she was 18 and now she is 65 and stopped smoking real cigs since January. She loves it and her girlfriends go to the e-cig store to get their liquid stuff every other month. Saves her lots of cash and I can now actually visit and breath at same time
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Stopped in early Jan 2013 after 33 years of coffin nails. My partner is still puffing away like crazy so I'm probably only getting part of the health benefits I should.
I've packed on 4 kg (about 9 pounds), so now I'm walking an hour daily and swimming 3 times a week to try and control the weight. It will be a long slow road back to fitness but I do feel in control and moving in the right direction.
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Im picking up a chantix prescription tomorrow. Lets see what happens.
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If Medicare is paying for the Chantix, there are 2 refills included with your prescription. Use them too and you get 3 full months. 8) Have the best day
Michael
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If Medicare is paying for the Chantix, there are 2 refills included with your prescription. Use them too and you get 3 full months. 8) Have the best day
Michael
Im going to smoke the frst week then switch over to an occasional puff on an e-cig until the cravings stop. I stopped for 6 months with chantix in the past. Then I went to europe and started smoking there again. This time I have to remember how much I'll regret starting again.
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One week smoke free now with Chantix! I don't want to smoke but strangely enough I miss wanting to smoke....Make sense?
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One week smoke free now with Chantix! I don't want to smoke but strangely enough I miss wanting to smoke....Make sense?
Makes sense to me ... I want one but at the moment my desire not to smoke is stronger .
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As with any ( other) addiction, it also helps to distance oneself from old haunts and old friends who do smoke. I mean, if you are out with friends who smoke, how can you stop????
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None of my friends smoke. A boyfriend turned me onto tobacco when I was 29. I didn't smoke every day until I was 33. They are just to expensive and deadly.
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One week smoke free now with Chantix! I don't want to smoke but strangely enough I miss wanting to smoke....Make sense?
Congrats on your first week! I totally get your second statement. There are times I really don't "want" to smoke, but miss the habits that went with the act, like relaxation after working all day, having one while talking on the phone, things like that. I don't know if that's what you meant, but those are things I associate with "missing" smoking.
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Congrats on your first week! I totally get your second statement. There are times I really don't "want" to smoke, but miss the habits that went with the act, like relaxation after working all day, having one while talking on the phone, things like that. I don't know if that's what you meant, but those are things I associate with "missing" smoking.
Yeah. When Im driving I miss lighting up when a good song comes on the radio stuff like that. Its amazing to me someone hasn't genetically modified tobacco so it doesn't have nicotine in it. If I could smoke a few cigs a day I would smoke but there is no middle ground with nicotine. Its either smoke once an hour or not at all.
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Yeah. When Im driving I miss lighting up when a good song comes on the radio stuff like that. Its amazing to me someone hasn't genetically modified tobacco so it doesn't have nicotine in it. If I could smoke a few cigs a day I would smoke but there is no middle ground with nicotine. Its either smoke once an hour or not at all.
Yes, if they could modify cigarettes to not include not just nicotine, but all the harmful chemicals added to make it so deadly, that would be interesting.
I actually got to a point where I only smoked 3 cigarettes a day; once in the morning, when I got home from work, and before bed. I have no idea how I did that. I do find when I'm at work I can get by on the occasional piece of nicotine gum. It's when I get home that the cravings for a real cigarette start.
I do have to admit. Last week I experienced a rather severe episode of PTSD. I had to ask the receptionist at work for a cigarette, and smoked it. Of course now I'm struggling with not buying any. It's true what they say-"Just one" won't work for long.
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I dream about smoking....and its been six years now and counting. Its very hard to quit and stay off them.
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Smoking. Such a pleasure. The act. The object. The drug.
We'd all continue smoking if there weren't health costs to pay. Duh. Well it can be expensive, so some of us might be interested to not smoke even if it was benign for the health.
Do whatever to quell the itch.... But at the end of the day, you got to live with the fact that maybe, (not true for all ex smokers, cause a few have no regrets and no cravings), its one of those pleasures that you simple can not have again, because sometimes life sucks that way....
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Smoking. Such a pleasure. The act. The object. The drug.
We'd all continue smoking if there weren't health costs to pay. Duh. Well it can be expensive, so some of us might be interested to not smoke even if it was benign for the health.
Do whatever to quell the itch.... But at the end of the day, you got to live with the fact that maybe, (not true for all ex smokers, cause a few have no regrets and no cravings), its one of those pleasures that you simple can not have again, because sometimes life sucks that way....
Yeah for the most part life does suck. Its a strange irony that most of the things that make life suck less are bad for us. We just can't get a break.
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Yeah for the most part life does suck. Its a strange irony that most of the things that make life suck less are bad for us. We just can't get a break.
I know for me, it's the things that give immediate satisfaction, that are difficult to give up i.e. smoking, drugs, booze etc. It's those things that are delayed satisfaction that require effort, that can get difficult to continue to pursue i.e. a paycheck (have to work first before they'll pay me lol), time spent with family or friends (have to put forth the effort to get together) etc. Does that make sense? That's my conundrum. Well, not all the time.
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Smoking. Such a pleasure. The act. The object. The drug.
We'd all continue smoking if there weren't health costs to pay. Duh. Well it can be expensive, so some of us might be interested to not smoke even if it was benign for the health.
Do whatever to quell the itch.... But at the end of the day, you got to live with the fact that maybe, (not true for all ex smokers, cause a few have no regrets and no cravings), its one of those pleasures that you simple can not have again, because sometimes life sucks that way....
Mecch, you're not an LTS. Please be more careful about where you're replying. Thanks
Ann
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I know for me, it's the things that give immediate satisfaction, that are difficult to give up i.e. smoking, drugs, booze etc. It's those things that are delayed satisfaction that require effort, that can get difficult to continue to pursue i.e. a paycheck (have to work first before they'll pay me lol), time spent with family or friends (have to put forth the effort to get together) etc. Does that make sense? That's my conundrum. Well, not all the time.
Im not much of a drinker and consider myself lucky to have avoided dangerous drugs. By my friends standards im a bore.
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Im not much of a drinker and consider myself lucky to have avoided dangerous drugs. By my friends standards im a bore.
I actually haven't had alcohol for about 9 years and haven't been in 'active' addiction for almost 8 (pills). Another reason why giving up smoking, for me, is difficult. I'm a fiend, I'll admit it. I like my brain flooded with dopamine lol. Actually I haven't given up trying to quit. Today I've only had 2. Tomorrow hopefully none.
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I'm allergic to cigarettes and they make me sick , they make my head ache and my throat sore and raw , they my clothes and body stink . Cigarettes smelled up the only car I ever bought new but damn it , I still miss them , that's a testament to how addictive they are .
I'm just past 4 months smoke free .
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6 weeks without smoking now. I don't miss them!
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6 weeks without smoking now. I don't miss them!
Congrats! I am at 5 1/2 years smoke free, the man who loves me is 13 years smoke free and what's really hot is when we are walking down the street and one of us says, "I'm glad we don't smoke anymore". Good luck Pinky, turn Philadelphia smoke free! 8) Have the best day
Michael
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I wish I could find a man. For some reason no one is interested in a poor mentally ill HIV positive man on disability....GO FIGURE!!!
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Well Philly Pinko, you got me on the mentally ill but I also have has AIDS for many years and am disabled. In 17 years of AIDS, I have seen the Nine Levels of Hell with many threats. I used some of the mileage reimbursement I received from doing my volunteer work and bought a 1 year membership at the Dating Site of my choice.
I built my Profile Page w/preference to long term relationship and started my search. I chose an age range of 20 years who live within 50 miles. San Francisco was included in that search... There were thousands and thousands of profile pages to look at and save or delete. I got down to 4 men who were within 10 years of my age who were all wearing jeans and t-shirts, doing ordinary things. I sent each an email to introduce myself and the one who received the one, "I'm BOLD, BRASH, and OBNOXIOUS IN PUBLIC!... when would you like to meet? That was 5 years ago and you need to focus on not smoking cigarettes 8) Have the best day
Michael
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Mental illness is more wide spread than you think; at least the diagnosis of mental illness is. I wouldn't sell yourself short. Lots of people struggle with mental illness in one form or another. There are so many treatments today that can make it not so devastating. Don't give up!
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Mental illness is more wide spread than you think; at least the diagnosis of mental illness is. I wouldn't sell yourself short. Lots of people struggle with mental illness in one form or another. There are so many treatments today that can make it not so devastating. Don't give up!
My mental health is improving as my parents health improve. Im still not myself. My mood is fluctuating quite a bit. I can feel like complete crap for hours and later the same day snap out of it and feel fine. Thanks for your encouragement and patience with me.
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Are you seeing a therapist? I just wonder if you have support, I mean other than the forums, with a face to face exchange. I just believe this would help with your depression and mood. And give you support while your parents are struggling with their health issues.
One thing I had to remind myself when my parents were in their last days, and I was taking care of them, was that it was about them, not me, despite how down I felt. I reminded myself that they took care of me for years, they were struggling, and it was my time to take care of them.
I know that's a tall order when you're trying to get your depression and mood swings under control. But sometimes if we put others first, it really aides in an improved mental outlook.
I also have mood changes, so don't feel alone. At random times during the day I will just start crying and get pretty down. I believe mine may be due to menopause. But nonetheless it's really not in control. My doctor keeps trying different meds to go along with Wellbutrin, which I've been on for years. It's always a guessing game.
I just remind myself that there will be a time when mood will improve and I won't be so down. If I know, that at least the down mood will not last forever and ever, it does seem to help some. Kind of gives me hope. Just keep trying, keep moving forward!
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Im seeing a therapist but I have always had trouble finding one I can connect with. I try to focus on my parents needs. So much so I became very mentally ill myself. There health improved when I was at my breaking point. I couldn't have gone on that way much longer. Im praying they remain healthy for some time now. I think with each illness it prepares me for what is to come next. I pray in the end they do not suffer like so many stories I've heard about people at the end of their lives.
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How are you doing on the smoking, Pink? I started back again last week. I got a letter from Social Security and that did it. I hate to hear from them, or other government agencies. Whenever I get the mail and see a letter from one of those organizations I get a knot in my stomach.
So I'm smoking again for now. I know I'll quit again, not overly concerned. I'm just smoking very little, mostly because of the cost.
Wondering how you're doing?
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I haven't smoked since the beginning of June. I quit more because of the cost then for health reasons. Now that I've gone a couple of months without smoking I can smell it on other peoples breath and bodies right after they smoke. It is pretty gross. I don't have any regrets about quitting. I rarely get the urge to smoke and when I do it is very weak. I've put on 10 ponds I couldn't afford to gain so I've started power walking. Im up to an hour and 15 minutes 5 times a week.