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• January 21, 2010 1:28 p.m.

  I agree if every word in a post Too many years looking for a solution to my problem of smoking And I found him a few months ago. Smoking is a problem of all Thank you for the interesting and important information

  - Greg

• December 29, 2009 1:04 a.m.

  POSTING 2/2 After lying down for an hour with about 20 needles in me from my head down to my toes, she had me go home with still about 12 needles in my ears. I was amazed how these needles cut the edges of the craving. As soon as she would take the needles out (at the end of the day), the craving was coming back at full blast . I had HORRIBLE evenings. I could not fall asleep before 3-4 am, and would wake up by 6. This for a few nights. I was craving for a cigarette, every heartbeat. With the needles in, the craving was strong, but breathing exercises or cleaning the house, would make it ok. Without the needles though, I was feeling an overwhelming craving, and almost had a nervous breakdown. I punched a wall in my house. It helped for a second or two... I quit September 9, 2009. I had a week of pure hell. Without acupuncture I would NEVER have been able to sustain the beating quitting smoking was. It is still hard sometimes but I just a bit of will power and I'm ok. I actually lost weight since I smoke. I think it's because I eat healthier because I feel healthier, and also because the psychological addiction such as stuffing something in my mouth was never there. I have more energy, I look younger, I run longer, I have higher self esteem, food taste better and...I don't have to get up in the middle of a: movie/conversation/dinner/task at work/etc... to go smoke a cigarette I actually don't want. So I quit "cold turkey" with the help of acupuncture, and ...it wo

  - William

• December 29, 2009 12:53 a.m.

  POSTING 1/2 I just turned 43 and had been smoking at least a pack a day for 25 years. I had tried a few times quitting (patch then gums) and almost made it but eventually always failed. I used to love it. There are different levels of smoking and different levels of smokers. People are more or less susceptible to the physical and psychological addiction of smoking. My addiction was mainly, but overwhelmingly physical: no cigarette by noon meant cold sweat, blurred vision, shaking and extreme mood swings. After a few more hours without nicotine, add severe flu-like muscle pain to these wonderful withdrawal symptoms. I finally decided to quit for a main reason: I was sick and tired TO HAVE TO get up and go smoke outside in: the middle of a movie, immediately after eating, while drinking with friends. I wanted to be stronger than the urge, since on top of it I only really appreciated about 10% of my cigarettes. Other reasons were I was starting to really feel my lungs were damaged because of it, Health stats on smokers and my family really wanting me to quit. I moved to Oakland, CA in June and my new neighbor happened to be an acupuncturist. I really thought acupuncture was for 50+ year old grey haired-Prius-driving bourgeois-hippie Berkeley women. Well, it also is. But it can make the craving/withdrawal tolerable.

  - William

• December 16, 2009 6:10 p.m.

  I can't remember the number of times I tried to give up smoking (and of course, failed dismally) in the past. I knew all the benefits of giving up smoking it didn't seem to make any difference, I still continued. Over the years I'd tried different methods although I always felt that when it came to the crunch, if the frame of mind wasn't right then failure was inevitable. From July 1997 to March 2009, I worked in the Middle East as a Field Service Engineer for communications and radar equipment. One of the radar stations I used to maintain was situated on an island (more like a rock) some 12 miles from the mainland. Access was mainly by boat and of course I dreaded this because once on the jetty, it was a climb of about 80 very steep, uneven steps up to the bottom of the rock. Then another 200 meters up a 30 degree path to the radar station itself at the top. What with the heat as well, I was struggling for breath at the top of the steps and sat it out for a few minutes wishing I knew how to give up smoking. Then came the climb up the path to the top, this was just as bad as the steps. I thought a great deal during these excursions and was still giving it some thought on one of my leave periods back to England. I really wanted to give up smoking but knowing my history it still only remained a desire. While on leave back in January of 2003, as with other leaves I paid visits to various arms of my family dotted around different parts of the country. One person I visited was

  - Len

• November 17, 2009 6:56 p.m.

  Hi, I'm a student at Metro State of Denver. I'm researching a new product possibility; the product would be a "Quit Smoking" aide that offers a stepping down approach. I am a former smoker myself but I'm addicted to Commit lozenges and they contain nicotine. I would still buy them if they had zero mg of nicotine but they don't offer that. I would like to market a product that does. Anyways, I made this survey for my research project and it would really help me if anyone could take it [smokers, former smokers, and non-smokers are all welcome] Thanks so much. -- Casey Here's the link to the survey. http://www.surveygizmo.com/s/206243/r2zgt

  - No name given

• September 2, 2009 11:04 p.m.

  With Chantix I quit smoking 18 mos. ago. I smoked for 40 yrs. and loved my cigarettes, but have no nicotine cravings now & can't stand to smell tobacco on people's clothes or breath. My problem has been weight gain - 25 lbs and it is staying right on me! My doctor still says, better heavy than smoking! I found it had to be MY decision, not others pressuring me, and that's when I could do it successfully.

  - IQuit2

• September 2, 2009 2:49 p.m.

  I quit smoking 4 yrs ago (06/17/05). It is the hardest thing I have ever done. I was mad the first several weeks at everyone. I had no choice to quit, after 35 years of smoking, I was diagnosed with Larnyx cancer. I had to have 7 chemo and 35 radiation. I know what all of you are saying about withdrawals, I thought I was going crazy. I started crocheting, paint by numbers plus watching TV. Keeping busy helps, but after 4+ years, I still miss them. Good Luck to all of you. Prayers also help. Mary

  - Mary

• August 28, 2009 11:58 a.m.

  I quit smoking on 8/10/09. I had to use Chantix, I know I couldn't have done it without an aid and I wasn't crazy about using a nicotine anything. I had and still have a few symptoms from the drug, which I will take the recommended 3 months, and from withdrawal. For me, the hardest part now is the mental part. I've filled my extra time with distractions, thank goodness I have a computer at home! I can email or type away and not miss smoking. I know it's going to be a struggle for a while, not looking forward to it but I am looking forward to saving money! That habit is WAY to expensive! Good luck everyone and hang in there.

  - Helen

• August 25, 2009 6:02 a.m.

  I enjoyed smoking and never wanted to quite. But my son changed all of that for me. He said "mommy when you die who will take care of me"... then he started to cry. Day 3 of smoke free. I have no energy. At times I feel like there is something inside of me screaming to just jump out. I swear sometimes I even get this burning feeling in my chest, and a sharp pain in my heart. I'm gonna make it. Just because I do not ever want to live through this hell of withdraws again. I now know what an addict feels like or an alcoholic. I wonder why smokers are not given the same consideration? I tell people I am a recovering smoker and they laugh? AN addict will use once or maybe more a day. A smoker will use 20x or more a day. It's all the same. we are dependant on a chemical to make us feel better. we need more clinics out there to help us. They have them for everthing us. A little island that is smoke free that we must stay in for 30 days to get past all of these feeling that we feel inside. time for a mint.....

  - Angie

• August 17, 2009 2:42 p.m.

  Day 1 of quitting with patch. Still cheated twice. Asking myself who I am cheating. Doesn't make much sense. Cigs definately can become an old friend. I've smoked 18 years. Moved around a lot (17 schools before graduating high school) From time I was 16, smoking really only constant in my life. (Until I met my wife and had 2 kids). Don't smoke around the kids, but some how my 2 year old still knows what a cigarrette is. Breaks my heart.... I HAVE TO QUIT.....

  - Need 2 Quit

• August 12, 2009 3:24 p.m.

  I'm halfway through day three of quitting cold turkey. This is my first, and hopefully last, attempt. What surprises me most is that even though I'm not actively craving a cigarette as much as I expected, I'm very emotional; my moods swings resemble nothing so much as PMS. I'm glad I decided to go cold turkey, as drawing out nicotine withdrawal any more than necessary really doesn't appeal to me.

  - LowSlash

• August 6, 2009 4:17 p.m.

  First cig @ age 7(1941). Bigger boys atop the ladder shed cut a Pall Mall in half for me. Habit grew to 2 packs pd non-filter Camels, my friends at campfires, on the bridge of USN Destroyers, wine & dinner, et al. QUIT for 3.5 yrs @ age 70. Wife smokes and so do I again, but COPD is ending the love/hate coziness of it all. Tom aka Ashtray

  - No name given

• August 6, 2009 3:14 p.m.

  I have tried countless times over the 34yrs i have smoked and the nicotine is a drug not to mention the tar,the smoke aids are not enough,the price is gonna kill me one way or another.All of my attempts have failed i even applied for the U CAN QUIT NOW campaign from the American Cancer Society qualified,chose the Losenges and they are the worst,it gives you more of a stomach ache than satisfaction. My husband won't kiss me causehe says i smell like an ashtray,but i have the whitest teeth you ever saw for a smoker and no bleaching ") i feel like Roger there my soul gets ripped out ...kuddos to all who can go cold turkey,don't know why i can't ?

  - CeCi

• August 6, 2009 10:15 a.m.

  I quit smoking cold turkey 10 years ago. I have had no relapses. If I am in a setting where second hand smoke is wafting through the atmosphere, I feel nauseous.

  - ron

• August 5, 2009 12:03 a.m.

  I quit cold turkey in March and I still struggle with this. I guess just have to ride it out for a few more months. Quiting was probably the most difficult thing I've ever encountered. It felt like something was ripping my sole out.

  - Roger

• August 4, 2009 9:09 p.m.

  Cigarettes really do become like a companion. The way that I quit smoking was to take this "companion" with me to fewer and fewer of the familiar places with me until I was finally a non-smoker.

  - MrXsmoker

• August 4, 2009 7:59 p.m.

  my dad is back at mayo for his stomach carcinoma. when he was here last year for his early stage lung cancer, he quit smoking but couldn't maintain it - this time I insisted he visit with a nicotine dependency counselor, something I wish had happened as part of his last visit here. This is a chronic relapsing disease that all clinciains need to recognize!

  - frankie