help me

[Chrissygirl62]

Had my first Cardioversion but it didn’t work they ended up putting drugs in the IV. My Grandfather had a stroke at 59. My Dad had triple bypass at 70 and Mom had A-fib!!! I have to get serious with my health!I don’t drink. But l smoke!!! Hardest damn habit l have ever tried to kick!!!! Anyone tried anything that works??? I tried Chantix

[Hidden]

"Nothing easier than to quit smoking! I have done it at least a hundred times until now!" - I believe that the words were spoken by Humphrey Bogart in one occasion.

Why not try the trick with tooth-picks. An acquaintance of me used wooden tooth-picks whenever he had the drive to take a cigarette. This way, he had something in his mouth and in his hands, to deal with. It simulates a cigarette, so he could pass over the crises.

While in Germany, as a 27 yo man, I was due to make a medical exam. An elderly doctor listened to my breathing with a stethoscope and said "You do not smoke!". I was surprised that he could find it out only on the base of my breathing sound, but he said that the difference between smokers and non smokers is huge! So, be strong and fight for yourself!

[Jackiesmith7777 in reply to Hidden]

I stopped smoking in 2016 due to a bad chest infection and vaping that made me ill I was a social smoker for 39 years starting aged 16 and don’t miss it at all now .

You can do this 😊

[Peacefulneedshelp in reply to Hidden]

Joke coming: I met a man who used tooth picks to quit smoking and he died on dutch elm disease.

[Jalia]

I was only a light social smoker but I stopped when I became pregnant in my mid thirties and never smoked again! A drastic solution though😁

Seriously, have you considered hypnotherapy ?

[Rainfern]

I tried over years to quit smoking in my 20s and 30s then discovered Allen Carr. His method is one of the few that has been proven to work. I had kidded myself I “enjoyed” smoking, or that I “needed” a cigarette without realising I was dealing with a class A addictive drug. You have to read the entire book and follow it closely. You’re not allowed to stop smoking til you finish the book. I promised myself that if I ever started smoking again I’d have to read the book all over again, and as I’ve other things I’d rather be doing I’ve never smoked since! You can also pay for individual help with the Carr method, and I guess paying out some money is also an incentive for some. Good luck, you’ll start feeling the benefits very fast.

I

[Beater in reply to Rainfern]

Me too. Read the book and couldn't wait to finish. After 40 years and 10 years of trying, it was the book. Never looked back since 2009.

[NewOne2023]

I was a smoker for 20 years (from 18 to 38 years old) and during that time I kinda tried to stop few times but never managed. Deep down I always knew that I will probably stop when I just feel like it. And then covid happend. It hit me hard and I was in bed for 2 weeks. During that time I stumbled on an article about quitting smoking and how first 72 hours are the hardest. Since I didn't smoke already for 10 days anyway during that period because of being sick from covid, I told myself 'ok, let's try to stay away from smoking when I get better and see how it goes'. I didn't truly believe I would do it but strangley enough I did it. Never smoked since (almost 2 years now) and what's even stranger is that I had little to no cravings, and those would be always when I would drink with my friends but it wasn't a big deal. Today it really bothers me to be around the smoke. So basically I took advantage of the situation of already not smoking for 10 days because I was sick. Now, I don't know how to help you to stop it, but if I try to imagine still being a smoker when I was diagnosed with PAF 2 months ago and learning the increased risk for stroke and learning that smoking would just inflate that risk, I think from fear alone I would stop smoking cold turkey. Just like I stopped drinking and bad diet.

But we are all different. Hope you manage somehow to stop and realize the risk that it puts on you. For me, the decisive factor would be the fear for sure.

[Buffafly]

I know from sad experience in my own family that you are doing the right thing by stopping smoking - I’m saying this in confidence that you will!

[Finvola]

The will has to come from within and it is very difficult, especially at the beginning or when you think you have it beaten.

I stopped my 20-a-day habit by working out where and when I 'needed' a smoke and avoiding those places completely at the start. I told no-one as for me it was an internal thing, but I read somewhere that if offered a cigarette, the reply should be not that 'I've stopped thank you' but that 'I don't smoke, thank you'. All psychology - and I felt like a real fibber but it also felt good to reinforce the situation. A couple of years later I saw an Embassy Extra Mild cigarette packet on someone's table and the lurch of addiction was amazingly still there.

Forty years later I am definitely a non-smoker. You can do it but you need to be in charge of the process for a long time. Best wishes.

[CDreamer]

It is hard but nothing chemical helped me, acupuncture helped but the main thing is willpower. I found cutting down slowly, taking it day by day and not beating myself up if I wavered and congratulated myself for successes and finding something to do with my hands as I used to smoke more when I had nothing to do so took up knitting in the evening - plagued the hell out of my family with the clicking needles and they hated the jumpers - but it worked.

You need to think out a plan of what you think would work for you. Just stopping one day and willpower were not enough for me.

[Rainfern in reply to CDreamer]

I like the knit-to-quit concept - all that clicking and unwanted jumpers made me smile!

[BobD Volunteer]

I was a 40 a day Marboro man until at aged 37 in 1982 my Mother was in hospital dying. Every evening I would get off my commuting train. pick up a Big Mac and fries for dinner, eat it and then have a smoke whilst waiting for visiting time to start. One evening she said to me "I do wish you wouldn't smoke before you come to see me. It smells awful". I have never smoked since. (not eaten too many McDs since either! lol 😁 )

[BenHall1]

Hi,

I was a 40 a day man in my early mid /thirties. (I'm now 79). I tried a number of things to stop but each failed. I then went to a hypnotist and had two or three two hour sessions at $A40 a session ( I lived in Australia at the time ) in 1985 .......... job done ... sorted. Haven't smoked since, nor have I had any sort of craving to smoke.

[ochinee]

Hardest thing to do ever in my life! 20+ years over a pack a day.

My daughter came home from elementary school one day and said "teacher says you are doing drugs daddy" (they had a class on smoking/tobacco that day). That did it, it was the motivation I needed.

I decided that I just had to do it. Carried a lot of hard candies, gum, cinnamon toothpicks so I could always have something to replace a cigarette. Never once smoked again because I knew if I did I'd always fail. Over 1 yr year after quitting found myself unconsciously still reaching in my shirt pocket for a cigarette that wasn't there.

Gained some weight because of eating at times when I thought I needed the tobacco, but learned how to mitigate that later with better eating habits and exercise.

[likestosing]

My mother ended a 50 year habit with 1 session of hypnosis. Others I know have had success with the patch.

[pusillanimous]

I just looked at the amount I was spending and translated it into pairs of shoes, and stopped at once - I admit I was not really a deep inhaler, but more of a 'puffer' with a nervous hand mouth habit !

[bassets]

I think the answer is that you have to really want to stop. It took me two weeks of horror before I could face life without fags again and I used to dream of smoking after that, but I wanted to stop because I was pregnant and I haven't gone back since. If you can, do it! And best of luck

[Ppiman]

My father and mother smoked heavily all their lives, but both just miraculously stopped ("cold turkey") once health issues occurred and their doctors warned them to stop. The family was amazed as my mother had been trying every known way to stop for most of our lives, yet, that one day, she just did.

Steve

[Singwell in reply to Ppiman]

My mum the same Steve. Even having a pulmonary embolism didn't stop her. Then one day in her late 50s I went to visit and she'd stopped. They never sa8d why but I'm guessing her cardiologist read her the riot act. Sadly she died relatively early - valve replacement in her late 60s and she never really got better.

[Ppiman in reply to Singwell]

I'm sorry to read that. My mother was similar and received very slow and haphazard treatment from both her GP and the NHS doctors and died unnecessarily early of a heart attack. The matron looking after her in her last days told me that had she been treated properly just two weeks earlier, she'd have been saved and returned to good health.

Steve

[Fibber222]

I had the patches together with the Allen Carr book. I told myself I was still getting the nicotine but through my arm instead of my mouth! It worked and that was 32 years ago. The book is brilliant & understands the mind of the smoker completely.

[Rainfern in reply to Fibber222]

Never told anyone this before but had my very last cigarette in bed, just to prove to myself what an entirely repulsive habit it was! Closed the book and never looked back.

[Fibber222 in reply to Rainfern]

Well done you. Since I gave up I’ve had a few times when I thought “I’d love a cigarette” but then I thought “no because I was an addict and I’d be right back on it”. 30 years later I have permanent AF and a pacemaker & a leaky aortic valve and I’m sooo pleased I don’t smoke. Thank you for sharing.

[BrotherThomas]

I smoked for about 40 years but stopped by vaping. I started off with the highest strength of fluid that I could get, used it for a month then switched to the next lower strength. When I'd got to the lowest commercial strength, I bought the ingredients as concentrates and mixed my own.

Eventually, I was vaping without the nicotine and stopped completely after that. I took about a year in total to do it and about 6 months of that was nicotine free.

I've been off it now for 10 years although I still think about it once in a while.

[Rainfern in reply to BrotherThomas]

Good to hear that vaping can work. I shall think more kindly towards those kids vaping on the corner of my street who fill the air with a sickly scent of concentrated bubble gum!

[Norfolk_spaniel]

I was a 30 a day before I gave up 30 years ago. I replaced cigarettes with nicotine gum so I broke the habit but not the dependency. Then I gradually changed the nicotine gum for ordinary gum. Then stopped the gum. I was absolutely addicted to smoking and it worked for me. Good luck with it.

[Singwell]

I never smoked because my mum did - 40 a day - and had a pulmonary embolism at 42. When I had my 2nd AF episode and had ended up again in A and E my husband sat me down and quietly said 'I'd like you to stop drinking wine'. And I did.

I thought about how my AF was affecting him too, and it seemed fair to give myself the best chance. I never thought I'd be able to stop drinking (I did love my wine and had got into boutique gins too) - but with that motivation it was honestly a no brainer. Almost 4 years now and I honestly dont miss it. Only very occasionally I have half a glass of organice cider and I get such a hit that i know it wouldn't be good to have more.

So that's my offering - to find your own 'no brainer'.

[Stinky1953]

Good morning Chrissy. I too would recommend Alan Carr's book - it worked for my son. audible.co.uk/pd/Allen-Carr...

All the best Tim

[kkatz]

I tried several times to give up including when I was pregnant but I always started again.Then at 49 I was told I had angina.I couldn't dance,chest pain when I walked etc.my reply was I am too young for angina.Then stop smoking & lose weight.This was 26 years ago after 35 years. I used inhalators.They had nicotine in them but helped break the habit and I cut down on themThe hardest part was when sat at the computer on an evening.Always a glass of wine in one hand,cig in the other.I got very drunk for a while.Not an ideal solution.On my 50 th my stepdaughter saw me with a cigarette in my mouth & berated me. It wasn't lit!

Get help from your GP and do think about your health.

Good luck.

[Ronnieboy]

I packed up with the use of niccorette gum,but I had to go around the houses a bit,took ages to finally pack up the gum and smoking.

[seafin]

I think as others have said above, the key thing is to have things that you can do when you have the seemingly overwhelming urge. Moving around and doing something different, if you can, to take your mind off the urge does help, For instance go out for a very brisk walk or run (especially good when it's cold out), bake a pie or cake and do some hoovering or clear out a cupboard. Additional benefits are you end up with a very clean and tidy house and a well-stocked fridge.

[HGates]

All my family bar one grandparent (& would you believe it he was the one who died first at 74?!) are/were smokers. I started smoking at 18 & after several failed attempts, finally quit entirely in my early 40s by switching to vaping. Vaping is still addictive but the addiction is far easier to control than smoking. My grandmother, after being a heavy smoker all her life, quit cold turkey at 66 & finally departed this world aged 100 which shows it’s never too late to make the change!

[Sally_Scott]

I was a very heavy smoker (50 a day) for 35 years. I tried so many different things, hypnotherapy, something in the lobe of my ear, don’t ask, and everything that was going. I’m ashamed to say now even being pregnant didn’t make me quit. When I look back I think it was a mixture of mind set and a brilliant smoking therapist. I joined a group and for me it was the key to unlock. I went onto an inhalator ( it looked like a cigarette holder? You put nicotine capsules into it. I know u r probably thinking but you’re still getting a shot of nicotine. The idea is u start on high dose then gradually decrease it. For me it was being able to have something in my fingers and the ‘draw’. It became like my dummy, in fact my dr said exactly that lol. I went everywhere with it just drawing in air. I had to go into hospital for a procedure and forgot to take my dummy with me. I was going mad for it but decided if I could do without it during my 5 day stay I could get rid, which I did. So was finally off my dummy. What I would like to say to you is because of my years of smoking I now suffer with COPD due to smoking. This has affected my life big time, so if you could use this thought that this could happen to you if you don’t stop smoking. Good luck, I know it’s not easy, think of the money you will save and hopefully the sooner you stop the better your chance of not getting COPD. 🤞

[Jock68]

I stopped after my daughter was born, had tried acupuncture and other methods but looking around at all of my Family and knowing that every single one wanted me to stop smoking ( even the other smokers) helped me to get through it. But it does come from within I'm afraid and it is not easy, but once you get there you will find many rewards.

[Dudtbin]

i tried everything, hypnosis, acupuncture, patches, in the end our gp gave me tablets, I can’t remember the name - I didn’t finish the course because i just stopped! I know they aren’t for everyone, can cause depression but they did the job for me. My uncle stopped by putting off having a cigarette for half an hour, then another etc. it worked for him. Good luck it’s very hard.

[Cavalierrubie]

l was a heavy smoker and couldn’t even get up in the night to go to the toilet without lighting up. This was 25 years ago. I decided to give it up and l just stopped. The first three days are the worst. Get through those and its looking good. I kept a packet of cigs.in the cupboard so that l had a choice and knowing they were there helped. Strong peppermint sweets help. I cannot believe to this day how l did it and always say it was divine intervention. If l can do it you can too. Best of luck.

[Mugsy15]

Years ago, at a time when I was a casual, social smoker, I broke my nose playing rugby and it wouldn't stop bleeding. This led me to be lying in the Ear, Nose and Throat ward at Gateshead QE hospital for 3 days and nights. I was surrounded by groaning men dying of cancers caused by smoking. Some were on noisy dialysis beds, some had bits of their face missing, all looked utterly dreadful, with desperate hopelessness in their eyes. It was the seventh circle of hell and I promised myself I would NEVER go back there.

I'd rather cut my own fingers off than touch a cigarette. All school kids should be made to visit wards like that. Yes, they'll be shocked and horrified. And it may well save their lives.

[Karendeena]

Chrissygirl62, I smoked for a long time but the sheer fright of having symptomatic paroxysmal afib inspired me to go cold turkey. I loved my cigarettes and wine but from the day of diagnosis I gave up both!!! It was tough at first but it gets easier and now I don't miss either. Been 3.5 years. Try it, just be determined and say "That cigarette will not beat me".

[Ducky2003]

I was never a heavy smoker, maybe 10-12 per day. One morning, about 14 years ago, I got up and went to have my breakfast of a cigarette and a coffee, decided I didn't want the cigarette, put it back in the packet and haven't touched one since.

I'm lucky, I've had no cravings, patches or anything.

If your health issues don't motivate you, then nothing will but you have to be in the right frame of mind. Best of luck.

[vent]

Try smelling an ashtray!

[Qualipop]

Having a heart attack stops you smoking immediately. It stopped me A bit drastic I know but bear in mind that's what could happen. However, having said and done that, I started again although most of the time I just sit with one in my hand doing nothing. It depends on exactly why you smoke. Is it the hand to mouth act ion? Is it just a habit; is it a genuine craving for nicotine? You need to find a reason for stopping. Some can just stop cold turkey, some need to cut down gradually but all need to find something to replace it. For me it's the hand to mouth action - I've never knitted as much as when stopping smoking, just to occupy my hands. I even tried vaping but there are lots of qu estion marks around that and lung damage. Truly the only way is to just decide you don't want to do it any more. I stopped drinking that way in 1973; have never even thought about alcohol since. Well done for deciding you need to stop. That's the biggest step. Yes it is hard- VERY hard.

[Dee5165]

I guess any recommendation could work. Nothing worked for me at the time so I tried to think of how I could deal with quitting on my own that would be acceptable to me.

I quit smoking but I guess it works on an individual basis. This was my idea and it worked but takes some time.

Every other day, I tried to eliminate one cigarette I had a habit of repeating each day.

For example, a cigarette when having morning coffee, a cigarette when using bathroom, a cigarette at social functions, a cigarette before going to bed, a cigarette after meals, etc.

I left the last evening cigarette to the end of this cycle so I knew at the end of the day I could still look forward to one.

I believe it had taken me a while to build this dependency on nicotine so it will take time for my body to reduce the need for nicotine. The slow reduction helped me cope and eliminated the constant desire for a cigarette.

I let the last nightly cigarette go after 6 weeks of reducing the nicotine in my body. I quit entirely in 1987 and never smoked again.

Hope you try this and any other suggestions on this post. Each day you quit brings you closer to better health and clearer lungs.

[2learn]

get someone to chop one of your fingers off each time you smoke, you'll decide to stop

[Sozo]

Lots of chewing gum and eating sunflower seeds and too it helps immensely if you change up your daily habits some. For example if you are used to having coffee and a cig in the morning. Stop drinking coffee for a while!! Wishing you the best.. 🙏🏻

[joyelane]

I found that taking a very deep breath when the craving started made me feel like that first big inhale of a cigarette which helped me to not light one. I had 2 very vivid dreams during the process where I was at a party and was offered a cigarette which I accepted totally forgetting that I had quit. In my dream, that one cigarette had totally hooked me so that I would have to start the quitting process all over. So glad I quit and although I gained 60 pounds, it was gone within 6 months. Wishing you the best in your battle

[Lenaropes]

My husband substituted regular gum. In the shirt pocket like cigarettes, mouth busy. Worked for him

[1290Duke]

Obviously the hard part is the nicotine addiction and I think many people struggle with the withdrawal of nicotine and end up smoking 'just one more'. As others have suggested, use a vape kit to wean yourself off the nicotine, then ridding yourself of the habit of puffing on something is much much easier.

You can get liquids that taste like tobacco with various levels of nicotine content. Start with one similar to a regular cigarette strength, then reduce the nicotine content every week or two until you are using vape liquid without any nicotine. That's the way I did it and it got me off the habit. If you are interested, send me a PM and I'll send you a link for the kit and online supplier of liquids that I used.

[Suet3942]

Hi Chrissygirl

I was interested in the fact that you have had a cardioversion. 3 weeks ago I had a really bad bout of AF and went to a and e which resulted in a 15 hour stay, a beta blocker and home. I was ok for 24 hours and the same thing happened. My heart rate was going up to 164 and dropping to 35. It was really scary. So back home after a long day/night with a low dose of beta blocker. I was ok for a week then it all happened again and this time they admitted me for 24 hours. Now I’ve got to attend the cardio outpatients in about 8 weeks. This has been so stressful and I feel unwell on the beta blockers. Are you ok now?