Tricia

[Scvkjc]

Went my dr yesterday and he is pretty certain I have copd going for an X-ray and blood tests today . I'm really struggling to give up smoking need advice on the best way to give up.

[Melissa87]

Take whatever help you can get, the electronic cigarettes aren't nhs approved yet but I don't think will be long before they are. Quitting is the most important thing you can do, although easier said than done. Take day by day and before you know it 6 months have past. It might be an idea to suggest to family, friends that you are trying to give up so could they give you some respect and not smoke around you. Hope you nip it in the bud (excuse the pun) it really is the best thing you can do.

[Katinka46]

Really, really hard but vital (word chosen deliberately) that you give up. Good advice from others. Do you have friends who smoke? That will make it harder. But they will support you as it has now become a health matter for you.

All the best. Keep going, if you fail just 're-enter' the discipline.

Banal phrase but true: take each day, one at a time. And build in lots of alternative treats.

K xxx

[corsaking]

When I was told I had copd frightened me to death .I worked in a shop and one of my customers had copd and she kept smoking .It was terrible to watch her coming in to buy her cigs she could not get a breath. You must try hard to stop I used patches.

[Hidden]

Hi there is a quit site on here. Go to my communities, browse other communities and type Quit in the search box and it will come up. x

[Hidden]

Tricia. I smoked for 50 years. Almost died of exacerbation of COPD in November last year. I gave up immediately when the Dr said I would die within 6 months if I didn't stop smoking. That worked for me. Another way is to start walking and exercising every day and you will soon give up smoking. You will get lots of advice from other people here so try everything. Don't give up. You can do it. Then you can tell us how you did it. Got all my bits crossed for you. Gerald,

[Grasso97]

Hi Tricia, try Alan Carrs How to Stop Smoking book, I smoked 30 a day for years and despaired of ever giving up. Don't know if it was just the right nudge at the right time but it helped me a lot, it's a mental thing. Couldn't believe how easy it was....I kick myself that i waited so long. The best of luck to you .x

[maggie1960]

Hi Tricia the book that Grasso97 talks about is responsible for lots of my friends stopping smoking!! I didn't work for me though lol. I use the inhalator the patches and the chewing gum and although the patches were great I had a skin reaction and looked like I had had a really bad skin disease. I then tried, a bit sceptically, the E Cig!! (from Asda not an expensive varp or anything!) My goodness this has worked for me. It is not the same a a cigarette or holding one or anything but I stopped, using just that on the 2nd January 2015 and I haven't had a cigarette since. No one thing works for everyone but these worked for me and honestly it was much easier than I thought it could ever be!!! I had smoked 25 - 30 for 36 years.

I'm fairly new on here and I hope you don't mind me putting in my 2pence worth. Take good care xxxx

[Moi62]

I think it was "farmerd" not sure if that the right name but he posted on here....." If you can do a week you can do it" and that really helped me. It is soooo hard but am convinced it is mental. just keep thinking just a week. You can do it. x x x

[piggi]

Hi. I phoned the NHS stop smoking service. It was great. They made me an appointment that SAME day! Prescribed inhalators, patches - anything I wanted actually. I had a diagnosis of COPD - severe too - so had masses of incentive but somehow seeing the lady from the clinic every week at first was so helpful. More than 4 months now and I'm lucky cos it's stopped my cough completely. I still use the inhalator - 1, sometimes 2 capsules a day. I think I might always use it but it's better than smoking the fags! I was AMAZED by how much extra time I had at first. Couldn't believe how much time I've spent smoking in my life. Not noticing this so much now - and not really thinking about cigarettes nearly as much. I do have friends who smoke - and I notice that they SMELL now unfortunately. Ha ha ha! I just avoid saying anything to them because I don't want to make anyone defensive or sound judgmental or anything. Good luck with it. If you possibly can do it, it's the one most important step you can take towards feeling a bit better. x piggi

[mazinuk]

Hi hun I gave up in January ...it's very hard I know I smoked for 32 years and had to give up I saw the cessation team at my practice and was given champix and weekly councilling I'd say take whatever you are offered I also used an ecig for a few weeks on 0%nicotine just to help a soon as I didn't want a cig I stopped using the ecig good luck with giving up you can do it x

[Lung-]

Hi Tricia, my name is Jaclynn and it was very frustrating to stop so I made up my mind I was no longer going to be a smoker and paid $500.00 to be hypnotized and have never had nor wanted a smoke again. Find a reputable hypnotist specializing in smoking. Much success to you~ that was nearly 8 years ago. Blessings your way!

Jaclynn

[Dragonmum]

One of the toughest things isn't the actual quitting - it's staying quit; I tried everything up to and including hypnosis but always "fell off the wagon" after sometimes as long as 2 years. Then along came the e-cig and after 60+ years smoking I switched overnight. That was 28th Jan. 2010 and have never smoked since; whatever it takes you must get off the ciggies - have great sympathy for you and please stop, it's vital.

[Pantani]

I was in hospital with a really bad chest infection. I was in for 12 days. The consultant told me that I had to stop smoking or I would be back to square 1. That was in March and I havnt touched a cigarette. II just went cold turkey one day at a time. I had smoked for 50 years and can't believe that I managed to stop.

[Hidden in reply to Pantani]

Good for you.

I to smoked for 50 years.

And stopped for the same reason you did...did you lung capacity go up like mine did.

[Pantani]

I am due to have breathing tests in the lab next month so I'll find out then.