Quitting smoking

[Rebecca85]

Just to say it's been over 3 months since I last had a cigarette!

My boyfriend hadn't been doing so well, but it's now been about 3-4 weeks for him. What did the trick for him is an electronic cigarette. It looks like a real one, and when you inhale you get nicotine and tobacco flavour. So it's just like smoking but without the tar and dangerous stuff. You get refills that are different strengths like other nicotine replacement products, so you wean off gradually. It seems expensive to buy initially, but soon pays for itself (smoking a 20 pack a day at UK prices, it would pay for itself after about a week!).

Thought it was worth sharing, in case anyone else was trying to quit and was struggling.

 

[Misty-Eyed]

It's not intellicig by any chance? I have one on my desk from where we've been doing some work for the company that makes them. They look very realistic.

Congrats on being cig free! Hopefully you've been starting to notice the difference for not smoking! Keep it up!

 

[Jessica]

Congrats on quitting! And for staying that way for so long. I'm still smoking. But I'm okay with it now. One of these days I'll want to quit and hopefully will. Are you doing the electronic cig thing too, or just him?

 

[sawdust]

Good job, Rebecca! I know it's really hard, but keep it up. You can do it! Besides all the "normal" reasons to quit, do expect that it will make a difference in your Crohn's symptoms?

And, thank you for all the hard work you put into the forum wiki. I haven't had an opportunity to thank you before.

 

[chrisnsteph1022]

Good for you! I've thought about getting one of those ecigs.

 

[Rebecca85]

Thank you guys! I'm afraid to say I haven't really noticed a difference healthwise, but then I cut down drastically in January (down to a couple a week) so it's been more of a gradual thing than him. And no, I'm not using any replacement products. One thing I did notice was once I stopped smoking regularly, the occasional cigarette would make my stomach twinge, or send me to the toilet, or even make me nauseous.

Misty- it's not the intellicig, it's nicocig. Same idea, but we chose the nicocig because it has the refills with just flavour, no nicotine in. Which means he can quit the nicotine and still have the 'comfort' of the smoking action, rather than having to give up the electronic cigarette cold turkey (if you see what I mean!)

 

[Crohns10]

That's great Rebecca! Quiting smoking is a very hard thing to do. I quit about three years ago, but I use the committ lozenges, they worked really well from me. I don't know how you are doing it without any replacement product!!! My husband is still trying to quit he will do really well for quite a few months and then start again. He is trying the committ lozenges this time, hopefully it works as well for him as it did for me. Anyway, congrats I think it truly is a great accomplishment to quit smoking!

 

[glum chump]

Congratulations, Rebecca! I'll have three months smoke free next week, but unlike you (I'm not as brave as you!), I used the nicotine patch for the first ten weeks. I don't physically crave the cigarettes, but I socially/emotionally still crave them, particularly when I'm having a bad day.

The electronic cigarettes are intriguing---I had considered them, but hadn't done enough research on them when it came time to quit (I was getting an ileostomy, and wanted to have some quitting time under my belt before surgery). If I feel myself weakening and considering smoking again, I will look up the electronic cigarettes.

Thanks for the tip, Rebecca, and congratulations to all the others who have quit--it's HARD!

Cheers,

Kismet

 

[Rebecca85]

I don't think I was ever physically addicted to the nicotine. However I was addicted to the oral aspect. I am the typical 'orally fixated' person- I bite my nails, suck on pens, even chew my tongue!

 

[AndiGirl]

That's good news Rebecca! I am not a smoker, but I wish Scott would seriously try to quit.

 

[fromthegut]

There are times when I have had a cigarette. Like was said it is a social emotion thing for me. I definitely noticed that it moved my bowels !!

 

[archie]

I stopped smoking when I was diagnosed hadn't had one til about 3 weeks ago had a few on holiday and it definitely caused a few bowel probs the next day, I've def decided never again not even socially...