Looking for advice

[OZCUBAN]

Hi all

Don't really know where to begin on this thread, i guess Fear would encompass this thread,so lets cut to the chase.

apart from being a Cigar smoker/Lover for a good many years, alas i have also been a Cigarette smoker as well , for possibly longer the Irony in this is i actually started smoking on cigars, not the ones i enjoy today but the smaller cheaper ones,it took me a while to see the light

Everybody knows that smoking might not be the most healthiest pastime especially if you believe half of the smoking/fun police's rhetoric But i have always believed that Cigars were and are the safer option mainly because of the benefits that cannot show up in research and i really enjoy them

But back to the main topic i have been told by my to stop the cigarettes (quiet sometime ago i might add ) I have tried numerous times to stop sometimes for quiet awhile any how i have been given this drug Champix which is meant to be really good for people who want to stop,

but i am worried that it might also Kill my desire for Cigars or at the very least damage my palate/taste

I was wondering if any other members might have had a similar or the same experience and what i might be install for

As far as the cigars go "out of my cold dead hand "

How do you give up one without the other

Thanking you for your time

Cheers Oz

[Habanos2000]

Oz

I've never been a cigarette smoker, so I'm not an authority on your particular situation. But as far as my cigar smoking is concerned, I smoke because I enjoy the many facets of delight I find a cigar delivers; relaxation, concentration, great flavor, etc. I don't smoke cigars and don't feel my desire to smoke a cigar comes from the need for nicotene. So I would say that if you're not smoking cigars to get a nicotene rush, I don't see your desire to enjoy them diminishing because of this med.

good luck with it!

H2k

[OZCUBAN]

Cheers

[maalouly]

Mate dont' rely on any 3rd party medication to quit. It's all in your own will and power to stop. I used to smoke heavily 7 years ago, and one day I just decided to stop. I had to find a replacement to the puffing, as necotine will leave your body within 24 to 48 hours, so the addiction isnt' really the necotine it's more the addiciton to the habit especially, that cigarette after a good meal.

So I replaced my habit with sucking on lolipops, I used 55 lolipops and had to go to the dentist but it was bloody worth it. I now can look at a cigarette and not be slightly intersted.

Most importantly you have to be ready to quit, no one else can tell you to do so.

Good luck and I reckon you can do it on your own.

Cheers,

Elie.

[OZCUBAN]

Mate dont' rely on any 3rd party medication to quit. It's all in your own will and power to stop. I used to smoke heavily 7 years ago, and one day I just decided to stop. I had to find a replacement to the puffing, as necotine will leave your body within 24 to 48 hours, so the addiction isnt' really the necotine it's more the addiciton to the habit especially, that cigarette after a good meal.

So I replaced my habit with sucking on lolipops, I used 55 lolipops and had to go to the dentist but it was bloody worth it. I now can look at a cigarette and not be slightly intersted.

Most importantly you have to be ready to quit, no one else can tell you to do so.

Good luck and I reckon you can do it on your own.

Cheers,

Elie.

Thanks Mate for your sound advice

[Bartolomeo]

I smoked socially for a couple of years b/c I thought I looked cool .............just playing

I got on Wellbutrin and it worked for me. It is a anti-depressant but is prescribed to help you stop the craving of smoking. It doesnt take the place of nicotine.

1. You start the pills and continue to smoke normally

2. As days go by, you desire cigs less and less

3. I did this at the same time I was getting into cigars so it didnt mess with my cigar habits

4. Eventually your done wanting a cigarette and you stop taking the pills

5. It took me 6 days to quit

BOTTOM LINE: You are going to want to have to quit or nothing will ever work, it all starts with you

Bart

P.S..............Nobody likes quitters

[Shelby07]

Today is day 118 without a cigarette, but who's counting?? Did it cold turkey without resorting to any stopsmoking products.

A few months back my buddy had a 2nd heart attack in 5 years. It scared me enough to stop smoking. Curiously, he's still puffing away. I truly believe the next one will kill him.

Anyway, the first week was miserable. I was irritable, coughed up lots and lots of "lung butter" but I was determined to quit. After about a week I just seemed to stop thinking about it.

I think the trick was that I went through a bunch of "what if" scenarios before I quit. My wife is a smoker, so it was hard, but I asked myself "What an I going to do when she lights up?" or "What if I am at a store all by myself and I just want to buy a pack to have just one? Who's gonna know?" or "What if everyone around me is smoking and I want to bum a cigarette?" There were a lot more scenarios I went through before I quit, but you get the idea. You need to plan for it and have a contingency for as many situations as you can think of. Come up with your response while you're still thinking clearly. The physical symptoms will go away after a few days. Just treat it like a cold... it'll be gone in a week or 2. The big thing is mentally preparing yourself for the times you will be tempted and having an answer for as many scenarios as you can think up. I have completely lost any cravings but every once in a while I think about having a cigarette to be social, or just because. Even now, 4 months later, those scenarios pop into my head. I have to say that the most helpful one was "just wait 10 minutes." I usually forget about it by then.

The other thing I did was warn everyone around me that I was going to be a miserable SOB (well, more miserable than usual) for a few days, so just ignore me when I turn into a raging pri#k!

As a pleasant side effect I find that I actually get a lot more pleasure from a cigar now.

Good luck. I'll be rooting for you!

[bunburyist]

Shelby's right - suffer the effects of withdrawal whilst they last but your body will learn to live without them soon enough. Anyone can go cold turkey for a few weeks, it's almost a fun experiment. After that it really comes down to your own motivation I think.

If the only motivation is fear of illness....that might be enough. Might be good to have some positive reasons for doing it though, whatever they might be for you.

Cigarettes suck. I smoke them about as often as I stumble into a mcdonalds or whatever - about 1 or 2 every few months.....and every time I regret it. Cheap nasty tobacco with all sorts of chemicals going right to the bottom of your lungs. Aftertaste is rank and the smell is pretty nasty.

Occasional cigars, if we're honest, should give all of us all the nicotine we'll ever need, if we to feed the addiciton.

Do it mate!

[OZCUBAN]

Thanks guys for all your sage advice will take it on board,the fact that i am strapped to a heart monitor as we speak is my motivation(just palpitations nothing to serious i hope ) to young for a h/attack i am only same age as Rob

I will get through this and if the cigars do actually taste better that is a real plus

Cheers Oz

[OZCUBAN]

I might add h/monitor is for precautionary purposes better safe than sorry ,only mild but get your attention

could be any number of things stress etc etc

cheers

[OZCUBAN]

Btw love the avatar best i've seen says a lot

[Fuzz]

Whatever you do Oz, if all else fails, you can always attach electrodes to your plums to control your cravings. It may not be the most effective way, nor the most pleasant, but it will sure make you stop... or turn impotent

Good luck on chucking the habit!

[samb]

The first time I tried to quit smoking, they prescribed my Chantix. In my opinion, Chantix doesnt work, at least I couldnt handle it. The medication works by blocking nicotine receptors in your brain, so when you smoke, the nicotine cant get into your brain (at least in its simplest terms). Let me tell you, Chantix definitely blocks the nicotine receptors, lol. It works so well that cigarettes start to taste terrible and you WILL NOT ENJOY SMOKING, but I still wanted nicotine. However, IMO, Chantix is kind of like quitting cold turkey, in that you may still crave nicotine, but even if you smoke, the cigarette wont do anything for you. You can smoke and smoke and smoke, but it just wont give you that nicotine effect. The Chantix gave me nausea after taking it and it gave my very strange (to say the least) dreams, which are both very common side effects. I stopped taking Chantix after a month, because I couldnt take the sickness and cravings.

Lo and behold, I got a major scare and decided to quit for good... I was prescribed Wellbutrin (bupropin, I think) and as Bart said, this is an anti-depressant, and it works by taking the desire to smoke away (its strange, actually, lol). It works as Bart described... As I took the medication, I gradually just lost the desire to smoke cigarettes, I didnt have cravings because I didnt want a cigarette, at ALL!!!!!

About the Chantix... I think depending on how many cigars you smoke, you may notice a change in the taste of them. I noticed that after smoking a cigar, I actually had the nicotine sickness, and it was a mild cigar, and it didnt taste quite as delicious. If you can quit with Chantix, more power to you, it does work, but its really tough.

However, if you cant quit with Chantix, I would recommend Wellbutrin. **My insurance doesnt cover Zyban which is (generic) bupropion, is commonly prescribed solely as a smoking cessation. Wellbutrin on the other hand is covered by my insurance and it has the same generic bupropion, but it is prescribed for depression. These are the same meds.** As I was quitting cigarettes with Wellbutrin, I became extremely obsessed with cigars. I smoked them before, but was primarily cigarettes, and as I lost the desire to smoke cigarettes I began to learn everything I could about cigars. Taking the cigar hobby to the next level took my mind off of cigarettes and I just didnt want to smoke them.

Good luck to you in your quest. Its not easy, but it can be done. You have to want to quit and you will. You will feel better!! Another tip is to read, read, read. Read everything you can about the effects of cigarettes and the benefits of quitting. Quitting smoking tips are useful, because IMO knowledge is KEY!!

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[fugwumpy]

As others have stated, you have to want to quit for it to stick. For me it came down to my stubbornness.

Smoked for about 21yrs. 1 pack/day for about 19ish of those.

My Dad and his twin both developed cancer (bladder and esophagus, respectively) and the doctors blamed it on smoking for both cases(which I don't necessarily agree with). I had been tired of paying the higher prices for some time, so this got me thinking a little harder about quitting... One day I was out of smokes and headed to the store to get another carton. The aisle leading to the counter carried all the cessation meds, so I stopped and read some of the boxes along the way. After checking out a few I did some quick math to see what it was going to cost me... then I thought "just for the opportunity to quit!?!" and surprisingly blurted "Oh, Hell No!" and walked out.

The next day ~ day and a half, I was pretty lethargic, but after that it was just getting around the habit of having one at certain times of the day. When I got in the car, after meals, with coffee/drinks (still drives me nuts sometimes!), etc... I gotta say, I still miss them, because I really enjoyed smoking, but I'm glad I'm not hooked/dependent on them anymore. Coming up on 5yrs, so I guess either my mule-headedness is too strong for the craving or cigars were just enough to keep me away.

Anyway, best of luck to you!

[rcsims]

To come from a medical perspcetive (I am a pharmacist), it is always best to avoid medications and attempt to quit cold turkey. You have received a lot of good advice and factual information on this thread, both with and without medications. Some people can easily quit cold turkey, but the majority cannot. I chew Skoal, and I know that I would have a difficult time trying to quit cold turkey. Medications can be very effective and give a person relief of the cravings or the extra comfort that is needed to be successful.

With that being said, both Chantix (varenicline) and Wellbutrin (Zyban, bupropion) are powerful medications. They are NOT without side effects. In some cases, the side effects can be very significant. I would recommend that you do a little research on the internet about these meds. Then talk it over with your doctor. In the end, the decision and the commitment is up to you. Feel free to PM me if you have any specific question, however, I am not going say what you should do.

As for your question about enjoying cigars... at least while you are on one of these meds, you will likely find very little, or no, enjoyment in any nicotine-containing product. I would expect that once the medication is discontinued, a person's enjoyment of cigars would return (but, no guarantee!)

Wish you luck!

[OZCUBAN]

Thanks guys

Once again really good advice,i will get through this and hopefully the Cigars will taste much sweeter because of it,an added bonus of the money i will be saving means more to spend on cigars

once again cheers guys

Oz

[MIKA27]

Hi OZ!

What a predicament you have here hey, kinda like an old Western showdown between Cigarettes and Cigars.

I myself am not and have never smoked cigarettes, they are complete filth in my opinion, the smell of chemicals etc let alone what part of all that goes into ones body horrifies me!

My father used to smoke a pack of 50's per day and smoked for over 40 years. He attempted cold turkey and believe it or not, succeeded for almost 2 years before being at a party where friends of his (Some friends) coaxed him into lighting up. Thereafter, he continued smoking.

Approximately 1 year thereafter, my father went to his doctor and was prescribed Zyban and believe it or not, once taking it, he completely stopped 100% and today, does not smoke a cigarette let alone crave one and that was 5 years ago.

Heres a link for more info: http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/b...le/gwczyban.pdf

I however would recommend you try cold turkey mate as tablets/medication are just more chemicals in your body and I think a strong will (Easier said than done) win this battle.

I would not imagine your cigar smoking would suffer as again and as mentioned by many on this thread, cigar smoking is an experience which encompasses many facets, almost like when one enjoys a great bottle of wine or a meal. Cigars are all about relaxation, enjoyment and appreciation of your time with a great stogie, appreciating the array of flavours etc.

I hope you win this battle mate over the dreaded cigarette, keep me posted.

[OZCUBAN]

Cheers mate

Hopefully the score card will read Cigarettes 0 Cigars 1

I was over them years ago (just an addictive personality )

Cheers Oz

[LeafLover]

Let's be real. You are not gonna quit until you damn ready. I.e. two georgeous brazilian broads who swear they will be your wives/sex slaves if you quit cigarettes or you have a serious health problem. Do what you do and deal with the consequences. Life is short, especially when you only have one.

[samb]

*BUMP*

Hows it goin with quitting OzCuban?

[reg]

Not sure how it went, but I have a question. I'm not a cigarette smoker, so maybe I'm clueless, but if you still wanted to smoke cigars wouldn't that ease the nicotine withdrawal so that you wouldn't miss the cigs? If that were the case, not sure a medication would be any use? Or maybe since cigs are a more often ritual through the day the cigars wouldn't be enough. anyway, hope you survived

[Martindelmundo]

I smoked socially for a couple of years b/c I thought I looked cool .............just playing

I got on Wellbutrin and it worked for me. It is a anti-depressant but is prescribed to help you stop the craving of smoking. It doesnt take the place of nicotine.

1. You start the pills and continue to smoke normally

2. As days go by, you desire cigs less and less

3. I did this at the same time I was getting into cigars so it didnt mess with my cigar habits

4. Eventually your done wanting a cigarette and you stop taking the pills

5. It took me 6 days to quit

BOTTOM LINE: You are going to want to have to quit or nothing will ever work, it all starts with you

Bart

P.S..............Nobody likes quitters

I agree 100%. I did the same with wellbutrin and lost any urge for a cigarette but keep enjoying a cigar. I have always enjoyed a cigar for the flavour and the time for relaxing but with cigarettes I never enjoyed the taste and just used them as a vehicle to introduce nicotine into my body. And I'm happy I don't smoke that **** anymore. You can do it.