Ex smokers.....post your quit date. 5-2-2005.

[a kennedy]

Gonna be 13 years in two days.

[applegrove]

1. June 2008. Almost 10 years.

[a kennedy]

4. Congratulations.....

[applegrove]

11. You too. Hardest quit I ever did.

[Historic NY]

2. April 2006

Dr's ran a scan last year to completely check my lungs. No signs of any degeneration.

[a kennedy]

5. Good for you.......

I worry about all sorts of lung stuff......hope it never happens.

[applegrove]

14. You know that lungs do repair themselves when you have quit. But I hear

You. I had a lung xray this year and a tiny bit of me was afraid it would show something.

[Laffy Kat]

3. I know exactly: 8/8/88!

It's been a while. I still have dreams that I've blown it and I wake up so relieved.

[a kennedy]

6. What a great date....good for you.

[Laffy Kat]

8. Well, good for you TOO!

[Jane Austin]

23. Me, too.

I think I'm such a failure and then I realize it was just a dream.

Whew.

[sharp_stick]

7. Kind of a educated guess

around March, 1999. I don't remember the exact dates because I'd quit so many times I gave up making a big deal out of it. I remember after about 5 weeks or so actually thinking this might be the one.

[a kennedy]

18. So happy you did quit, and dates don't really mean anything......it's just

I think such an accomplishment.

[secondwind]

9. August 1983... 35 years now.

[a kennedy]

19. Hooray......and wow.....good for you

[Laffy Kat]

10. Do you ever want them again?

I don't. I can no longer stand the smell, even. I do still have dreams that I've started back, though, and I'm always so relieved when I wake up.

[a kennedy]

21. No, because if one of those damn cancer tubes touches my lips, I'd be right back

at it. I’d have to get a job just to pay for my smoking habit......yikes they’re so expensive now.

[Squinch]

156. To quit, I had to tell myself that I would let myself start up again when I was 80. But 17 years

later and decades shy of 80, I know I won't ever smoke again.

[MuseRider]

12. I cannot remember

because it took me so many times over so many years to finally do it. I am content not remembering although nobody believes me but I never thought it would take because I never wanted to quit.

Been at least 25+ years with one oops in the middle that was controlled by the lozenges, thank god for them.

[a kennedy]

22. Don't care how many times it took you, just so proud you did.

[MuseRider]

68. Hey!

Thanks. It is really hard but it finally took. Today, I really do not want to smoke but occasionally I will get a nicotine craving. It seems odd after all these years but probably is fairly common. It is gone quickly this far out.

[liberalmuse]

13. 6/29/1998

Wow, it just occurred to me it's been almost 20 years!

[a kennedy]

24. Yeehaa......now that's something to be proud of......

Good for you.

[onecaliberal]

15. 1/29/2006

[a kennedy]

25. Good for you......

[onecaliberal]

33. Thanks. It was hard as hell to quit.

[Wellstone ruled]

16. 5/4/2004,

5:30 am. Cold Turkey after 42 years of pack plus a day. Some day's three packs. Down side was,food taste's so darn good. BTW,chest x-ray two years later,pink lungs once again. No more Colds or Flu.

[a kennedy]

26. Pink is such a great color......

Congratulations......

[Wellstone ruled]

32. Thank you,it feels so good.

[Wounded Bear]

17. IIRC, Thanksgiving weekend 1977

Was a while ago.

[a kennedy]

27. Yikes, gonna be 41 years this Thanksgiving......

[Jane Austin]

20. October, 1984.

Too hard to ever do it again.

You gotta just do it, and then you're through!

[a kennedy]

28. I know, hardest thing I ever did......

and good for you, congratulations.

[shenmue]

29. 2003

[KT2000]

30. All of them???

[iwillalwayswonderwhy]

31. February 18, 2018

It’s getting better

[Crutchez_CuiBono]

34. Jan. 1st, 2012

A glad day it was too.

[tirebiter]

35. I never quit

Because I never started.

[pbmus]

36. 2/13/1976...46 years and change....best decision I ever made...

[hlthe2b]

40. Wow... that's a pretty harsh statement. I've never smoked either, but I understand addiction.

It isn't just a matter of whether you are "strong" or not. Addiction changes brain chemistry.

[madamesilverspurs]

38. 03-17-2001

Amazes me what they're selling for these days, last pack I bought was $1.30 and that seemed outrageous; they were 29c when I started.



.

[a kennedy]

55. I could get smokes for .27 at our VA hospital.......

I started smoking when I was 18, I know how stupid......get passed the "formidable" early teen years, and start at 18. Hate to say it was 37 years of smoking.

[Canoe52]

39. 1985 can't remember the month, laid the pack I had down, and thank god I never picked it up again.

A pack cost 45 cents when I started, $3.85 a carton if I remember right.

[Itchinjim]

41. 2-11-2001

Must have quit one hundred times before this one stuck. Lesson for those trying to stop: Never quit quitting.

[left-of-center2012]

42. 26 years ago

winter of 1992

[Behind the Aegis]

43. 4/4/2014

Congrats to you!

[airmid]

44. 4/1/2006

[a kennedy]

92. Ha ha, a April Fools quitter......sorry, that really didn't come out correctly.

Last edited Tue May 1, 2018, 09:23 PM - Edit history (1)

Just so happy you’re off the terrible habit. Good for you.

[KPN]

118. Great day to quit. See post 75 below

about 2 other April Fool's Day quitters.

[LSFL]

45. March 2012

Had a little spot on my chest xray. It turned out to be an artifact, but it scared me so bad I quit after 15 years of smoking.

[katmondoo]

46. November 1999

[Runningdawg]

47. One month today

and yet every min of every hour I think about lighting up. This thread is giving me a major fit right now. Still waiting to see those benefits I was told would be almost immediate....no improvement in smell or taste, my BP is up by 15 points and my Dr who said the insomnia and nightmares would go away in a week was wrong, they have gotten worse.
So REALISTICALLY, from former smokers, when will I start being glad I am doing this?

[Tobin S.]

52. Keep going.

I stopped having the cravings after a couple of months. This is how much money I've saved since I quit smoking almost 6 years ago: $20,903.66. Your blood pressure will improve. You are just stressed right now. If you need further instruction, look up what it's like to have emphysema.

[bluecollar2]

53. Hang in there

I had a hard time quitting and I understand exactly what you are going through


I found it helpful to drink a large glass of water each time the craving came on. Not sure why but I think it was a way to satisfy a craving.

A friend told me she substituted grapes.

It took awhile for the occasional urge to go away, but the constant craving subsided over time.

Eventually you will begin to notice the benefits...the ability to breathe deeply being the best one.

Hang in there...it is tough but it can be done.

[Submariner]

54. 4/9/16

Just 2 years ago after 52 years of smoking 1 to 1 1/2 packs a day.

Follow Tobin S. advice. Keep going. The craves will end soon. Hang in there you will be glad you did soon.

[a kennedy]

56. We've all been there......and can only tell you, you will get passed it.

So proud of you, and it WILL BE ONE OF THE HARDEST decisions you'll EVER make. Keep with it, the time will go by. From a former smoker, you will be glad when you live long enough without health problems caused by smoking. Your family, and friends will have you around longer and healthier then if you didn't quit. HANG IN THERE. It's been a month.......I PROMISE IT WILL GET BETTER.

[Glorfindel]

61. Two or three months...and in about six months you'll suddenly realize:

"I actually feel good!" Please, hang in there. I know how hard it is, but truly it is worth it! For some reason, drinking lots of water helped me with the craving.

[Crutchez_CuiBono]

67. Any time now.

Try to relax and go for a walk. Hopefully, you can see immediate results like not hacking up questionable stuff in the shower everyday, and not having everything smell like smoke. Wash your jacket etc so you aren't reminded when you put it on everyday. It's a great new thing you've done. Congratulations!

[Runningdawg]

69. About the smell..

I do what I can. My husband smokes 3 packs a day. Every single member of my family smokes.

[MuseRider]

70. One day at a time as they say.

You will feel it soon I would imagine. Were you coughing? Are you still and is it as bad and as nasty? Try a quick walk down the block. Could you do that before and/or is it better? Awwww, I am sorry you are not feeling it yet. That has to make it hard to stay quit. It will come I promise. Even if you never really feel that much better you have to know your body will be SO much better for it. If nothing else think of the money. Man, when I quit it was cheap compared to now, it must really help to quit now. Think of that, it should really add up.

BP is likely up because of the stress of quitting. I never heard about nightmares with smoking, that sounds odd to me and as for insomnia, well that just happens to some of us I think. All of those things getting worse can be caused by the stress. It REALLY stresses your mind and body to quit.

Deep breaths, water really does help. I pictured some asshole sitting in a large and beautiful office behind a large and beautiful desk rocking back in his plush leather chair with his cowboy boots (dunno why that) on the top of his desk drinking a big shot of whiskey and chuckling to his board about all the money they were making off the stupid addicts who kept smoking. That helped me when the keeping going got hard.

Much luck to you. It is so nice not to have to worry if you have enough with you or if there will be a place you can smoke (that was never a problem when I was smoking). Think ahead.

[liberaltrucker]

84. Good advice for both of us

[rurallib]

94. What helped me quit was taking 10 deep breaths when I wanted a smoke

the cravings went away -
This was long before any commercial aids for quitting.
Heard it on the radio one day in 1974 - I was done smoking shortly after that.

[progree]

119. I started feeling comfortable at about 8 weeks as far as urges/desires to smoke

So REALISTICALLY, from former smokers, when will I start being glad I am doing this?

As for physical, energy, smell, taste and all that, I don't think I noticed a difference (all that was 20 years ago). But I was about a 3 pack a week smoker (or about 1/2 pack a day). I think the ones who feel big physical benefits when they quit are ones who are like 2 packs/day.

But it is really worth it! I craved smoking a lot more in my smoking days than I did even a month after quitting, let alone years after when I have no interest at all, maybe a rare little moment of slight desire. Far far less intense and far far less frequent than all the other desires I deal with -- I want a whopper with cheese. i wanta take a nap. I wanta pee. i wanta I wanta do something other than what I'm doing .

[applegrove]

126. After 3 or 4 months I never craved. At all. Even when I see a cigarette

lit I don't want one. Keep going.

[lunatica]

144. It helps if you take a deep breath like when you inhale when you smoked

You’ll feel that “hit” in your lungs.

Just remember that if you haven’t given in within a month, then you have already won the worst battle. Try doing things that you didn’t used to do when you smoked. If you never smoked while taking a walk, then take a walk when the craving hits you. Try to avoid things that trigger the urge. All these can be resumed once your cravings start going away.

One day very soon you’ll surprise yourself because you haven’t thought of smoking for many hours. Then that will turn into days.

Congratulate yourself every time you resist successfully.

Good luck, and remember that most of us quit many times before we were successful.

[WhiteTara]

48. August 1981

[Tobin S.]

49. 7/5/12. I don't miss it at all, and stopped missing it within a couple of months of quitting.

A lot of people seem to think that they are going to feel terrible and feel those cravings forever. It goes away, and probably will sooner than you think if you can just hang in there.

[bluecollar2]

50. 7/10/2010...n/t

[get the red out]

51. Sometime in April of 1997

[Trueblue Texan]

57. March 24, 1989

Best decision I ever made. Life opened up after I gave up smoking 3 packs a day. Honestly.

[a kennedy]

60. I hear ya.......a normal work day it was a pack and a half, get to the weekends and it was at least

3 packs a day, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.......wow, just can't imagine doing that now. Was shocked when all the bars and restaurants wouldn't allow smoking. How far we've come, smokers are looked on with distain now. Who knew. Congratulations on quitting and welcome to the club.....

[Jake Stern]

58. April 2012

Smoked for 19 years.

[Glorfindel]

59. I don't remember the exact date, but it was summer of 1993

The nicotine patches did the trick! It will soon be 25 years, and I have never regretted it.

[a kennedy]

62. I took Wellbutrin, really helped with the anxiety.......

Not even sure if it's available now. 25 years....wow, good for you, and congratulations.

[lunatica]

145. Chantix is wellbutrin

In 1995 I was in a double blind clinical study to see if Wellbutrin could help people stop smoking. They told us that when they did a clinical study of Wellbutrin as an antidepressant a bunch of the subjects claimed it took their urge to smoke away and they were able to quit.

It worked.

[a kennedy]

146. Damn right it worked.....

and thanks for this.

[blue neen]

153. Actually, Chantix is not Wellbutrin.

The brand name form of Wellbutrin (generic--Bupropion) used for smoking cessation is Zyban. The generic name of Chantix, on the other hand, is Varenicline.

Chantix and Zyban are both effective in helping people to quit smoking. They just work in different ways.

The important thing is that you were able to quit. I worry so much about my son. He hasn't been able to beat it yet.

[lunatica]

154. Thanks for the correction

I stand corrected.

Quitting smoking was the best thing I ever did for myself. Funny that every once in a while, out of the blue I suddenly get a ravenous urge for a cigarette that really surprises me but just as quickly the urge goes away by itself. I figure it’s just a ghost knee jerk flare up of some dormant synaps that flashes for a few seconds.

[ADX]

63. April 2003...

[Tikki]

64. January 15th, 2004

I had quit at least 2 times before. Once for a couple years. But in early 2004,
I actually knew this time it was for good.

Tikki

[MaryMagdaline]

65. December 1987

[Bayard]

66. 1984

When I was married the first time. Started running.

Have always wondered if that's when my asthma and chronic bronchitis started. I only smoked 4 years, while I worked at Philip Morris. All the free cigs you could smoke, and a carton a week for management. I did it to try and stay awake, working 3rd shift, and trying to go to school during the day.

[liberaltrucker]

71. 3/26/2018

Still struggling.

[a kennedy]

74. Holy crap liberaltrucker......ya gotta hang in there....you're only a rookie on

this no longer a smoker journey. It’s so hard but if you really want to quit, you WILL prevail. One day at a time.....read all the suggestions here. We all understand what you’re going through. Do different things with your hands......I found that when I was driving, I moved my hands from where I used to drive, while holding a cigarette, to another place on the wheel. It was odd having both hands on the wheel AND in a different place, but gradually it worked. Be conscience of when you did smoke and change that behavior. So proud and hoping you can do this. Keep positive, treat yourself, never give in, AND you will kick this horrible habit.

[liberaltrucker]

75. I plan to

Each day it gets a bit better. Getting hooked on peppermint
Life Savers, though! Yeah, I know what you mean about
the hands.

[Runningdawg]

80. I've only got 2 weeks on you

I used a dead e-cig for a while. Just to have something to hold in my hand and occasionally put in my mouth. Then I chewed on straws. I went through a box of those in no time at all. Finally about 2 weeks in, I was able to give up the hand-to-mouth habit. Lots of people suggested candy and gum but I didn't want to replace one habit with another. Watching TV or a movie is hard and believe it or not, I don't like popcorn. During those time I find a bowl of dry Cheerios does the trick.

[justgamma]

81. I used Scope breath spray.

Candy didn't help because if you inhaled you'd choke. Spraying a breath spray allowed me to inhale and felt like smoking and it gave me something to do with my hands. After a couple of weeks, I didn't even need that.

Smoked for 40 years and quit 7/23/2015. The Scope and deep breathing took away my cravings. I never struggled. I swear by Scope.

[liberaltrucker]

83. Thanks for the tip!

[Squinch]

157. You can do it. It only takes a short time till the worst of it is over. Hang in there.

It's such a relief to know that you aren't killing your lungs every day.

[Floyd R. Turbo]

72. 04/29/76 👍🏻

[Kaleva]

73. Spring of 2013 or 2014

[dameatball]

76. September of1988

Oops......made a typo the first time

[BarbaRosa]

77. Sometime in '73 or '74.

[KPN]

78. April 1, 1978 ...

I remember because my Dad had told me the year before that he quit (successfully after about 30 years of smoking I might add) on April 1st so that he could be reminded that he'd be A FOOL if he ever smoked another cigarette. Yup, he chose April Fool;'s Day for that purpose. Worked for him, and it worked for me a year later! Haven't had a smoke since!

[a kennedy]

88. Good for you.....and what a fun day to quit.....you could always fall back on it and say....

April Fools, but so happy you quit....congratulations.

[KPN]

117. Thanks. Same to you.

[Nictuku]

79. 3/16/18

Over 40 years a smoker

[NWmountainman]

82. Quit last year..

10-15-2017 I still want one, but I'm hard headed...

[a kennedy]

91. Good for you, best thing you could ever have done for your body, family and friends.

[Jake Stern]

98. Six years on and I still occasionally crave a smoke

Especially when I'm really stressed out.

[HeartachesNhangovers]

85. Over 50 years. My aunt gave me one to "try" when

I was 5 or so. I gave it up after that.

[a kennedy]

89. So glad you didn't get hooked.......I know it was that buzz that got me......

[Gidney N Cloyd]

86. April 16, 2002

It was weekday. I pissed off so many people at work there simply was no turning back. They'd never have put up with me a second time.

[ploppy]

87. 2002

It gets easier and I found there was just more time for other things. I spent a lot of time smoking, planning for smoking and making sure I always had my smoking things with me.

[Worried senior]

90. Three years ago

May 11.

[a kennedy]

93. and one of the best decisions you've ever made.

Congratulations

[rurallib]

95. Some time in 1974

did deep breathing as I mentioned in a post above - the logic being that smokers only breathe deeply when they inhale and it is actually the deep breaths they miss.

It worked.

[progree]

96. 10-18-97 (20 1/2 years)

Congratulations to you and everyone else that has quit the nicobeast.

[UTUSN]

97. 1996, upon being diagnosed with cardiac/whatever.

[a kennedy]

100. Cardiac/whatever??? I hope you're ok.....

congratulations on quitting.....hope your health is good.

[UTUSN]

114. Hah!1 Well, I'm 71 & still here, quitting smoking helped, thanks!1

[bluestarone]

99. October 1988

After many attempts!

[a kennedy]

101. Good for your success in quitting.....have said before who cares how many times......

AS LONG AS YOUR NOT A SMOKER NOW.

[bluestarone]

102. TY

Also CONGRATS on your quitting!!!!!

[hay rick]

103. January 1, 1980.

Also gave up smoking on July 19, 1975. That lasted about a week.

[a kennedy]

105. An original New Year's resolution quit.......awesome....

good for you.

[hay rick]

116. Interesting thing about this thread...

Decades later, a lot of people still know the exact day they quit. It's a big thing.

[Hoyt]

104. Last and final time-- 1993.

[a kennedy]

106. Woohoo.....and it took. Congratulations

[lkinwi]

107. 9/18/2001

The last cigarette of my last pack was supposed to be on the way to work on the morning of 9/11, but the twin towers happened and I decided to wait a week. Then I went cold turkey with lots of Creme Savers.

[a kennedy]

131. OMGOSH....I damn near started again on 9-11......

But so proud of you getting through THAT and quit later. Congratulations....

[TheDebbieDee]

108. May 17, 2003! I used hypnosis and I would recommend it to EVERYONE before

Chantix and all the other smoking cessation medications...

[a kennedy]

129. I did hypnosis too, but it didn't help me......but i've heard it does.

So happy it did it for you, and thank gawd you’ve quit.

[Sampan]

109. Dec. 7, 1995. Used pneumonia to quit. Wouldn't recommend it.

[voteearlyvoteoften]

110. 7-13-84

[wryter2000]

111. 9/1/1990

Long time ago

[WheelWalker]

112. May 14, 2003. Date of my coronary.

[a kennedy]

136. OMGOSH WheelWalker........

sad that’s why you quit, but so proud of you. Hope you’re in good health now.....

[doc03]

113. November 22,1981 nt

[BlueSpot]

115. August 31, 2014

I vaped through May of 2015, slowly reducing my nicotine content as I went. But August 31 was my last real tobacco cigarette.

[zanana1]

120. I quit 20 years ago.

I don't know the exact date, but it was cold outside. I still crave a cigarette every once in a while. I try to stay away from people who are smoking because the smell is a trigger!

[Luciferous]

121. 1/24/2007

[argyl]

122. April 9th,1984.

[Homer Wells]

123. May of 1987

No urge to smoke since I quit

[ailsagirl]

124. Summer of 1993

Never went back to it. Good riddance, tobacco!!

[Cairycat]

125. September or October 1986

felt great about it as soon as the nicotine cravings subsided ... a week or ten days. It was like having a ball and chain removed.

For a good decade or more though, I'd have dreams where I'd be driving, look down to see a half-smoked pack of Marlboros, and think, "I don't remember smoking those, but I might as well finish the pack".

About ten years ago I had a biopsy that was kinda rough and I wanted a cigarette afterwards - but a Pepsi hit the spot just as well.

[a kennedy]

135. That's the hardest part...nicotine, plus all the other crap tobacco companies have put in

cigarettes to keep us addicted....to get out of our bodies. Withdrawal from all those drugs was the hardest part to get over. So proud of you for quitting. About that biopsy......how’d that work out??

[mindem]

127. April 5, 2009

I have saved a small fortune. I can't imagine paying $8.00 or more per pack, uffda.

[emulatorloo]

128. 1985 or '86

[whathehell]

130. 1997

21 years.

[comradebillyboy]

132. August 1988

2 packs a day from 1970 to 1988

[deek]

133. 4/18/18

[a kennedy]

137. A rookie quitter......

but good for you, congratulations.

[The Polack MSgt]

134. It's Groundhog's Day!

I had tried to quit so often that this year I quit on Groundhog's Day

2/2/2018

So far so good

[a kennedy]

138. Congratulations on finally quitting.......

and an easy date for you to remember too.

[OriginalGeek]

139. 4/20 2003

Hopefully that was soon enough. Was up to 3 packs a day before I quit. Started in the early 80s because this girl I liked smoked and I wanted to look cool. Never did. At least, not to her lol.

[a kennedy]

140. and oh my on the famous 4-20 smoke day too.........

Good for you.

[OriginalGeek]

141. lol, yep

i was winding down by then and new that date was coming up and figured I'd remember it.

[mokawanis]

142. December 8, 2016

I went in for emergency surgery to have my appendix removed. Had to go smokeless for 8 days while recovering in the hospital and when I got out I realized I could do without it. That happened after smoking for 42 years.

Having said that, I still defend people's right to smoke and I still very much resent the scorn and contempt smokers face from so many people.

[a kennedy]

150. Wow......surgery will probably do it for a lot of smokers......

and god love ya for quitting.......

[lunatica]

143. March 1995

I was part of the double blind study for Chantix. It really helped me to quit smoking. I smoked for 30 years and was up to 2 packs a day. I’vebeen a non smoker for 22 years.

[a kennedy]

149. Really?? A double blind study?? Wow...

I even hate to say I smoked for 37 years...... A pack a day except weekends...then it was 3 packs. Happy you’re a non smoker now.

[Duppers]

147. Almost 32 yrs ago

Sept 1986.

At the time I was a 2.5 pack, semi-chain smoker. I walked 8 miles the first day I quit simply because I was going nuts - you know how it is. I gained a lot of weight and had my son 8mos later.
😁

And since I dont think people should smoke in the presence of babies, children, or teenagers, I never returned to the habit. My body and lungs thank me.

[Kashkakat v.2.0]

148. I think it was January 3, 1985. It was twenty below, and I thought "am I going to go outside and

get a pack of cigarettes?"

Then I thought... No.

One day led to the next, and the longer I went without the more strength I had to keep going without.

Actually I had tried quitting 3 OR 4 times before, going a few days or a week before relapsing. I would advise any smoker to do exactly that, if they should relapse - just keep trying, and then one time it will "take." For me, I know I had to find reasons that I wanted to quit - I couldn't just tell myself no, don't do it.

By experimenting with not smoking, and paying close attention to how I was feeling, I was able to find reasons why I LIKED not smoking - ie being able to smell/taste food, being able to run up the stairs, losing the coughing fits, etc.

Loving everyone's quitting stories!

[a kennedy]

151. Hey, thanks for sharing your reason for quitting.

o

[Bok_Tukalo]

152. I done know the exact date. Jan-2016

<POE>

[Squinch]

155. June 21, 2001.

[meow2u3]

158. 11/15/2013

Quit smoking with the help of e-cigs. Still vaping, but I cut back to the point where I can go 4 hours without a vape.

[a kennedy]

159. Good for you......and if your quitting is the goal, good luck.