Quitting cigarettes

**Shelby07** · 03-12-2007, 11:59 AM

Well, I haven't had a cigarette since January 23rd and the cravings for a cigarette went away completely after about a week. Coincidently, my cigar consumption has gone up from 1 cigar 2-3 days a week to a couple of cigars 4-5 days a week. I have noticed that the withdrawl symptoms seem to go away for a while then come back with a vengence. They usually seem to hit their peak when I don't smoke a cigar for a day or two. It seems that I am experiencing continual mini withdrawls after I get a dose of nicotine. Has anyone else experienced this? I am wondering if I should stop smoking completely for a couple of weeks?

bigsmoke · 03-12-2007, 12:01 PM

Originally Posted by Shelby07

Well, I haven't had a cigarette since January 23rd and the cravings for a cigarette went away completely after about a week. Coincidently, my cigar consumption has gone up from 1 cigar 2-3 days a week to a couple of cigars 4-5 days a week. I have noticed that the withdrawl symptoms seem to go away for a while then come back with a vengence. They usually seem to hit their peak when I don't smoke a cigar for a day or two. It seems that I am experiencing continual mini withdrawls after I get a dose of nicotine. Has anyone else experienced this? I am wondering if I should stop smoking completely for a couple of weeks?

Way to go. Not a moment to soon. Cigarettes are bad for you.

**slcraiders** · 03-12-2007, 12:29 PM

I have been cutting back on cigarettes as well with the intention of totally quitting. Although still bad for you (but definately not as bad), I have started smoking pipes. For pennies on the dollar, you get a great smoke. The biggest investment up-front is getting a few good pipes. With pipes, I can get in a quick 10-15 minutes of pleasure without burning up a 5-20 dollar cigar. With the warm months upon us, I will most likely smoke the pipe less and resume a heavier dosage of cigars. You may also try smokeless tobacco- Snuff. I find it to be pleasant and gives me a great nicotine kick instead of reaching for a cigarette. No form of nicotine is going to be 100% healthy. Your choice on quitting altogether, Mark. But, quitting the ciggies is def. a step in the right direction!!!

**nhcigarfan** · 03-12-2007, 12:54 PM

At this point, I think it would be wise to abstain from all tobacco products for a month or so to allow those nicotine receptors to die off. Then try a cigar, if you have nic cravings still, you will need a little more time away from tobacco

**heftysmokes** · 03-12-2007, 01:24 PM

I know when I quit smoking cigarettes I'm glad I wasn't into cigars. I probably would have just transferred my nicotine addiction. As it is, my cigar addiction leans more towards the collecting, herfing, gifting, and comraderie than the actual act of smoking (don't get me wrong, I like that part too!)
My suggestion would be to follow nhcigarfan's advice and quit it all cold turkey. Give yourself a month. Then take your average of 2 cigars a day 5 days per week, lowball the price (say $4 per)...after a month, you've saved $160. Take it and go buy a nice box. Hopefully you won't have the craving issues and you can enjoy a cigar without having to have one.
Good luck in whatever you do, Shelby. I'll be pulling for you.

**Newfie** · 03-12-2007, 01:34 PM

Congrats on the decision!!!!

Originally Posted by heftysmokes

snip....Then take your average of 2 cigars a day 5 days per week, lowball the price (say $4 per)...after a month, you've saved $160. Take it and go buy a nice box. ....snip

I'd tend to agree with Hefty's theory, but with a twist. I'd go on the average of a couple of Anejo, an Opus, and a '26 or two a day and put THAT cash aside for a while. Then you'll really gather a nice tidy little bankroll to splurge!!!!

**Shelby07** · 03-12-2007, 01:46 PM

The truth of the matter is that I'll probably keep buyin' 'em even if I ain't smokin' 'em.

john51277 · 03-12-2007, 01:56 PM

I would say quit completely, "all nicotine" for about 30 days to break the addiction. Thats what I did, then I started smoking cigars. It worked very well for me, and I do not crave a cig at all!!!

**The Korean** · 03-12-2007, 02:41 PM

I quit smoking about the same time, and as with you my cigar habit went up about the same time. I still get a craving for one 2-3 times a week, it rough sometimes. Cigars and Cigarettes are similar I suppose, but in my eyes, the 2-3 a week is better than the 4-5 packs a week. Maybe it is an excuse I made for myself, but I tend to believe it. Do you feel better in general. I am overweight, out of shape kind of guy, but I feel better when I am doing things like yard work, working on my truck, maybe it's mental, I don't know.

**Kass** · 03-12-2007, 03:02 PM

Good luck with which ever route you take. Quiting cigarettes is hard, but definately worth it.

**ashauler** · 03-12-2007, 04:44 PM

I will have to say that I wish I had totally given up the nic when I quit smoking cigarettes, I think the cravings would have left already. I challenge myself to not smoke anything at least 1 or 2 days a week, and I always try to smoke an entire cigar when I light one....no hurried puffs and quick put-out.....just make sure its the taste/experience that I am after, not the nic. Its hard, and I wish you all the best!!

**cigarsarge** · 03-12-2007, 05:19 PM

If I can quit smoking cigaretts anyone can. I laid em down in 1984. It took several years for the cravings to go away. Now I detest cigarette smoke.

Be strong...It can be done.

**Shelby07** · 03-12-2007, 06:22 PM

I laid 'em down in 1980 and picked them up again in 2004.

stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid...

**boomshay** · 03-12-2007, 08:07 PM

i haven't had a cigarette in 2.5 months and i'm over it now... i'll get the occasional craving when i'm with friends who smoke but for the most part its out of my system... i had to resort to a dip 2-3 times within the first week but after that i've been perfectly fine... i don't smoke strong enough cigars to get much of a nic kick so its not really keeping it in my system from what i can tell

good luck with the quitting, keep it up, its worth it

**pub spears** · 03-12-2007, 09:09 PM

Yes,yes. Cold turkey. Whenever I got the urge for a cigarette, I just told myself it'll pass in a minute or two and I'll be fine for while. Easiest way to pick up something and smoke it is to have a few drinks and then you really really want that smoke. Take it easy on the booze while youre at it. And start back slow. A strong smoke after taking time off can make you feel like

Good Luck

**Dickson** · 03-13-2007, 04:14 AM

I admire anyone that goes cold turkey. I'll not wish you luck, because there is none involved. Either you want to quit or you don't. Take it fom a person who smoked two thirds of his life. YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!!

**stjohnroe** · 03-13-2007, 05:44 AM

On and off struggling to amass the willpower to quit, thanks to all here for the advice.

**sprangalang** · 03-13-2007, 10:56 AM

Well I have had a long history with the "ettes". Smoked em for over 20 years.

Hopefully done with them now. I had stopped smoking them for over three years. Started with the cigars. Enjoyed cigars quite enough, and one day on a whim decided to get some roll-yer-own baccie, for a "quick smoke". Oh, the beginnings of a long slide. The RYOs became a new habit very, very easily. Stronger than regular cigs. Then the occasional pack of pre-rollies. Ah, it is a slippery slope indeed. Then it fed itself into a heavier cigar habit and the cigar habit fed the ryo habit. Hmmm.

I began searching for the strongest fullest body cigars (not cheap), and going through bag after bag of Bugler. Not good.
So then I tried the pipe. Thankfully, I was directed to some strong baccies to try. These pack a firm nic punch and you really feel it. Not instantly like with a cig, but over the course of 5 or 10 minutes. I think this delay of nicotine delivery is important in the long run. It was so easy to lay off the RYOs and pre-rollies, like they just fell by the side. And the sense of urgency for a nic-fix is gone.

**cigar no baka** · 03-13-2007, 12:04 PM

I have never smoked cigarettes, thank god. Looks like they are a helluva hard habit to kick. My wife smokes them, 30+ years, and she's been in the process of quitting for about two years. She's down to 3-4 per day average, but as I tell her, that's not exactly quitting.

**Shelby07** · 03-13-2007, 01:34 PM

Originally Posted by cigar no baka

I have never smoked cigarettes, thank god. Looks like they are a helluva hard habit to kick. My wife smokes them, 30+ years, and she's been in the process of quitting for about two years. She's down to 3-4 per day average, but as I tell her, that's not exactly quitting.

I think we have all tried the "weaning" method. It doesn't work. She needs to throw away what she has and never buy another pack. That's where I would always screw up. I had to have that cigarette around "just in case," which in hindsight is pretty dumb. I don't think I would have been able to do it this time if Pauline hadn't quit with me. The beauty of that was that she really had no desire to quit but saw how much I wanted to. Ya can't do better than a good woman!

Good luck to your wife. Hopefully she'll want to quit enough to just throw them away.