Quit The Smoking Habit

I’ve had a rough week last week that I didn’t get to post anything at all. The company that I work for is moving its main base of operations to a new location. Although I’m at a different location than the main company offices, my office still got affected in more ways than one. And with a website deadline looming over my shoulders, my Internet at home malfunctioning, and a host of other things, my week was no trip to Disneyland at all.

But did I get through my week without smoking? Of course. I think I’m at a point where I don’t think about smoking whenever I’m stressed or after eating anymore. I still think about it, but only in passing; none of the sort which would prompt me to actually go out and buy a pack of cigs.

And what about Zyban?

I think I took my last Zyban tablet last Friday, but I’ve only been taking it sporadically during the week. I haven’t touched it since then. There was a time when I was mentally dependent on it– kinda like being a bit scared whenever I didn’t have a pack of gum near me, but that never became an issue of concern at all. I think it was just a mental thing to let go of something that was sort of becoming another habit (although Zyban isn’t habit-forming) and in the end, all of this is just that: a mental thing.

I’ve also gained a bit of weight over the past several weeks. I’ve only noticed this when my pants were getting a bit tighter and it was actually harder to get in some of them. I guess it’s true when they say that you gain weight when you kick the habit. But part of that is probably due to my eating habits as well. My office has really been in a celebratory mood lately, with Administrative Assistants’ Day, a farewell get-together for a co-worker who’s moving on to greener pastures, and a baby shower for another co-worker. With all these get-together events, food is readily available and it’s harder to keep track of what you consume when you’re socially eating. With that being said, losing weight will be one of my other goals for this year.

Filed under: My Progress on May 1st, 2007 | 1 Comment »

Today marks my 9th week of being smoke-free. Being that Zyban’s program lasts for about 10 to 12 weeks, I’d like to say that I’m pretty much in the clear, but of course, that’s just wishful thinking on my part. Any former smoker knows that it takes more than just 12 weeks to really kick the habit.

An uncle of mine who still smokes mentioned that he quit smoking for three years. His experiences were very interesting in a way that warrants the question, “why the hell did he go back smoking?” Clearly, if three years can pull you back from being an ex-smoker to smoking again, two months of not smoking is definitely not going to cut it.

And it’s not just my uncle who’s saying this. A friend had a son who was smoke-free for about five years until he picked up the habit again on a trip to Germany. The late Peter Jenkins died of lung cancer, presumably–if my memory serves me right–due to smoking again after being nicotine-free for years.

They say that it’ll always be on the back of your mind, whispering temptation and silently waiting for you to slip up.

The good thing about it is, it gets easier to say no as time goes by.

Filed under: My Progress on April 17th, 2007 | 2 Comments »

Today marks the second month since I quit smoking. It’s only been a little over eight weeks, but boy does it sound like it’s been a long while. Do I feel any different? Kinda, but not really. I really don’t notice anything big, but a friend of mine that I haven’t seen in a long time said that my skin tone is much better than before. I’ve never tried doing any real exercises such as running or weight lifting, so I can’t really comment on whether I’ve made any improvements as far as my respiratory system is concerned. However, I haven’t been coughing as much as before. I guess that’s a noticeable improvement that I can be happy about. This is not to say that I’m discounting what I’ve done so far; I just think it’s too early to really proclaim a victory right now, given that it’s only been two months after all.

Perhaps the most interesting improvement or change that I’ve noticed is the fact that I notice smokers more whenever I’m out in public. I used to just take that for granted. Now I can’t help but notice them–in traffic, out in the sidewalk, on the sides of buildings.

Given that Hawaii’s no smoking law prohibits smoking within 20 feet of any business establishment’s window or entrance, smokers are now hard-pressed to find legal places to smoke. It’s a shame really; I’ve seen people stay out in the middle of parking lots, out in the sun, just to get their nicotine fix. I’ve seen people go to their cars in my building’s parking structure just to smoke, simply because they don’t want to stand in the sidewalk. And I’ve seen people violate the law by blatantly smoking in places where they used to smoke freely, but currently can’t because of the provisions of the law. I’ve been one of those people not long ago, but I think I like it better on this side of the fence.

But this does beg the question: with State and county legislature tightening the noose on smokers’ freedoms, what’s next? With Hawaii as an example, smokers are basically being pushed further and further from the public eye, all in the interest of public health. Will lawmakers make smoking a crime, similar to drug use? Seems to me that’s the direction this entire situation is headed.

However, I don’t think that’ll completely be the case. Tobacco companies (and most likely tobacco farmers) will have their lobbyists in Washington and in every State. They will hold their ground in one way or another, regardless of how many county laws are passed banning smoking. At the very worst, smoking will be limited to private areas such as homes and vehicles.

Whatever the outcome, It’ll be interesting how smokers will react to it, given how they’ve been pushed around for such a long time.

Filed under: My Progress, Thoughts and Opinions on April 13th, 2007 | No Comments »

I’ve read that quitting smoking is the hardest addiction to get rid of (I’m pretty much paraphrasing here). That’s pretty much true, especially with what I’ve been through this past week.

If you recall last week, I mentioned that I hardly think about smoking these days. Well, this week’s a bit different. Things at work have been stressful as ever due to certain “unforseen developments.” Thankfully these developments have been diffused, but the urge to smoke was definitely there no matter what the outcome was.

There have been nights when I actually dreamed of smoking, if you can believe that. Imagine waking up late at night, thinking that you’ve regressed back to your old habits, only to find out that it was all a dream. I’m not sure if that’s a normal thing, but it definitely is a weird experience.

Anyway, things became better during the weekend: My girfriend and I went out, I hung out with a friend that I haven’t seen in a long while and drank a few bottles of beer with hi– wait a minute… Did I just say I went out drinking?!

Oh yes I did. And get this: I forgot to take my Zyban for two days. Two full days.

And did I mention that my friend was one of the first people who introduced me to smoking? That this friend is still a heavy smoker?

You’re probably thinking by now that I had a puff or two. Maybe even a whole stick.

Meh. I didn’t. I drank a few bottles of beer, enjoyed my friend’s company, watched America’s Most Wanted and ate some peanuts while I was at it. He was smoking right in front of me druing all this time, and the temptation didn’t get to me at all. I thought about smoking, but the stench of unfiltered smoke was just too much for me to handle.

I was actually delighted to hear that my friend was also trying to quit. Unfortunately, he only lasted for three straight days, using some sort of nicotine gum to quell the cravings. As I have no experience whatsoever when it comes to other forms of smoking cessation methods other than Zyban, it was good to hear some first-hand accounts about how nicotine chewing gums worked.

According to him, the gum was so bitter (probably due to the amount of nicotine in it) that he could only take two a day instead of the required six. It helped him immensely, having no urge to smoke even while drinking. The only reason why he went back to smoking was because he and his mother had an argument over something business-related. Knowing him and his family business, I’m definitely not surprised.

Of course, I told him about Zyban and its other alternative, Chantix. Hopefully he’ll follow my advice by going to his doctor and getting a prescription for either one.

So… I’m on to my ninth week. I’m still alive and kicking, and definitely smoke-free!

Filed under: My Progress on April 10th, 2007 | No Comments »

Today marks seven weeks since I had my last cigarette. Seven weeks. Imagine that. Even I can’t believe it. Never in my cigarette-smoking life did I ever imagine that I could actually quit my pack-a-day habit. I’m literally five weeks away from finishing the Zyban program, and things are getting easier and easier.

How easy is living without cigarettes now? Picture this: The only time I actually think about smoking these days is when I’m writing this blog. And if you’ve noticed, I’ve been slacking lately. I’ve only posted what–one to two posts per week?

Which begs the question: What am I going to do with this blog once I can confidently say that I’ve really quit the habit?

For one thing, I’m going to continue posting about cigarette-related news and information. I’m going to start promoting this blog more and hopefully it’ll reach more people who are thinking about quitting smoking. There’s always something to talk about, and hopefully my commentary and opinions will provide a different way of looking at things.

So here’s to the coming week and of course, a week closer to being truly smoke-free.

Filed under: My Progress on April 3rd, 2007 | 1 Comment »

This week couldn’t have started any harder: It’s the end of the month, which means that work will be pretty busy. But on top of that, it’s also the end of the quarter, which means that on top of the end-of-the-month deadlines, I also have to deal with a ton of other things that I deal with every three months. I’m already feeling the stress today (and it’s only Monday), but somehow, I’m keeping the craving at bay. Truth be told, I haven’t been feeling the craving that much lately. Perhaps that’s one of the most noticeable changes for this week.

In addition, I broke my sobriety last Sunday by drinking a can of some good ‘ole Bud Light. I was quite concerned about drinking, being that I knew fully well that I had cigarettes in the car and could easily light one should it fancy me. To make matters worse, I also forgot to take my daily dose of Zyban. Thankfully, I didn’t have to contend with the craving at all. After finishing my beer, everything was fine and dandy.

I also noticed that I haven’t been relying on chewing gum lately. As my previous posts can attest, chewing gum has dramantically helped me in my smoking cessation efforts, and is one of my main support/comfort items. It’s surprising to note that I haven’t touched a single stick of gum for the past week. I’ve always relied on it whenever times where tough in the office, but somehow, I’ve managed to get by without it–perhaps a good sign that I’m slowly and surely making some headway.

In other fronts, I’ve learned that some of my friends are slowly–but surely–trying to kick the habit. I’m pretty happy about that, as it’s easier to hang out with them again. The post before this one details my encounter with a friend and his efforts to quit, and I’m actually curious to know more about what Chantix has to offer to the average smoker who’s thinking about smoking cessation programs and aids.

Speaking of Chantix, I came across one of their promotional literature at my girlfriend’s doctor’s office. I’ve only had time to skim through it, but I’ll be giving it a thorough read-through sometime this week. Judging from what I’ve read so far, Chantix could easily be a far more effective drug than Zyban, and could be easier to use as well. We’ll see how that goes as I keep track of my friend and compare it with my own experiences.

So here’s to looking forward to the 7th week, and hopefully more success in quitting the smoking habit!

Filed under: My Progress, Prescription drugs on March 27th, 2007 | No Comments »

I had the pleasure of catching up with a friend of mine this week. I broke the news to him that I’ve been smoke-free for over a month and I was delightfully surprised to hear that he’s also kicked the habit–about to finish his fifth day during the time we talked. Of course, I mentioned that I’ve been taking Zyban to help me quit and told him that the drug’s really been a great help in my smoking cessation efforts (to the point of nearly bragging about it).

I asked him if he was also taking the same drug, and found out that he used to, but it unfortunately didn’t work for him. He did say that it helped him cut is smoking considerably, but not to the point where he could actually give up the habit. He added that he’s actually taking a different–and better–alternative to Zyban: Chantix.

I was curious to know how Chantix worked, so he explained it to me. Apparently, it works by blocking the nicotine receptors in your brain while simultaneously enabling the brain to release dopamine. This makes smoking more of a futile exercise as it prevents your brain from getting any nicotine at all without the nicotine withdrawals. Whenever he smoked, he said that it left a “metallic” aftertaste in his mouth, making smoking a harder proposition than not smoking at all.

He takes Chantix once a day, during the morning. He said that he does feel a bit nauseated for about an hour or so after taking it, but after that, he can go on without smoking for the whole 24 hours until he takes it again the next day. Being that he’s been more of a chain smoker when I first got to know him, it’s amazing that, by his own accounts, he doesn’t have the cravings for cigarettes the way I do (even though I was less of a smoker than he is).

All of this is of course, from my friend’s personal experiences with the drug, so naturally I went online and looked around to see what I can find about this miracle drug that my friend’s been raving about. It looks like my friend’s not the only one who’s been experiencing great results from this. There are hundreds of personal accounts of success posted on the Internet and apparently, it’s actually helped more people kick the habit more than Zyban. A quick look at Chantix’s website reveals some interesting information: in a recent study, Chantix has helped about 44% of smokers quit, compared to Zyban’s 30%. If those numbers aren’t convincing enough,  Chantix also has a support plan aimed at increasing your chances of success.

The typical Chantix program is about the same as Zyban, taking around 12 weeks. It also requires you to take dosages a week before you quit. In addition, Chantix is also covered by most health insurance plans. For more information about Chantix, visit their website at http://www.chantix.com.

With all this being said, it’s clear that quitting cold turkey and Zyban are not the only ways to kick the habit. There are now a lot of ways  that will help you quit smoking, and these products are getting better and better.

Filed under: Prescription drugs, Internet Resources, Ways to Quit Smoking on March 26th, 2007 | No Comments »

5 weeks! I’m halfway into Zyban’s quit smoking program. I still have about a month’s worth of tablets and so far, so good.

As I previously mentioned in one of my posts, Zyban’s smoking cessation program lasts for about 10 to 12 weeks. I’ve actually wondered what would be next after that. Would I feel different? Would I actually not think about smoking at all anymore? Or, if I stop taking the drug, will my cravings be worse than it is now? At this stage, it’s obviously too early to tell, but one can’t help thinking about the destination while still on the journey.

As far as how I feel, things are basically the same. I don’t really feel anything has significantly changed. Perhaps it’s still too early to tell. However, a friend of mine who’s been smoke-free for about three or four months now has noted the same observation. Perhaps we’re both looking for some big life-changing thing above the sky that we literally forget to see what’s happening underneath our noses.

Filed under: My Progress on March 19th, 2007 | No Comments »

while driving to work last Friday, my girlfriend and I caught hold of some interesting tobacco news through the local NPR station. The news was all about R.J. Reynolds (owner of Camel cigarettes as well as other popular brands) promoting their new Camel Product: Camel No. 9.

This new cigarette was promoted heavily by a party R.J. Reynolds threw out in Florida two weekends ago.

Now, I don’t have a problem with tobacco companies promoting their wares. I see it in MotoGP, where the likes of Camel and Marlboro support (or supported, as in the case of the Yamaha-Camel relationship) some of my favorite riders and motorcycle manufacturers. I don’t have a problem with the likes of Marlboro or Virginia Slims advertising to publications such as Maxim or Cosmopolitan, nor do I know for sure if they still do (the last time I checked, they did).

The thing that really got me was that a few lawmakers and critics were criticizing R.J. Reynolds for marketing to teen-agers.

I think that’s just accusing R.J. Reynolds with far too much. Just because the pack is pink doesn’t mean that it’s being targeted to teeny-boppers.

That’s just one thing that the article talks about. There are more implications and repercussions to what R.J. Reynolds did by throwing that party. Off the top of my head? Let’s see… more restrictions on smoking in bars and nightclubs–not that it’s not beginning to take effect on a local level already. More restrictions on advertising. The article already hints on the proposed federal marketing restrictions on tobacco companies.

Maybe this is how it’s supposed to be. Imagine if tobacco companies had their way with their marketing dollars. They’d have a feeding frenzy on every available adspace in the market. It’s probably good that advertising dollars for a legal product that claims millions of lives on a yearly basis are restricted to select advertising channels. The thing is, they’re getting very crafty in maximizing the effectiveness of those channels. With the Camel No. 9 party as an example, these tobacco companies already know that there’s a good link between smoking and drinking. They only need to exploit it more.

However, now that smoking is being banned (slowly but surely) on the local level, they’ll have to contend with that slowly closing window of opportunity. It’s a cat-and-mouse game; while the cat’s trying to corner the mouse, the mouse only gets more crafty. Tobacco companies will find something else to exploit in the future.

Filed under: Thoughts and Opinions, Tobacco news on March 19th, 2007 | No Comments »

While mindlessly looking around the web for post ideas, I came across something that might interest you: The Ten Stages of Quitting Smoking, by Tom Ferguson, MD.

While my journey began quite differently from the first few stages outlined by the article, most of the succeeding stages are basically in line with how I’m doing things: I got through the first week. The I got through the first month. Now I’m looking forward to getting through my first quarter and then through my first year.

Anyway, Dr. Ferguson is apparently the author of a self-help book on quitting the habit: The No-Nag, No-Guilt, Do-It-Your-Own-Way Guide to Quitting Smoking.  I haven’t read the book, but it looks very promising if the article is any indication. It just might be one of the things that will ultimately help you drop smoking.

Filed under: Internet Resources, Tips and Tricks on March 18th, 2007 | No Comments »