Getting off the Cigarette's

Cigs were/are a pita to get off. I quit a few years ago and vaped. It worked for almost 2 years. Stress got to me and I went back to the cigs, even while smoking a pipe and snuffing (nasal).

I picked them back up a few months ago for the same reason. I went from over a pack a day to just a few, and now 0. I've recently decided to quit again and am only on day 3 of absolutely no cigarettes.

When I quit before, healthwise, I noticed a big difference. Same with financially. Well sort of financially... I used the money I was "saving" on more pipe tobacco.

My suggestion, find something to keep your hands and/or mouth busy. Toothpicks, straws, pen, pencil, anything. Replace the craving for something else. "When I want a cigarette I'll ______ instead."

Cigs are a b!tch to get off of.

I have not smoked a cig in 573 days 14 hours. I have saved 2581 Dollars. And skipped 11471 Cigs. Reason I know those number exact is a phone app EasyQuit Stop smoking. Free app tracks the information listed. The money was the big deal for me. Watching the dollars go up that I have saved. THIS was the number one thing I credit my success

I feel worlds better. I am healthier, I have more stamina , exercise is more fun and not a freaking chore now. Food tastes better, pipe tobacco tastes better, hell WATER tastes better.

What I did was quit on a 3 day weekend where I had nothing to do . Slept as much as humanly possible for 3 days. Just that in bed coma you can sometimes stay in. I didn't eat really, or smoke a pipe really. Just stayed a zombie. After that I still didn't smoke a pipe for the next two weeks except right before bed to not be laying in bed thinking about smoking.

So 573 days later I still want to smoke a cig every now and again. No since saying I don't. When I'm stressed, when I'm hungry but cant eat at the moment, when I smell other smokers. The general ticks I had before that made me want to smoke. Hell I still check cig prices in stores as like a mental habit to see who has a good deal. The point being it is hard work, it is not easy, and the want is not going away.

But things that are worth the most are often hard, if it comes easy its not generally worth anything and wanting a cig is still there but the wanting to save money , be healthier, and not fail at quitting. That want is stronger.

You can do it!

If the nicorette patch doesn’t work well for you talk to your doctor about Wellbutrin. This medication was used for depression for years and in the past 20 plus years it’s been prescribed for cigarette smokers to “ kick the habit “.......which it did for my Mom many years ago.

As for me, I never smoked a cigarette in my life but grew up with all my family members and peers smoking cigarettes around me.

I smoked cigarettes lightly many years ago. I started dating the pretty little girl who would one day become my wife, and she said "I won't lick an ash tray and I wont kiss a man that smells like cigarettes". Her grandparents smoked like chimneys and died of lung cancer. But she loved the smell of a pipe, so it was an easy no-brainer for me. That was almost 30 years ago. I smoked cigs so lightly and she was so cute that it wasnt really a terrible chore to quit, so I know I'm not actually helping you at all. But maybe the story can distract you from your cravings for about 90 seconds.

Ten years ago I was smoking a pack a day of Marlboro Lights. Not sure if there was any association but I ended up in the hospital for a week with pneumonia. Haven’t had a cigarette since. That situation really scared me. All these years later and I sometimes still miss it.

I quit a 25-year pack/day habit using the nicotine gum, herbal cigarettes, and licorice root.

It's been about 8 years since I had a cig.  I still whittle and chew on licorice root every once in a while...

Whatever you do, best of luck...probably the best thing you can do for yourself and those you love.

Thank you everyone for your feedback and insight. I am planning on trying to go to the pipe exclusively this weekend.

Hope it works out for you but if you do have a cigarette don't get down on yourself just keep trying. I'm a binger I'll go a couple months without a cigarette and for a week I'll smoke my brains out and then off them again. It doesn't help that Kim still smokes so they are always around. I tried to blackmail her that if she quit I'd stop smoking Lat blends in the house. She won't bite so lots of Lat blends have been smoked.

Welcome from Down Under.

Cigarettes have a staggering 300+ added chemicals, some of which are addictive. Pipe tobacco has none.
So when switching to a pipe, as others have noted, there is a 3 day withdrawal/adjustment period.

Around 9 years ago I switched from a 40-a-day cigarette habit to a pipe & have not had a single cigarette since.  It was so much easier than completely abstaining from tobacco altogether.
Over the years I'd regularly torture myself with attempts to give up the cigs. My memory has either faded with time or it wasn't that hard because I was determined to only smoke a pipe.

As an inhaler I choose mild blends that are low in nicotine. No longer do I crave a smoke. When occupied I can go many hours without & not even notice. My health has improved markedly.

Most pipe smokers start off with aromatics but in time gravitate towards light aro's & non-aro's.
Don't ever ditch tobacco. If you don't like a blend just jar it. Down the line you might find it's to your liking  because tastes change (When I first smelled a blend with latakia I thought it disgusting. It didn't taste too bad though. At first one small bowl of a mild English blend was a nice change. Two bowls was one too many. It took time but now I regularly smoke English/American blends)
Most tobaccos get better with age so can be stored for a long time.

Don't be scared to ask questions. Personally I had little clue & asked some fairly dumb ones myself. No pipe smoker criticised me nor laughed, but were patient & generous sharing their experience.

Good luck. You can do this.

I think, since different people work and think in different ways, it's hard to know what advice will work.

I hope you find the method that works best for you, IrishCatholicPipeSmoker.

Lungs made it easy for me to quit cigs after close to 5 centuries of smoking, wife quite 6 years ago using Blu vap. It worked for her.
Still think I want one, till I take a toke.
Easier after the first 7 years.
You can do it with all the hints above.

Another genetic anomaly.

I quit smoking cigarettes about 11 years ago.Cold turkey.My friends and family offered encouragement for like the first 3 days,at the end of week 2 they were offering to buy me a carton or 2, I was pretty unpleasant,but at the end of the month things got better for me.I didn't smoke anything for 10 years although during that time I'd find myself habitually reaching for the pocket I used to keep them in, even though I knew they were not there.
I had a really nice cigar that my kids bought me for my birthday,an arturo fuente fuente.This was the first time I had smoked anything for 10 years,and the nic hit me so hard I had to sit down.I really enjoyed the cigar but for me a cigar is a bit too much of a time commitment so I decided to try a pipe.I had smoked a pipe as a kid a few times but it never caught on,cigs were just easier.I really enjoy the pipe and so many different types of tobacco its like incredible,but the experience is nothing like smoking a cigarette at least not to me.If I had any advice to give it would be that quitting cigarettes was hard(for me) and I would suggest that instead of jumping from cigs to a pipe that you do a little cold turkey,your taste buds are fried from cigs and some cold turkey will help you to appreciate pipe tobacco.Theres alot to enjoy about pipe smoking,from the pipes you buy to the tobacco you try,and its kind of a journey learning about how to load and smoke.Every tobacco is different,every pipe is different but that is the fun of it,finding what you enjoy and learning what works for you.Pipe smoking is a great distraction for me.This forum has been very helpful to me and the members are great and very helpful.