Smoking/Chewing

[bluengold34_OS]

Has anyone here recently quit smoking or chewing? I finally gave up chewing( never smoked ) after 13 years( college baseball is when I started ) and while it's only been five days, it is a total mind **** and making me feel like I am high, nuts, nervous, trembling, can't sleep, hot flashes etc...etc...etc..........Now I have made it five days...but I was just curious, what other people went through when they quit...is what I am feeling normal??

Its just so hard, I sit down to watch a game or throw a game in and play it..habit kicks in and I want a big fattie( chew of course) in my mouth.

[bsb13]

Re: Smoking/Chewing

I stopped smoking awhile back...well not all together, I still smoke when I drink. The cravings were kind of bad the first week or so but after that it was smooth sailing. I didnt get upset or ill with people and it really didnt increase my appetite either. However, when I drink I crave one like crazy, but the next day when I wake up with a hangover I dont want one at all.

[mjb2124]

Re: Smoking/Chewing

I stopped chewing 3 years ago. Same thing....started in high school playing baseball and did it through college and then continued for 3-4 years after college. I went from about a can of Cope a day (I didn't dip at work so that can was consumed from 5pm until I went to sleep) to quitting cold turkey.

I was lucky though. Quitting was easy for me. It's a mind over matter thing IMO. Just convince yourself that you don't need it and don't want to die from mouth/lip/lung cancer etc... Once you do that and kick the habit, you can tell yourself that you did something most people can't do. Your mind was stronger than most and you had the will to beat it.

Here are a few tips:

1. Write down when you quit and keep not of milestones (ie: 2 weeks, 1 month, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years).

2. I also had the problem where I wanted one when playing video games or during Steeler football games. Substitute sunflower seeds or herbal chew. I used Smokey Mountain Herbal chew for a few weeks. It's 100% safe and gives you the oral fixation a lot of people crave.

3. When you get a craving and can't control it, do something else. Go running. Talk to someone who knows you're trying to quit and get some positive reinforcement. Basically, get the thought out of your mind.

That's all I can think of. Best of luck. Trust me, you'll be happy when you completely kick the habit. It's been 3 years since I quit and I rarely ever get the craving anymore.

[bluengold34_OS]

Re: Smoking/Chewing

Thanks guys, Yeah theres no way I am going back after now going into my 6th day. I was just feeling so odd, trembling all over, cold chills hot flashes...but as I think about it, 13 years is a long time to shove that poison in my system. My appetite hasn't really increased...so I am lucky there and everything that I am going through right now, seems really worth it, when considering the alternative......thanks again, appreciate it

[Heelfan71]

Re: Smoking/Chewing

get some patches, nicotine gum or those mints called "commit" for cravings. They will help those cravings out.

[bluengold34_OS]

Re: Smoking/Chewing

get some patches, nicotine gum or those mints called "commit" for cravings. They will help those cravings out.

Yeah I think I am going to pick up some of the lozenges just for those really bad cravings Heel

[bsb13]

Re: Smoking/Chewing

Yeah I think I am going to pick up some of the lozenges just for those really bad cravings Heel

This may not be the right way to go for you but I have known some people who would keep a pack of ciggs or a bag of chew on them even when they were trying to stop. For some reason for some people just knowing that they dont have any around makes them crave it even more.

[pk500]

Re: Smoking/Chewing

Good luck, bluegold. You've made a very smart decision to quit chew.

Take care,
PK

[bluengold34_OS]

Re: Smoking/Chewing

This may not be the right way to go for you but I have known some people who would keep a pack of ciggs or a bag of chew on them even when they were trying to stop. For some reason for some people just knowing that they dont have any around makes them crave it even more.

LOL..actually bsb, for the first 3 days I had three full cans staring me in the face...I finally threw them away on the fourth day.....I did find that it is easier when you know instant gratification is a pinch away and that pinch is only 3 feet away.

[bluengold34_OS]

Re: Smoking/Chewing

Good luck, bluegold. You've made a very smart decision to quit chew.

Take care,
PK

Thanks PK.......My teeth are perfect, no problems with my gums......I figured I have been blessed so far not to have any problems from chewing what so ever....lets not push the envelope, and I lost my brother from cancer.....I figured making my mom go through that twice, not the best way to say I love you.

[mgoblue]

Re: Smoking/Chewing

I quit smoking cold turkey about 4 months ago and I haven't had one since (not when drinking, never). I'd tried to quit 2 times before and didn't work, but I didn't have the right motivation. It helped me to have some reason that, in my mind, motivated me to quit. If I'd have a craving I'd think of my reasons and it'd steel my resolve.

Sounds dumb, but once you make it 5ish days it's all out of your system so you just have to win the mental battle (as well as beat the withdrawl symptoms).

Now I may have a mental craving once in a while, especially when I walk by all the smokers outside at a bar, but once I smell the smoke it makes me cough. Then I realize I don't want to do it.

Good luck bro, just keep it going even though it's tough. Think of it this way, if you give in now then you just subjected yourself to a week of agonizing torture for no reason whatsoever. It gets easier every week. At first I had tons of cravings, now it's not bad at all. Eventually my "hourly work smoke break" habit went away.

[bluengold34_OS]

Re: Smoking/Chewing

Thanks mgoblue, I agree, there is no way I would put a chew in my mouth after I have been subjected too over the last five days. The symptoms are finally to subside, and there is no chew in the world worth going through the cold sweats, cravings, sleepless nights and everything in between......

[pk500]

Re: Smoking/Chewing

Thanks PK.......My teeth are perfect, no problems with my gums......I figured I have been blessed so far not to have any problems from chewing what so ever....lets not push the envelope, and I lost my brother from cancer.....I figured making my mom go through that twice, not the best way to say I love you.

With wisdom and unselfishness like that, you'll beat the need to chew in no time, man. Props to you.

Take care,
PK

[Scottdau]

Re: Smoking/Chewing

I stopped chewing 3 years ago. Same thing....started in high school playing baseball and did it through college and then continued for 3-4 years after college. I went from about a can of Cope a day (I didn't dip at work so that can was consumed from 5pm until I went to sleep) to quitting cold turkey.

I was lucky though. Quitting was easy for me. It's a mind over matter thing IMO. Just convince yourself that you don't need it and don't want to die from mouth/lip/lung cancer etc... Once you do that and kick the habit, you can tell yourself that you did something most people can't do. Your mind was stronger than most and you had the will to beat it.

Here are a few tips:

1. Write down when you quit and keep not of milestones (ie: 2 weeks, 1 month, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years).

2. I also had the problem where I wanted one when playing video games or during Steeler football games. Substitute sunflower seeds or herbal chew. I used Smokey Mountain Herbal chew for a few weeks. It's 100% safe and gives you the oral fixation a lot of people crave.

3. When you get a craving and can't control it, do something else. Go running. Talk to someone who knows you're trying to quit and get some positive reinforcement. Basically, get the thought out of your mind.

That's all I can think of. Best of luck. Trust me, you'll be happy when you completely kick the habit. It's been 3 years since I quit and I rarely ever get the craving anymore.

Have you guys ever heard of Big League bubble gum chew. They let you chew at high school games? Any ways good for you guys that quit chewing, I saw some nasty cancer pics from guys chewing tobacco.

[mjb2124]

Re: Smoking/Chewing

Have you guys ever heard of Big League bubble gum chew. They let you chew at high school games? Any ways good for you guys that quit chewing, I saw some nasty cancer pics from guys chewing tobacco.

They didn't let us during games as that was against the rules, but many of us did during practice (coach didn't care).