I'm referring to quitting smoking of course. Isn't it about that time of the year again when people resolve to do these things?
Why is this one going to be different? I finally found a combination that worked for me and I wanted to pass it on. First and foremost here, I will not make any money on this, am not here to endorse a particular brand or methodology. I just wanted to pass on what worked - and is continuing to work - for me.
A quick background; I've tried over a half dozen times to quit. I tried Welbutrin, the patch, the gum, cold turkey... I came close to trying Chantrix, but changed my mind at the last minute. I can't remember why, other than I don't think I felt I was ready at the time. I tried combinations - patch and gum. That was the closest I came before this time around, but I just got so sick and tired of chewing gum. My jaw would start to get sore and then to find relief, I'd bum a smoke, telling myself I'd get right back on it and that one wouldn't hurt... those of you who have tried to quit before probably know what I'm talking about.
So - what worked?
I can tell you that nothing changed insofar as my mindset. I knew all the reasons why I shouldn't be smoking, though my 2 yr old boy pretending to be like dad and have an "icky smoke too" helped move the timeline and need up.
I started seeing ads for Electronic Cigarettes. There was plenty of information out there to convince me to buy one, but I didn't know anybody who had one, so the real day to day living with one I didn't have any reference to. I'd have to be my own guinea pig (please don't send PITA after me).
I came up with a plan on how this would work out ahead of time and it included taking small steps off the habit/addiction I'd had for 26 years.
First things first though - let me tell those of you who are wondering about the Electronic Cigarette, a little bit more about it.
The kits come with 2 batteries, a charger and typically 5 tips. The thing is basically 3 parts: the battery (that looks like the tobacco portion of a normal cigarette), the atomizer and the tip. The tip consists of a piece of plastic that slips over the atomizer. Inside the tip, there is a small area that holds a piece of 'cotton' with the Nicotine, along with flavoring, water and propylene glycol. I smoked regular cigarettes and the flavor wasn't too far off. The rest of it is kind of like fog machine juice (for those 'rave'ers' and musicians out there). 3800 chemicals less than a real cigarette. You screw the atomizer onto the battery and then slip the tip over the top of the atomizer. The tips come in a sealed plastic container. You open that, take the tip out and then remove the 'cork' (I really don't know what else to call it - it keeps the 'cotton' thing from drying out), then slip the tip on. The instructions you get with the kit don't tell you that and I actually had to go onto youtube to find a video on it - a video that was made by a private user that wanted to help other people with a very frustratingly stupid piece of missing information.
The battery last about 1 day if you need to constantly be delivering to yourself. You smoked a pack of cigarettes a day? That's pretty much a constant delivery. One tip will last one day. You get 10 tips (replacement cartridges as they are formally called) in a pack and the pack costs ~$20... I think I paid $23.50 for my last one after tax.
I bought the NJoy kit for ~$70.00 and a pack of tips, so my initial outlay was just under $100.00. Yeah, expensive. About the cost of 2.5 cartons of smokes here in CO. I have seen kits run from $20 to $150. You definitely get what you pay for, so if you're going to get rid of the thing, $20 might be a good way to go. Having an analog around longer to help you stick with it might mean spending more $. I'm satisfied with the one I have and haven't had a problem with it - after I figured the thing out.
Other things they don't tell you? It takes a couple of tips before enough carbon is built up on the atomizer before you start getting the 'smoke' - it's really vapor and I'll be referring to it as such. Lightly blowing into the tip will help get the liquid on the atomizer and speed things along.
Here's another: 4-5 'drags' = one cigarette. Well, that's the equivalent I found. Remember - you're looking to get a fix, so when your body says you're done, you're done. (Ever had one of those times when you felt like you were done with a cigarette and looked down at it and it was only 1/2 gone? Did you toss the rest or sit there and suck the rest of it down? Yeah - more than likely the latter, cuz you're typically not going to save the 1/2 and 're-fry'. Typically. We've all re-fried.) The battery portion will light up when you take a drag and will flash after a certain amount of time - when it flashes, the atomizer is shut off. If you take 4 drags in a minute, it will flash at you again. Actually, they tell you this info, but I thought I'd share it anyway.
The tips come in 18mg, 12mg, 6mg and 0mg doses of Nicotine. I think I saw something where a cigarette is now up to 25mg's, so it's already a step down - be aware of that.
Patches come in 21mg, 14mg and 7mg. That's typical of all the Nicotine replacement devices; patches, gums, lozenges, etc.
The Plan: I'd gradually step down in all phases.
After I got the electronic cigarette and got used to it, I was ready to enact "The Plan".
I had 2 weeks worth of Step 1 patches. I want to go into these real quick.
Nicorette makes a pretty patch. Clear. Not very big. Expensive. Glue that requires a chisel and nail polish remover to get off. OK, not that bad, but bad.
Walgreens makes an ugly patch. Huge. Round. Not as expensive and will give a $10 off on your next purchase coupon. Glue sticks well, but washes off immediately. You can shower with a new patch on and it will stay on, but when you pull the patch off, the glue doesn't laugh hysterically at attempts to soap and scrub like the Nicorette does.
All things being equal, the Walgreen's patch won for me. Remember to use Google and look for coupons though and Costco coupled with a coupon might make that more attractive for you.
Armed with an Electronic Cigarette and patches I bought my last pack of cigarettes. I stuck with the electronic cigarette by itself as much as I could, but when I needed relief, I smoked a regular cigarette. I did this until the pack of smokes was gone. I then replaced the regular cigarette with the Step 1 (21mg) patch.
I believe this one first step change made the difference. I was able to get the nicotine delivery without the same intense feeling of loss that just dropping everything and patching did. All of the quitting and failing had lead me to believe that the end result was what I wanted and I'd find something that would work.
But - I had a great analog to work with too now! The first 2 weeks meant me going through a tip per day along with a patch per day. The next 2 week patch kit though, and I'd find myself going all day at work without taking a 'drag'. I'd find I'd miss the 'ka-bang' against my lungs more so than I felt I needed the nicotine. If you have never smoked, you will not understand that this is as much a part of the addiction as the nicotine.
Now that I didn't need to hit the EC as much, I felt I could now drop to the next lower level of patch so I bought 2 weeks of the Step 2 (14mg) patch and 1 week of the Step 1's. I'd go 2 days with Step 2, then 1 day with Step 1. I found that I really didn't need to, but damnit, I wasn't going to take any chances.
On the next Step 2 buy, I dropped the level of Nicotine in the EC. So now I was at 14mg patches and 12mg tips. The amount of times going to the analog raised again, but nowhere near as much as it had. It'd be 3-4 times a day but after a week, I was back to what it had been prior... where I could go a whole day at work without even thinking about it.
It took a while, but I'd gradually step down each when I felt comfortable. I'd find that there'd be days - in each part of the cycle - where I'd forget to put a patch on and still wouldn't be hitting the EC. It was amazing - it actually worked.
I still have the EC, but now can use the 0mg for the 'ka-bang'. I can do this while at work at my desk. I can do it at a bar. I can do it while playing craps... that's the other advantage. The relief is there immediately. 1 tip now lasts me 4-5 days.
Something that will help - put the charger near your coffee maker or wherever you get your morning drink from. Though, I don't think Starbuck's will let you do that... so if that's you, you're going to have to find a different place. The idea is to change out the battery everyday as part of your routine. Especially in the beginning.
If you're planning on quitting, good luck. Keep at it and find what works for you. Maybe you can use what I found.