Do I Need Medication & Where Do I Find Support?

Listed below are some sites and information that I have found while doing my research. I thought I would pass them along to you BEFORE the journey begins. If you have any questions please let me know!

DO I NEED MEDICATION TO HELP ME STOP SMOKING?

Let me state that I am not in a place to give any medical advice. The choice to take a medication or not, is up to you and your doctor. PLEASE SEE YOUR DOCTOR OR ASK HIM/HER BEFORE YOU BEGIN TAKING ANY MEDICATION. Also, asking your pharmacist about conflicting medication is a great habit before you begin taking anything. That includes over the counter as well as prescribed medication. Their knowledge and the latest computer software is fa nominal in detecting conflicting medications. In rare cases, it can lead to death. I don't take anything without first contacting my pharmacist. That includes herbal, vitamins, over the counter medication, and prescription medication. Better safe than sorry....there is something to that!

Here are a couple of prescription medications. Ask your doctor about if any of these could help you quit. (That is if you decide you want to take a prescription medication.)
Bupropion hydrochloride is a medicine for depression, but it also helps people quit smoking. Brand names include Zyban®, Wellbutrin®, Wellbutrin SR® and Wellbutrin XL® but this medication is also available as a generic.

Varenicline is a relatively new medicine that may help smokers quit. It is currently available under the brand name Chantix®.

OVER THE COUNTER MEDICATIONS
Once again, I am not a doctor. But I have tried some of the items listed. I will place my personal outcome with each one I tried. (Yes, like many others I have tried quitting before now.)

Nicotine Gum
Tried store brand name. Found it very hard to chew. RESULTS: Didn't use it.

Nicotine Lozenges
Tried store brand name. I think I would have really liked this option, but the down fall is I couldn't drink anything 15 minutes before using one. Anyone who knows me, knows I can't go 15 minutes without a sip of Dr. Pepper. RESULTS: Didn't Use.

Nicotine Inhaler
I haven't used or even attempted to try this one. Here is the information I found on it. **"The nicotine inhaler, also nicknamed "the puffer" is a thin, plastic cartridge that contains a porous nicotine plug in its base. By puffing on the cartridge, nicotine vapor is extracted and absorbed through the lining of the mouth. Each cartridge delivers up to 400 puffs of nicotine vapor. It takes at least 80 puffs to obtain the equivalent amount of nicotine delivered by one cigarette. The nicotine inhaler was made available by prescription in June 1998."

Nicotine Spray
You'll have to ask your Doctor on this one as well. I don't like putting anything up my nose...so I don't feel this is a good match for me. Here is the description:
**"Nicotine nasal spray is aerosolized nicotine contained in a spray pump. The nicotine is delivered to the user by spraying it into the nostrils, and is rapidly absorbed by the nasal membranes inside the nose. The spray device is similar to over-the-counter decongestant sprays. Nicotine nasal spray was approved for use by the FDA in 1996. It is currently available by prescription only."

Nicotine Patch
If I decided to do anything but Cold Turkey, We have a Winner! I tried NicoDerm CQ Smart Control. I started on the high dosage so I had 21mg of nicotine delivered to my blood stream over a 24 hour period.

It was pretty simple to use and understand. I simply applied a patch, at the same time everyday to a different area of my body.

Why did I quit it? To be honest I wanted to light up a cigarette. I wasn't committed to stopping. It did take away the withdrawal, but not the craving for me. I had a "Duh" moment using this product. I smoked a cigarette. (Ummm o.k. maybe more than one.) Nothing happened this time, key words, "This Time."

With all the above products, during my research, each products states "DO NOT SMOKE!" The danger is nicotine overdose.

There are also some herbal medicines that can help you quit. If you are interested in these, I would suggest you Google them.

As with anything dealing with starting something new... CONTACT YOUR DOCTOR!

WHERE DO I FIND SUPPORT?
Now the internet is budding with information. I have given several links, sites, and phone numbers you can contact about support. Some of them have some really neat things and I'll post a little bit about it on the side.

http://www.quitsmokingjournals.com/ (Did someone say journal?)

http://www.becomeanex.org (No this isn't a site about getting a divorce.)

http://www.nicodermcq.com (Has free e-cards, has a $7.00 coupon and sample, enclosed in package is an User Guide & Support phone number. If you choose to go this route, please pay attention to the fact you can pay the same amount for two weeks as you can one when using the patches.)

http://www.silkquit.org/stop-smoking/Default.aspx



http://www.cancer.org (American Cancer Society)



National Cancer Institute
Toll-free number: 1-800-422-6237 (1-800-4-CANCER)
Web site: www.cancer.gov
Toll-free tobacco line: 1-877-448-7848
Tobacco quit line: 1-800-784-8669 (1-800-QUITNOW)
Direct tobacco Web site: www.smokefree.gov
Quitting information, cessation guide, and counseling is offered, as well as information on state telephone-based quit programs

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Office on Smoking and Health
Toll-free number: 1-800-232-4636 (1-800-CDC-INFO)
Web site: www.cdc.gov/tobacco
Free quit support line: 1-800-784-8669 (1-800-QUIT-NOW)
TTY: 1-800-332-8615

If you live near Owensboro, KY you may want to contact the below for a local support group.

The Cooper-Clayton class is free and lasts 13 weeks. Registration takes place four times a year through the Green River Heart Institute (688-0808) and is carried out through a partnership with the Kentucky Cancer Program, the Green River District Health Department, GRHI and OMHS.

The class meets from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Tuesdays at the OMHS HealthPark.

If you don't live near Owensboro but would like to find a class or a group meeting near you, check out Local.com and put in your city. If we have it in Owensboro, I know it has to be near your town as well.

When all else fails, and you need to find information...Google it.

And one more neat site I found. I know some of us won't need or want this information but I still think it is "cool".

Free Medication Programs

http://www.freemedicinerevolution.com

Once again the decision to stop smoking is yours. Your health is always a consideration when doing anything new. Please take care of you and make sure that if you decided to take any kind of help other than COLD TURKEY... ask your doctor &/or pharmacist.

I hope this post help in some way. As I draw closer to my stop date...I have added a lot of favorite websites and informational tools. Once again, if you are going to try to quit along with me... "I can't wait for our journey to begin!"




**Information with ** was provided by my search on: http://www.quitnet.com
Another site with a lot of great information.

Important Items For Any "Wanting To Quit Smoking List"

As you get to know me you will find that I am a big fan of making list. I like the fact that I came up with my own thoughts and feelings. Even more important is that I can always have something to refer back on and add to as time passes.

There are a few items that I briefly wanted to touch on "Wanting to Quit Smoking List." I feel they are very useful tools in our constant struggle to be an EX-Smoker. I hope you will consider adding these items to your own list.

Back Date a Letter to Yourself
Sounds funny doesn't it? The truth of the matter is our brain believes what we tell it to believe. So take out a pen and paper and address it however you would like. (Address it to me if you want.)

Now date the letter a year behind your stop date. For example, my stop date is January 13, 2010. So the date on my own letter will be January 13, 2009.

Be as specific as you can in your letter. State what you feel like your trials will be and how you overcame them. Write to yourself as if your already a Non-Smoker.

Things you might want to consider putting in your letter would be: (First and Foremost) How wonderful it feels to be a Non-Smoker! * When were your trigger times? * What you did instead of smoking during those times. * How did you Rewarded yourself when you accomplished a set time frame without smoking? * How you felt when you slipped and took a puff. * How you felt when you began again. * Who was your support group? * Who was your accountability person/persons? * How did they help you?

You get the picture. Write a success letter to yourself! How wonderful it is to know that your already a Non-Smoker!

Keep A Journal/Log
Keeping a journal or log will help you in many ways. As days pass, it will remind you on how GREAT you are doing! If need be, write it hour by hour and state how you feel. Look back at it, even if it has only been one day and tell yourself, "I am Awesome! Look at me, I can do this!"

Remember a craving will probably only last 2 to 3 minutes. Have your list, journal/log, and support waiting in the wings. Plan ahead and have a few ideals on what your going to do when a "craving" hits.

If you should "stumble" write about it! How did it make you feel? Good at the time, but horrible now? Did it make you feel guilty or question yourself on if you can really do this? Whatever it is journal/log it. But please remember to be kind to yourself. Realize it is in your power at that moment to write about it and then change your actions. Get back up there on that horse and ride again!

At the end of the day, before you go to sleep, end on a positive note. Maybe a quote, an affirmation, a poem, something that makes you feel good.

Have A Support Group Ready
I have listed a full post on nothing but resources for you. Internet sites, phone numbers, and how to find local support groups in your area. There are many more out there, so Google it to find the information you like.

Family, friends, and co-workers will be a great support if you chose to make yourself open to what you are doing. (In fact, one web site has free e-cards you can send and receive to help you in your quest. If I found one, I know there are many more out there for you to find!) I have an "accountability" person in my life ready 24 hours a day. (As I think about it... I have a whole web holding me accountable. lol) You may not have this in your life, and need to have many local support people and sites. Do whatever it takes...but USE THEM!

Turn It Over To God!
I don't have a clue in what or who you believe, a Higher Power or nothing at all. But to me, this is a "MUST HAVE" for my list. I believe in the Power of Prayer and probably will be doing quite a bit of it!

I also believe in God's Promises. Philippians 4:13 King James Version of the Bible states,

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."

I plan on praying when I arise in the morning, when a craving hits, and before I go to sleep. My prayer will be that He will see me through this and I will become stronger because of it. If you have never read the poem "Broken Dreams" please do so. How can we expect God to fix anything if we won't lay it down and leave it?

I don't know if this blog may have helped you or not. But it has helped me. I understand why these items are so important to "My List." They may not be important to yours. It's fine if they aren't, just know why "Your List" is important!

Looking forward to the journey ahead with you!

I've Decided To STOP SMOKING Day Two

O.K. I've decided to stop smoking...now what? Once again I pull out pen and paper and begin to make a list of what I think I need to do to stop smoking.

The very first thing on my list was to pick a stop date. Did I just write that? Am I truly going to commit to this? After pondering a moment, I felt a resounding "YES!" come from deep within me.

Look at your list! You know why you want to do this... now commit and do it!

I really want to stop smoking this time. I stopped what I was doing, looked at a calendar and talked to myself.

For me I like the number 13. I thought about my cigarette reserve and knew I could have them totally out of the house by the 13th of January.

What I didn't smoke between now and then, I could give to someone. Since a cigarette isn't anybody's friend, I thought of a better ideal. I would crumble each left over cigarette into a jar. As I crumble these false friends, I would say, "Your one less chemical in my body that I just don't need! I'm NOT going to let you Kill me!"

(I plan on keeping this jar in eyes view. It will serve me as a reminder to why and what I am doing. I will use it as a tool to help me obtain my goal. I am telling myself right now how much I am going to enjoy crumbling each and every one of them. Instead of looking at it like a waste of money...they were a waste of life!)

Shew! A lot of emotional things had just happened. In a course of minutes I had: Decided to stop smoking * Picked a start date * Committed myself to make a change * and had my "accountability person" there for me.

Now on to the "List of Things To Do!" Here are some of the things I placed on my list: Throw away ashtrays * Throw away lighters * Get Candy* Buy Water * Buy Fabreeze * Buy a Journal/Log * Post-It-Notes * Wash out truck ashtray and place candy in it * Put candy/gum in my purse and cigarette case * Go to bank and place cigarette money into Christmas Club (so I can't touch it) *Check into Support (internet, phone and local classes) * Do I need medication?

From that list I went straight into my second list of the day. "What are some of the things I can do instead of smoke?"

For each person this will be different. Some basic ideas I placed on my list were: Play/Pet Annabell * Take A Walk * PRAY * Read * Go somewhere that didn't allow smoking * call a friend * Drink Water then a Great Dr. Pepper * Spend more time with boys, family, and of course Jon. * Get ready to turn this over to God * Write!

I am going to make another post on some more ideals of the "Most Important Things I Can Do To Stop Smoking."

But for day two, if your going to follow along with me, here is what I suggest you do. 1) Pick A Start Date. 2) Make A List of What You Need To Do. 3) Make a List of What You Can Do Instead of Smoking.


That's it! Make your list and get ready. I feel this is going to be one heck of a ride!

I've Decided To STOP SMOKING Day One

Wow! What a decision this is for me. I have been smoking for years and really enjoy it. I have even tried to stop once or twice with friends and family "quilting" me into it. It didn't work for me. Oh, it did for awhile, but in the long run I was sneaking a smoke, then smoking in certain places, back to full force smoking.

What do I think will be different this time? I want to quit! (I know! duh!) I don't want to quit because my kids are looking at me with hurtful eyes when I fail and smoke. I don't want to quit because my boyfriend told me, "I want to live a long and healthy life with you.

I don't even want to quit because my mother has offered me cash if I would stop. This time I am going to do it for me. Even though I enjoy a good cigarette, I began to think and feel - not how my smoking was affecting others but how it was affecting me. How was it affecting my life? Me...Personally.

I decided I would create a list on why I wanted to stop. It was incredible! Once I started, I filled up two pages and could have kept on going. Then I stopped and wondered to myself, "What in the world are you doing? You know you need to do this, but it is going to be hard."

So I decided the "LIST" would be my inspiration, my drive and my hope. I know I can do this, but I had to do it for me.

What kind of things did I place on my list? Of course there was the usual, how much money I would save, how I didn't like the cough that came when I smoked, (my health) how I missed the taste of good food and a great Dr. Pepper. I thought about how I wasn't being a good example. And since I am a Christian, this isn't something that Jesus would do. I really can't see Jesus standing anywhere and pulling out a cig and lighting it up. When I see that picture in my mind, I can't help but laugh.

Wanting to really stop this time, I figured that I would hold myself accountable to one person. That one person would not judge me, but encourage me. I wouldn't have to see the disappointment in my children’s, mother's, or even boyfriend's eyes should I break down and smoke a cigarette.

So on this first day, I decided to do two things; create a list and understand why I wanted to quit and second, make myself accountable to one person.

When I called my accountability person (someone who had just quit themselves) they gave me the best reason that I would have never thought about placing on my list. Simply put, a cigarette is NOT MY FRIEND! A friend would not try to kill you!

Well my journey has just begun. I hope you will join me in my trip and if you also want to stop smoking... make that list and hold yourself accountable to one person. That's all I want us to do on this first day of our journey.

I look forward to sharing with you my trials and triumphs! But most of all I look forward to improving me!