gromit Posted June 17, 2009 After a from my doctor... I have decided to altogether stop my 10 year pack-a-day habit. So far i've gone exactly 12 hours and finding it tough already. I bought some nicorette inhalers that so far seem to help the cravings, but i do not really want to be addicted to nicotine still (which is obviously what nicorette want). Planning on talking with some of my cacti in the near future, hopefully they guide me in the right direction, and don't drive me back to the Winnie Blues. Anyone here have any successful attempts at quiting using ethno's? Smoking anything is out of the equation, but i would be willing almost anything else (where legal) to get rid of the ciggies for good. Any suggestions? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chiral Posted June 17, 2009 Quitting is piss easy man Ive done it hundreds of times... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alchemica Posted June 17, 2009 (edited) All the best with it gromit! Tough thing to be going through. I want to cut back soon but know that tobacco is one of the few things that keeps me a bit saner. In the way of ethnos, you might want to consider a tea of lobelia. Worth a shot if you have it around. Anyone tried bupropion or low-dose selegiline? Edited June 17, 2009 by Alchemica Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
faustus Posted June 17, 2009 Anyone tried bupropion or low-dose selegiline? buproprion -- was useful for the first month or so, but eventually it triggered anxiety and insomnia. i eventually started smoking again. for me at least, i don't think that my smoking is based upon the self-medication of some neurochemical deficit but is all in my head. for instance, much of my smoking has to do with needing to do something with my hands when i'm out, or a form of procrastination when i was studying. this year i quit cold turkey. i've smoked about 5 durries, and they all tasted gross. selegiline -- used to take this as a motivation enhancer. good stuff. dunno about smoking cessation though. varenicline -- B-E-W-A-R-E! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gromit Posted June 17, 2009 15 hours now thanks guys...some good suggestions you know where i can source some lobelia? never tried it Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alchemica Posted June 17, 2009 (edited) Places like Happy High Herbs have the leaf in ?50g bags for under $10 I think, or you could see if http://www.newtonspharmacy.com.au will mail order. Just be careful, it is something that you can overdose on. Another one that could be interesting is cytisine... a real problem to get the dose right (and not die) but if that could be done, it might be quite effective. Then again it's related to varenicline so it might bring out Mr. Hyde Edited June 17, 2009 by Alchemica Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gromit Posted June 17, 2009 alright i'll give it a go, cheers let ya know how i get on Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Smiling Cloud Posted June 17, 2009 lobelia contains lobeline which to my understanding is very closely related to nicotine. So if you are going to go down that route you may as well try nicorette. I quit recently and was going very successfully with it but my flatmate smokes so i was pinching one of hers once a week, then once a day then i forgot to buy the gum one day and smoked a heap of her tobacco, then i bought her a pouch but she wouldn;t accept the whole thing and then i was a smoker again. The best gum by far would have to be nicotenell mint 4mg or quit x, both are made by the same company i think because they are both exactly the same. THe good thing about those two brands is that they actually taste like gum whilst also being the cheapest brand. Nicorette and the other popular brand make the worst tasting gum ever. I find gum is the easiest way to go because you still get an instant hit of nicotine, so its not too far from normal smoking. Then after ebing on the gum for awhile go onto patches and work down from there. The gum packets say no more then 10 pieces a day but thats bullshit, i was chewing 3-4 pieces every half hour for the first few days. I think there is a fair bit of sodium in them though so if you're on a low sodium diet maybe check with the doc. Good luck its not easdy but is so so worth it. I can;t wait to finish this pack so i can wuit again. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Siggor Posted June 17, 2009 alan carr easy way to quit smoking Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SayN Posted June 17, 2009 i did it years and years ago by supplementing my intake with pot + tobacco (which i then got addicted to). i think some of its about breaking the habit of having something in your hands. gum worked when I broke the pot + tobacco habit, and I don't think it was necessarily addictive because it doesn't have the same instantaneous gratification of smoking (and tastes pretty disgusting to boot). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alchemica Posted June 17, 2009 Lobeline is interesting as it modulates VMAT and hence dopamine release, rather than just substituting smoked nicotine for buccal administration. It shows some promise in treating other addictions (including stimulants). I didn't find it as reinforcing as tobacco but IMO it has some interesting potential - I'd really like to see if it helps anyone quit or reduce their intake. I simply don't find buccal nicotine from gums to be a good way to go (and you end up paying just as much money to some pharmaceutical company instead of a tobacco company). Part of me also assumes that the MAO inhibition from smoked tobacco is part of the problem with giving up - once the MAO activity returns, neurotransmitter levels are likely to throw the smoker into some bad cravings. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gromit Posted June 17, 2009 lobelia contains lobeline which to my understanding is very closely related to nicotine. So if you are going to go down that route you may as well try nicorette.I quit recently and was going very successfully with it but my flatmate smokes so i was pinching one of hers once a week, then once a day then i forgot to buy the gum one day and smoked a heap of her tobacco, then i bought her a pouch but she wouldn;t accept the whole thing and then i was a smoker again. The best gum by far would have to be nicotenell mint 4mg or quit x, both are made by the same company i think because they are both exactly the same. THe good thing about those two brands is that they actually taste like gum whilst also being the cheapest brand. Nicorette and the other popular brand make the worst tasting gum ever. I find gum is the easiest way to go because you still get an instant hit of nicotine, so its not too far from normal smoking. Then after ebing on the gum for awhile go onto patches and work down from there. The gum packets say no more then 10 pieces a day but thats bullshit, i was chewing 3-4 pieces every half hour for the first few days. I think there is a fair bit of sodium in them though so if you're on a low sodium diet maybe check with the doc. Good luck its not easdy but is so so worth it. I can;t wait to finish this pack so i can wuit again. Fair points there sc, but i find the inhalers better than the gum not only for the taste, but the sensation of holding something in my lungs, almost like a vape. Don't wait to finish the pack, just chuck em in a drawer like i did and use some willpower man! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SayN Posted June 17, 2009 in a drawer???? don't you mean the bin?!? doing this also helped for me - as I would be less inclined to waste money on another packet. it works best, however, if you do it on garbage night... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
apothecary Posted June 17, 2009 (edited) Someone should really mention that lobeline and nicotine do not interact well with each other at all! lobeline is both an emetic and expectorant. So if you are going to try it out, make sure you don't use any patches/inhalers/gum/cigarettes/whatever while still under the influence of Lobelia! Edited June 17, 2009 by apothecary Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mauve Posted June 17, 2009 Planning on talking with some of my cacti in the near future, hopefully they guide me in the right direction, and don't drive me back to the Winnie Blues. Anyone here have any successful attempts at quiting using ethno's? i've heard Ayahuasca can be a more efficient than your doctor's...hehe. The first thing i would do is to talk to the Tobacco spirit and make an offering, asking for release of it's empire...i know it looks freaky but hey, Tobacco is a powerful amazonian spirit plant ! Doing that in a cactus session would be very effective, i think. Where legal. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chiral Posted June 17, 2009 I once read a novel called the anarchist and it was about a boring accountant who suddenly out of the blue at the age of 48 decided to make a life change and gave up his career and started to wander around with hippies and gypsy's and the like ...it was an English novel, anyways he had this philosophy that he could now take up smoking cigarettes without any fear of it killing him...you see he stated that cigarettes take 30 years to kill you so by his reckoning he would be about to die anyways at the age of 78... H. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Neoshaman Posted June 18, 2009 Quitting is piss easy man Ive done it hundreds of times... From my experience it would seem some people develop an addiction while others don't i've seen people quit cold turkey no side effects I've seen others do the same and suffer greatly from it I think it may have something to do with the pertiod of time you've been feeding yourself nicotene my girlfriend can quit easily with no cravings etc she has smoked for 5 or 6 years My grandmother on the other hand quit about a year ago now and still carries on how much she misses smoking and that she is considering taking it back up .... Just a personal observation Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hedonix Posted June 18, 2009 Fair points there sc, but i find the inhalers better than the gum not only for the taste, but the sensation of holding something in my lungs, almost like a vape.Don't wait to finish the pack, just chuck em in a drawer like i did and use some willpower man! dude, Alan Carr's Easy way to stop smoking... get an ebook.. listen on the ipod or whatever.. 1 year off and still going strong. i recommend. :D Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Legba Posted June 18, 2009 http://whyquit.com/joel/Joel_Index_03_Quitting_Smoking.html Good luck Gromit Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hedonix Posted June 18, 2009 dude, Alan Carr's Easy way to stop smoking... get an ebook.. listen on the ipod or whatever.. 1 year off and still going strong. i recommend. :D no shit... myself, brother, brother in law, girlfriend, and 3 other mates quit using ALAN CARR's Easy way... i used to be a pack a day... (stuyv filters) after I quit, told my friends and within a month all of the above were off it... ALAN CARR has since passed away (R.I.P) what a legend! it teaches you not to rely on the willpower method of quitting or using other drugs to quit.. inhalors, nicotine chewy etc... can't beleive people use zyban to get off ciggies!! but i suppose if its out there people will use it... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
