Hi, i've been smoking for over 40 years, yes i know disgusting, i desperately want to give up smoking.

You can get a decent disposable e-cigarette from Tesco for £5.99, they're remarkably realistic taste and (lung) feeling wise

Hi, I,ve also been smoking since I was 16 and I'm 51 now and gradually got up to 50 rollies a day' way over the top. I've been having a lung x ray each year for about 5 years now and the last 2 years I've been going to a doc who has a ct scanner. Last September he told me I have a small cancer in one lung and developing copd, so despite the fact I love smoking because it fits in well with my lifestyle (I'm a househusband in Japan with 2 small kids and plenty of free time in the week) it is imperative I stop. I cut down to 35 a day in November, which was quite easy as 50 a day is really over the top, but since April I was cutting down more got to 23/24 a day by July but lost focus and am enjoying 35 a day again until the kids' summer holidays are over. My wife has to have a small operation at the end of the month also, do I can't go back to the docs for another scan until mid September, to see how things stand. This morning I reset my plan to go down to 20 a day again, but when I see the doc, I will ask for some medicine I know he can prescribe that makes tobacco taste bad and see if that will help. I'd really like to join a quit smoking group, but I'm not sure if they have them here and also my Japanese isn't so good although I like to think my communication is OK. Tobacco and cigs are cheap here, a lot of places like shopping centres and airports have smoking rooms and people don't make a fuss if you do smoke in public unlike the UK. I will see how it goes again going to 20, the trouble I had in July was that I still don't want to stop, only for heath reasons. Anyway, I hope you don't mind me posting here, my main point being I have also been puffing away for a long time, but it's not impossible to change and i' m looking forwards to stopping one way or anther and then getting a bit fit' just to solidify things.

Hi valerie23,

I was a smoker from the age of 13yrs, averaging around a 20 pack a day up to the age of 52. I suffered a stroke on 28th August 2012, stopped smoking 28th August 2012 under my own steam. Previously had made no attempt to stop, thinking the usual " it will never happen to me", how wrong I was. I honestly found giving up one of the easiest things I have done in my life.

Good luck with your quest......

Hi Valerie23, I have been nicotine dependent for 40 years and 'believe' that I enjoy a smoke (or the comfort at lest of something to suck on) In the beginning of June I started using a refillable electronic cigarette. I don'tknow if they are any better for me but at least I am not inhaling all that tar which is supposed to be the reallung spoiler.

Before I switched I was smoking perhaps 10 -12 rollies a day. I will be interested to compare my lungcapacity and health in another six months or so. I have stopped smoking twice before for over 12months (second time for 18 months) but at the moment am not sure if I can actually quit the nicotine but am going to have a go with one of the flavoured non-nicotine 'juices'

Meanwhile, am saving a lot of money as the refillable e-cigs are much cheaper to run than fags.

Good luck, whichever way you go. Either has got to be healthier.

Hi Valerie,

I have smoked for around 35 years and have had everything from patches, accupunture, hypnotherapy, Champix, Zyban and the list goes on.  I found that the lozengers worked for me..... but....... you are only supposed to take them for so long and I was addicted to those for a year.  I started smoking again and I am so fed up of puffing away, feeling short of breath so I am giving Champix another shot as I do think it is all in the mind and you do need to be in the right frame of mind to give up. 

Hi Valerie i smoked for 40yrs for me it was chapix yes you can get side effects but you wont get cancer. and iv not smoked for 18 months now so its worth a go good luck.

Hi I have started champix again with a different mind-set I am on day 9 and the stomach ache and nausea is not pleasant, however, I have cut down and my day to stop is tomorrow - so no more smokes hopefully.  How are you doing?

Hi Valerie

I'm using patches to stop and I really like them, the only thing you have to watch for is bad dreams/insomnia (I take them off before I go to bed, so it's fine now) and I get quite itchy with them.  I'm not allowed to take champix as I have a history of depression but I've heard quite a lot of positive things about them (although there are some bad stories on here).  Years ago I used to use Nicobrevin, it's quite hard to get now (you can only buy it online), it's expensive and you still need loads of willpower for it to work.  I've never tried hypnosis or accupunture so I can't comment.  Cold turkey is extremely hard for me (I was a 40 to 50 rollups a day smoker).

Hope this helps.

Hi Valerie

Hope you are doing okay on your patches -  I am pleased to say that when I first came on here I was on day 9 using Champix I have now done 5 weeks - I am astonished at how this pill works - there is hope and it is such a nice feeling to feel free of not having to buy cigerettes - infact I havent even thought about them.

I smoked 20+ a day for 25 years or so and, like you, I despaired of ever giving up. I tried various chemical aids, which just made me feel dreadful and reach for a fag! One day, I thought I'd try 'cold turkey' and, whilst it wasn't pleasant for the first few days, I knew I'd done it. I still felt a bit rough in the chest area for a few months, which I put down to all the rubbish being disposed of. That was all 12 years ago and I've never even considered touching one since and feel better than when I was in my 20's.

Go for it, it's easier than you think.!!

Yes it was chapex for me after 40yrs on the cigs its now been nearly 2 years and i dont look back now. Just remember once you give up you can never have just one your soon be back where you started if you do. Good luck.