The smokeless horsewoman - anyone want to share their experience with Zyban?

[Heidi]

I have finally relented and ventured to the doc for a prescription for Zyban so that I may fulfill my promise to my children to stop smoking in my 35th year. If I successfully quit, which I’ve never done, I may even be able to trot twice around the indoor without gasping for air.

Besides the loss of my favourite hobby (what’s better than a ciggie after a steak dinner?), I have heard some horror stories about the side effects of Zyban; and thus, I have 60 pills sitting cozily in the box, and remain undecided whether I’ll actually take them or not.

For those who’ve successfully (or unsuccessfully, cause I may need the ammo when I light up Nov. 2 and face a wall of disapproving faces) gone the Zyban route, care to share your experiences?

“Mommy, does it really matter?” - Sumo toddler, age 3

[Heidi]

Perhaps it’s a tad premature of me, given that I’ve yet to take the Zyban, but ljo (!!!), take it from me, the only success I’ve ever achieved in my non-smoking venture was involuntary - i.e. a ten hour flight to Europe. My love of smoking is such that I contemplated flying through China to London so that I’d be able to smoke – and this from someone who absolutely hates to fly.

I have an online buddy who’s joining me in the bid to quit smoking and we’re going to rely on each other, via ICQ, to talk each other out of the desire to light up yet another ciggie. I’d invite you to join us when we smoke our last cigarette on Aug. 24. As Justalurker so poignantly posted, there are worse problems than smoking – suffering horribly from emphysema being but one.

Non-smoking incentive: I must, I must, I must, I must increase my butt!

[elizabeth]

I’ll keep it brief - dying of lung cancer is a sucky way to die.

The damage you are doing now cannot be undone. My grandfather stopped smoking many, many YEARS before his lung cancer showed up.

Might I be so bold as to proffer this thought: [I]Having your grandchildren visit you at home during your final few days on this earth after your doctors and Hospice have agreed that they cannot do anything for you is something you do not ever want to live through.

The wheezing, the oxygen hiss, your panting because that is all you can do (you can’t get any oxygen into your lungs once they have hardened and the tumor has grown), your feet turning blue because there is not enough oxygen to get down there - that is sh&t your six year old grandaughter will never forget.[/I] It is ten years after watching my granfather die that way, and I can STILL picture it.

Justalurker is right - smoking will catch up with you. The question is just in what miserable way. . . .

Besides, standing at ringside drinking bottled water is MUCH sexier than standing at ringside puffing away.

[JustaLurker]

Congratulations Big Dreams! After 2 weeks, the addiction has passed. Now you are beginning to notice the big pluses, particularly being able to breathe better and gaining stamina. Keep working on “one day at a time” and you’ll make it permanent.

Cheers, Maggi

[Robby_Johnson]

So no flames, please.

I quit using Zyban in 1998. It is the same thing as Wellbutrin.

At the time, I was pretty depressed and having lots of anxiety issues, so it helped me greatly. And it did help with the smoking cessation.

I did experience really bizarre dreams as well as decreased libido.

My HMO wouldn’t pay for Zyban, incidentally, but would pay for Wellbutrin, so my doctor called it in, after the first month, as Wellbutrin.

Robby

[Robby_Johnson]

I quit when I turned 27, because I realized I’d been smoking regularly for 10 years.

I have to be honest (meant to tell y’all this in my other post, hence the allusion to potential flaming) and say that I will still smoke if I’m having margaritas or at horse shows. But that’s it. Like, I smoked a few cigarettes at the Depeche Mode show in Dallas July 17th, but haven’t smoked since. And before that it had been a month or so.

I figure these 2-3 cigarettes a month are much better than a pack a day. This is the only way I can “quit.” I’m too much like heidi-ugh and love to do it too much. As long as I know I can do it if I want, and not do it for the majority of the time, I’m good.

My favorite smoking expression was once after I’d had a particularly fantastic drag on a cigarette I muttered, “God, that was better than slapping somebody!” My friend loved it and has taken that saying to town!

Robby

[Robby_Johnson]

Actually, the libido thing was interesting. The Zyban sure picked me out of my slump, so I switched to 1 pill a day (as opposed the recommended 2). I tended to experience increased “waves” of desire, which would be insatiable for 3 days, then two weeks of flatness.

However, not smoking does make me feel so much better. I can smell and taste and that’s great!

Robby

[Canter]

Thank you Cactuskate!

[Canter]

Email LCR Scott about her hubby’s side effects - very similar to what my hubby experienced.
Both of them still smoke - go figure. There’s always the patch if you decide the chemicals in Zyban aren’t going to jibe with your body.

[Rye]

to pay for smoking cesssation. Actually, did you know when your employer decides to purchase health care and pharmacy benefits, it the the EMPLOYER that descides whether to cover “Lifestyle” drugs like: Smoking Cessation, Viagra and oral contraceptives.

Everyone is always so quick to pick on HMOs and often plan limitations are set by the employer. Most Amercians seem to forget that employee benefits are a just a benefit, not a god-given right to have everything you want at a $10 copay.

And no I do not work for an HMO, rather I am a consultant to employers.

[davidgud_equestrian_jihad]

Heidi, Heidi, Heidi . . .

A typical Korean - always with a cigarette in thine mouth . . .

Quit Heidi, QUIT QUIT

I don’t want to rub it in, but I’ve never smoked a cig. in my life - occasional cigar with my Dad after (Sunday) dinner - banished outside with
“the Fidels” by our Mother . . .

When I became Dictator for Life (or maybe King),
I am going to deal with the smokers and "anti physical fitters of the horse world - trust me - Kim Jong IL will look like a sweetheart compared to me . . . (!!) hmmmmmmm . . .

Ciao

David G./Seoul ROK

[RegalBeagle]

I’ve had the bottle of Zyban and its literature sitting in a little basket on my kitchen table for almost one year. Hmmmm, perhaps not the motivating story you were seeking.

I sought out the prescription originally because of the wonderful success stories for 2 dear friends who quit. They both said it made them quite happy and the process easier than previous attempts with the patch, etc.

I’ll be very interested to hear of your progress. I’m rooting for you.

[ljo]

My Dr. gave me theses nicotine
inhalers that are sitting in a basket in my dining room

I’ve been looking at them for about 2 months wondering when I’m going to
feel inclined to use them

[Rye]

C’mon!! You can do it! You have to believe that you are in charge of yourself and you can whack that nasty habit.

Having lost an uncle to cancer from years of smoking, I know from personal experience that smoking WILL eventually kill you. It’s not a question of if, its a question of when it will kill you.

For those of you that use the “I’ll gain weight without them” GIVE IT UP!!! Wouldn’t you rather be 10 pounds heavier, and have healthier lungs??? If you’re really worried about the weight, start exercising! Don’t use the ciggies as a weight loss crutch.

I am not lecturing we all get enough of that! The first few weeks will be hard, but keep moving ahead! Imagine the day when you realize that you no longer have icky stained fingers, that your clothes no longer stink, and that you’re no longer the recipient of glares and huffing of the non-smoking crowd!!

If you don’t like the pills, try the patch, try cold turkey, try hypnotism…try anything. What works for some people, may not work for you!! but keep trying until you win!

[Heidi]

The Zyban literature suggests that one adopt new and unusual smoking routines - i.e. smoking with your other hand. On Cactuskate’s suggestion, perhaps we should start smoking upside down.

Non-smoking incentive: I must, I must, I must, I must increase my butt!

[Hardly_there]

I am really considering joining you guys on August 24th
I am just scared that I won’t make it

http://www.ascensionfarms.homestead.com/webstarter.html

[elizabeth]

I misspoke.

In any event, the point wasn’t to rage at whomever but, rather, to note that the cost of sustaining someone while they die of lung cancer is huge in comparison to the cost of a Zyban treatment.

[Heidi]

Firstly, Big Dreams, big congrats to sticking to your non-smoking resolve! Hee haw! Let’s hope I can join you in celebrating my two week anniversary in three weeks.

Davidgud, you are screwed.

<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>When I became Dictator for Life (or maybe King), I am going to deal with the smokers and "anti physical fitters of the horse world - trust me - Kim Jong IL will look like a sweetheart compared to me . . . <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Next you’ll disclose that you don’t even drink.

Koreans are by nature cynical optimists and demand in their dictators certain vices - smoking and slothfulness among the most important. I’d suggest, Mr. Wanna-be-a-Kim, that you consider as an alternative the establishment of a cult. The pay may be less, but the ego tripping, about equal.

BTW, I’d have you know that there are few things better in life than a Vantage after Oma’s kalbee.

Non-smoking incentive: I must, I must, I must, I must increase my butt!

[kaia]

It didn’t do anything for me at all - nothing bad, but nothing good either. My solution for quitting smoking seems to be to get pregnant. I’ve quit twice, and those were the only two reasons that were good enough for me to hold on to my willpower - not saying I’d recommend it though! I hold onto it now because at 4 my daughter started to tell people that I smoked! This was after I’d quit (again) - but I swear she could cite every time I’d ever had one even though I’d always taken great pains to keep it from her and had no idea that she knew anyway!

Try the Zyban though. I have a good friend who it worked great for. My mom also has a friend who it worked for - he’d go around saying “I know I should want a cigarette, but I’m just too happy to care.” He’s such a lucky guy that he also felt “too happy” to overeat and totally lost his spare tire!

[Quinn]

Dear Heidi-Ho:

Himself and I quit smoking 30 months ago. He used Zyban with great success and I just quit cold turkey.

Like you, I absolutely “love” to smoke. When himself quit, I was deep down hoping he couldn’t do it because then I wouldn’t feel obligated to follow suit. The Zyban gave him the necessary “help” to go from 2 packs of Export a day to nothing and he doesn’t crave them at all now. I, on the other hand, would still like to smoke but won’t give in to it.

Congratulations! The step you are taking is a tough one but in the long run, so worth it.

Good luck!