IgnisInvictus
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Wanna know what Chantix does? It makes it so that nicotine can't hijack your dopamine system. So nicotine no longer plays a role in producing happy chemicals. Which is then supposed to make it so you don't want nicotine.
What happens if you don't produce enough happy chemicals as a baseline AND nicotine can't give you a boost anymore?
I'm kinda surprised I've managed to keep my temper this much.
I swear before this is over I'm going to gain 20 pounds and get in a fist fight.
Anyone got any tips?
causality
Nicotine is one of those "only legal because the industry is older than safety laws" products, like motorcycles.
Idonotkillpeoplethatismyleastfavoritethingtodo
Gain the pounds, avoid fighting. I was eating tons of candy and sugar free soda, snacks w/e could give me some oral fixation fix and that eating dopamine. I probably gained 30 pounds but I lost them later after I kicked the habit.
SlavaUkrainisaysSteveBuscemi
Sex. Lot and lots of sex. Lots. Seriously.......lots.
Bmgm4u
Lead with your left, it confuses them.
felyfifi
I quit 13 years ago. That is what I posted 1 year later: /gallery/i-quit-smoking-1-year-ago-today-OK3rSJo
felyfifi
Otherwise, Allen Carr's book was a great help for me.
ItzaGreatDay
Quitsure app worked for me. I used nicotine every day of my adult life but quit 2 years ago.
jointdawg94
I gained 30. Worth it
k2rolla
Chantix is the devil. First night on it I had a nightmare so bad I woke up crying to my wife thinking that I had just strangled my son's 6-year old friend and tried to bury the body in the woods. 2nd night on Chantix, I had a nightmare that someone was breaking into my house and shot me in the stomach, then my neighbor shot the burglar dead. I woke up swinging. That was the last night on it. 21mg nicotine patches everyday for 3 months and the cravings were gone. 5 years later, still off cigs.
IgnisInvictus
I was warned that could happen. It didn't with me. I find I'm dreaming slightly more, which is a good thing because it feels like I'm sleeping better, but I'm not having the PTSD-esque dreams.
No. This was just a stupid idea because I didn't plan it very well. Now, all of a sudden, nicotine is doing nothing, and I want to hit someone.
I really do need to just start running, or hit a heavy bag until I'm too exhausted to be angry or irritable.
bobisslack
I am really good at quitting smoking, because I have done it so many times. Something I learned about a lot of physical addictions is that part of the brain that it activates is the one that you need for survival. Your body thinks you physically NEED the chemical, which is why people go back to their addictions even when they don't even really want to. The need is greater than the want. Knowing that has helped me a lot. Think about how refreshing water is when you're dehydrated. (1/?)
bobisslack
That is your body turning off the alarms because you are getting the thing that you NEED. If your inner dialog said, "Just don't drink water," your body would not believe you. The difference is that you eventually don't need the nicotine/addiction. It gets easier. It really does. But it also sucks. Not everyone will understand. But keep trying. And if you don't succeed fully and start to vape again, understand what I said and keep trying. (2/2)
ServerMonkeyKing
Go touch grass ... literally. Go on walks in nature regularly. It helps regulate all that anger naturally and gives you a good physical outlet: just walking.
bikergeek6249
Best of luck. I've known a lot of people over the years who were addicted to a lot of things and one thing I've heard over and over again is that tobacco/nicotine is the hardest thing to quit. Still, thousands if not millions of people do it every year. You can do it too, I have faith in you.
cosonfused
Swing with your hips.
Colthebrick
Get fat. Eat, snack, munch, pig-out. Hit a punching bag. Run. Yell. Do whatever you need to to get you through. It's still the healthier option than continuing to vape. It's easier to break a bad eating habit later than it is to break the vape addiction. Stop putting pressure on yourself to be perfect on every front. You're fighting a hard enough battle just quitting the vape. Give yourself permission to just focus on one battle at a time.
PanamaCanal
If you feel like you need to put something in your mouth, instead of sweets and chips try air popped popcorn with only salt. It’s low calorie, low fat, and high volume. Kernels are a couple bucks a bag. You can air pop it in the microwave. Don’t buy pre-popped packaged stuff as it’s full of added sugar/flavour/fats meaning additional calories. If you need some flavour use 1/2 tbsp ghee per 1/4 cup unpopped kernels. Mix the kernels in the ghee so all covered before popping.
VoidScreamer
Even the bagged popcorn you put in the microwave, even with its added salt/calories is still very low cal compared to things like chips or sweets. For me, unbuttered popcorn would just make me angrier. I find it too dry and not really tasty.
lifeisadadjoke
I quit smoking two years ago. I used the patch, and oddly enough, I lost a LOT of weight. Too much actually...I was only 2kg from having to report to hospital. My first degree is in Pharmacology, and yes, it can happen (just not often). Contraindications are why we have Toxicology as a discipline too.
Aeonika
I used lower and lower nic in the vape, cut down how often I went out to use it and then just cut it and got pissy for a few weeks. I'm a few years downstream now, it gets better.
MapleSyrupMafia
Yeah, if you go from 20 to nothing, it's not going to be fun. If you plan to quit and know you'll do it in let's say a month, go from 20, to 10, to 6 and 3. 3mg is still a bit annoying in terms of being a bit dizzy the first couple days, but it's not redrum territory, at least for me.
DYLANLEE79
I quit smoking after 30 years about 8 months ago, use the patches highest to lowest, AND use the low dose lozenges for break through cravings. And yeah you're gonna feel like you're going crazy for the first month. I still dream about smoking about 3 times a week. But my blood pressure is down about 30 points.
iamthemurray
Does food taste noticeably better? Always saw it on those "when you stop smoking" infographics. Wonder if it actually held any water other than " you didn't smoke before you ate, so of course it will taste better"
meganical
You’re American, aren’t you? Now is not a good time to quit bad coping mechanisms
IgnisInvictus
... yes.
If I allow myself to continue vaping for a good reason, I'll allow myself to continue for a bad one.
It's just time for me to quit.
StrokeFlavoured
Get a sandbag...I am serious. It helped me to beat stuff up. The aggression in the first week is real.
IgnisInvictus
So. Very. Real.
Wonder if I can find one on the cheap...
StrokeFlavoured
Maybe helpful, maybe not: I got a standing one from Amazon. It was half decent and didn't fly through the room. But this is almost 10 years ago and today I am not a big fan of Amazons stuff.
SciencePetsComputers
Facebook marketplace and other local used markets often has a ton up for sale, like most exercise equipment there is a big secondary market of people buying stuff with the idea they suddenly will gain the discipline to keep using it.
JamesTotally
gain the weight. get comfortable not smoking. once you're comfortable, do keto for a month to lose the weight
BackToTheOriginalUsername
I stopped cigarette (after being an heavy smoker) using nicotine patch first 21mg (the highest I could find) for about a month, then 14mg and 7mg each for the same amount of time. The thing that worked for me was to go by step, let my body and brain get used to lower and lower dose.
I tried the same by lowering the amount of cigarette but I couldn't restrain myself.
I'm not someone that can quit cold turkey, as I would probably damage most of my tools for dumb stuff induced rage...
BackToTheOriginalUsername
As for the food part: well I didn't do well on that. I used to go swimming but only pool around closed and there no way i'm running on the roads around here, too many careless drivers.
The craving got better after a while tho' so my weight stabilized after maybe 5 month after the last patch...
IgnisInvictus
Unfortunately, I'm already on the med that makes nicotine not work.
In retrospect, this was stupid.
ShimmerinStrider
I understand. I allowed myself to put on weight when I quit nicotine. As soon as I was clear of that, it was straight to losing weight. GL OP!
ElAburrimientoMePuede
I smoked cigs, so I don't know if it's the same. First, got rid of all the parafernalia. Then cleaned the house and vented it to get rid of the smell. I played VR, intense active games that took my mind away from the need. After 3 days it got better, after a week still craved from time to time, but was easier to fight. Been 7 years, still crave it from time to time. I buy a pack once a year, maybe less, I fire one and instantly remember why I quitted, the smell alone makes me want to throw up.
datphone777365
Use all that cash ya saved from devaping buy an 80 lb punching bag and stand. Then hit that fucker aiming for 30 mins twice a day. Start with the upper bag then move downward as ya can. Youll either become hella fit or just be too tired to start shit.
UnitConversionBot
20 pounds ≈ 9.1 kilograms or 1 stone, 6 pounds
IgnisInvictus
Thank you UnitConversionBot
That's still a lot of weight.
Sunfire00
Yep, drugs are bad. Better to jot even start. And now please excuse me, I need to get my third cup if coffee for the day, right now at 10:30 in the morning.
spooktree
running or working out. trading one addiction for another ;)
GerbilHereReportingLiveFromRichardGeresAss
Sound advice, but to anyone trying to replace drugs with workouts - try to take it easy. Too many people, especially now with influencer culture, jump to workouts and end up in snap city. Easy
BeaverOnFire
But I already traded smoking for anal fisting. 🤔
kousaroe
I never have the energy for that
GravyEducation
I was gonna make the same comment, but a joke and say weed... but fr you gotta do the exercise thing, mine is just a joke. Don't trade smoking for smoking... cuz surprise it'll make you more likely to pick up your old smoking habit and now you got two, like me
adamlstf9
Genuinely not a bad idea, start with something easy like throwing a few squats in during your day, or pushups or sit-ups or whatever’s. A little bump of happy chems and stave off the crush of old man body as long as possible
IgnisInvictus
Welp. I'm probably gonna need that anyway, what with the overeating.
lighterletter
You must train like samurai to master your habits
JackieTreehornProductions
I’m struggling with eating and snacking due to stress and I’ve found if instead of making an entire sandwich or bowl of rice/noodles etc of I cut my portions at meal time and save 1/3rd to 1/4 of my normal portioned meal as a “snack” for later it fulfills that cheat craving but I’m really just finishing my already planned caloric intake. Still not the best but it helps manage the calories even if not ideal time for metabolizing it.
ByThePowerOfSCIENCE
IgnisInvictus
Taper on taper off. You can end up with some pretty severe neurochemical issues otherwise. Supposed to be on it for 8-12 weeks. I'm at the start of week 4, stopped all nicotine use 2 or 3 days ago. I've been sucking on an empty vape.
This is... not fun.
Nicotine will quite literally do nothing because that's what Chantix does. So I'm stuck craving the effect of nicotine and nicotine will do nothing to satisfy the craving.
ByThePowerOfSCIENCE
Hm, so you have to tough it out. A friend of mine used Chantix but didn't tell me how bad it could be.
The good thing is that receptors regulate back to a normal state, so this isn't permanent. Quitters have told me about tasting and smelling again like trying on new eyeglasses.
Wuz314159
Have you tried replacing the vape with meth or heroin? Ò_o
filteredcontextmeme
Don’t recommend either of those 😂
BurnieCinders
Bro, weed is the gateway drug. It's like starting with a 250cc motorbike. Don't just jump on a 1000cc bike.
IgnisInvictus
I'm already on Adderall.
YOU'D THINK THAT FUCKING HELP! BUT NOOOOO
Yeah, I honestly don't think meth or heroin would help with the specific neurochemicals nicotine helps stimulate.
HighMagosSquidward
Oh jeez dude. Because adderall does the same thing to dopamine that nicotine does, could be some interplay there
GoOkGoo
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5993450/
leviaton
Surprisingly for me 200mg of magnesium before bed made a huge difference. It relaxes the muscles and helps your body relax. It's not a lot but it's something
Wubalubadubdub7
Boofing a Zima helps me gain the happy chemicals.
IgnisInvictus
https://media1.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPWE1NzM3M2U1YWpqdjRpaHZtZXo0bzQ0aGYwNTBkdzhobDNwcHR2aGhienZyaG94ZiZlcD12MV9naWZzX3NlYXJjaCZjdD1n/gBpY4p7bbhsiI/200w.webp