This email was in my inbox the other day.  I thought it was a good bit of info for anyone trying to stop smoking cigarettes:

I am 4 months pregnant. I have been smoking for about 10 years, pack a day. I tried the “cut down” method. I am around 5-10 a day now, but I cant get below that. So, I am going to do it cold turkey. I really don’t want to go through the trouble of quitting because my emotions are already shot, but it must be done. I would love to be able to lock myself in my bedroom for about a week. I quit before for about 4 months, cold turkey. Then all it took was a weekend of parties and I was right back smoking again. I know I CAN do it, it’s just maintaining the will power to stop. I have heard that the physical addiction is only about 3 days of the quitting, and that the rest is habit and psychological addiction. IF this is true then I can just plan on three days to freedom from physical addiction, correct?  And then, they say, 28 days to make or break the habit. This one I believe. After a month of not smoking before when I did it, I felt strange even holding one. It felt foreign.

What I’m trying to say is, if you have a good enough reason to quit, like me, you can do it.  Just plan on a month of struggle!

Even if you’ve tried other methods of quitting, you might find some relief in the stop smoking shot.  Why?  It actually blocks the nicotine receptors in the brain, giving you relief from cravings where they start:  Your Head!

This is one to talk to your doctor about, cerainly, and only if you’ve tried other methods and found them lacking.  Remember:  you can do it!

The stop smoking shot contains a combination of two different medicines that have actually been around for quite some time and are FDA approved.  These medicines are Scopolamine (which is working ingredient in patches to alleviate sea-sickness) and Atarax (which is an antihistamine like Benadryl) in a unique formula to block the nicotine receptors in the brain and help ease the physical withdrawal associated with quitting smoking.

This shot can be a very effective treatment for people who haven’t found much relief using other methods.  If you think this might be a good solution for you, talk to your doctor, as they’ll be able to steer you in the right direction.

There is such a thing as a stop smoking shot, and though I’ve heard of some people have limited success using this method, quitting all boils down to just having will power and a serious WANT to quit.  If you’re going to seek out the help of a qualified professional to make this life altering change, and you’re willing to shell out big bucks for quitting aids, then you’d better really be ready to make a commitment to a non-smoking lifestyle!

If you’re considering quitting and you think you’re going to need help, talk to your doctor.  There are lots of ways out there to make kicking the habit a less painful endeavor.

There is something called the stop smoking shot, but some of the best techniques are the oldest.

Drink more water, detoxify, try to find something to replace your smoking habit with. Suck on cinnamon sticks instead of smoking cigarettes, get creative with this. Chew sugar-free gum or nicotine gum. Keep your mouth busy, smoking seems to be based in part on some kind of oral fixation. Eat healthy food, and avoid alcohol if alcohol causes nicotine cravings. The same goes for coffee, temporarily anyway.

Try avoiding plant foods from the nightshade family. These are all close relatives of tobacco and may interfere with detox. Tomatoes, eggplants, potatoes, and bell peppers are all nightshades which contain traces of nicotine in them naturally. Avoiding them may help control cravings since even a tiny amount of nicotine may set off cravings for more nicotine.

If you are under a lot of stress, try to find healthier ways of controlling or eliminating the stress from your life. Smoking and stress are often very interrelated. Try yoga or meditation, or breathing exercises.

Try the herb plantago(plantain) - it seems to help cause smoking aversion in many people. Do not confuse them with the banana like plantains, they have no relation to them. Plantago can grow almost anywhere, even in parks or on the street near you but be careful if you want to harvest, since there is the risk of germs or chemical contamination due to lead or other toxins. Of course it is possible to buy it too. Many smokers claim plantains caused them to hate smoking and helped them quit for good.

Write down all the reasons you want to quit smoking, and then write all the reasons you want to continue smoking. Compare the lists. Keep a journal and pay attention to what causes you to smoke more and what helps you smoke less. Stay focused on your goal.

Try aversion therapy. Look at images of the diseased, blackened lungs of smokers, look at photos of people dying from lung cancer in hospitals. Take note of how smokers live shorter lives than non-smokers, are less attractive to others, and have higher rates of cancer, heart disease and respiratory diseases.

I hope you quit and I hope this helps!

I hadn’t realized this before, but the same laser clinics that can utilize the stop smoking laser can also use laser treatment to encourage weight loss, the same way hypnosis can.  This might be a great technique for someone really afraid of gaining weight when they give up cigarettes.  It’s just another way to use mind over matter!

I’ve heard a lot of about the stop smoking shot, both good and bad.  Apparently it’s just one little shot you get behind your ear that contains a couple of different medications, similar to motion sickness medication.  I’ve heard that the medicine is actually taken from the deadly nightshade plant, but I can’t believe that’s true.  Does anyone have any more information on this?  Leave me some comments!

I’m hoping to get comments on the stop smoking shot.  What Experiences have peopl had with it?  Did it help you to successfully quit smoking?  Would you recommend it to other people?  How about the cost?

Someone wrote into me with this question the other day:

“A friend of mine’s husband recently started smoking cessation with Chantix. He’s had horrible nightmares since starting the drug. EXAMPLE: he told his wife that he dreamed that he had gone to the gun cabinet & got a shotgun & shot his wife & two kids while they were asleep. The next morning when he told his wife this dream, the key to the gun cabinet was in the lock (which is always hidden otherwise). Needless to say, he quit taking Chantix. Is this a normal side effect?”

These are the listed side effect for Chantix:
Suicide
Suicidal Thoughts
Depression
Violent Behavior
Nausea
sleep disturbance (trouble sleeping, changes in dreaming) Vivid Dreams
Constipation
Gas
Vomitting

Chantix Side Effects
Chantix is a smoking cessation medication marketed by Pfizer, Inc. that was approved by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in 2006, Chantix side effects may include suicidal thoughts, depression and even violent behavior. In September 2007, Chantix side effects were implicated in the bizarre death of a Dallas, Texas man.

Nausea, headache, vomiting, drowsiness, gas, constipation, trouble sleeping, unusual dreams, or changes in taste may occur. If any of these effects persist or worsen, tell your doctor or pharmacist promptly.

Someone recently told me how their father’s father taught him to never smoke.  I thought this was a pretty disgusting quit smoking aid, but apparently this guy’s dad never touched another cigarette after his old man caught him sneaking a Marlborough behind their house:  he brought him inside and made him lick a dirty ashtray.  He then told him that was what kissing a smoker was like.  Ack!  Sounds like child abuse to me.