Follow-Up to Sir Sartana's "Quitting Smoking" thread

[The Don]

I've been reading through Sir Sartana's thread, and I decided to start a new post in lieu of hijacking his. Hearing all the success (and struggle) stories helps impress upon me how difficult a habit this can be to kick. I nearly lost my father (when he was in his late 30's) due to his then 3-pack-a-day habit that began when he was 9. Perhaps this was part of the reason I've never touched a cigarette in my life. My brother, however, has been a smoker for many years, and I've always struggled with what I could do to help him stop. I feel I'm in a difficult spot because I can't say "I know how it feels."

I'd be interested to hear from those of you who have quit. Can anyone recall things anyone said or did that helped you make the decision to change your lifestyle? I guess I'm looking for advice on how to approach him on the subject. I certainly don't want him to feel attacked or alienated. At the same time, I want to impress upon him my concern for his health and to let him know that I want him around for a long time.

Thanks guys.

[joshgambit]

Biggest thing for me? My kids. They asked me to quit. Then, my dad told me he had bladder cancer. #1 cause of that type of cancer? You got it, smoking.

I know how it feels. I deal with the feeling every single day. Many days, I still wake up wanting to have a smoke. But I don't.

I used the patch to make the cravings feel less. But, ultimately, you have to WANT to quit. Nothing else will matter.

My wife used to smoke too, and she finally said that she didn't like being close to me because of the way I smelled.

[Legion]

Smokes being $16 a pack here was a big motivator...

[ShavedMonkey]

I have a number of clients who smoke. Some even express a desire to quit. By and large though, even when told they NEED to quit or they could die (in weeks or month, not years mind you) few actually move beyond the talking about it stage.

You can talk to him about it, much the way you just did here in your post. You know him well and how to talk to him. Just be sure to express your concerns but don't "preach" about it. He no doubt has had similar thoughts but moving from thinking about stopping any addictive behavior to taking action is a huge step.

Has he tried to stop before? Do you know what methods he's tried if so (e.g. Cold turkey, warm turkey, adjunctive treatments, nicotine replacement treatments)?

Medications such as Bupropion (Zyban), nortriptyline hydrochloride (Pamelor), and Clonidine (Catapres) can radically increase success alone or in combination with nicotine replacement therapy. This is something that is often overlooked and most PCPs aren't familiar with them, though they are listed as first and second line treatment option by the NIH.

[_MementoMori_]

I smoked for 15 years and quit cold turkey. My inspiration was my daughter. I realized how much I wanted to see her grow into a beautiful, wonderful woman. I wanted to see the handiwork of my parenting skills, y'know?

[Malaspina]

I quit using Champix and I honestly can't even tell you why I decided to quit, just woke up one morning and decided that it might be time. I had tried with the patch several times and I failed until I tried the drug. I worked my way through the headaches, upset stomach and nightmares - all of which were gone after the first couple of weeks.