Question about nicotine w/Dr. Kemmeter

Barb-

You can actually "step down" with e-cigarettes, by buying the cartridges, which contain the nicotine and flavoring in lower and lower strengths until you hit the "0mg" cartridge, where all you're getting is water vapor and flavor. There are also e-cigs that come with the choice of glycerin or vegetable-based (usually soybean oil) carrier fluid for the nicotine and flavoring. Not all companies have them, and cartridges are generally not interchangable between brands. You can buy the "juice" in your preferred flavor in lower strengths as well. and refill your own cartridges....BIG money-saver!

How do I know all this? Because I'm trying to quit *again*. I did try to smoke a regular cigarette after using the e-cig for a week...and it was totally NASTY! I'm down from 24 mg nicotine to 12 mg now.

Even though people use them to quit...the manufacturers can't advertise them as smoking cessation devices. Then they would require prescriptions, and become regulated by the FDA...there is a movement to do this right now...and likely not covered by prescription insurance, similar to the Nicotrol Inhaler, which is prescription in the US, but sold OTC in Canada as the Nicorette Inhaler. Same company as the patch, same device, different rules.

Hang in there. Nicotine seems to be just about the worst substance to get off :-/. I am a seriously fanatical anti-smoker, having watched my mother die a horrible death at the hands of smoking when I was still a child and because I live with the effects of having been subjected to nicotine and second hand smoke from conception to near-adulthood. But I realize that it is a horrifically addictive substance and cheer you on in your battle to get free of it.

When you DO finally get off it, make a contract with someone, even me if it will help, to NEVER EVER pick up another one. NEVER. All it takes is one.

Now THAT is how an addiction works. (I'm thinking of my recent rant about how so many people insist they are "food addicts" when "food addiction" is not true addiction.)

WAY TO GO!!! I love to hear people say they're quitting. I quit too close to my surgery and I had breathing problems in recovery (I was sneaking drags the week before). I haven't picked up a cigarette since.

Have you tried Chantix? It worked for me until my script ran out. The best thing I've tried to date though is a tiny dose of xanex. It takes the edge right off.

Thank-you!  Yes I actually did try chantix a couple years back....the problem was I had a lot of bad side effects from it and I stopped taking it after 3-4 days.  So it didn't help me, but I've heard it is great for other people.  I'm taking Zyban right now, and while I think it may take the edge off a bit, it's certainly no cure.

  I just ordered an e-cigarette a few minutes ago after seeing another poster say it helped.  I'm not sure why I didn't think of that before. The kind I ordered has different stages of nicotine down to zero, so I'm hoping to taper myself off.  Now I just have to wait to get it.

Barb-

Oops!  Didn't read down far enough!  If you haven't already, look into buying the juice to refill your own.  It will save you TONS!

The one I bought was called "The Safe Cig".  It comes with cartridge refills.  I'm not really sure if I can refill them myself or not....I'm not very familiar with e-cigarettes.  I just did a bit of research and this brand had good reviews so I shelled out the 90 bucks for it.  I'm really hoping it works!!! If I can refill them myself that would be wonderful.  I should probably do a bit of research and see how that works with this brand. Actually I probably should have done more research before buying it...it was a bit of an impulse lol.  Oh well though, if it helps it's totally worth it and still cheaper than the $6 a pack I was paying.

Thank you for the tips.  Good luck quitting too!!!  Keep me posted on how your are doing

Good luck, I know it sucks, but you can do it. 
I think their policy is that you have to be totally quit at least 1 month before surgery, so you've got a little time to do it. 

I really hope that is their policy! I am going to take the advice to call them again on monday.  I really think I deserve a straight answer about what their policy is regarding the nicotine replacement.  Whoever I talked to just didn't seem to even want to take the time to find out. 

Thanks

I stopped smoking back in 2000 using a self-hypnosis CD. I know it sounds flaky, but it actually worked, There were two different "sets" on the disc: the first was to reduce your smoking and the second to stop completely. I did the first set for a week and then was done smoking the third day of set two. The CD changed my thinking about smoking so that if I think about cigarettes I feel nauseous. 

Thank-you for the suggestion, and the support