Recently I quit smoking.  The ordeal has been one of the most trying of my life.  Not because of withdrawal.  The withdrawal symptoms were totally dwarfed by the physical pain and suffering that my body has put me through in the process of healing.  Mostly, it was an extremely swollen (as in visibly to other people) throat.  Now that that's passed i keep coughing up stuff.  gross stuff.  I understand that this is normal however i just started a new job, so i need to expedite the process of clearing out my lungs so i can stop coughing.  i use vapo rub at night and breath hot steam regularly to help break everything up.  Is there something else that could help?  Something that works quickly?  Thanks!\n(p.s. if u planning on advising cough drops, please move on and get Ur points somewhere else)
129662
Go to your chemist and buy some Bronchial mixture. Its a thick brown horrible goo that you drink, and while you are taking it you will be constantly coughing up crap. But it is very effective in letting you get all the gunk out of your lungs.
7943
I quit using the patch, and it was fantastic and so easy.  I had 2 modifications to the program:\n\n1: When I was wearing the patch, if I still craved a cigarette, I reached for the patch and rubbed it.  This might have released more nicotine at that moment, or might have just psychologically helped and kept my hands busy -- I'm not sure.\n\n2: For at least 6 months after getting off the patch, I kept spare packages of lowest dose patch in my purse.  If I ever felt like falling off the wagon (say, a trigger being in a bar with smoking friends while we were all drinking) I would apply a patch instead.  I didn't hold myself to having to be off the patch.  Eventually, I went months without using one of the spares -- and that was that (4 years ago!)\n\nWhether you should move:  I wouldn't just yet -- you don't know if you can quit, and to move might be a decision you regret.  See if you can keep up with the patch for a little bit.  If your roomates are smoking and you want one, try the patch rubbing trick.   Once you've gone without smoking for a while, then you won't be able to stand your roomates smoking, even if you're still on the patch.  Then you can make the big move.\n\nGood luck.  I've given this same advice to 3 friends, and they all quit successfully.  The "carry a spare patch after you're done with the patch program" tip really makes the big difference in not getting back to smoking.
540982
First off, I must say GREAT for you for quiting!!!!!!!!!!! I also used to smoke, I Have Quit three times ( quit for about 2 years each time) I have stayed quit this time.  Although, I still have dreams in which I have smoked in... but I wake up with a guilty conscience... Anyways, great for you.  It just takes time for healing.  However, I liked doing the ty-bo exercise tapes and swimming... you don't realize how hard you are pushing yourself with these as much as running, oh also hiking on trails are fun.  Good luck!
579720
try a gravity bong....keep on smoking...you are keeping me in business as a respiratory therapist!! See you soon with a big tube down your throat....fool
33871
Drink lots of water. I quit 7 years ago and I had the same thing. Your body is trying to shed the dead cells in your lungs and get rid of the mucus in there. Cough, cough and know your on your way to a healthier life. You could take some drugs Im sure but why trade one vice for another?\n\nCONGRATULATIONS!!!!
245144
what do you guys mean stop smoking it? thats not even a good answer. i heard water, cranberry joice and vinegar works. go to marijuana.com and read the forums b/c people usually post stuff on that. the morality tales bull shit sucks people, no ones gonna quit smoking weed, so don't even bother posting that s*it.
193987
Smoking.  Haven't had a cigarette in 20 years now.  Tried cold turkey 3 times and failed... but then I got so sick with the flu that I didn't WANT to smoke for three days... and when I got better  the withdrawal was over so I decided to ride it out.  One of the best things I ever did for myself!
222007
Make sure you surround yourself with support from before your quit date arrives.  I found online forums most useful as we were all experiencing the same thing.  I'm proud to say I'm now over 3 months quit.\n\nGood luck with it and below I've provided a link to one of the great sites I found most helpful.
414428
I have asthma, and yet I smoked for seven years before I learned I was pregnant.  I quit cold turkey right then and there. My love for my unborn child was greater than any addiction, and I wanted what I new was best for my child. After he was born I began smoking again due to some unbearable stress. I made sure to smoke outside, change my shirt wash, my hands and face before touching my child. When I became pregnant again I knew I could stop smoking cold turkey. This time it was harder, but I had to fight the urge to smoke, and the longer I went with out one, the better I felt. I was able to convince myself that cigarettes would make me sick, physically, and that was all I needed to over come the addiction.  \n\nMy advice certainly is not to get pregnant, but if you have a serious disease that requires you not to smoke than you should quit. You love for yourself, and those that love you will be all you need to overcome the addiction. Start small, set goals and make those goals. i.e. one hour, then two, then three, until you can go a full day, then two days, then a week, then two weeks. You'll be amazed by how quickly you can kick the habit. Once you do, what ever you do don't go back. That may sound a Hippocratic, but that is what you got to do.  GOOD LUCK!
356947
That's great that you WANT to quit!  That's half the battle right there!  Think about the baby you and your husband want to have someday...how healthy it will be if you don't smoke!  Smoking is an expensive, disgusting habit that is hard to break once you are hooked on nicotine.  If you haven't tried the patches that are available, ask your doctor for some help.  Put aside all the money you WOULD have spent on cigarettes and go on a trip!  Buy baby things!  And as far as gaining weight, be sure to have lots of veggies at home...carrots and celery, and lots of fresh fruit.  I don't buy junk food at all, because if it's here in the house, I WILL eat it!  If it isn't around me then I won't be tempted.  Try taking up a dance class or join a gym.  GOOD LUCK!!!!!  BE DETERMINED!
304120
Not very good reasons to start smoking. I've smoked for thirty years and have no will power to stop but I try to stop anyone from picking up this habit. Let me fill you in on what you can look forward to if you start. Smelly hair (shampoo cant compete with the odor of cigarettes)Smelly breath (Listerine only last so long) Wrinkles around your mouth from that oral sensation your talking about.Shortness of breath (so forget any strenuous sexual workout. House smells like a astray no matter how much you clean. Food doesn't taste as good as what it does to you now. Finger tips turn yellow or brown from smoke. Cloths stink after a couple of hours of wearing them. All by the way cigs are four to five dollars a pack but you need to add in the cost to see your doctor because you'll have more colds and sinus problems and your lungs will slowly be destroyed so you'll need inhalers and probably medications to help your lungs function. So if you still want to know best brand let me know and I'll tell you mine.
118201
I've also used Welbutrin and it worked great on the cravings.  I only had one side effect but it was a big one.  It made me so very dehydrated.  I had to drink water constantly and go to bathroom much more often.  It caused bad dry mouth.  I would still recommend it b/c it was amazing how much it helped.  I didn't even like smoking after a while. \n\nStart Welbutrin while you begin to make changes in your smoking behaviors.  Try not smoking when you typically do, like driving, after meals, ect.  This will help you ease out of your comfort zone and prepare you when you do stop smoking.  The Welbutrin takes a week or two to take full effect so you will want to smoke less and less during this process.  You don't have to plan a date to quit just a general ball park.  Studies have shown that planing a quit date causes anxiety and reenforces the urge to smoke.  Just be true to yourself and when the moments right, soak those cigs and toss 'em in the trash.  Also make sure to clean ashtrays and get them out of site.  You will won't to use products like baking soda, fabreeze, and oust to clean your car and your home b/c when your sense of smell comes back, the stale smoke odor will really bother you.  Remember, if you slip up after you quit, don't give up.  It doesn't mean that you failed, it just means you need to focus on why you want to quit.\n\nGood Luck!
488330
cold turkey -- you haven't quit until all the nicotine is out of your system.\n\nIt really helps to take up jogging or swimming so your lungs are stressed and working hard.  YOu cannot keep smoking or go back to smoking and then do DAILY exercise like this.\n\nThat's how I quit after 20 years of smoking...
444563
Would you call your cough productive (mucus) or non-productive (dry)?  Is it because of a cold?  If not, then you should see a physician.\nIf it is productive, you want what is called an expectorant (Robitussin).  You want to get the mucus out of your lungs.  Unfortunately, it's not a great medication.  If you can take this as well as drink a lot of water, that should help loosen it up and get it out.\nIf it is nonproductive, you need a cough suppressant.  I've found that Delsym (it's a long-acting suppressant) works really well.  It's a little expensive, but worth it.  You can also take it at night, even for a productive cough, since it's hard to sleep when you're coughing.\nMake sure you don't get a product that says it's a cough suppressant as well as an expectorant, because the two will cancel each other out and won't work. \nMake sure you are not on any other medications or have any conditions that will interact with these before you take them.
246993
Well you're gonna be cross, you're getting one mean monkey off your back!\nTry some relaxation excercises, or go to the store and buy some Celestial Seasons Tension Tamer tea and sip on that. Will help improve your mood and make you less tense.\nThe overall withdrawl symptoms will last around 2 weeks, so bear with it and keep up the good work! You may be a bit grumpy but you have MY admiration for having the balls to even try. \nIf someone says something to you, just make sure you let them all know that you are trying to quit smoking and apologize for your testy behavior. They will  understand and support you during this time......be patient with yourself and cut yourself a little slack because you will get past it!
219540
Quitting smoking is the hardest thing to do.  I quit 4 months ago.  I smoked 2-4 packs a day for over 40 years.  I never considered quitting until they took me to the hospital by ambulance.  I have 1st stage emphysema which is a miracle but will live with the consequences of smoking for the rest of my life.  I wish you well.  I can not imagine smoking one cigarette a day.  It seems a bit ridiculous.  However, if you smoke one cigarette a day, it seems that would not necessarily be bad for you.  Tobacco is an herb and has medicinal properties, but you would have to grow the tobacco yourself, since each cigarette produced by our huge tobacco companies has been enhanced with over an hundred chemicals which go directly to the brain and cause the craving and addiction which has proven too difficult for some people to quit even to the point of death.  I loved smoking for most of my life but have been devastated at the horror of coming "off" of this drug for the last 4 months but am determined to remain smoke free.  I have tried the commit lozenges, nicotrol gum, a nicotrol inhaler and the patch and am using the gum right now.  Hopefully, I will be able to get off of all nicotine by the end of this year but in any case, I am no longer polluting my environment and causing grave harm to my health.  There is a huge pool of resources available to "quitters".  I have used them all, even down to a counselor that I got by calling 1-800-nobutts.  Again, I wish you well.
415942
I'm a graduate student in Biomedical Engineering, I study Emphysema (a disease people get when they smoke cigarettes). There are over 4000 toxins in cigarette smoke. Most of them are still unknown. Nicotine is probably the worst toxin as it stops and eventually kills the epithelial cells in the lining of the lung, these cells have tiny hairs that usually "beat" upwards causing the mucus to come up to your throat and get swalloed. With that not working, mucus accumulates in the lung. When you smoke your mucus in filled with those 4000 toxins and your body reacts by secreting an enzyme called "trypsin" into your lungs. Trypsin is the same enzyme that your stomach uses to digest steak. Think of how powerfull it is. After years of smoking, your lungs will have been exposed to so much trypsin that you will litterally have holes in your lung. That is the definition of emphysema. \nYou should tell your BF to stop smoking while he's still young. Maybe you should buy him some nicotine patches and gum for christas. it's going to be a very difficult time so be supportive.\nGood luck!\nAnnie