Personal stories from people who have quit smoking

These stories are based on information gathered from consumers. They may be helpful as you make important health decisions.

Roy, age 63: The first time I tried to quit, I went cold turkey. It only lasted a week. The next time I tried some kind of gum. This was in the '70s or '80s, so it was whatever kind of gum was available then, probably not the same as nicotine gum now. I quit smoking for a year that time, but I always craved cigarettes. The third time was right before I turned 60. I used Zyban and the nicotine patch for 6 weeks. I'm amazed at how well it worked. I have had no cravings for cigarettes, even from the very first day when I had my morning coffee. My father-in-law told me that, even 20 years after quitting, he still craved cigarettes every day, so that's what I was expecting. I didn't even throw away my cigarettes because I didn't expect it to work, but it worked incredibly well.

Nancy, age 46: I started smoking at 13. I always thought I could quit at any time. But at 33 I was smoking a pack a day and had tried to quit dozens of times. I tried cold turkey. I was so grumpy I made a waiter cry. I tried hypnosis. It didn't work. I tried nicotine gum. It didn't work either. Finally, I tried the patch. I started with the largest one available. It was great because the withdrawal symptoms were hardly noticeable. Then I went to the medium patch and finally the smallest patch. I was really nervous about taking off that last patch. But I'd tapered off the nicotine so much that I had no withdrawal symptoms. That was nearly 12 years ago and I'm still smoke-free.

Leta, age 35: Cigarettes were my best friend. They went on all my traveling adventures and they were there for me when I needed them, through heartbreaks, frustrations, and new jobs-20 years of companionship. I set a tentative date and started planning for the physical aspects of quitting, like having munchies around, cleaning my car and house. I bit the bullet and sent an e-mail out to all my friends and family, and I was floored by the support I got. A friend recommended acupuncture, so I made an appointment. For added incentive, I added daily exercise and a dog to my "new life." It has been 4 months and I am still a nonsmoker. I had daily cravings for the first 2 weeks, but now I go entire days without even thinking about cigarettes. If I ever start feeling on the edge, I will head right back to the acupuncturist for a tune-up!

Robin, age 48: I'm getting ready to quit smoking. I found that the massage I had to detoxify was amazing. My therapist combined the energy massage with detoxification, and when I left her office I had no desire to have a cigarette-unusual. After that I decided that acupuncture may help me, and I am taking those next steps, albeit baby steps. The homeopathic approach is the path I prefer to go down first, rather than through medications.

Ian, age 52: I quit smoking cold turkey 3 months ago. All my friends are really surprised that I quit. I mean, I would wake up every 2 hours at night to smoke a cigarette. People just identified me with smoking. I finally decided it was time to quit when I couldn't catch my breath walking up stairs. Other than gaining a few pounds, it really hasn't been bad.