Getting over Cigarettes

[mole]

I was just curious if anyone has gone from cigs to pipe recently and could give me an idea of how long before my tastebuds will start to work again.
I've been smoking a pack a day for 30 years now (started when I was 12) and I've heard it can take anywhere from a week to 90 days depending on the person. I'm really looking forward to actually being able to taste the tobaccos I'm smoking.

 

[hilojohnny]

Well Mole....Just be patient....it could even take longer....but your patience will pay off eventually and the wait is more than worth it.... :D

 

[bubbadreier]

I can't answer your question for you since I was really only a 2 a day cigarette smoker, but I can say welcome to the site and congrats on quitting those nasty cigarettes!! You will find that we are a pretty friendly group around here!

 

[unclearthur]

Welcome to the site Mole. As I quit cigarettes longer ago than when you started I am afraid I can't help with your question though .

 

[krgulick]

I would think it depends on the person. Like hilo says, just be patient and you will get to the point of getting to know the different tobaccos used for pipe smoking.

 

[cornguy]

Good luck, Mole.

It ain't easy (but you know that).

I know whereof I speak.

I've gone from cigs to a pipe three times -- once in my 20s, again in my 30s and then a few months ago. In my first two transition periods I smoked a pipe exclusively for several years. I'm 62 now.

This time was the easiest of the three, probably because I was already familiar with pipe smoking. Once I found a tobacco I liked (Prince Albert and Carter Hall are my current favorites) the mechanics and routine of pipe smoking came back in a couple of weeks and the desire for a cigarette gradually faded. It's kind of like riding a bike. Once you learn, you don't forget.

My only advice is to manage your expectations and don't make the process more difficult than it has to be.

I didn't quit cigs all at once. I gradually withdrew over a few weeks, and by then I was back in the pipe groove. Actually, the transition wasn't that bumpy.

Now, nothing goes better with my morning coffee than a bowl of PA and the Prince is a great after-dinner companion.

And thank goodness for Missouri Meerschaums. The break-in period is shorter than briars and they're very affordable. I wish I would have smoked MMs years ago.

I guess old dogs can still learn a few new tricks.

 

[romeowood]

Hey Mole, I'm in the same boat as you. I've been a smoker for a couple decades, and I've quit a number of times. Always started back up again. This time, however, I've just 'stopped'; I'm not going to jinx myself, and I'm definitely getting a lot of help from the pipe. Hopefully it sticks.

I had my last cigarette about 6 weeks ago, with a head cold so bad I would have liked to detonate small amounts of c4 in my sinuses just to clear them. That and the fact that I'm schilling out $12.75 and up for something that tastes and smells like rat dung just weren't making sense anymore. I've varied between a half a pack and 2 packs a day for the last 22 years; this last year I've been steady at a pack.

The cold helped me avoid the intense first-week withdrawal, thankfully. The rest I just left up to stubbornness and drinking a LOT of water to flush my system. Supposedly nicotine is out of your system in ~72 hours; the other 427 chemicals that Big Tobacco sprinkles in--who knows? Also your taste buds replenish themselves in a week or so, biologically speaking.

After 3 weeks I was already feeling like a new man. I wasn't constantly tired and feeling just...drained. It was then I started to notice that I could smell and taste food like it was something enjoyable again. I *love* it. I find myself turning my head at a woman's perfume in the winter, noticing yummy baked goods from half a block away, and being in the grocery store is almost sensory overload.

After 4 weeks I decided it was safe to pick up the pipe and enjoy a bowl again, not because I was craving a nicotine fix, not because I was stressed or had nothing else to do or because it was part of a routine. I just wanted it, thought about it, and said it was ok for me to do.

My tongue feels a bit tingly and coated after a smoke, but I'm doing pretty good at avoiding bite. I notice that I can taste the smoke, which is quite enjoyable and altogether unlike smoking a cigarette (where every one had me thinking WTF is this doing in my mouth??). My tongue carries the taste with me for a couple hours maybe, and after that or a meal it doesn't linger. I'm keeping the pipe to a comfortably occasional one right now--I've promised myself no more than one or two (ok, maybe three) per week, just so I don't lose the faculty of my taste and smell again.

All in all it's much more pleasant right now--my house and clothes don't reek of rancid cigs, and I enjoy the smoke and a bit of nicotine more on my terms. The best thing is that in those times I have had a craving, either for nicotine or just the habit that I had, I can keep my resolve not to have a cigarette by looking forward to an enjoyable and flavorful smoke in my pipe.

I hope this helps or encourages you, feel free to PM me as well!

 

[krgulick]

I must agree with romeowood on the cold side of things. When I smoked cigs, I had colds that just would not quit. Since smoking pipes only for the last 3-4 years, I have not had a cold worth mentioning. I also was developing a smoker's cough, that has since gone away completely since the changeover.

 

[mole]

Thanks much for the kind words all... and thanks for the info Romeo.
I do understand that we are all different in how our bodies process and deal with sensory crap like taste and smell so after smoking cigs as long as I have a few weeks doesn't really sound all that bad.
Luckily I have always been one of those guys that never gets sick, not even a cold or sniffles for about 5 years now. Now, as for the nicotine cravings I'm burning through 'Jolly Ranchers' like they're going outta style and thankfully I work with a couple people who are aware of what I'm doing and are very encouraging. The unfortunate part (depending on how you wanna look at it) is, I'm now using my pipe(s),(thanks again Bhpdrew) as a stress reducer. This is the beginning of another chapter for me and I'll soon be moving from Washington State to Glendale, Arizona to be closer to family. Then, hopefully, life will be just a tad slower and I can get rid of more than a small dose of the stress that is causing me issues and enjoy my pipe and my zen time.
I look forward to conversing with everyone here over time and getting to know some of you better.
Keith

 

[romeowood]

A couple more ideas for you Mole: cornguy's right on the money with the advice to get yourself a cob pipe. Chew the hell out of that cheap stem, it will save some teeth rot for you and ween the teething habit. I can already tell I chew my pipes way too much, and have ordered the tip protectors from E.A. Carey through this site. :roll:

Sometimes what I do in the evenings that I'm not smoking is to pack the cob with my less-than-favorite tobacco and just don't light it. It's nice smelling and takes care of a lot of the psychological component of having the cancer stick in my mouth during those idle moments.

And drink LOTS of water. I mean LOTS. 2.2 litres is the recommended daily adult intake; you won't hurt yourself by doubling that for a while. It's good to flush out the system. And I'm sure you already know about avoiding (or at least minding) your smoking triggers--the morning coffee, after meals, etc.

 

[chero]

don't that cig smoke stink

 

[romeowood]

You know the super to the building is a heavy smoker, we used to take cigarette breaks and chew the fat all the time. Now I've quit I can hardly stand being next to the guy--smells like a mammoth pulled outta the La Brea tar pits. :laughat:

 

[chero]

sometimes worse than that

 

[chero]

i can and hear other people talk about smelling cig smoke on people that smoke cig, but never had anyone say they smell pipe smoke on me.

 

[romeowood]

I've been noticing that with my clothes / furniture / apartment, chero, and I'm astonished how different it is. My guess is that it's some of the other crap in cigarettes--oh, and did I say 427+ chemicals?

I meant 599, as of April '94 when Big Tobacco had to fess up to the man.

And an interesting statistic: the cigarette industry uses more cocoa yearly than the candy and soft drink industries--COMBINED. 8O

 

[chero]

must be all them cemicals burning that smeels and not tobacco

 

[cornguy]

I have a different perspective on all of this.

First, I like tobacco. Always have and always will.

Second, I understand and accept all of the scientiifc evidence (or most of it; some studies are of dubious validity with questionable methodology) which undrescores the obvious health hazards associated with cigarettes.

That's why I now smoke a pipe instead.

But nicotene is a powerful addiction and its power should never be underestimated.

As I transitioned, gradually, from cigs to a pipe I reached a point where I just didn't care for the flavor of a cigarette. However, the smell of cig smoke never botherd me, nor does cigar smoke. (I enjoy a good stogie every now and then).

If people can tolerate the smell of my pipe, I'm OK with their cigarette or cigar smoke.

Rather than go into denial mode, I took another route: Supplant the habit of cig smoking with the routine and daily pleasure of pipe smoking.

So now I still enjoy tobacco after breakfast with my coffee. But now it's a bowl of PA or CH. It's much more satisfying. And so is my after dinner smoke.

I was never a "stress" cig smoker so perhaps that's why my transition to a pipe wasn't too difficult. And since I have done this before I knew what to expect. I had an outline or roadmap to follow.

A cig is basically a nicotene delivery system.

While pipe smoking also delivers nicotene (in a much lower doseage) it's quite different. It's more interesting, satisfying and pleasureable and, over time, the pipe becomes a pleasant and reliable companion.

You come to enjoy the feel of the pipe in your hand and mouth, even when you're not smoking. You enjoy the smell of tobacco in your tobacco pouch and the act of gently packing your bowl with tobacco.

It's one of life's simple pleasures.

Take the time to learn to really enjoy all the small things that are associated with pipe smoking.

Before long, cigs won't matter anymore.

 

[mole]

Rather than go into denial mode, I took another route: Supplant the habit of cig smoking with the routine and daily pleasure of pipe smoking.

So now I still enjoy tobacco after breakfast with my coffee. But now it's a bowl of PA or CH. It's much more satisfying. And so is my after dinner smoke.

I was never a "stress" cig smoker so perhaps that's why my transition to a pipe wasn't too difficult. And since I have done this before I knew what to expect. I had an outline or roadmap to follow.

A cig is basically a nicotene delivery system.

While pipe smoking also delivers nicotene (in a much lower doseage) it's quite different. It's more interesting, satisfying and pleasureable and, over time, the pipe becomes a pleasant and reliable companion.

You come to enjoy the feel of the pipe in your hand and mouth, even when you're not smoking. You enjoy the smell of tobacco in your tobacco pouch and the act of gently packing your bowl with tobacco.

It's one of life's simple pleasures.

Take the time to learn to really enjoy all the small things that are associated with pipe smoking.

Before long, cigs won't matter anymore.

This is pretty much my frame of mind...

 

[smokinginliberty]

I also made the switch from cigarettes to the pipe (actually it was from cigs to highly addictive cigarillos to the pipe). I would say it would be closer to 2-3 months before you'll really start to enjoy the pipe. Don't get frustrated. The pipe was never as satisfying nicotine fix-wise as my cigs were at first. You'll just have to be patient. Once you've truly broken free of the cigs, you'll really, really begin to enjoy the pipe. I could never really enjoy a pipe or cigars when I was a cigarette smoker. All I needed was my "fix". Enjoying a bowl, at least in my experience, is more like eating ice cream. You enjoy ice cream, but you don't have to have it in order to feel normal. I can easily go without smoking my pipe and not feel any withdrawls. And of course you can really look forward to enjoying the taste of the tobaccos.