Decided 2016 is THE year to quit this habit. I began dipping about 15 years ago in college. Some guys in my dorm got me hooked on it and I haven't put down the can since.
For the last few months, I've been having persistent stomach pains, and I have a strong feeling chew is the root cause. I went to the doc and they did all kinds of tests but found nothing wrong. I know deep down that it's the chew causing this particular health problem and I'm tired of living on prilosec and zantac. I did some research online and what I found shocked me. I had no idea chew could cause digestion issues.
So, I made the resolution this New Years to quit. But, there was just one final thing I had to do to put my mind at ease. An oral cancer screening. Today I went to the dentist. They used the blue light scanner and gave me a really thorough check along with some xrays. I was nervous the entire time, but the results were completely clear. Dodged a bullet and I'm now I'm fully committed to ditching this habit.
Okay, so I'm ready to quit, but I have a few questions.
1. I heard after quitting, the Ph levels of your mouth change and sores can develop. Has this happened to anyone?
2. What were YOUR major side effects of quitting? I know it's different for everyone, so what did you experience?
3. Are any of those tobacco-free chews designed to help you quit any good? If so, which ones did you have success with?
Thanks for any replies!
Welcome! No day like today to quit. Glad you went and got the clean bill of health. The benefits will be more than you even realize.
The best method to quitting is to take it 1 day at a time and to post your promise each morning to not use nicotine. Your brothers in the
April 2016 quit group will hold you accountable to your promise. That's the best strategy and the only one that has ever worked for me. Its been rock solid for 603 days now.
To answer your specific questions, you can read up on
what you can expect when quitting in that link. Yes some sores are possible, but mine were very minor, especially when you consider how many LESS sores i get now that i dont dip.
There are a number of side effects that i had, it was difficult to sleep for a few days, but thats all the chemicals leaving your body. This shit that we are addicted to is really nasty stuff and those chemicals store up in your body quite a bit. Concentration can be challenging for a while after quitting, but it is all worth it. The freedom from this plant in a can is the best "side effect" to quitting.
The fake chew is a good tool to battle cravings. I prefer hooch spitfire, but there are a number of reviews and different kinds that were good as weel. Grinds, smokey Mountain (especially if you like the flavors). I used a lot of seeds and gum as well.
The biggest thing you can do however is build an accountability network and give your word each day. You can read up more in the
Welcome Center.
