Ok, here's the dirty truth...I'm a smoker. I hate that fact, but I'm a slave to nicotine. I just turned 37 and have been a smoker (with the exception of when I was pregnant) since I was 16. I'm really feeling the effects of the smokes now for the first time in my life, and I want to live to see 50.
I have the option of getting laser teatments paid for. I've tried patches and cold turkey with very bad results (as in: crying fits and tearing my hair out and just being a general bitch).
Has anyone gone this route? From the few people I've talked to, it seems to work on the withdrawal issues. Any advice?

Champix worked fine for me, was non-smoking for 3+ years, then I went to Cuba last April.......smokers paradise down there, started smoking again while there and continue when i got home, going to Cuba again in a few weeks and buying some more Champix the day after I get home......thats my plan anyway.....

I am like you. Did the Champix route and was off them for 7 months then also went to Cuba. Whew, first night I damn near went into cardiac arrest (along with my Sister) with cravings... which I didn't have all along. The next day was even worse. I went and bought a pack of horrible Lucky strikes. (Barf) Took two puffs and damn near puked. Haven't touched any since. Now my Sister (who also used Champix) Chain smoked like a chimney while we were there but she stopped the day we left and hasn't touched one since.

Sorry, back to the original question. I talked to a gal the other day and she had laser treatment. She only stopped for a short time and started again. She was going to go back for another round but it was going to cost her again ....not as much as the first round though. I don't really think she is ready, in her mind, to quit though. You sound really ready to quit so the odds of it working for you will probably be much better.

Don't pin your hopes on any one given method. One will work for some but not for others. You may have to invest in a few methods before success. If you didn't already, talk to your doctor first about it. Your doctor's encouragement may be all you need, or a prescription failing that.

See what you can find about the changes to your system after you quit smoking. Did you know that 20 years off the smokes puts you in the same health as though you never smoked? The greatest rewards come in the first year or two! Your risk of cardiac caused death and illness from smoking drops to negligible in just a couple of years.

Thanks for the feedback guys. Champix, huh? I know some people who successfully used this, and asked my OBGYN about it (the only doctor I get to see yearly since Dr Callaghan passed away, but that's a rant for another day). He asked me, since he knows I don't have a family doctor, if there was anything thing else I needed. I told him I woud like to try Champix, because of the aforementioned withdrawal symptoms when I try to give the smokes the boot.

He told me that doctors were becoming hesitant about prescribing it because of certain negative long term effects stemming from those who don't need anti-depressants taking them to block nicotine. He wasn't comfortable with issueing a prescription. Other people have told me horror stories stemming from crazy nightmares to suicidal thoughts.
Glad to hear that Champix worked for you guys, but I'm a little freaked out by it.

I guess I'll go with Pogo on this, not any one thing is going to work for every smoker. Either way, I think I'll go with the free laser treatments, and see how it goes. I'll keep you posted!

Best of luck to you and yes please keep us posted!