Welcome to the first day of the rest of your life!!!
When you’ve made the decision to quit dipping you need support. You’ll get it right here at KillTheCan! This site is dedicated to helping people QUIT dip, smokeless & chewing tobacco! It will be a long & difficult road, but we are confident that you too can be successful and quit dip!
All articles on KillTheCan.org are written by members of our forums. These are people who understand what it means to quit. They write these articles from the perspective of a quitter. Don’t believe the “experts” that you find out there on the web – believe someone that has successfully QUIT DIP.
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@Chewie I forgot to come back here and tell you and whoever else helps you with this that the new forum is great. Much more streamlined. I know you got a lot of flak at first. But I just wanted to say thanks. Moddyd/modestdavis
Today is day 100 for me! I did not join a quit group but frequented this site and took enormous comfort in everyone’s quit stories so thought I should share mine.
I dipped Kodiak for 30 years, a tin a day for probably the last 20. I “quit” many times, once for six months (although that was 15 years ago now), but always fell into the trap of thinking I could have just one. I can’t. Evil nic bitch.
Took a long vacation with my family in the NC mountains and Disney World this summer and didn’t bring any dip. I’d been a ninja dipper from my kids for the last five years or so and knew I would not be able to get away and sneak one. The funny thing was I did not miss dip at all for the almost three weeks we were gone. I guess we were having so much fun that I just didn’t think about it. I also knew I had not “quit”, I was just taking a break so my 10 year old son would not lecture me about how awful tobacco is. The second I got home though I knew where I had left a tin and packed a fattie. I continued dipping for a week and then came to the realization that I felt so much better when I wasn’t dipping. On vacation I never had headaches, never felt my heart racing, never had that vaguely uneasy feeling I would sometimes get after a dip, had no fatigue, had no tingling in my arm. I guess I had been living like that for so long that it was just normal. I did not realize I felt like shit because I always felt like that, it was all I knew. I woke up on July 8th, had the last dip out of my tin and decided I was done. It was the first time I had ever quit for me. Before I had quit for my wife or for my kids but never for me. I think that fact made all the difference to my determination.
Quite honestly I have had no cravings or irritability. But the fog, oh the fog. I cannot put into words how bad I had the fog starting at day four. I don’t know if it was because I whipsawed my brain by quitting for three weeks, dipping for one, and then quitting again but man I have never felt anything like that. I had it every day, most of the time all day. Sometimes so bad that I literally felt like I was going to fall over when I was standing. I have never had anxiety before but also had a tightness in my chest and a foreboding feeling that something bad was going to happen. The anxiety was not triggered by anything in particular, it was just always there, hovering in the background. Thank heavens for KTC because if I had not read other people’s stories I would have spent thousands on trips to the ER. Another fact that helped me get through the fog was that I scheduled a physical with my doctor two weeks into my quit and got a clean bill of health. Because of this I knew I was not dying and it was just my brain re-wiring itself after 30 years of relying on nicotine to regulate so many functions.
I dealt with the fog by drinking incredible amounts of water and exercising. I’m probably one of the few people to ever lose weight when they quit tobacco. I started riding my bike the 28 miles round trip to work 2 or 3 days a week. The exercise somehow soothed my brain and on those days I was able to do some work through the static in my head. Days I drove I do not know how I got to work without wrecking or how I got anything done once I got there. I also began chewing on tea tree oil toothpick which helped with the anxiety.
The first day I awoke without the fog was day 40. I’ll never forget it. It was a Friday. I thought, “Thank god I’ve made it to the other side.” The fucking fog was right back on day 41. That was the low point of my quit and I almost threw the towel in. But I’d come so far and had that little taste of clarity that gave me hope my brain was not always going to be like this. I kept reading KTC stories and knew the fog liked to stick around but slowly lessen over time.
Sure enough, starting around day 65 the fog started to slack off. Instead of having it all day I would just have it in the morning or in the afternoon for a few hours. The tightness in my chest let up and the feelings of anxiety went away. There were still some days when I had the fog all day but it was gone more often that not. It came roaring back on the Monday and Tuesday of day 86 and 87 as bad as it had been the first 40 days but by that point I was smarter than it and thanks to KTC knew to expect this last onslaught of the nic bitch as she was in her death throes.
I have for the most part been completely fog free since day 88 and not felt better since I was a teenager. I feel like I can bike forever without getting tired. My body used to wake me up at 6 am like clockwork every morning for a nicotine fix. I now have to use an alarm clock for the first time in years to make sure I do not oversleep. I’m $500 richer. I could go on but this post has been long enough.
I know I’m not completely out of the woods but man do I feel better. I’ve read the fog can re-appear in the 120s or so and some people have to deal with it for even longer periods of time but I am ready and prepared if it comes back. I have crawled through the trenches and can go back in there if I have to. Thank you KTC for getting me through this. I could not have done it without the stories people have posted from their own quits.
Keith
Today is just day one for me. I have tried to quit many times the last few years, and failed each time. I’ve tried to cut down before quitting, but having it around I always reverted back to my regular usage. Every time I’ve tried cold turkey, I would usually make it at least a couple of days and then cave in a moment of weakness. I’m hoping getting involved with the site helps this time around, and I don’t think I have been this motivated to quit before!
The quit is definitely not easy. Especially in a drunken stupor. I am quit today as I have been for over a month. I will be quit for a life time. Tobacco had no effect on me anymore…
I paid (out of pocket) $450 for a 30 day supply of Chantix in late March, 2018. I held off of taking it, but started cutting back on the dip.
The first of April I started the Chantix, continuing to cut back on dip. In mid April, I finally went a full day without any dip. Then the second day, then the third, etc. I continued with the Chantix until I almost ran out, but the die was already cast.
I had broken the nicotine addiction so the rest was willpower. I’m still nicotine free.
One thing that helped me was coffee beans. Instead of dip, I’d suck on a few coffee beans. The dentist and doc said they don’t do any harm. I’m now weaning off the beans, but am not too concerned about it. I sometimes also chew on a sweetgum, sassafras, or rosemary twig. They’re great for flossing the teeth.
I’ll never let any form of nicotine pass my lips again.
I ‘m just sharing this story to relay what my process was and hope that it, or parts of it, will help others who want to kill the can.
I used Chantix, but never made it through the starter prescription. I also could never do the full dose. It was supposed to cut off my nicotine slowly. By day two, I was in full withdrawal. The main reason I kept taking it was in case I caved. I never did cave, but it was a bit of a safety net.
I also used whole coffee beans, but mostly I chewed my weight in sugarless gum. Exercise also helped. Sometimes I’d go take long walks to just work through the anxiety.
Looks like I did.
I finally quit dipping in April 2018. Have been completely tobacco free since. I joined to share w/others how I did it, and to hopefully give encouragement to others who are struggling with this.
Will post later today how I did it so this post doesn’t become so long.
Good luck to ALL who are struggling to kick the tobacco habit.
Nice. Congrats!!!
Thanks! I really hope this site helps others quit tobacco. It really ticks me off that kids are being targeted now with this vaping garbage.
I want to quit but it is hard. I just need to know how to get throu the 1st day. Then 2 and 3
Join our forums where you’ll have THOUSANDS of people to help you. http://forum.killthecan.org/
Quit today. Repeat tomorrow.
It’s not easy, but it’s so simple.
Just joining so this post is a test to see if I navigated the site correctly.
You got it!
Chewie, having getting into Roll Call for 10/03
Hey Edge, if you’re having trouble with roll call I can post for you. What your days and your month?
Not sure I follow… are you having problems posting on the forums? Roll call on the blog? Lemme know and I’ll help get you straightened out.
Nevermind… now I know what you’re talking about. You mean on the blog. It’s there now: http://blog.killthecan.org/2018/10/roll-call-for-wednesday-october-3rd-2018/
If you haven’t yet, you should definitely get on board on the forums: http://forum.killthecan.org – we’ve got over 30,000 members who “get it”. Great place for support and getting questions answered.
Why not now? How many fridays have come and gone. It won’t suck less of you wait till Friday, but if you dump that cancer smelly worm shit not you will be nicotine free by Friday! To me that was a huge first milestone. Felt like hell but knew It was real and I was finally clean. I keep it that way everyday and you can too. Do.This.Now
Set Friday as my quit date. Please keep me in your thoughts.
How’s it going. I want to quit any day now
What are you waiting for? I’ve heard every excuse in the book not to quit.
None of them are valid. Just do it.
I am almost 2 years quit, and I still get dip dreams. I still have to convince myself that I can’t have just one dip because I know i would go through a whole can when all is said and done.
NEAL,
Let’s do this thing now! QUIT today with us.
So I quit smoking because I have tumors in my lungs and I went to dipping. Now I’m having tongue pain so I have got to quit somehow can use the prayers I have smoked or chewed tobacco for over 20 years now
Wait… you quit smoking because you already have tumors and switched to another cancer causing product? Wow.
Anyhow… let us know how we can help. You’re not alone but you need to WANT to quit.
47 days after 25 years skoal classic. I feel great. How many bots on here from the tobacco industry? Shame on you. Quiting is not that hard. Don’t let big money scare you out of quitting.
After I don’t know how many times, I’m going to try quitting dip today. Funny thing is I used dip to quit smoking, and now quitting dip is harder than smoking ever was. I now know how stupid that was, but here I am. Please pray for me.
Praying for you… but you need to do this. And you can.
Get on our forums – http://forum.killthecan.org/ – there are THOUSANDS of quitters there who know what you’re going through cause we’ve all been there. It’s the best place to get support and questions answered. Proud to be quit with you today!
I will pray for you brother, please pray for me too, I’m on day six.
That’s awesome Darnell! You’ll get plenty of support here. Not to go Yoda on you, but get rid of the word “try” in your statement. Quitting is something you do, every damn day. Quitting is not something you try.
Do it Darnell, we were all stupid. Get to a day 2, then day 3, it does eventually get easier. Do what you need to do to keep your mind occupied. Checkout the fake dips, they will offer a little help. Get that crap outta your system, that is the key. Good Luck my man!!!!
Buy some coffee beans and suck on about 4-5 if the urge to dip gets strong. That helped me quit.
Well folks I’m on day 17 after 40 years on Copenhagen. Toughen up. I don’t sleep, my guts are all jacked up, my teeth, gums, and sinuses ache constantly but I’m damned happy about it. It means I’m getting cleaned out. Dont weaken for one second because starting over isnt any easier.
Congratulations on your great attitude! I’m day 66 after 35 yrs. cope. Been little depressed but hanging tough. Nick, I’m confident you are going to succeed!
My brother has been quit for over 10 years and still gets the occasional craving. I have heard that the cravings really never go away completely. The amount of them significantly lessen. If you find yourself in a “trigger” situation they arise. I quit for over a month back in June and caved. I am back at the fight again. 4 days in. I remember all of this hell all too well. This time I will win the fight. Good luck my friends. Be well!
Hang in there Mike! I’ve been there buddy I quit for a year and went right back to this crap. Thought I could just have one pinch and went right back to 1 can a day habit with chockengagen. I’m on day two starting all over again it sucks but I’m gonna beat this sob this time! It won’t be easy but I’m determined!!
I’m 3.5 yrs quit. My cravings never go above maybe a 2 or 3 on a scale of 1 – 10, usually hover at about a 1 or a 2. Jump to a 3 if I’m fishing or pounding beers, that’s about it. Never an issue anymore.
I’m on Day 697. Last night I had my 1st Dip Dream in over 1 yr. For the new people who may not know, a Dip Dream is a dream where you are chewing. It os so strong a dream you wake up and for a few seconds you can’t tell if was a dream or you actually had a chew. Anyway, not sure what caused it but I’ll be 698 tomorrow and will continue to move forward
Dip dreams can be really intense. I’ve woken in a panic because I dreamed that I caved and I’d have to tell my support group. One early dip dream was so real that I went out to my car to make sure I didn’t go get a can.
There are 100 days left in 2018. If you haven’t quit yet, today is a great day! 100 days will change your life.
gottadoit – Day 504 – I promise not to use nicotine today
David S – 508 ODAAT (text pickup)
Gregor – 499 no nicotine today (text pickup)
Still not midnight yet here in the desert (Phoenix). We are all 100% posters and want to keep that record. Tried posting here earlier in the day multiple times, but didn’t go through.
Guys,
For those of you who have not tried out the new site with all the changes, I highly suggest you do. There are many of us old farts that hate change, but I don’t hate quitting. Everything is back up and running on all 8 so, re-register using your old username and password (it takes a whopping 10 seconds) and start posting your daily and support.
30isEnuff 2408 If I can do this, YOU can too. Quit on.
Not up anymore down today or since about 9:30am
Can we get an estimated time we can post today??
Dudes….where the hell is the forum. It’s literally the one thing keeping many of us quit.
Back up and running… sorry for the delay.
Thanks. We’re good to go. Sorry for bitching.
Atlas…. I’m trying, not sure if my registration went through or not?
Says user name does not exist? Guess I will wait a day to see?
Registration has been approved, though you used a different email address than then one you’re posting from here. Let me know if you have any problems logging in.
Hear. Hear !! I quit with you! Day 305
Well said. In my limited time here old Chewie has been the most active daily.
*blush*
And a smartass to boot! doesn’t get any better than that.
Thanks CHEWIE! You DA MAN!! QLFEDDODAAT
For you guys giving Chewie a hard time for the site issues or the upgrade, the last time I checked it costs you exactly $0 to be involved here @ KTC. He has explained, a lot nicer than I would’ve I must admit, why the upgrade was needed. Without Chewie & KTC, no way I’d be 3.5 years quit, thanks!!!! So take 30 seconds of your life, re-register or whatever, have a Coke, & a smile, & stop whining……
Yep. Dan O is right. No way is my quit possible without KTC, Chewie and all the positive posts… Stick with your quit and drop the negative. 3 plus years! Peace.
Imkickingthebear
I got an email about a new forum, but when I go to the URL of forum.killthecan.org, all I get is a “pageok” text displayed. What’s going on?
You may need to clear your browser cache. http://forum.killthecan.org/ should take you to the upgraded forum experience at this point.
I can’t sign in. Forum has forgotten me.
Correct – you will have to re-register: https://www.killthecan.org/what-the-hell-happened-to-the-forums/
They really fucked up the forums. Day 1627 I think. Goodbye KTC.. “upgraded site” keeps telling me my account doesn’t exist.. the same login I’ve been using for 4 years. No time for unnecessary bullshit.
Wolfe
Sadly, you’ll have to re-register. It takes about 30 seconds.
Chewie, I read a lot of your replies, and your references. I’ve heard that when you quit switch to a flavor you don’t do, so I went full out on non-nicotine flavors of fully loaded chews. Yet, and it’s a big yet, why hasn’t a natural flavor been made yet? I mean you’d think it would be the easiest one to make? I quit when I was 17 for like 8 months, so now it’s hard as hell. I consider you an expert on quit, while no offense, I know you’re human. Yet an
y help and advice is greatly appreciated.
New mobile forum is garbage.
I have been quit now for 22 days. I am 26 years old, and have been dipping since I was in agri class at 14 or 15 I can’t remember. I struggle daily, I won’t lie about that. Some days it is easy, some days it isn’t. Maybe it’s the way I quit that did it to me. I work the road, traveling and on call 24/7, and one day in the middle of work I took the first dip out of the second can in a roll of Copenhagen, and said that was it. I never thought I would post on here even though I have read this site over and over again. I quit out of fear of cancer like many people on here. Not so much the death, God is great! But because I want to see my daughter grow up. For all of you out there who are reading these comments, who have just started chewing or just took a dip or for some dumb reason are considering it. Don’t! My addict brain has tried to tell me that snuff doesn’t kill, its cigarettes, it’s cigars. Not Copenhagen snuff, it’s ok. Stay away from tobacco. Even now, I want a dip, and it’s almost been a month, even now I crave it daily. Stay away from the can, stay away from snuff. The preaching out of the way, has anyone tried fully loaded? I’ve been toying with Smokey mountain snuff and it just doesn’t do it. I’m scared to intake any nicotine since I’ve been free for 22 days, but at the same time I’m reaching out to you guys for help. I’m struggling, I need to find something that is the same texture. I know there are no flavors comparable to Copenhagen snuff, but what about a true strait? Any help or support is greatly appreciated! Also never forget to tell the next generation to kick the habit! To never start it, for we are the keepers of the future! Thank you, every single one. Turbo
It will be 2 years in January for me. I stopped when I was sick with a stomach bug figured if I felt like crap anyways it might lessening the withdrawals. I started out chewing cinnamon gum and fire jolly ranchers but missed that lip pack. So eventually found Smokey Mountain classic ( Copenhagen like) and it wasn’t the same but just enough that after dinner or working on my truck I’d have that feel. A few months my wife was frustrated I traded bad worm dirt for less bad worm dirt I then traded that out with speariment gum. I’d say for the first 3 months I was using Smokey mountain the next 2 to 3 months always chewed gum now I use gum occasionally but when I’m stressed I do chew several pieces it’s not that I want to dip but just a coping mechanism I guess. Got drunk last year and smoked a cigar but thank God It didn’t effect me. I feel so much better not dipping, I don’t mumble, I have saved a ton of money, my wife kisses me without asking if I have a dip in. I dipped and smoked for 20years Copenhagen was my go to dip. When it came down to my last $10 My priorities was Copenhagen, gas and food etc. I’d go without eating and push the gas gauge past E just so I wouldn’t go without Copenhagen. Out of all the great benefits from quiting I’m grateful I’m no longer in the grips of nicotine.
Good luck Turbo you got this man. The worse part was the first couple weeks after that it’s a recurring thought in your head but it’s not as strong as before. Keep Going.
You have to 100% accept the fact you ain’t gonna find a replacement, just ain’t gonna happen. One you come to grips with that, it gets easier. Find something to simply get you by. I have tried almost everything KTC has reviewed. Most taste like shit, that’s just keeping it real. But IMO, the best texture is Hooch. They offer an awesome sampler pack, order it & give it a shot, my favorite is the Key Lime. My absolute favorite is Teaza pouches, they are awesome, still use them to this day. I’m 3.5 years nic free, rarely if ever get cravings, don’t use fake dips really anymore although I have a few cans of Hooch laying around, probably not even any good now. Buck up buddy, you can do it.
Dano, I agree. I have come to terms that there will be no true replacement to my snuff. And while it kills me, I know it. Yet just a texture, like not grass ground up, would be nice. A flavor close to natural, Copenhagen snuff, or even any kind of natural would be nice. I know that it is part of the quit to sacrifice and I can do it for the extension of life. But it would be nice. I mean they could take tea leaves or something similar, soak them in molasses and it would almost be redman golden blend or Levi Garrett. So why not natural?
Turbo, have you tried Hooch Whisky or Classic? Those may give you a taste you’re looking for. As far as texture, Hooch has a real good texture, not much float, packs real nice.
I’ve tried them all and found no satisfaction with any of them. I think you’re better off toughing it out. I would listen to these folks that have a year or two under their belts for sure. They obviously did it right.
I’m on day 51. It gets better. The fog is still with ke, and it’s miserable. But, I’m not a slave right now. No one tells me how to spend my money or time. Stay quit. You’ve got this!!!!!!
I’m 26 and started dipping in Ag class as well at a young age. I have been buying a can or 2 every day for the past 6-8 years. I’m currently on day 3 without any dip and it’s not easy. I wish I had the answers but I’m struggling too,
Yep. We know, and agree. https://www.killthecan.org/forum-migration-update-we-hear-you/
Working on it.
Thanks Chewie. I didn’t know who to complain to 🙂
i promise no dip today mod
I was visiting an old friend over the weekend. He had quit dipping 3 years before I did. We had a long discussion about what worked and what didn’t. We talked about how “Nicotine Replacement Therapy” became “Nicotine Supplement Therapy” and always led back to the can.
More interesting to me is that he mentioned he still gets cravings after more than 5 years off of it.
One thing we absolutely agreed upon was that neither of us can have a dip again, otherwise we’ll die with it in.
Any time I find myself in a situation that I’m tempted, I think back to those first three months. NFW can I ever go through that again.
I wish everyone strength and success with their quits.
Bicycleptic 974 days ODAAT
Well I’m glad to see posts from folks doing well. I’m on day 4 and not doing to terribly bad. This is probably the 100th+ time I’ve quit and hope I can make it stick this time. My longest go was about 9 months. But then I weekend. I’ll try to keep my head out of rectal defilade and geterdun this time. I do sincerely appreciate y’alls posts. At 53 years old and about 40 years of chewing, I got to give it up for good.
Been 804 days and there are still times I could bite barbed wire to have a dip
I’m going on 2 years and still find it hard to concentrate and focus about half the time. The struggle is real and we will never be “fully “ healed or “over it” but you just learn to cope the best way you know how and keep piling up the days.
Bill Dance 673
I know what you mean Bill,I’m on day 898 today and still get urges every now and then. But we make it through one day at a time. Currently hanging with family and my older brother still chews and I sometimes want to ask for some, but I think about all the days I haven’t and don’t want to sacrifice those to start over.