KillTheCan.org – Quit Dipping Today!
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.
Day #14 – Every day down I feel like a get stronger and further away from the stuff. Sleeping has been the primary issue, I go to bed around 10:00 pm, wake up around 3:00 am, fall back asleep around 3:45 am, then back up around 5:15-5:30, at least it forces me into the morning gym sessions.
Certain days have been better than others symptoms tend to come and go, yesterday the fog was horrendous, my sleep pattern probably is not helping with that. Cravings set in at the time of day when I would typically dip, around 8:00 pm, however they have been getting less intense, hopefully that keeps up.
No matter how much it hurts, how dark it gets, or how hard you fall…you are never out of the fight.
Keep pressing gents.
hey i just left a comment with my full name i want to change that can you delete my previous one i just sent it.
Fixed before posted 😉
Last can finished yesterday, going cold turkey from here on out. thought about it a few years ago (found this site even) but this time I’m doing it…I turned 50 this year and I’ve been doing a can or two a week since high school soccer in 1980…so I recently added up the years and it freaked me out…so dumb, tired of worrying about a potential diagnosis and then what about family, etc. Thanks for the what to expect info, and this site, I’m doing this.
1 month Dip free for me! i am 19, used to dip at hockey, then started smoking then switched to dip cause smoking was affecting my athletic performance. Dip got me hooked way more than cigarettes, if you are not addicted yet stop while you can! I dipped for 4 or 5 months grizz and kodiak WG about a third of a can per day. quit cold turkey, i throw a green tea bag in my lip when im really craving a dip (usually when im studying.) had a few darts during my dip quit but have had no cravings for them. Cravings were bad week 1, week 2 was easier, and week 3 was absolute hell. Finally getting a bit easier, still wish i could throw a dip in and get that buzz but cancers not worth it! hoping it gets easier from here.
Hello All. My first post here. I quit on February 2, 2016. About 40 or so days ago. Of course the first 3-7 days were the absolute worst, but it is great to be here at 40+ days and NOT cheated. I guess I’m surprised to read some of the posts from the guys who are 150+ days in and still having cravings and issues… I was really hoping those feelings would be gone by that stage. Goes to prove how difficult it is to succeed at this. I chewed or used cigarettes for 30 years or so. The most recent 5 years was purely dip. I would use it pretty much all day long and not spit…just drink coffee and other beverages. I can only imagine what that did to my guts over that time! I have gained some weight because I decided I was willing to put on some pounds (in the short term) to succeed. There was no way I was going to succeed the first week without shoving food in my mouth! I’m back to normal eating habits… more or less…but still snacking at night to avoid cravings. The good news is I am more active and everything else in life is so much nicer…So on balance I would say the pros of quitting are way better than the cons of dipping. I’m not even talking about the money savings… just the overall quality of life improvement.
It varies for each person, Eddie. The objective is to never give up! I admit, this has been a tough battle, but I want to reap the rewards of a nicotine_free life!
Congrats, on the time frame that’s impressive. Keep fighting brother
Hello I’ve been chewing for 28 years and decided to quit for health purposes. It’s been 15 day that I quit so far. For 1/4 the time I chewed ,I swallowed the tobacco juice. I noticed a couple of days in every time I eat something, I feel bloated. Is this the healing process or would it be something else? I do chew a lot of gum to get me through the day. Does anyone else experience this?
#152 was going to take a break from coming on this site awhile just to see if it would help me to stop thinking about chew completely but figured id do one more update. Bit the bullet and finally went to the dentist today. They are going to pull 4 teeth and i need to see a specialist about an infection on the front tooth. As dumb as it sounds i am kinda laughing about it. I was worried it would be worse than that. Besides the fact i will get atleast one day off, everyone will have to take care of themselves and i can just relax. Plus I’ve Never had Happy Gas before, I hope it dose the trick. Luckily the ortho surgeon is within walking distance because i have no one that can drive me afterwards. Never had a tooth pulled. They are taking 3 wisdom teeth and one molar by the wisdom tooth. Remember Little Shop Of Horrors =O
Haha I’ve had my wisdom teeth pulled you should be good it’s prob between a swift kick in the nuts and being poked in eye with sharp stick ….feed me seymore feed me!!!!
No straws and don’t get dry socket
Day 49….Anxiety is rough today. Went and bought the fake stuff (Smokey Mountain) for the first time. Kinda had the shakes starting last night. Any recommendations?
Grin and bear it. It’s a disgusting can full of poison that helps with nothing.. Every craving battle you make it through makes you stronger and stronger
Alton, just hit my yr mark of being nic free last month. The road is long & hard at times, still, but always have something for those cravings. Fake stuff, candy, whatever. My biggest vice was Skittles, tore them up. Backing off the Skittles now, had a mild addiction to them I had to overcome. A sidenote about the anxiety. In Sept of last yr, roughly 6 mos into my quit I has some sort of anxiety attack. Went to the ER to get checked out. 2 days & 5 G’s later, a friend asked if maybe dip was my way of coping with everyday life stressors. I posted the question here & several others had similiar episodes. Point of story, have something to substitute for dipping if you can. Keep it up buddy.
DAN O,
I’m almost at my 2 month mark. The cravings for dip isn’t there anymore but I was also diagnosed with anxiety after going to the ER twice in about a months time frame. My heart feels like it’s going to jump out of my chest at times. I’ve had 3 ekg’s an ecg, a belt monitor for 48 hrs, lots of blood work and everything came back good. Also been to the dentist and they said everything was clear also. My throat aches pretty good at times but comes and goes. I still feel like the pain is worth it so far. Do you have any suggestions? Sometimes my heart freaking races and my blood pressure rises pretty high, the doctors said it’s normal. They keep telling me it gets better and easier. Anyone else have any suggestions I’m all ears.
Day #12 – Can’t believe how much money I have saved already. Body feels better, sleep has improved, fog comes and goes, the sores in my mouth have almost completely dissipated, still random soreness here and there though.
Huge shout out to Chuck for getting me through those first 3-4 days.
Keeping pressing gents.
You bet. Thanks for the kind words. It makes me feel good to know I helped someone through the hell of that anxiety. Rock on.
Made it to day 100. For myself this is getting much easier. Once in awhile I’ll put some beef jerky in if I get a real bad craving, but for the most part I can go days without cravings. Then I think to myself, wow I went 2 days without even thinking of dip. Where as 100 days ago I couldn’t go 2 hours. Keep on going guys we can do this! We are all battling the same thing here, but I’ll tell you reading all the posts everyday I think of it, it really does help. We are not alone. Keep on fighting!
Congratulations on day 100!
Nice buddy blazing a trail for many to follow this is truly a great accomplishment
MATT….congrads on reaching day 100. That is no small feat! I hope to be there with you in 73 days.
Congrats. I am on Day 34 today and reading post like yours and the support of everyone on KTC has got me to this point and I know I will be posting Day 100 only 66 days from now!
MADDOG59
I too am on day 34. I’ve been tryin to find someone who was on the same day as me. How are you feeling? Any major cravings? What are you doing to replace? Gum, seeds, fake stuff?
Day #33
So my wife, myself and 3 kiddos boarded a train in OKC this morning and headed to Ft Worth TX. This is the first time we’ve ever went on an extended stay that I didn’t pack up a roll of Grizz. I will say, along the way looking at the land, Cattle and Gods other creations the thought that I was missing something did cross my mind. BUT I will say, the thought passes pretty quickly, I looked at my beautiful wife and kids and didn’t feel the least bit of regret. I’m like most of you, tried to quit other times but it was mostly for someone else, this time it’s for me! If I let someone down it will be me and me alone. That’s not going to happen this time though. With praying friends, family and the support from this site there’s no way I’ll cave!
Good luck and God Bless Friends.
Beautifully said GrizzlyMint.
GRIZZLYMINT….you hit the nail on the head….the only way any of us are going to complete this journey is to make our minds up that we are doing it for ourselves and not for someone else. This nicotine poison has a nasty grip on me but I am determined to overcome it….it is a mental battle that I am fighting in my head. But I created it with my habit so now I must over come it by myself
636 days and nearly $3000 saved. Don’t check here often and never really got into posting roll but this site really helped me through the first 100ish days.
Don’t give up and read. My life is 1000x better than it was 637 days ago.
Day 35 and I think I’m out of the fog…no headaches, no cravings, no anxiety, sleepless nights, and the list goes on. Feeling like a million bucks, hope it stays this way
150 days today. Atleast $450 saved, prob closer to $600 because alot of times i would chew 1.5 cans a day. Havnt had any nicotine since oct 14th last year. I was able to quit after using it for 26 years. My old record was 11 days. Not sure how i made it this time, i just kept trying until i got it right.
Tom same here quit on Aug 28th after a 25 year habit. Not sure how i made other than one day at a time and some fake dip when i had urges. I feel so fortunate to be able to make it 6 months plus but still aware not to let my guard down. I quit with all of you today.
I’m on day 117 and it sucks! The anxiety is horrifying! I though it would get a little easier; it hasn’t! This is the toughest challenge I have ever faced; I chewed for for 20 years! Irritability, jumpy, and a feeling of being detached from myself. I cannot wrap my head around what nicotine controlled over my life: my emotions, my well being, pretending to be my friend? Wow! It takes everything I can do to just read! Exercise helps. My bowel movements have finally returned to normal after almost 4 months; I did not know nicotine controlled that as well until I found this site. I even get chest pains like a smoker! That all said, I have NO INTENTIONS of breaking. In fact, I don’t even get cravings anymore. It’s just the anxiety and the fog and the funk that is irritating me. I hope there are better days down the road with summer arriving. It is difficult to imagine summer without SKOAL! On a brighter note, food has never tasted so good! Stay strong, everyone!
Thanxs, Craig. At least I’m certain I’m not alone! Like I said, I hope it passes soon; the anxiety is terrible!
Going on five days without any Copenhagen! Thought I was going to loose my mind the first three days. Snapped on my wife a few times, but apologized and she forgave me. Hope it gets better!!!!
Day #9 – Fog is coming on pretty strong, also feeling some fatigue and slight nausea, anybody else feel this?
Day 24…doing pretty good. I am still in the fog pretty bad. I cant hardly remember my name sometimes. I know it will get better so for now I am weathering the storm. I can’t expect to get over 35 years of dipping in just a few short weeks.
Chaseman,
You are the man an inspiration to a lot of us beating a 35 year addiction and any addiction is hard but 35 years or muscle memory hang in there
Day #23 feel good aside from my mouth being trashed by gum and seeds plus ol’smokey Mountain got concert in deadwood in week and a half and can’t back out cuz wife would kill me us and about 4 other couples getting cabin and two my buddies still chew but worried about cutting loose Walker and 7up goes well with cope I’m sure they will help but might have to quit drinking for bit too
Day #8 almost in the books, feeling decent, working out helps a lot. Keep it up fellas.
Day #67 Let me tell you, if I can quit chewing anybody can do it
148 been feeling the funk alot of people talk about the last few days. like the newness of recovory is wearing off. Not getting urges to chew but there have been times where i catch myself wondering how a chew would feel? I know it might make me feel good for maybe an hour or possibly a day but the guilt i would feel throwing away 148 days and starting over or the real possibility of not being able to quit again. That makes it pretty easy to quit thinking about chew. Just feeling blah, not into doing anything, out of energy. I keep telling myself this will pass and ill be feeling good again soon. I just have to stick it out, theres nothing else i can do.
You bet. It’s what we’re here for. When the obsessive thoughts creep in, which leads to another worry, which leads to another one, and then another one after that, until finally you can’t keep track of every worry that your brains conjured up, and you eventually go back to the original one you were obsessing about to start with, you have to tell the anxiety to ‘go f*** itself’. It will go away. It’s screwing with the wrong guy. You got this. You’re prying it’s fingers off the cliff one finger at a time… And it don’t like it.
Way to go Jeff. That is awesome.
Not me! I’m to big of a snatch to look. I just ignore it and hope it goes away. It has every time so far LOL. Hang in there!
Chuck,
Thank you very much for the words, it really helps. You hit the nail on the head, what you wrote is like play by play for what its been like, especially the part about stretching my mouth to try and see better in the mirror (I think I have done this every hour or two for the past 4 days) and how it becomes more noticeable the more you screw with it, which is really tough to stop doing.
Almost had a panic attack today while on Google, had to leave work, couldn’t focus on a thing.
Your words have helped to calm me down, can’t tell you how much I appreciate it. Time to go to the gym.
Day #7
It was awful. I was the worst hypochondriac there was. I embarrassed myself going to the doctor and blathering like an idiot. Spent hundreds of dollars and countless hours. I had convinced myself I had stomach cancer and doomed my family to a life without a dad. I cringe when I think about it, but, it was all me in my anxiety-driven glory. The silver lining is, I can recognize the feelings when they well up, and understand I have a bit of anxiety, and move on with my life.
It’s hard to admit you have a chink in your armor. That’s the real bitch about chew. It’s a working man’s drug. We’re generally a little rough around the edges, and proud of it. We’ve never really dealt with anxiety. People that have anxiety are pussies that show up on daytime TV shows, not us. Throw in an excess of downtime, the internet and healthy dose of guilt, and *poof*, you have a bonafide disorder! Albeit only temporary.
Overall, I’m a better person having gone through it. It was a nightmare, and I don’t wish those days on anyone.
Chuck I am going through the same thing right now. I’m at day 15. Did this get better? Already went to a urgent care and a Dr. And now ENT tomorrow. How did you get through this?
Rory, it’s totally normal. I chewed a can+ of Griz per day for years. I had the exact same thing. In fact, I had that MULTIPLE TIMES, on the several times I quit. What you have is a callous(s). Mine showed up as little lines, too. That was three years ago for me. You notice it more because you keep screwing with it, just like I did.
In fact, I had several bumps, sore spots, red spots, inflamed spots and even tinging phantom pains. They got way worse when I quit.
Then, I made the worst mistake I’ve ever made: I Googled it. That is a pit of despair, worry and anxiety you can’t come back from. Every zit, bump and freckle is immediately diagnosed as a tumor or something just as bad, and the article is usually wrapped up with ‘You should probably make an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible…’
You’re FINE. Your mouth is FINE. It would be even finer if you stopped obsessing over it and stretching your mouth out to get a better view in the mirror… which is tough, because chew is a bit of an anti-anxiety medication. Stop swishing, stop looking at it in the mirror and go shoot a gun, lift weights, have sex or play a video game. Within the next 2-3 days, it will be like getting over a sore throat. You’ll suddenly realize you’re better, and can put the lozenges back in the cupboard.
And… for the love of Pete, STAY THE F*** OFF GOOGLE. It helps nothing, and give you anxiety.
There, you have my permission to resume life.
Well said Chuck. The life of a hypochondriac sucks. I remember those days well.
Did you ever get a sore tongue with little bumps that lasted about 2 weeks after you quit.
Gents,
A lot of inspiration here, I appreciate the level of support everyone on this thread has for one other. I am 7 days dip free. Did Grizzly pouches on and off for the last 6 years, more consistently the last 2. I am 100% vowing to never touch the stuff again.
A few days ago I started to notice a soreness, and what looked like white streaks on where I used to place pouches, the first two days were rough, it burned and was just an outright neusence. Been doing a lot of flossing, swishing with saltwater,
Listerine, etc. and it appears to be getting better. However, I am still absolutley terrified!!
I have made an appointment with the oral surgeon but the anxiety is killing me, I cannot focus on a thing everything I read is pretty much telling me its over.
Has anyone had anything like this? Thanks and I appreciate any comments or support.
Day #7
Day # 2,558 (7 years) tobacco free.
BRAVO Jeff! Congrats on an amazing accomplishment!!!
Day 8 and checking in. Feeling good about where Im heading. I did not plan to quit but got really sick last week and it just happened. Im sticking to it and find this site very helpful. Today I quit
Well I woke up with some crazy rash the other day. I thought I was having an allergic reaction to something. So of course I started googling and found a ton of people who break out into a rash 10 to 20 days post nicotine. Something about the nerves adjusting to life without stimulants causes this rash and then the skin to peel like a sunburn. This sealed it for me, anything that can alter my body in so many ways must be poison and im never going back. Keep up the fight guys and girls.
Day 22…. I am doing pretty good with the cravings but I feel like I have some memory lose. I keep forgetting things and that’s not like me. I’m guessing this is part of the fog everyone talks about. Also have been irritable as hell to my wife and kids. I keep opologizing but I feel bad. I will make it up to them when I get thru this journey.
Please let me know if anyone is having these memory issues like I am so I wont feel like I am at the beginning stages of alzheimers
Day 22 of my quit, i dipped for 4 months, 2 tins a week. I live in canada and would drive down to the states to get grizzy or kodiak WG along with a tank of gas. first week was horrible, week 2 was easy.. week 3 has gotten worse!!! ive been throwing green tea bags in my lip to help the oral fixation.. this shit is hard to quit!!!! I feel a lot healthier and have put on 7 pounds of muscle and lost 3% body fat… the gym is a big help and keeping your self busy. Wish that dip buzz didnt have to be deadly, I miss it mostly studying at night and that morning dip
Sorry about that – it’s been fixed! https://www.killthecan.org/your-quit/what-to-expect-100-days-and-beyond/
Chewie, I went to the new 100 days and beyond page, which by the way, is a great idea. However, I didn’t see a spot to comment. Since you are requesting input from members, I think that would be important. Just giving you a heads up. Thanks for all you do.
GRIZZLYMINT, What day are you on? I can relate to this. I’m on day 45. I sleep like a baby. I think your brain is telling you that you would rather sleep then crave. I ordered some Grinds coffee pouches and it gives me a nice caffeine buzz. I wouldn’t worry about getting good sleep. Just make sure you give the wife the attention she deserves. Happy wife, happy life.
Here’s a question for everyone. Most everyone else on here talks about how they can’t sleep, I’m the total opposite. At about 8:00 PM a sense of tiredness comes over me that I am not used to it at all. Before I stopped stuffing my jaw with Grizzly I was a total night owl. I’d stay up until midnight either working on my computer or watching my favorite show on the weather Channel. Now I’d rather sleep then get frisky with the wife! Morning time is not much better, seems like I yawn and yawn and yawn until at least noon. What in the world?
Craigselk66,
I had some tough times after 100+. Personally I think its a combination of being bored with your quit and still having the occasional craving. Seems like we all shoot for day 100 and then think it’s all good after that. When in reality we are still going thru the quit and the effects it has on you. As long as you stay quit it will pass. I still get an occasional crave (nothing major) but no more funk! Great days ahead for you. Stay the course
Franco
330
This is a great point and something that we need to do a better job capturing. I’ve created a page to begin gathering feedback and I’ve jotted down a couple of points. https://www.killthecan.org/your-quit/what-to-expect-100-days-and-beyond/
Craigselk66,
I am at day 176 so I am not much further ahead than you. I will say that my 140’s were absolutely horrible. When I hit 150s it got better. So, no timeline from me but affirmation that it can still suck after the HOF milestone of 100. Since then it has been ok. I will say that I have seen posts from people with 400 days under their belt that they still occassionally get craves. Long story short, we must continue to keep our guard up.
I quit with you today.
Just created a new page to capture this type of discussion and to lay out the post 100 day quit info: https://www.killthecan.org/your-quit/what-to-expect-100-days-and-beyond/
DUNDIPPIN
That’s actually really good advice. I think I’m going to do that. They probably have no clue what I’m going through.
Did what I never thought I could do. Go a full month without dip, day 31 for me. After a can a day for 10 years i didnt think it was possible. Keep on quitting everyone
Maddog I used fake dip a ton in the beginning and I still use it but less often. I do however use it around the,activities I use to do with a dip. Feb 29th was my 6 month. Dipped for 25 years and its becoming a memory not my lifestyle.
Cigars here and there.
Cigars & The Quitter http://blog.killthecan.org/2012/04/cigars-and-the-quitter/
Casey glad you are back! This shit is hard and the brotherhood is strong here so lean on it. I am on Day 27 today and fake dip got me this far. 35 yrs over a can a day ain’t going to go away easy. Smokey Mountain Classic sucks at first but you get use to it. I guess going through the motions dipping the fake stuff is tricking my mind as it seems to satisfy my cravings.
Day 50 without a chew. cant say the same for no NIC. I have not used NIC for a couple days and I have been having encounters with anxiety lately. has this happened to anyone else? If so what did you do to mitigate it? thanks for any feed back.
Anxiety early in your quit is 100% normal. What sort of nicotine are you “encountering”? This is prolonging your symptoms (including the anxiety).
25 yrs 2 cans per day…this site saved me. 184 days without a chew….still have strong cravings now and again…. that shit had me by the balls. my suggestion is go cold turkey ….grow a set and be done with it
Well today is me new day one, I relapsed on Friday after being quit for a couple days. Bought a can Friday morning and threw it away yesterday after two dips, I thought to myself what the fuck am I doing, I need to quit and stay quit. I’m glad I found this website it might just save my life. I bought some sunflower seeds different flavors, gum, mints, toothpicks, and some hard candy. I think because I didn’t have anything to put in my mouth Friday thats why I bought a can out of habit of walking into a gas station, which was the only reason I went into a gas station before was to throw my money away to end my life sooner. I’m now excited to be quit for good. I hope I can get through the rough times. And maybe my girlfriend will believe me this time that I quit for good, because thus time it’s for me and my little girl not for her like it was in the past.
glad to hear sam ……just stay quit
Keep it up, I’m on day 596 and sometimes just for a second I think things will be hard to do without a dip. Just as quick as I think it it goes away. Stay strong you can do it
Day 29 & made it over a huge obstacle, Vegas with the fellas. Was great to make it through the trip without even the thought of giving in, even when my friends were chewing around me. Stay strong and keep fighting the good fight gents.