The Giving Up Smoking Thread!! Part 2

choille

Went back to the doc's today to get another perscription. Told her I was quite sick yesterday. She thought I'd stopped. I said my stop date is the 15th, but she said I should stop on the 14th as that's a fortnight since the tablets. So am a bit confused.
Asked for some support as there's none & it does say that it is more successful with ongoing support. So she's going to phone another area & see if I can go to their quit clinics but that's 60 plus miles away & they may not let me as it's in another area.
Yesterday I felt so sick I went to bed in the afternoon - so then I got up early evening - went back to bed & woke up at 4am & couldn't get back over again. Was really wanting to stop the tablets but today ate first, waited half ten minutes & then took it & although a little queasy no where near as parrot sick as I was yesterday - so relieved about that.
Just don't know if I should alter my stop date to Monday bring it a day forward - feel a bit thrown.

Keep up the good work you wonderful bunch & forgive my mutterings.

oldreekie

Hello everyone and thank you for all the good wishes and support.

I am trying to avoid thinking about the lack of cigarettes so have avoided PC etc today - kept busy elsewhere and am now off to bed.

Just wanted to say thanks to sue-UU for the pm. I am going to read it now.

hellnearth

Morning all
I would really like to echo the gratitude for all the posters on this thread :T It's really interesting to hear from quitters who are a bit further down the road. I think the urge to have a cigarette never really leaves you. I know some people say they can just have the odd one every now and again ...........lucky them ( sort of. ) I know I'm a very addictive person, so am sure that one would set me off again.

Choille buddy, how you feeling today? Has the nausea made you cut down on the fags? The NHS support scheme seems to be a real postcode lottery. Here's me away out here with a great counsellor.
I know it's a long way, but I think for the first few weeks anyway, if you could get to a counsellor it will really help. Even better if it's a quit group. Do you drive? Even the trip could be a good distraction and motivation to stop as you're investing time and petrol money on the trips. Mind you, you'll be saving too without the fags
Have you got something you can do ( i.e. I grab my knitting and do a few rows ) for when the strong cravings hit?
If you can't go, see if you can get a phone number for the counsellor. Mine told me to call her anytime, especially in wobbly moments. And use mine, of course.

Neenie_o

Hi all - can't believe I've done two weeks without so much as a drag! I'm so pleased with myself! I was one of those hardened smokers who claimed to enjoy every drag (in fact I think I enjoyed about four of the twenty fags I puffed my way through in a day) and I can't even imagine smoking one now!

Still having the nausea and bad dreams - In fact, I'm feeling quite ill now so I'm taking a break from work to write this. I've started eating something in a morning (just a yoghurt, I don't do breakfast) and all it's done is make the tablet take longer to make me feel sick. Oh well, a bit of nausea is worth it I think.

In my crazy dream last night I was being really awful to my OH - I mean really, really horrible - I couldn't stop myself. And when I went and looked in the mirror I was massive! Specifically from the waist down, it was like my bottom half belonged to the half ton man! Soooo strange.

Hope everyone's doing well

xxx

oldreekie

Hello everyone

Neenie_o - last year, when I attempted to give up, I often dreamed I was smoking but the worst experience I had was lying awake at 2.00am and imagining going downstairs, making a cup of tea and chain smoking a pack of 20! I was very nasty to my OH for about 6 weeks.....and it was not a dream! Much better to just dream all the bad stuff; work it out in the subconscious.

Well, it is day 2 and I am struggling. The patches do not seem to be helping and the inhalator just makes me cough. Water, fruit, hypnotherapy CD, whale music ~ I have tried them all for the past 2 days but the craving is just getting worse. I have lists of positive incentives posted around the house and am doing the deep breathing but cannot concentrate on anything. There is a list of things to do, sitting in front of me, but ......sorry cannot find the words to describe this

I hate the way that stopping smoking takes over the head, leaving little room for more important thoughts.

Sorry!

Neenie_o

Hey Old Reekie (I love the name, btw!) - that's the worst thing about the old cigs I think... the minute you pack them up it's all you can think about. I'm only two weeks in, but everyone I've spoken to who have been successful for longer assure me that it does get easier! Brisk walk and plenty of water can help...

I think the big thing is you can want a cigarette, but you must want to be a non-smoker more (if that makes sense!) - the closest I've been to being tempted was probably last Thursday when I was round MIL's with OH, his brother, SIL and a friend who were all smoking. I didn't fancy the smell, but the habit was a hard one to break through. I really had to tell myself I wouldn't enjoy it. Little victories like that really make it worthwhile though and you'll have sooo much respect for yourself and how determined you are if you manage to get through it. And if you don't, and you have a blip, try not to beat yourself up and get straight back on the wagon!

So many people have said to me it's the most worthwhile thing you can do for your health (and your pocket, let's face it), and yet it's so easy to take it up again (I've been there time and time again!). I wish I'd listened to my mum and never started! BUT - we can do this! Just look at all the others who have managed to stop!

The first few days are the hardest too - and if you find you're not getting on with the method you're using, you need to see your doc again.

Good luck! I'm rooting for you, day two's pretty amazing when you think of how long you've smoked for! :T

Xxxx

tiger-eyes_2

just popping in again..was all going really well til a weekend away with 14 friends..every single one of them smoke!:eek:

so i ended up having 'just one'..don't know why cos it's just destroyed all the hard work i've put in so far!!

anyway, thought about patches & stuff but don't think they're right for me so i've just got my copy of "stop smoking the easy way"..

been reading it so far, it really does make sense! not sure if it works but heard so many rave reviews thought i should try it as i really feel i need to break the cycle in mind as opposed to the nicotine addiction itself if that makes any sense?!

hopefully i'll be back again soon when its finished with positive news..
& a big well done to everyone else who's managed to stay stopped! :beer:

jammy_dodger

hi old reekie am just in from work and read your post .i Do hope you managed to distract from those awful cravings tis true once stopped its all one can think about but PLEASE dont feel like you are giving up something but feel with every cigarette you resist you are gaining so much much more . please vent your thoughts here and hopefully we can all help one another ..IT DOES GET EASIER

tiger eyes just climb back on the stop smoking wagon again stay stong and focused never stop wanting to give up were all with you x x x

choille

Hi Hellnearth,

The nausea has been much reduced today thankfully as I was getting pretty miserable with that. Today is the first day that I would say I've smoked less, not because I made a consious effort to, I just have. I've also been putting them out half smoked. They taste a bit funny.........

I did not get a call from Dingwall quit woman today & I'm pretty hacked off about that. I thought something could have been arranged for Monday but doubt it will be over the weekend.

Good for you with the knitting - you could start a cottage industry? I don't knit - that would be a good thing to keep the hands busy. I'll have to have a think.
I do know what you mean about being an addictive person - I'm like that. I did stop smoking a long, long time ago & managed for four months cold turkey apart from mints. I got offered one cigarette & smoked it thinking just the one. The next day I bought a packet of 10 & that was me away again. So here I am 20 odd years later.

Have a great weekend all & the best of wishes for you staying stopped & those like me hoping to stop in the next couple of days - let's do it.

Sue-UU

Good for you with your 10 year news ramirezhenry55!!! :T
Congratulations on 11 months free larmy! Well done you!!! :T Try "Gaviscon", it's marvellous!

I'm so pleased you've found it's better to take Champix after food choille, it certainly makes sense to me. For the time being, if you need a sleep in the afternoon have no longer than 15 - 20 minutes than it won't affect the nights for you. That's awful news about the lack of help up there, I used to say there should be more help for wannabe quitters years ago,, but by now even all of Scotland should be on a mission to get folk healthy. Why not try the knotting, or crochet, if you don't know how to do either then put a search into Google "how to knit". Carving by anyone simply by using a pen knife on a piece of wood is better than nowt!!

You deserve to be pleased with yourself Neenie_o, very well done!! :T Thanks for the giggle about your dream, especially the bit about your bottom half belonged to the half ton man!

Oh dear oldreekie, having a bad day by the sounds of it, but if you're really to succeed this time then do all you can to get your mind free from those blessed things. Use up "hands-time" by peeling oranges, suck on Ice Poles - anything you can think of! How about putting your mind to a hobby or doing something you really enjoy. If all else fails then put up a list of all the bad reasons for NOT giving up and see if that helps you! Start with the fact that by continuing you risk all sorts of smoking related illnesses. I've heard of so many folk hit badly by such things and no doubt you have to! Don't give in to becoming one! Go on oldreekie, go of it and fight against the darn things!!! Get plenty of brisk walks, go shopping - anything to distract you. You have to put yourself into it in order to feel so very much better after being free of it. It REALLY is worth fighting! Great advice from Neenie_o and jammie too, please take note!

Such sad news tiger-eyes, but a little understandable given the influences. If the copy of "stop smoking the easy way" go for it, please get back to where your were as you were doing so very well. All the best.

Have a great weekend everyone, get out and enjoy the great outdoors and breathe plenty of fresh air into your recovering lungs and feel breathe all that rubbish out. Walk briskly and get healthy!

Sue x