The Giving Up Smoking Thread!! Part 2

allan673

9 weeks - champix

hi everyone, time for an update, well the 9 weeks have flown by and i am really pleased that i havent had a cig in this time.
i finish my course of champix on 23rd november, so not long now. it was a 12 week course.
i can honestly say that i dont even think of them now, its hard to believe the amount i smoked, i have also saved £450 so far by not smoking!
i feel a real achievement by doing this, it may sound weird being an ex smoker but i look at people smoking and think what an idiot etc. i really hope i never smoke again !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i am confident that i will not. i cant afford it lol.

i was wondering if and when you noticed any health benefits? so far i have noticed i dont get out of breath as easily. for instance at work if i used a shovel i was knackered really quickly. but now i am not, i was amazed to be honest, it was really that noticeable.
i like not smelling of smoke lol, and the car no longer smells. my sense of smell is better, i can really smell smoke on others. the dreams are not as often, although i have had a couple of good ones this last week lol.

keep up the good work and support. this has been a real help. i really rate champix highly ! i just hope i dont think about the cigs when i finish the course of tablets.

thanks !

allan673

Catherine25 wrote: »

Morning all! Im gearing myself up to quit and im looking quite forward to it! I have a question i hope someone can help me with. Im planning to have my last cig on sunday nite and was wondering do I put the patch on after my last cig or wait until monday morning? they are the 24hr patches. hope someone can help, thanks xx

personally i would put the patch on in the morning, as you probably wont sleep if you put it on at night.
always apply the patch in the morn imo from past experience.

fingers crossed for you, good luck !
you dont need the fags, you will feel a lot more confident after day 1. let us know how you get on.

Sue-UU

Very many Congratulations, Alan!!! :T:T:T I was pleased to read that you felt such a real sense of achievement, and so you should as it's one heck of an accomplishment and you deserve that feeling.

With regards to "wondering if and when you noticed any health benefits?" I noticed in a week just how clear my chest was. I'd developed an awful, chesty cough which worried me sick so for that reason alone I was delighted at just how quickly that went! With that gone I could climb stairs so much easier, walk up hills so briskly too, what a difference that all was!

I think most of us women soon notice a great difference in our skin too, it's more pink and lacks the yellow tinge that cigs bring. The big thing for me was not having that smokey breath and the teeth feeling so much fresher too.

Try a long flight of stairs, Alan and see just how much faster you can get to the top and how much breath you have after having done so. If you don't have stairs then try your local Hospital ...they go on forever!!! :eek: All the very best, Alan, I really don't think you'll ever want to go back to the old way of life, stick to good health and more money in your pocket and never look back! Please stay with us, or as often as you're able, it helps so much.

Ah well, Catherine, you now have folk going for both choices so, with luck you're tucked up in bed and, all being well, happy with your decision. All the very best for the morning and throughout the day! Do as well as mustkeephoping and you'll be very, very happy with yourself.

Have a good day everyone, it's another day of success and a step closer to the healthier life you seek. Grab it and look to the future.

Sue x

Payless_2

It's now been a week for me and I must say that I actually feel worse than I did before I quit. I'm going to see my GP later though as I've a feeling I've got a sinus infection. I had a nasty dose of flu 4 weeks ago, shortly before my gum infection and I think that may have kicked it off.

I'm thinking about staying off work today as my head feels so bad. One of my jobs is flexible so I'll stay out of the cold for a couple of days and see if things improve. Breathing in cold air really hurts!

Catherine25

Hi hope everyone is well today! Thanks for the replys to my question about the patches but i decided to put the patch on last night as I was worried about the morning craving as thats the one I find most difficult. You were al right, I never slept a wink! I know a lot of people on here had said about the difficulty sleeping but i didnt realise just how bad it was. I think iv had about 2hrs sleep broken down into 5minute sections! and dont even start me on the mad dreams :rotfl:

On a more positive note, I feel great today! I have had a few pangs but nothing like iv felt the other times iv tried to quit. I dont want to get ahead of myself but im feeling quietly confident. I know there will probably be hard times ahead but I feel more prepared this time, I dont know but it just feels different.

I have got so much housework done today as I havnt wasted half the day standing outside in the freezing cold smoking. And although iv had very little sleep i dont feel as tired as i would usually feel for some reason.

Thanks to Sue for your wonderful pm! i really appreciate all the support on here, thanks again xx
Catherine

Catherine25

I forgot to say Payless hope you feel better soon. I actually feel like im getting a cold myself an i have a splitting headache - not sure if that has something to do with me using the patches or maybe just the weather. Get better soon!

Payless_2

Thanks Catherine and good luck. The patches are fantastic in helping with cravings.

I saw my GP and he has given me some antibiotics for my sinuses. Hopefully, in a day or two, I should begin to feel the benefits of quitting :j. I'm taking this week off from my outside job too so that should help - I have 2 jobs.

I feel so much better knowing that I feel so bad because I am ill and not through packing the cigs in. I'm going to spoil myself a bit.

larmy16

Take care of yourself Payless, it really is grim out there.

Catherine I never used the 24 patches as I smoked so little towards the end of my last attempt to quit, so they were giving me humungous doses of nicotine.

I do recall the dreams though. Many years ago I had some anti depressants and the dreams on them were amazing! I used to say every night was movie night. Talk about technicolour! No naughty ones though.:o

dundeedoll_2

Catherine25
You've had such good advice already that I feel I can't really add any more. Well done for wanting to quit :T


Payless
I had an op for sinus problems in 2003 which sorted the problem until 2008. I used to suffer constantly and after op only about a week after a cold - usually March & October.

Then in 08 it was back to constant. I saw an ENT consultant in January 2010 and he told me I MUST stop smoking - I tried for about 6 hours but decided I couldn't. :eek: WIMP!

On the 1st of August I just stopped - no decision to, just ran out of cigs and haven't bought a pack since. I have certainly noticed a difference..............had a really bad cold end of Sept but didn't turn into sinus infection.

Well done for stopping........you will be so pleased you made this decision!

Love to all x

Sue-UU

I'm so pleased to see you've been to the Dr, Payless, youll soon be feeling much better once the anibiotics kick in. A very wise decision with your job, far better off in the warm. Get well soon.

Catherine, I'm thrilled to bits for you having made your start in the quitting world! :T It does sound as though you're running on excitement with the sleep problems being soooo bad though, the bad headache too. You sounded on a complete high, it's good in one way, but do try to calm yourself a little ....or you'll soon be collapsing in a heap!!! :eek: I think you'll feel a lot better after tonight's sleep or tomorrow's, once you've really settled in to the reality of it all. You are doing great though so just stay strong, have faith in the patches - along with your will power and you'll do well! One day at a time, and all best wishes for each one!

Hi there DD! I see you're adding more and more time to make darn sure you quit for good then - brilliant!!! :T So, you've had nose ops then! I've had 2 and things are much better now, but most of it related to fags, that's for sure.

That was a rotten shame not having any naughty dreams, then larmy. Were you hoping too much maybe?!! That sounds quite weird the way you describe the ones that you did have though. Thank goodness I didn't need them! :eek:

Take care all and keep warm - now that you no longer need to freeze any wotsits off outside! You're all way too strong and determined for that. Keep focused everyone, youre doing yourselves so much good!

Sue x