The Giving Up Smoking Thread!! Part 2

ml2008

very impressive! well done that's seriously inspirational.

Can i just ask a quick question to any of you that have already quit. Just off the phone with a friend who tells me that patches gum etc aren't 'really quitting' and that you have to go cold turkey in the end anyway...given me something to think about although I'm NOT backing out of my decision to quit one way or the other.

What do you think? Which method worked best for you?

thanks

MissGolightly

7 weeks today - champix, woo!

the patches and gum are nicotine replacement. basically, you need to break the physical habit, while using them to wean yourself off the physiological need. so i wouldn't say that you aren't really quitting if you're using NRT, and my partner quit successfully just over a year and a half ago using the inhalator only.

if you think about it really, if you're going from 30 a day, and then wean yourself right down to lowest dosage patches/gum, then yeah, i suppose you do have to cold turkey those last few mgs of nicotine, but if you have a positive attitude, and a little bit of willpower, the gum and patches will already have helped you to get rid of most of the physiological need, it's just up to you to realise, you won't need a cigarette ever again.

sorry if that's a bit jumbly, on break in work and buzzers about to go any sec!

oh yes, and i tried the inhalator, then gum, quit successfully this time with champix. the champix did make it easier, as it blocked off the bit of my brain that said "oi, i want a smoke!", but i also spent a lot more time crocheting to occupy myself, and didn't put myself in the situations i know triggered my downfall previous two times.

larmy16

Hi ml2008 and welcome.

You know what they say "Feel the fear and do it anyway"!

It is the fear that is the problem and not the quitting.

The more you avoid nicotine, the more the fear subsides. I can really empathise how you feel though. What a horrible chemical to have such a hold over us - like blackmail really. :mad:

tallyhoh

ml2008 wrote: »

very impressive! well done that's seriously inspirational.

Can i just ask a quick question to any of you that have already quit. Just off the phone with a friend who tells me that patches gum etc aren't 'really quitting' and that you have to go cold turkey in the end anyway...given me something to think about although I'm NOT backing out of my decision to quit one way or the other.

What do you think? Which method worked best for you?

thanks

I tried everything from mouthwash in the '70's, hypnotherapy etc. My mom died 1999 from smoking related, I went cold turkey from then. Not an incentive I recommend but it worked for me.

ml2008

thanks everyone.

I was reading around on the net a bit and found a site that says if you can quit cold turkey for 3 days the physical addiction is gone and then its the psychological to go. My problem is definitely the psychological side of things more I think.

I have quit before using patches, I went through the whole program and got fed up still craving nicotine as I felt it was just drawing the process out. Here I am again though contemplating them over again.

The longest quit I had was after reading the Allen Carr book, obviously it didn't gel as well as I thought because that quit was the one I thought I could have 'just one' and that was me back to square one. I have read the book again several times but it's just not the same because first time I read it I was so enthusiastic and fired up and now I'm not because I know I did it and lost it.

Tally that must have been so difficult to have to deal with x

Catherine25

Hi everyone hope your all keeping well.
I had another bad nights sleep on monday night so last night I decided to take the patch off before i went to bed. I was a bit worried about facing the morning craving but im pleased to say I was fine! probably because i slept in so i didnt really have time to think about it as i was in such a rush :rotfl:
Payless do you think it is ok for me to continue to take the 24hr patches off at night? I know you mentioned doing this, do you think its ok in the long term?

Hi ml2008 you sound like me, i quit for over a year using the allen carr book but made the mistake of having 'just one' and was back on 20 a day. Iv tried to read the book about 5 more times but it never worked again. Iv got loads of his books, i read the easy way to stop smoking, the easy way for women to stop smoking, the only way to stop smoking permanently and the illustrated guide to stopping smoking. I have also watched the dvd and listened to his cds. at least no one can say i havnt tried:rotfl:

This time though im using the 24hr patches. I always thought like your friend did -whats the point in keeping taking the nicotine, its just prolonging it, and to be honest i was always sceptical about the patches but i just decided to give it a go and i can honestly say iv found it a lot easier this time. Im hoping that by the time i come off the patches i will be stronger and be so used to not smoking that i will be ok. just go for it. There is such amazing support on here, you can do it!!!:T

Yesterday i was a bit grumpy but think it was prob due to lack of sleep. When iv quit before i usually use my bad mood as an excuse to smoke again but i never even thought about it yesterday! And iv had a great day today. My oh has been really supportive this time and he took me and the kids out for out tea tonight to celebrate. I had chicken ceasar (sp?) salad, it was delish!

With all this rain im so glad i dont have to stand outside puffing away! And i was just thinking today how wonderful it will be to watch my kids opening their presents on christmas morning without wishing they would hurry up so i could get out for a smoke That sounds terrible doesnt it - bad mummy!

Hope your all well, keep up the good work :T
Catherine xx

rmplc

Hi all,

Well I am taking Champix after many unsuccesful attempts at quitting, I am now on my 5th day of being a non smoker

I will admit I have had the occasional thought of having a ciggy, but that is quickly gotten rid of lol.

how is everyone else doing?

Ross
xx

Payless_2

Catherine As long as you can cope with your early morning cravings, I think you'll be ok taking your patches off at night. Just keep your inhalator or another form of nicotine replacement right beside your bed for when you wake. I have always removed my patch just before I go to sleep this time (except for the memorable occasion that I forgot :eek:) The patches seem to kick in quite quickly. They are only 24 hour ones because many smokers have such a massive craving upon wakening. I did and still do but I can manage it. If I get overtired I get grumpy too and I'm worried that snapping at people may make me have a cig to calm down.

You're being very good eating salad. I think I've eaten my own body weight in chocolate over the last week . I was very pleased not to be one of the crowd of smokers outside work today. It was freezing and extremely windy. I did have a quick sniff as I walked past though .

Keep up the good work everyone :T

dundeedoll_2

WHAT has happened to this thread??????????? BUSY BUSY BUSY!
That's great :j

Payless wrote: »

Sue and DD - were your nose ops because of post nasal drip? I've been given 3 different types of steroid nasal spray for it but none of tghem work any more. Hopefully, quitting smoking will get rid of or ease it but if not I'd like to know what options are available. My Gp just says "I know it's a very annoying condition. Make sure you drink plenty of fluids and have you tried steam?"

Not sure my experience will help you as I had a very blocked nostril, although I also had a constant drip in my throat too. I went to Germany and was really bad but the doctor there said anti biotics/sprays are not good for sinuses. They recommend nasal rinses/syringes over there. But as I say, maybe not helpful to you.

It's so miserable tho', isn't it?

copperjar

Hi all. I've been opfficially smoke free for two weeks :j

ml2008 - you sound very much like me. I tried quitting several times unsuccessfully, the last time I also had "just one" and that was it. Since then I made every excuse in the book to continue - work stress, break-up, fear of redundancy hanging over me. The fact is, there will always be worries and stresses in my life (that's just life!) but the cigarettes didn't even help anyway. What they did do was make me focus on something else for 5 minutes, take me away from the cause of stress (into the cold outside!) and gave me a time out. I can have all those things anyway without smoking - and in the warmth to boot! I was spending about £70 a week too.

I'm on Champix. Its harder this time (I quit earlier in the year on Champix and found it easy...until I had that one ciggy...it was a celebration fag as well believe it or not), but I'm determined. I sometimes find myself reaching for them out of habit - but the feeling goes pretty quick.

I think anyone can quit using whatever method they feel most comfortable and confident with. Be it patches, gum, Champix or cold turkey. It doesn't mean you "haven't really" quit. Stay strong. One great bit of advice I got was that if you really, really want one and are going out of your mind thinking about it, tell yourself that you can have one if you still feel the same in 2 hours. It takes away the anxiety of denying yourself soemthing - and if you get through 2 hours, you probably won't want one after that anyway! Its really helped me.