The Giving Up Smoking Thread - Part 3

mandz1

Hello all, well today i am starting my journey. i am using patches and have tried many times in the past to quit in all different ways. This time i think i am in a better frame of mind to do it. I am looking to make my health better but also save money and set a good example to my kids.

So day 1, 3 hours in, staying positive and strong

jwarren66

Hi all

just had a read of messages - well done to those smoke free and lovely to see all those supportive messages

I am (just) mananging to keep my no smoking going -
I used the alan carr "easy way" - after lots of attempts with the gum/inhalers/patches where i would give up for months than fail.

am still smoke free since 23rd feb!

The problem I now have is a kind of addiction to gum (or eating) ... has anyone else had this. I keep on getting told of for chewing (it's not very dignified!) ... but it seems to help with the non smoking.

I should be over the nicotine thing by now - its over a month - but am still moody and still have cravings - hence the gum

Anyone have any ideas on solutions?

thanks

Lotus-eater

jwarren66 wrote: »

Anyone have any ideas on solutions?

I don't think there is "a" solution that fits everyone. We all have to do what it takes.
There are some stories around (not unusual) for people to be stuck on nic gum for years. On one hand, it seems it's obviously better for you than smoking, on the other, you would be better off without it.
Try cutting it down, just the obvious things really, try normal gum/sweets, try using it only when you really need it.
And pat yourself on the back for not having smoked alot of cigarettes.

Sue-UU

Hi and a warm welcome to the thread, mandz1! Being successful in quitting is so dependent on our frame of mind, you're sure you've got that so push on and beat it!!! You've listed the best reasons anyone could possibly have to quit...so keep growing in strength and make this time THE TIME!!!!! Talk to us here just as much as you need/wish and if you need to vent your frustrations..there's no better place!

Very best wishes to you and your family, Sue xx Look out for a PM.

smileytiger wrote: »

Hi Sue

Estate agent is taking pics tomorrow..eek..so should be officially up for sale by end of this week...just need someone to love it enough to buy it...lol

Chrissie .xx

Fingers well and truly crossed for you, Chrissie and I do so hope it's a quick sale!!! :grinheart

Sue x

Wonderful to see you here again, Money maker, I've no idea how far you've come, but know it's well worth praising you up for!! :j
Sue x

Blue_Elephant wrote: »

Oh and it's been 34 days!! Over a month for me. And I haven't had any of the champix in about 2 weeks either, so for the minute, I'm going it alone.

Woo-hay Blue! You really are doing terrifically!!! :j:T:T:j Well done on going to the wedding and couple of nights out without slipping too. Just be sure to NEVER give way to "have one of these, it won't hurt you!" as inevitably they will. Still, you're stronger than that - brilliant!!!

Sue x

Hiya Maz, good to see you're still going strong and keeping busy! How far are you now?? Keep booking appointments to help folk..you'll be helping yourself sooo very much more! :grinheart

Sue x

jwarren66 wrote: »

I am (just) mananging to keep my no smoking going - I used the alan carr "easy way" - after lots of attempts with the gum/inhalers/patches where i would give up for months than fail.

am still smoke free since 23rd feb!

The problem I now have is a kind of addiction to gum (or eating) ... has anyone else had this. I keep on getting told of for chewing (it's not very dignified!) ... but it seems to help with the non smoking.

I should be over the nicotine thing by now - its over a month - but am still moody and still have cravings - hence the gums!

Hi jwarren66 and brilliant news on being 34 days free from the evils!!!! :T:j:T That in itself is GREAT news!!

Remember, the 'cravings' you're still having are only psychological ones, I'm wondering if, by keeping up with the gum, that that in itself is what's causing the so called cravings....as you know that every time you put a piece of gum in it makes you think about smoking...a bit like the "itch, scratch, itch" syndrome. You may also be associating the gum with other times that you've tried quitting with it...but didn't make it - make sense?

Every time you crave, forget the gum and have a sip/gulp of water or/and eat an apple instead; anything to move you away from gum. Also, buy some Ice Pops/Poles and suck through one, they're so refreshing and long-lasting. Keep water by you all the time, any sort of fruit and veg of your choice too. Try having some nuts and raisins in a tupperware pot, don't have too many at a time, just enough to tide you over til it stops.

Also, no matter how tired you may get - make time for exercise! If nothing else go for a brisk walk as many times a day as you can, it detracts the mind with all that you see. Take up a hobby that you love and can really look forward to doing each day..even if it's just a jigsaw or crossword puzzle - anything you love doing will take your mind off 'those nasty, 'orrible things! What are/were your hobbies??? Any you can recall (knitting, crochet?) that you used to do take them up again and see just how they help!

Another thing that may be stopping you is the fact that you've only managed to get to X amount of time in the past...push your way past this time and see how it helps as it'll take your mind and thinking away with it. Pretty soon you'll find you got through a 1/2 a day, a day or 2 without even thinking about them! That's how it was for me.

Determination and willpower are key to getting you through this, jwarren66, keeping busy too! I have a real feeling that you're wanting to, so go on - you CAN do it!!!!!

All best wishes! Sue xx

Hi Lotus-eater, some great ideas to jwarren66, though personally I didn't think she's on nicorette, but on normal gum, but weaning off of any gum is good.

Thanks, Sue

mandz1

Have managed to get through day 1 with no cigarettes, patch is still on! going to watch CSI at 9 then will be in bed for 10. I remember from quitting before that it messes up your sleeping pattern, and seeing as i dont get much sleep at night as it is (need a new mattress , im sure thats the problem) i am going to bed a bit earlier.

whilst writing this, my head has started to hurt and i dont cope well with headaches!

Money_maker

Well done mandz for getting through your first day. Hope you get a good nights sleep.

Saw the quit clinic nurse today for the last time. We have had our disagreements (well actually, it's very unwise to disagree with someone a fortnight into quitting who's going through the angry stage) but she means well. Was talking about lung function and I was given a rather graphic description of patients who are suffering a bad asthma attack, how they are put on the nebuliser and how they struggle to breathe whilst beads of sweat break out on their brow. How she can see the panic in their eyes, how they have young children and how they continue to smoke even though this aggravates their breathing and puts them on the path to COPD.

I shall miss our chats:rotfl:

I was thinking about this again tonight and by googling discovered that it can take over a year for the lungs to recover providing that smoking hasn't damaged them any more. My DS1 agreed to accompany me for a jog tonight for a short distance that I thought I could easily do. Halfway there and I'm pant, puff, pant realising that I haven't got the breath in me to be able to do the full distance. Hence the interest in time spans for lung capacity.

Money_maker

jwarren66 wrote: »

I should be over the nicotine thing by now - its over a month - but am still moody and still have cravings - hence the gum

You are over the nicotine thing. You are clean and free of the stuff. Your needs are not physical, but emotional I guess is the way to describe the habit.

I found the following helpful http://whyquit.com/joel/Joel_03_13_stages_of_death.html as anyone who reads my posts will remember that I went through a horrible stage where I was really down and miserable. Bit like grieving where you can't see how you'll ever be happy again. This link does help explain the stages so you know it's alright and everyone goes through similar one way or the other. Things do balance out the other end of the tunnel:D

jwarren66

thanks Money maker, lotus eater and Sue uu.

- (lotus eater) am not on the nicotine gum - that was one of the best things I took from Alan Carr book - and believe that was one of the problems I had - I remained hooked on nicotine.

- but I do have a problem with chewing gum. Think you are right its reminding me of smoking - so keeping that psychological crutch. Will keep reminding myself its better than smoking and better than nicotine gum (and cheaper too!)

Thanks for the Understanding the Emotional Loss -Experienced When Quitting Smoking link (as a newbie can't post any links)
- will stick to that cool last bit

Anyone can break the addiction and beat the stages. Then all you must do to maintain this freedom is simply remember - NEVER TAKE ANOTHER PUFF!

thanks for the help everyone (only one piece of chewing gum today!) and NO evil weed!

Sue-UU

mandz1 wrote: »

Have managed to get through day 1 with no cigarettes

seeing as i dont get much sleep at night as it is (need a new mattress , im sure thats the problem) i am going to bed a bit earlier.

whilst writing this, my head has started to hurt and i dont cope well with headaches!

VERY well done on quote 1, mandz1, one day at a time will see you through much easier! IF you're able to, then do try and sort out another mattress, as regardless of quitting, you really do need a decent night's sleep every night as it's vital to your functioning! That would also affect headaches!!

Re the heads: Try as much water as possible throughout the day, it'll help you keep hydrated, if you become at least a a little dehydrated will bring on headaches much more!!

Whatever happens, mandz, keep going this time as you really don't want to go through it all again, now do you!

All the best, Sue x

Money_maker wrote: »

Was talking about lung function and I was given a rather graphic description of patients who are suffering a bad asthma attack, how they are put on the nebuliser and how they struggle to breathe whilst beads of sweat break out on their brow. How she can see the panic in their eyes, how they have young children and how they continue to smoke even though this aggravates their breathing and puts them on the path to COPD.

I was thinking about this again tonight and by googling discovered that it can take over a year for the lungs to recover providing that smoking hasn't damaged them any more. My DS1 agreed to accompany me for a jog tonight for a short distance that I thought I could easily do. Halfway there and I'm pant, puff, pant realising that I haven't got the breath in me to be able to do the full distance. Hence the interest in time spans for lung capacity.

Money maker do take note of your SC Nurse's words as she's right with what she's telling you. I have asthma (mild and only on exertion) as a result of smoking! My cousin has proper asthma and is always rushed to hospital as he literally gasps for breath! She's also right about COPD and we've had several sufferers here on all 3 threads!!! Also, from the age of 30 + we lose the elasticity of our lungs...unless we keep them 'inflated' well with exercise, running, aerobics etc is ideal. Even brisk walking including small hills which we can gradually increase, is a heck of a bonus to us!

Don't give up running for X amount of time after your experience with your DS, keep doing maybe half the distance every night (or whatever's best with you) and you'll soon be getting them back to what is more normal. Having said that, I'd always understood it takes well over a year (or more) to get lungs back to where they should be? However, that of course would depend on how long you've been smoking. I do know that it's possible, after a relatively short amount of time with fags, that folk can get their lungs back to a better state than they were in before! That has to depend on what exercise they had previously been doing for sure.

You'll gradually get your capacity back MM, just work at it.

Sue x

jwarren66 wrote: »

Thanks for the Understanding the Emotional Loss -Experienced When Quitting Smoking link

Then all you must do to maintain this freedom is simply remember - NEVER TAKE ANOTHER PUFF!

only one piece of chewing gum today!

Hi jwarren and well done for you on not having any gum yesterday!!!!! :T

The grieving for a friend (as I touch on in my PMs to new quitters) is something that affects most of us, though at the time we don't always know exactly what it is we're feeling, but once we realise, it all makes such perfect sense - BUT - it's a bad friend we're grieving for, for a short while, the one we just kicked out of the door!!! :mad: The 'friend' who had us doing so many things we'd never normally have done if we hadn't been sucked into smoking in the first place! Never mind though as it doesn't take long to stop missing it, you'll soon be smiling at thoughts of him being out of your life - for good!!! :j

Keep it up folks, every day without one is a day closer to say goodbye to nicotine for GOOD!!!!

Sue x

njk1012

would anyone mind if I joined in?

After approx 20 years of smoking I have purchased an E-Cig which arrived in the post today. My last real Ciggy was at 12.30 dinner time today 3 hours in so far so good.

I researched them for quite a bit before purchasing a genesis 510 starter kit with an extra battery and liquid, so no excuse of it running out.

I'm going to take it one day at a time. Recently I have been smoking 30-40 roll ups a day which is horrendous, so fingers crossed for the rest of the day being weed free.