Crawling the Walls...

atamrowski

If I was Spider-Man, I'd be literally crawling the walls right now.

I am on Day 2 of the nicotine patch; Step 2. I think this is too strong for me. Since yesterday, I have felt like I drank 3 Red Bulls and want to throw up everywhere. I just removed this patch as I am feeling really naseous now.

Anyone else quit smoking and what you did to help? This is something I HAVE to do and feeling this way is not going to cut it..especially for the next two weeks.

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Candi_land

Like I stated in your status I quit smoking 2 years ago after an 11 year pack a day habit. I quit cold turkey because I would try to smoke on top of the patch (lol) which ya know isn't good. To successfully quit I gave up drinking alcohol for a while because as you know drinking and smoking seem to go hand in hand, and I kept things like sugar free gum and sugar free candy around to keep my mouth busy when I felt the urge for a smoke. Nicotine IS addictive but the habit of smoking (like first thing in the morning with coffee, after meals etc..) is harder to break at least IMO. During those moments I'd chew gum, drink water,or suck on ice, or do something active (like going for a walk) in an attempt to fight the craving/break the habit. The first few days are always difficult but once you make it past the first 2 weeks it should get easier. Having supportive friends (who don't smoke or are trying to quit with you) help a lot as well.

Good luck girly! :flowerforyou:

MSam1205

Never smoked, but since food was and is my addiction, i would think maybe some substitutes? I've know folks who do well on the lozenges substitutes and you can choose strengths. Walmart has their own brand as does bj's. good luck with it. You just need to get over the first few weeks to create new habits! You can do this!

Flixie00

I gave up smoking by going cold turkey 3 years + ago. I found staying away from other smokers helped. Once you get through the first few days, it gets easier.

Good luck.

Thedij

Cold turkey! It's been 24 years for me & now I can't stand the smell of smoke. It makes me feel like you did when you had your nicotine patch on.

My Mom smoked for 25 years and even though she quit in the mid-80s her lungs have sustained permanent damage and she has COPD & is now using oxygen.

I keep remembering the image from the saying that "kissing a smoker is like licking an ash tray."

You need to find the motivation from within you to quit and never start again. Make a list of all the benefits to quitting and all the benefits to smoking. The choice should be clear.

All the best!

orangeyellowkayak

I smoked 2 packs a day and quit cold turkey. I went crazy for 2 days then it got easier. I just had to want it bad enough. Prayed alot.!that was 25 years ago.

paulcer

Try the smaller patch.

Hang in there!

atamrowski

Thanks everyone. If quitting cold turkey was so easy, I would have successfully accomplished that. Which I did five years ago. I started back up 3 years ago.

The good thing is, I gave up the booze 3 weeks ago so it's a little bit easier since I'm not drinking and wanting to smoke more often.

I did get a cheap electric cigarette today at the store so when I am in my car, or feel the need to puff on something, it's there.

lintino

I quit smoking 20 years ago after a 20 year pack a day habit. It was the hardest thing I have ever done. I still want a cigarette after all these years. If I smell cigarette smoke I'm like..."Blow it my way". I occasionally have dreams where I am hiding in a closet smoking.

I did it over a period of time. Places where I could smoke got fewer and fewer. Couldn't smoke at work anymore. We bought a new house and my husband told me I couldn't smoke inside. I knew I was absolutely quitting when I found myself outside my own house, on the sidewalk, at 11pm and it was snowing out., I avoided bars, stopped drinking both alcohol and coffee. I tried to keep my hands busy, knitting writing, and playing the piano.

Good luck You can do it. It definitely is hard but good health is the best reward possible.

ittybittybadonkadonk

I have not had a cig since the night of Feb 13th .... I cant do the patch due to being allergic to it ... I tried the gum in the past and that didnt work so now I am doing it COLD TURKEY ...so far so good ...GOOD LUCK to you :happy:

Emtabo01

I also quit cold turkey, I'd tried every other way prior and it never worked. You have to change habits and the way you think about it. After many failed quit attempts, I learned that I needed to stop trying to kid myself into "telling" myself that I didn't want to smoke anymore, because of the various reasons, cost, smell, health, etc. because I did still want to smoke. But when I successfully quit, I told myself constantly that I did still want to smoke cause smoking is ****ing awesome, but it was time to be an adult, and put my big girl panties on and not smoke even though I still wanted to. That was the thought process that finally made it work for me. It's been 4 years for me and I still say that I hope when I'm old I get diagnosed with some disease that gives me six months to live, so I can chain smoke like a mofo for my last six months. I'm gonna be pissed if I get hit by a bus.

Kabijots

I quit a 20-30 ciggies a day habit, 12 years ago by going cold turkey.

The hardest thing for me was breaking the habit of stopping my mind planning the next cigarette break (ie. Walk to bus-stop (have a cigarette), catch bus, get off at work bus-stop (have a cigarette), tea break (have a cigarette), lunchbreak (have a cigarette) etc etc) Most of those cigarettes, I didn't even enjoy, I just did it because I knew it would be an hour or two until my next opportunity. There were, of course, many cigarettes I did enjoy after dinner, with coffee etc.

My mindset changed when I realised that I planned my whole life literally round these blasted bits of paper, foam and leaves. I just didn't want my life ruled by the damn things anymore. Plus, the cost was going up and up and I really couldn't justify it anymore.

I had to wait for a day when I realised that was IT! No more. And I did it. I had to still go out for a break but instead of smoking, I ate a piece of fruit as it takes roughly the same amount of time. So I ate 5lbs of fruit a day (probably :laugh: ) but I guess that was better than smoking and I also still had a 'break'. Overtime, I are less fruit, stopped for breaks less often and started to hate, I mean, really HATE the smell of cigarette smoke :sick: .

Now I can smell it at 100 paces and feel completely sick. My kids will never be able to smoke and try and get away with it! (I will kill them if they ever do!! :mad: )

Anyway, good luck with your no smoking. However you give up, (with gum, patches) etc if it helps you not to smoke, that's great. If they aren't working for you, don't use them. What is important is that every hour, every day, every month, your body will thank you that you are not smoking.

Take care. x

KenosFeoh

I quit cold turkey because I had pneumonia. It was really easy. By the time I had recovered enough to even consider smoking, I didn't want to anymore.

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MadDogManor

I used the patch and when things got really bad, I used the gum too. The gum helped keep my mouth busy instead of smoking. Now I'm trying to break the eating-the-food behavior - it's a lot like quitting cigs!

Nina2600

I just joined MFP this week... Quit smoking 30 yrs ago, cold turkey, after trying various methods of the day to quit. Being ready was number 1 motivator to quit and you can do it! I am working on improving my eating habits and quitting the bad ones I have developed which have become addictions. Hope this community will help me with support! It's nice to see so many large number weight losses! Good luck to all.

rmsrws

Cold turkey.

The nicotine addiction is nothing. The real issue is breaking your rituals.

nicotine only stays in your body three days after your last inhale!!! It is the habits that are hard to break!!!

Sharonks

I applaud you for trying. Perhaps try a lower level of patch. I smoked for the most part since I was 12. I was 45 when I decided I really had to quit because as a diabetic it is a really good way to become an amputee. I did fairly good that first 6 months. I used chantix and it was pretty painless. Almost all of my friends smoke and my husband smokes. Eventually, I would have just a drag here and a drag there and then something bad happened in life and I started full blown smoking again. After a couple months I decided I really had to do it this time. I went cold turkey. I just woke up one morning with no plan in mind and decided it was now.

The one thing I did different this time was I had a stern talk with myself. I realized I was a drug addict and as a nicotine junkie I was allowing a drug to control my life and slowly killing myself with my drug. I can never have just one drag anymore than a heroin addict can shoot up once in a while.

It was really hard the first week but I kept picturing myself in a wheel chair with no legs. I thought of all the people I've met in life who have severe health problems from smoking and yet continued to smoke despite the amputations, oxy tank, having tongues or lips removed due to cancer of the mouth. Ya, I really wanted to be like that.

Changing patterns is important. Figure out your smoking times and find something else to do. Don't drink, that seems to be the universal trigger for everyone. Start a good exercise program. I have found that if I do serious, lung burning stuff like high impact aerobics or running it makes me want to smoke less.

To top off my struggles with quitting you have to imagine what it is like to live with a guy who smokes in the house and car. He has never quit and continues to smoke around me yet somehow I still quit.

You have to be determined. You have to pick yourself up if you fail. You have to accept that it is likely you will gain a few pounds when you first quit but a good exercise program will really help with that and will give you something else to do. It has been nearly 1.5 yrs since I quit. After about 30 years of smoking I feel wonderful. I run 5 miles several times a week which isn't too shabby being I'm 47 and haven't run since I was in my 20s. You can do it, you just need to keep trying until you succeed. Realize that the physical craving will go away in a few days, it is the habit part you have to break.

lintino

...... I hope when I'm old I get diagnosed with some disease that gives me six months to live, so I can chain smoke like a mofo for my last six months. I'm gonna be pissed if I get hit by a bus.

I totally agree with this!! I've been saying the same thing for 20 years.