Tomorrow is my quit day, can you help?

Question

3 weeks ago I decided to quit smoking, and November 3rd was the day I picked to quit. I am as prepared as I can possibly be. Have you quit successfully? Can you give me some tips that aren't the general ones I've already read? And what are some side effects of the patch & the gum? I really want to quit. Any comments will be greatly appreciated!! Thank you SO much!!

I'd rather not use any kind of medication, and I think I have the power to stop, but I keep reading that it is nearly impossible to quit unless you replace one habit with another. I just need to know that it is possible to stop without a patch on my arm taking me from one habit to the next....

Answer 1

Drink lots of water to help your system detox easier and help your body cope better with any withdrawal. Also, exercising and hot baths are great for helping you sweat it out. To satisfy the craving center in your brain when it starts shouting "I want! I want!", give it something else to ease the craving like sleep or sex (at least self gratification). You can also try food, but stick to baby carrots, apples or something small with a lot of flavor and no calories. Also, raw sunflower seeds have an ingredient in them that helps reduce the cravings, but only eat a small amount each day. All these things should help your craving center calm down while keeping you from gaining weight. Also, check with your doctor for any other possible help. I'm so proud of you for working on quitting. Every day that you don't smoke is a huge bonus for your health. Remember to cheer yourself on and don't be hard on yourself. Think positive and keep your eye on the goal... one day at a time.

Answer 2

First let me say good luck and you CAN do it. You CAN do it. I picked Memorial Day this year as my quit day and after 20 or so years of smoking a pack a day, so far so good. The first 3 days WILL BE the toughest time you will have. The remainder of the next couple of weeks will hard but not as bad. It will not be as hard from that point on. Only use the patch and gum when you absolutely positively just can not stand it! It will take a little bit for the nicotine to sooth your system but it will help after a few minutes. Remember that they are just a crutches and do not use them unless you just have to have something and only after at least 24 hours or so. To break the hand to mouth habit you might try chewing on straws, inhaling deep and slow, munching on ice, eating fruit, (the fruit helped me a lot) and bonking yourself on the head if needed. But just remember that each day is taken one day at a time and know that if you ever put one back into your mouth you are a smoker again. You must never make that mistake. You CAN do it!

Answer 3

A lot will depend on your willpower and when, where and why you would smoke before. If you were just a social smoker, try to keep something else in your hands or mouth. Also, you can try taking slow deep breaths to relax as this is really what relaxes a smoker when the "need a smoke to calm down" because nicotine is a stimulant, not a depressent. You can also try taking the deep breaths through a straw to mimic the resistance of smoking more.

the biggest things will be to stay relaxed and occuppied so you don't return to that crutch. The patch and gum are effective ways to ween yourself from nicotine and its addictive properties rather than try to go cold turkey.

Best of luck and congratulations on making an important health choice

Answer 4

I never smoked, but perhaps you can think of all the deadly and debilitating diseases caused by smoking - heart disease, lung cancer and numerous other cancers, emphysema, etc. By quitting you are prolonging your life and reducing your chances of getting these horrible diseases. After a few years, your risk of getting these diseases won't be much greater than that of a nonsmoker.

While I live and work in a smoke free environment, in a state with good anti-smoking laws (NY), I am still forced to put up with smoking when I am walking down the street, when trying to enter a building where smokers are congregating by the entrance door, or even when I'm stopped at a red light and the person in the car next to me is smoking with the windows open. So even if you are considerate enough to not smoke indoors or around your friends and family, your secondhand smoke is most likely still bothering and harming others. So by quitting, not only are you improving your own health, but you will now become a decent and responsible human being by no longer harming others with your secondhand smoke.

Answer 5

the only way to do it is to just do it. If you don't want to smoke then just don't. That is the only way to stop!!! I tried every thing known to man or woman and always gave up on myself. I let myself down because I didn't have the will power to follow through on any programs. Be it the patch, gum, or whatever, you are just trading one crutch for another. When you wake up in the morning just remind yourself that you are doing this for yourself and no one else and you are doing it because it was your decision. Be brave you can do it. You will have to remind yourself often at first but it will get easier and as soon as you begin to reap the rewards like smelling better, being able to taste things and smell things, and most of all have more money you will be glad you did. It works if you work it and sucks if you dont>>>>smoke free for 3 years { I smoked for 30 years so I know what I'm talking about}

Answer 6

Congrats. I suggest you dont use patches & gum to start. Only start using those after about a week of being under stress. As you may know, the uphill lasts for a little over 2 weeks, after that quitting is easy. Eat sweets when you get cravings because all a craving really is, is the need to fulfil your habit of putting something in your mouth. Good luck!

Answer 7

wellbutrin and a lot of will power. the first two days are hell but it starts to get better on the third. everyday tell yourself that the most important thing you are doing today is not smoke.

stay away from nicotine supplements. they keep you distracted for awhile but then you go back to smoking.

***the wellbutrin is temporary and is an aide but not "needed." I find it to be quite useful b/c it makes you feel good about not smoking (or in my case chewing.) But you are going to have to replace one habit with another so pick something healthy like working out!**

Answer 8

You've already gotten a lot of great feedback, but what I'd like to add is that being dependent on a drug means that you need to wean yourself, not cold turkey as someone else suggested. It's NOT just a matter of will power here. Your body has a physical dependence on nicotine and you need to be aware of that. You don't want to deal with huge cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Just be patient and gentle to your body. Also, the ENVIRONMENT has a huge role in drug use. If you really want to quit you need to try to avoid hanging out with your friends that smoke while they're smoking...and unfortunately, you're probably going to need to avoid locations that you often smoke in. Environmental cues prep your body to receive the drug so you are going to want it in those familiar environments. Good luck :)

Answer 9

I will cross my fingers for you and your excellent resolution. I have never smoked, as my lungs won't stand it, but have been close to several smokers. One friend of mine, as high-strung as it's humanly possible to be, dropped a heavy smoking habit with surprisingly little difficulty. I think the various tobacco chemicals had been making her feel worse, and when she got it out of her system, she was actually calmer and that felt good. She still chews nicotine gum, a lot of it, and it doesn't seem to do her any harm.

I think that when you are saying goodbye to any addictive habit, you should enlist the cooperation of the people you live with and ask them to give you some special consideration for a couple of weeks. Noise and other annoyances may affect you strongly, and heavy discussions of any kind should be postponed. Award yourself some compensatory pleasures during the first couple of weeks.

Best of luck.

Answer 10

i quit over ten years ago, in fact it's about 12 years now...i had to use the patch to wean myself off of the drug, and the whole patch program was supposed to take like 12 weeks. after like the first week, i ripped the patch off and haven't gone back...i found myself "sneaking" cigs, and then just told myself, "i'm either going to quit or i'm not. this patch is just prolonging the inevitable." i ripped it off, threw away all my hidden smokes, and just stopped. the side effects i experienced with the patch were mostly the dizziness, along with the feeling of fatigue. i quit because i was scared, because some of my doctors were telling me i had some "spots" on my lungs, and one suspected the start of emphysema. i was warned that if i continued to smoke, i would become a pulmonary cripple, would need an oxygen tent or portable oxygen tank to survive, and i made my decision. i couldn't be happier. i was smoking menthols, so spearmint leaves helped me with my cravings. i didn't really gain any weight. i think i put on like three pounds, but that was it. i'm 5'7" and was 110 lbs. when i quit, and haven't gone much over 118 since then, mostly because of age and slower metabolism. i lost my mother and mother-in-law to lung cancer and they both smoked all their lives. that's all the evidence i need. we always think "it won't happen to me," but then it does, and by then, it's too late. commit to quit and never look back. if you can't commit, don't torture yourself. use the patch at least at the beginning. you'll need it if you're truly addicted. good luck to you dear. i'll keep you in my thoughts and prayers.