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Still anxious!

Katy75 profile image
17 Replies

Katy75

Just like to say a big thank you to all who made the effort to reply to my very anxious post some while ago! I have still not taken Genuair, but have appointment with copd nurse Friday 29th to discuss! I am very much aware that all inhalers have side effects. However I have an irregular heartbeat and get palpitations so you can understand why I am concerned about anything that might aggravate this and the thought that I may have 12 hrs of palpitations really scares me! A short acting bronchodilator might be easier to cope with!

One more thing! I am ashamed to say that I still smoke, not much but have not been able to kick the habit! I know all my fellow copd sufferers on here have fought the battle and won, how did you do it? I have bought an Epen, tried it but it makes me cough! I just know can't do cold turkey and have tried the nhs stuff up to a point, just haven't got the willpower! Having said all that, I know I have to get a grip or it will be bad news for me! So all you wonderful ex-smokers share your secret with me!

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17 Replies
diesel12 profile image
diesel12

you will cough more to start with. The pharmacist explained that it's all the little nodules coming back to life after being paralysed by the chemicals in tobacco, then they are super sensitive to every thing but they will settle down again once they are used to "real" life. Stick with it, it'll pay off in the end xx

Jeanjt profile image
Jeanjt

I thought I would never give up bought the socialites tornado series cost meaty £70 but you can alter it to get different strengths from it and the liquids are very good I started on it about 3 months ago I now mix a o liquid with a tiny amount of 6 only really use it now as I can regulate the amount of smoke that comes from it and it's feels just like smoking a ciggy hope soon to be able to give up completely but not quite ready yet , good luck to you and I hope you manage it soon x

Katy75 profile image
Katy75 in reply to Jeanjt

Oh that sounds bit complicated for me! I bought the Vype Epen with cartridges as simple to use and felt it was one of the safer ones to use! Don't know if I could handle all these different liquids! The Vype pen pumps out too much vapour even though it has two buttons to regulate amount of vapour required! I really do need to get the hang of this vaping lark, everyone is doing it why not me! I would not sit and vape as some do I just need to use it when I need a cig! A friend of mine used Blu and she was a heavy smoker, Within approx 3 months she was using zero nicotine unbelievable!! And I can't shake off my 8 cig a day habit! Thanks for reply, very helpful and feel I am not alone in my struggle!!

Titchy52 profile image
Titchy52

Katy75 you have to do what you think is right for you I've been smoke free for 13years I had help of my docs he gave me patches it took about 3weeeks then the hard part willpower I put 2stone on but walk that of the best thing I've ever done I wish you good luck and never give up trying you can do it best wishes Kathy x

Hi katy75

Why don't you just inhale the pen into your mouth but do not take into the lungs, so you kind of get the nicotine absorbed into the cheek lining and less coughing, so a bit like fake puffing. I do that sometimes with my e pipe if I'm chesty but still wanna few puffs so to say.

Katy75 profile image
Katy75 in reply to

Forbidden Angel

Katy75 profile image
Katy75 in reply to Katy75

Think that is a really good idea, will try that! Thanks!

Patricia_buck2 profile image
Patricia_buck2

So get it. I need to stop but can't give up the key ones!

Ask your Surgery for Zyban capsules. After 50 years of heavy smoking I gave up with the greatest of ease. No willpower needed. My husband and anyone who knew me could not believe it. I don't think I have ever been on a photograph without a cigarette in my hand. You can do it. Good luck on Friday.

xx

Elorac profile image
Elorac in reply to

Got to agree with Jennifer Zyban was brilliant so easy I've also got 2 of my friends to stop with it

Take care

Carole xx

in reply to Elorac

Hello Carole........and I'll bet you have never wanted a cigarette since....because I haven't. I do not know how it works but gosh it so does:-)

Elorac profile image
Elorac in reply to

I tried everything available for 18 years I could stop but I couldn't stop thinking about one more cigarette but with Zyban it was like a miracle I don't ever fancy a cigarette even when I'm with friends that smoke it's great can't recommend it highly enough

Take care

Carole xx

PastMeBest profile image
PastMeBest

Hi Katy75 I didn't answer your original post as you already had a lot of advice form others.

Pleased don't feel ashamed that you haven't managed to stop smoking. It is a really difficult to stop and took me many attempts. Eventually I did stop by going Cold Turkey but it took a lot of doing. I kept telling myself that it would only take one fag to start smoking again which frightened me enough not to smoke one. This way may not be for you as you say you have already tried going Cold Turkey.

I very nearly succeeded stopping years ago but when I was down to only a couple of ciggys a day I had a death in the family of someone very close to me. I was a lot younger then and found it difficult to cope with so started smoking again.

Slow but Sure Method: What I did was to mark down in a note book how many cigarettes I smoked in a day. For example if I had smoked 20 cigarettes on Monday I would mark it in my notebook. On Tuesday I could smoke another 20 cigarettes and the same for any following days. You are not allowed to smoke more than 20 cigarettes a day under any circumstances. Smoking 20 cigarettes a day might continue for 4/5 days then you might only smoke 19 cigarettes one day. Now you are allowed to smoke only 19 cigarettes a day but no more than this. Eventually you will smoke only 18 cigarettes and aren't allowed to smoke more, then 17, then 16, then 15................................then 3, then 2, then 1, then none. You are never allowed to go up, you can stop the same or you can smoke less. This way you can do it at your own pace which I know takes longer but I think you will be surprised how easy you might find it compared to other methods. I hope I have explained it so you can understand what I am saying? It's not as complicated as it might sound.

Tip: Having a hobby to keep your mind occupied is also very beneficial to take your mind off smoking.

There is plenty of help available now from your Doctors for anyone wanting to stop smoking. All you have to do is ask.

I haven't read any of your other replies yet but I am sure you will have been given some good advice.

I wish you every success.

Regards. John

butterfly31851 profile image
butterfly31851

Hi Katy.

I did a similair thing to pastmBest except I did it by the hour.

Every hour, on the dot I smoked a ciggie if I wanted it or not. for 3 days

Day 2 waited 1 hour 10 minutes. between cigs

Day 3 waited 1 hour 20 minutes between cigs

and so on.

all through this I used patches which helped.

several times I did not want the ciggie but I forced myself to have it.

In 3 years I have fallen off the straight & narrow once, all for the sakeof 2 drags which tasted horrible.

Give it a go, most people say they feel so much better after giving up, but it takes time to 'feel good again' after all how many years have you been filling your lungs with ........

Ergendl profile image
Ergendl

I did something similar: for a couple of months I didn't smoke until midday, but then I could smoke as much as I liked. Then I didn't smoke until 6 pm for about 3 months. Then I set the date and became a non-smoker on 1st August 1985. I also read up on all the awful things smoking can do to the body and looked at the horrible pictures of damaged lungs, etc to help motivate me. And I majored on cooking interesting meals using cheap ingredients as I was on a limited budget. I put on a couple of stones but I was underweight to begin with. I identified the times of my favourite smokes - with a mug of coffee after a meal - and changed my behaviour: drinking tea instead of coffee and getting up to do the washing up immediately I had eaten.

punkyb profile image
punkyb

okay I will share. I didn't know I was ill when I quit. I was a two pack a day smoker with little hope of ever becoming a non smoker. I did feel owned by cigarettes and for a year I talked incessantly to my husband about how to stop. I wanted freedom and was afraid to try because people said it was really hard to quit. Well, I spoke freely to a man who was a really good listener and then shortly after that I decided I needed a quit plan. I realized that I needed support so I went to the Kaiser Medical group to stop smoking. It was a large group of maybe 25 people. They suggested Wellbutrin for a month prior to stopping and patches. I did not see a good reason to use patches. I thought it would only prolong the agony. Well, quit day came, they said don't smoke anymore, and low and behold I stopped. I liked using Wellbutrin and it may be the reason I had zero trouble with stopping. What I do know is people were wrong. It truly was not hard to stop at all. I have determined the only thing hard about stopping is making the decision. I also do not believe people like that anymore. It is clearly subjective .

I hope my sharing is helpful in some small way or a big way too!

pab51 profile image
pab51

Being diagnosed with copd 8years ago was enough to make sure me give up smoking straight away never wanted another one and not had any crrvings good luck to you giving up smoking xx

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