Well it’s been 44 days of not smoking with the help of patches. Could do with some advice and reassurance that these cravings that seem to be getting worse will get better soon. I don’t know why but I am having the worst cravings so far ! I will not smoke, that much I do know but I would have thought my now it would be getting easier and not harder.
Also I do not enjoy drinking alcohol anymore and find this so annoying. I was never a big drinker but would also have a smoke with a glass of wine. Wine is not enjoyable anymore and can’t have any more than 1 glass. I know this is because I asaociate it with smoking which I don’t do now.
Can anyone who has stopped longer than me tell me if eventually I will enjoy a drink again and when these cravings reduce ?
Thanks so much
Written by
Kathy321
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Many congratulations! As an ex-smoker I can assure you it does go away. You just have to wait it out. You will get there! Meanwhile there is a Quit forum which is very good where you can get extra support.
Well done, yes the cravings do reduce, with time, both in frequency and severity. I quit around 21 months ago, after being a heavy smoker. Enjoying a drink will also return
Wow, well done, I'm on week 3 as of yesterday, got myself a vape as the dr still hasn't got me an appointment with the nurse, I really haven't had a craving so can't help there but I know as soon as I start feeling a little better I'm going to want one, 30 year habit is hard to give up lol.
It is hard to give up at any stage I smoked 20 a day when i was seventeen and gave up when i was 67 some 14 years ago.. Keith try and stick to the vape and set a target to give that up.. Oh I mean as well as the fags. its a life saver.
Brilliant well done you should be so proud. I gave up about 5 years ago and only ever craved it if I had a drink. But not drinking very much is a good thing so it'll be even better for you.
You will loosen these cravings I promise. And you will enjoy a nice glass of something and a Baileys too I'm sure!
It's different for everyone but usually after 3 months you're over the worst of it.
A good thing to try is save the money you would have spent in a separate account or special box etc and after a month you'll have loads and do something special, maybe a nice meal out, or save for weekend away.
Good luck I'm sure you'll get there and be much happier for it x
I like the saving the money bit.My dad was an accountant and he gave me a slip of paper on day on it was what I would spend before i retired on fags..The were only 30p a packet then but he worked out inflation and compound interest. Invested total £430,000
Kathy, you are sa strong pearl! Well done for NOT smoking. This is absolutely marvellous!
do you know, if my farther had only known that his cigarettes and cigars would have such an effect on my lungs, if he knew how much I had to endure from passive smoking, he would've stopped. So be encouraged by this, you stopped smoking, not only will you improve your life, but the life of everybody around you.
OK, I've neer smoked in my life, so I don't know how to stop the cravings.The only thing I know is that you are doing a favor to all around as well as to yourslef.
I'm proud of you. Keep to the patches. I've heard that Hypnosis helps. I listen to CD;s for Inner peace by Rachael Eccles. For me she is a great bonus, because I put her CD on Inner Peace at 4 am when I wake up and cannot go back to sleep. She isn't extraordinary, but somehow, her soothing voice sends me back to sleep. She has CDs to stop smoking. You could try one - dpn't worry I have no stocks in her firm. I only describe her effect on me and I cannot guarantee any effect on others! for £8 something it's might be worth the try.
Well done Kathy you have taken a road you will never regret. I stopped with the aid of a nurse, who started me on high dose patches and reduced over three months,then despite my pleading would not give ma any more. You have stopped she said. It was quite hard for at least 6 months it got easier with time. It is now 12 years and just now and them I see someone light up on the tele and I say I would like a fag. I know that one would lead to two and withing a week i would be back on 30 a day.Have a great Christmas a hard time to stop.I found going for a short walk helped if the craving came.
I downloaded an app called Smoke Free when I gave up. It showed me day by day how my health was improving, how many fags I hadn't smoked and how much money I'd saved. I found it a great incentive at the time and would look at it whenever I got a craving. Just over 2 years since I quit and I don't need the app any more but still check the stats now again. Well done to you
Hi Kathy, I can categorically assure you that the craving does go but former smokers who have become clean from the habit invariably sound so smug but I will level with you. In 1985 I was a heavy smoker, anything - pipe, cigars, strong cigarettes. It didn't matter what it was, I drew it in and took it all the way down but it was wrecking my lungs and I regularly coughed so hard I didn't breath in sufficient air and occasionally lost conciseness for a moment or two. I tried all the gismos of the day but they really didn't help. It became clear if I wanted to live I just had to do it for myself. Without support I just stopped having convinced myself I was going to die and I wasn't ready for that at 48. The hardest thing was making the decision, I had to convince myself that the smell of burning tobacco was nauseating. That came surprisingly easily and after a couple of days I found I was coughing my heart out less frequently. At the end of 14 days I found I had kicked it and made myself go to the pub where others were smoking, I found I didn't like the fumed environment and walked out to enjoy my drink in the garden.
You have done so well but to stay 'clean' you need to learn to seriously hate it otherwise the craving will never go. Today I just cannot stand the smell, people standing outside public places to smoke in the open air are a serious no-go, I now find the smell obnoxious. Just keep going you are doing well but learning to hate it will ensure you stay free. Wishing you a happy smoke free Christmas.
I too hate the smell now even though I smoked for 35 years. Tonight I will come out of our local bingo hall with oxygen switched off and tissue over nose and mouth as I pass the people stood in the doorway smoking.
well done Kathy. you are doing well. I gave up . Never went back and no patches either then. It does require determination but you can do it. Keep up the good work. it does become easier as time goes on. put the money on one side what you would have spent on cigarettes and see how much you have saved and spend it on something worth while. I agree with you about the wine. cheers.
Congratulations for your achevement. Yes it will get better how long will depend on you as we are all different. i dont know wether a glass of wine will ever be the same maybe you should try a cocktail insted afterall it is almost Christmas 😉 well done and good luck
Congratulations. I found that using an inhaler helped along with the patches. I found the cravings do come back now and again but the inhaler helps. Have to say its taken me a few goes at quitting, sometimes only smoking for a few days, then stopping again. However, you will quit and I applaud you and the many others on here who didn't succumb on the odd occasions like me. Well done everyone.
Yes, Yes and Yes. Everything will be so much better once your body adjusts to it's new air intake. It is nearly 8 years since I gave up (using patches like you) and it really was so worthwhile. I do remember the first six months very well - my counsellor, who was excellent, failed to tell me how hellish I would feel in so many directions and that is where you currently are.
Keep going - you have already conquered the nicotine addiction - and don't worry if you feel poorly from time to time in the next few weeks. Xmas will perhaps be a wee bit difficult in terms of temptation but don't give in and you'll soon be enjoying your wine and toasting the day you gave up the fags. In fact the wine will taste better with your new, clean palate.
Haha Tetrazzini. Thank you for this. It was good to hear that one day I won’t feel as I do now and that I will actually enjoy my wine again. I won’t be tempted to smoke again as I was recently diagnosed with vulvar cancer. It was very early stages but when I was diagnosed I quit the following week. I asked what I can do to reduce my chances of it returning and they said stop smoking ( I already had stopped a week at that point ). I am still recovering from the op I had 4 weeks ago and think that due to me not being at work so therefore not busy through the week it isn’t helping with the cravings but as I say I definitely will never ever smoke again !
I smoked for 40 yrs and never thought I could give them up. Went for acupuncture and after two or three treatments stopped smoking and not a craving since This was ten years ago. There is no pain involved at all. I have used it for other ailments also. I figure if it has been used for over 500 years there must be some value. Try it . It works.
firstly, Well Done for quitting. I packed in 4 years ago and like you, the Novelty wore off and I got bored with not Smoking. My memory jumped in and told me "Remember the Bronchitis", Yes ! Well, do you have any Cough after 2 weeks off the Fags, NO Cough, and since then I haven't, I have had Chest Infections, in hospital twice, waiting for lung Transplant..But NO Cough. So I don't Smoke and I got through it cos I didn't want to rack my chest again, have nose bleeds, and watch my Grandchildren looking at me when I coughed so hard it frightened them.....Persevere Kathy, or go and Buy an E. Cig, to help to wean off...be very Proud of your 44 days my Love, Look to your first Non Smoking Christmas, I will raise my glass of Vino, and tell you the taste for the wine returns. Enjoy . it does get Easier. XXXXCarolina XXX
Thank you Carolina. Again it’s so good to hear yours and everyone else’s success stories and I love this site for when I am struggling. I wish you all the luck with your transplant and hope it all goes well for you
Hi there, congratulations for stopping smoking. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done and it does get easier though it never goes away. It's been 1 year and two days for me and I still get that itch now and then but usually when there's something going on and I can't resolve the problem. This will sound rather silly (maybe even slightly crazy) but I started to drink more water and found that the sucking of water from a bottle was a good substitute for sucking on a cigarette. Think about that for a minute and remember that we are born with the need to suckle, it's instinctive. I use 75ml Evian water bottles and fill them from my Brita filtered water. Drinking water will also help you to stop substituting food for cigarettes. Hope this helps.
The cravings will pass, can't guarantee the wine tho'. Bear with it do not over the festive season think "just one" won't hurt, it will undo all the good you have done so far. So sorry about the wine, this is just the time to be drinking it, stick to the one.
Hi everyone. Thanks for all your replies. Each and everyone really do help to spur me on !!! So it’s day 54 today. I didn’t have any over xmas 👍🏻 And as I said before I won’t have any ever again. I have had cravings this week and some were intense but I didn’t light up. NOPE ( Not one puff ever ). And today I reduced my patches nicotine strength from 25 mg to 15 mg and I have to say, as much as I was dreading it thinking my cravings would be worse they weren’t !! Weird but good. 2 weeks on this dose then I think it’s 8 mg for the last 2 weeks, then that’s it, no more patches 😳. Looking forward to not wearing them in a way but I’ll stick the course out for the next 4 weeks then I’ll be TOTALLY FREE !!! 🎉🥂🎉🥂
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