I have done something naughty, I am on NRT and haven't smoked for 10 weeks except 1 puff 8 weeks ago. Last week was told to go down to 2mg of nicotine chewing gum and I really noticed the difference. All weekend i have been thinking of just one puff but a friend of mine who started on NRT and gave in and is now on champix gave me a whole box of 5mg chewing gum which I have been chewing last night and today.
My craving has gone and am not tempted to have one but I shouldn't be on this strength, half of me thinks its okay as am not smoking after all but the other half of me thinks that i have become addicted to this chewing gum.
All replies (only nice ones) lol reall appreciated.....:confused:
Written by
Dellabella
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
I have done something naughty, I am on NRT and haven't smoked for 10 weeks except 1 puff 8 weeks ago. Last week was told to go down to 2mg of nicotine chewing gum and I really noticed the difference. All weekend i have been thinking of just one puff but a friend of mine who started on NRT and gave in and is now on champix gave me a whole box of 5mg chewing gum which I have been chewing last night and today.
My craving has gone and am not tempted to have one but I shouldn't be on this strength, half of me thinks its okay as am not smoking after all but the other half of me thinks that i have become addicted to this chewing gum.
All replies (only nice ones) lol reall appreciated.....:confused:
Hi Della - Perhaps you are not ready to reduce the mg's yet. There is definitely nothing shameful about this. You will know yourself when it is time to reduce them. My OH smokes. When he is home (he is long distance hgv) I make him go in the kitchen but I still get the urges. Yet when he has gone to work I can look at the ashtray and it does not bother me, I just throw his tabs into the bin (he rolls his own). However, I do have a go on the inhalator when the urge is getting too much. So you see I still revert to that inhalator on the odd occasion. I have noticed that I don't want it at all during the week. I guess what I am trying to say is when you are ready to go to 2 mg chewing gum it will just creep up on you and eventually you will no longer want that substitute at all. I hope that makes sense and I'm not confusing you.
I agree it is better than smoking, but I also agree when you say you think you might be addicted to the gum! :eek:
Don't beat yourself up, you are still not smoking - but I would advise that you have a good long look at your quit. Please take the time to visit the links I have posted in my signature. I stopped with Champix, but reading through these sites is what has helped me stay stopped this time.
I am really nervous as feel that I've been down this road many times before and whilst at the start of my quit I was really focused and would of sworn on the holy bible that I wouldn't of touched a another ciggie, now its a different story..... I keep reading the other websited and reading material and wow when i'm reading it, it makes loads of sense but then away from it, my personal thoughts kick in. There is no answer out there really. I will have to keep more focused on all the positive aspects to being a non smoker and stop dwelling so much on the past! (Easier said than done).
I have fished out A Carr and dusted down the pages and agree with everything he says but still I have this great urge!!!
Have often read your posts and have taken an interest in them as they're arent many on NRT here. In the past i have used patches, gone the full course then a month later started smoking again. I can't imagine not chewing gum did try and have ordinary gum on the weekend but after a while I start getting crabby so back onto the nicotine gum. I only have and have only ever had at the most 5 pieces a day which the no smoking clinic can't believe as most people have about 10. - 15 pieces, perhaps thats where i have gone wrong!!!
Have you used NRT before? 2 years ago I tried hypnotherapy and didn't smoke for 7 months. For me the most annoying thing about this quit is that for 2 weeks at the start, I was cold turkey, had a blip of a puff which scared me and then went to the chemist and put some gum.... it sure as hell doesn't make sense.
wow, Thanks for that john. Off to do the shopping with those 5 pointers in my mind. I wish I was at the same stage in my head as you are, I know I know, I just have to keep reading.....
Hi Rick, thanks for the reply.... am not comfortable about stopping the NRT altogether yet but have decided to go back to the lower dosage of gum tomorrow and ride it out and then finish the course which is another 4 weeks and then by that time, hopefully will be in the same place as where you are!!! Well done you for having the guts to go for it. Keep me posted and I will you.
Jan i dont know how you manage to do what you do. But good on you for staying stopped. Do you only use the inhilator (that sounds like one of the Gladiators for this task John you will be against INHILATORRRRRRR ) at weekends.? Do you feel worse when you stop using it?
Not a criticism Jan just curious how you feel after going so long without it to using it again etc...
Afternoon John - In answer to your question yes it is only at weekends. I think it is the fact that as OH has had one, albeit in the kitchen, I feel that I should be having one. I don't want one and do not give in either. I think I manage because I am so determined to stay off them. I think it is because I am determined to prove all those disbelievers (OH included at one point) wrong. My mum said she would understand if I lapsed and that again gives me the power to resist the temptation as I would feel as if I had let her down and my late Dad. With regard to the inhalator up until this weekend I did feel worse when I stopped using it. This weekend however I only used it once, last night after OH had gone to work, and didn't feel the need to use it again. Hopefully, I have turned the corner and will not use it again (hopefully). Anyway we shall see what we shall see. I've got two of the grandkids next weekend so that will help. There is another incentive to keep on being smoke free. Bless them. :)
The patches drove me insane, I had them on a week, I felt it was like a tease giving me very little nicotine in frustration and depression I pulled the patch off and decided to have nothing after all I couldn't be feeling any worse, I had three cranky days third day was the worst, took me self to bed at 6pm because I couldn't stand my own company, I vowed if I felt like this in the morning I would buy some cigs, the minute I opened my eyes I knew something was different, I felt good, calm and was looking forward to the day. If you need to stay on the gum do so, as johntkd said don't spoil the quit. Water is great with withdrawls.
I agree with lot of what you said Cooper. Same happened to me on patches (years ago) and the gum too, all I wanted was a cigarette to bump up the levels of nicotine in my blood! Chronic withdrawal I believe it is called. 3 Days CT was a walk in the park compared to that, but it's all bout getting your head right.
Plus Day 4 of CT something in me changed and I got calmer than i'd ever been as a smoker and I still have that calmness. I still have my moments, believe-me, but the difference between being chemically addicted and the feeling when you do not need any nicotine or chemicals to feel normal is the best feeling in the world. And i'm not havin a dig at those on NRT, if I could take you all to that feeling of 'nomal' I would.
John, great articles as always. I was addicted to whyquit myself at the start but haven't really read anything since week 5 because it got really easy after that.
And Della is on my team, would love to see you off that skanky gum! You can do it I know you can!
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Finding NRT this late.
It is done!!!my first day
