Will I need to use another forum for addiction to patches?

[nsd_user663_2190]

Well here I am in week three thanks to the trusty patch. The patches have really helped me but now comes the hard part.. getting rid of the patches. I've used 21mg patches (taken them off in the evening) for the past two weeks and yesterday after reading Easyway through again I decided I'd try going without the patches entirely. Bad move.

I felt like killing my dog because he pulled me on the walk. I didn't kill him obviously.. but was feeling bloody awful. I've read so much on addiction and they're all saying that it's in the mind and physical addiction isn't so bad. So tell me then how I've been a confident, happy and energetic non-smoker the last two weeks but today I've been a total freak? Craves were pretty bad but I wasn't craving a cigarette.. I was craving nicotine. Anyhoo I have now cut my plaster in half and am going to decrease my nicotine intake by the method I found on this forum (i.e cutting them smaller and smaller) and I hope it works. Anyone got any tips? :S

*I quit smoking on Wednesday 10th of June 2009 at 04:00 PM and have been free for 15 days, 6 hours and 12 minutes. I have not smoked 305 cancer-sticks and have saved 57.95 euro as well as gaining 56 hours of life. *

[nsd_user663_4625]

Hi,

If you have decided to wean yourself of the patches you are doing it the best way I think. I stepped down from 1 to step 2 but stopped step 2 after about 4 days. The first 3 days where a bit yucky but I am ok now.

Maybe you are weaning yourself too soon? I did about 4/5 weeks before I came off them.

Only you will know the answer to that one, but do not be in too much of a hurry. BE KIND TO YOURSELF

Good luck in whatever you decide & well done.

Love Gaynor xx

[nsd_user663_2190]

Sounds like good sound advice. Maybe I should stop worrying about what everyone else and what all the books and sites say and just find my own path. Pretty hard when so many folk condem NRT and it makes me think I'm a loser cos I couldn't quit cold turkey Perhaps I'll stop reading stop-smoking books and leaflets for a while and just read this forum and get on with my life a bit :rolleyes: Thanks for the boost

[nsd_user663_4625]

Hi,

No way are you a loser, how can you be when you have chosen to quit smoking & are succeeding

Do what feels right for YOU, not anyone else. I am sure everbody here would agree with that.

I decided that I would come off the patches when I felt the time was right, I wasn't gonna put myself through any more than I absolutley had to Having said that there was this bit of pressure niggling away in the background to do it. I used them for 6 weeks & have yet to tell my nurse (on Monday) I haven't used them for over a week I am still using the lozenges so that is my next step. Again I will do it when I feel the time is right to do so.

Sorry, bit of a ramble there

You keep going, you're doing SO well.

Love Gaynor xxx

[nsd_user663_4016]

Hi, It really doesn't matter how you quit, just that you do quit and stay that way. I quit CT because it felt the right way for me. This forum and reading all the links I could find on nicotine addiction over and over again are what helped me. I know a lot of the sites tell us to go CT and not use NRT's, but hey, they don't know how you feel. Just do what you think is right and don't try to go off the NRT's too soon. You'll know when the time is right. Keep on going!

[nsd_user663_4818]

This is just an idea, I have been also thinking about what to do when the times comes to give up the patch.

I have noticed that I sometimes feel where my patch is for reasurrance thats its still there , as they say its all in the mind Im wondering if I just wore a normal plaster would this help with the reasurrance thing ?

Be interesting to know if anyone has tried this out yet ?

[nsd_user663_4149]

I was on patches, working the programme faithfully, 21 then 14 and finally 7 just started the 7s when they started playing my skin up. My adviser advised me to leave it off for bed, did so and never used one again. Before that I was very nervous about how I would be without them, been a few weeks now and nothing was any different. We are all different and have to find our own feet, trial and eror and all that, some need more than others, but, whatever works for us is ok, just don't smoke. David

[nsd_user663_4372]

hi harley same as davo on 100 days today went through the whole programme its up to you but maybe do a bit more nrt first stopped patches 5 mg on monday feel ok that took 3 months your doing great keep it up

[nsd_user663_2190]

Thanks for all the positive feedback you lot. Feeling better now on my half patches, guess my inner demon has adjusted to the lower dose. I'm going to carry on with my half patch for a while till I feel good enough to cut it down even more. It has helped knowing that it's not a weakness it's just one of those by-products of being free of evil cigarettes :rolleyes: