… but more of that later. (Health warning: long post ahead.)
Some of you will remember me from a few days back. Well, I’m currently on day 2 – well, 27 hours since my last cigarette, anyway, which was 11:00am yesterday. It’s my second – or third, I forget – day on two blue Champixes.
What to say? Concurrent with my Champix course, I decided I’d cut out cigarettes while driving and while walking the dog. I felt like those would be two major pressure points when I started to give up. I also cut down generally – from 20/day to 12 or 13/day. Just to prove I could, I suppose.
Had set my day one/quit date for some time on Sunday – my 57th birthday, although that was coincidence. I’d made sure I’d run out of cigarettes that day. Unlike some on here, I knew that having cigarettes in the house once I’d quit was likely to be a major problem. But then, disaster struck. Rummaging around under my desk looking for something else, I found a full pack of 20 B&H. I considered the implications for a while, and decided I’d postpone my quit day by 24 hours. I’d also made a decision that, whatever day I quit, it would be part way through the day – not go to bed one day as a smoker and wake up the next as a non-smoker. Not really sure why.
Some thoughts on Champix:
Disappointingly, I found I still wanted to smoke – right up to day one. However, generally, it seemed cigarettes didn’t taste so good and it was becoming increasingly like smoking Silk Cut Extra Ultra Extremely Mild… Not sure about the taste thing, but I’m sure Champix blocking the receptors was responsible for the second phenomenon.
Touch wood: no nausea, no side effects at all.
Dreams: oh yes! For years, I haven’t had dreams – or at least, not that I can remember. Champix has brought them back. Not particularly vivid, though.
For me, the value of Champix was, I think, in the discipline, the thinking about it, the preparation.
So where am I after 27 hours? I’d still really like a cigarette. What’s keeping me going? First, the sure and certain knowledge that the feeling of emptiness and something being missing will pass: feeling like this is a few day phenomenon, I’m sure. The long term prize is worth the short term ‘pain’ – which really isn’t any kind of pain at all. Just that weird feeling of being unsettled, slightly off-centre, distracted.
And second? If you haven’t read Allen Carr’s book, I’d recommend it. I started it this morning, and am hooked. Back to the title of my thread: anyone can give up for 24 hours or 48 hours – that’s the easy part. It’s staying given up that’s the hard part, largely, as Carr explains, because that’s precisely how we think. We’re ‘giving something up’ – in other words, we’re depriving ourselves of something that we enjoy. Carr gives the lie to that myth in a very succinct way. What Carr does is to a) very precisely articulate what you feel once you’ve quit – so you feel he’s a fellow traveller (which, of course, he was), b) encourage you to pin the blame exclusively and solely on nicotine addiction and brainwashing, and c) give you a really positive long term perspective that it’s easy to lose sight of when you’re trying to imagine life without cigarettes.
Anyway, that’s my piece for now. Quietly confident – without being overly so. We’ll see.
Written by
nsd_user663_5738
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Wow day 2 excellent!! I must admit day 2 was the hardest day for me, I wanted a ciggie and I did not want any human contact. However I swear to you it does get easier.
The way I looked at it was, NOT having a cigarette will not kill me, NOT having a cigarette does not actually cause me physical pain and NOT having a cigarette is the way from now on - end of.
Buy lollipops (really good for comfort), have long baths and start knitting (well in your case maybe not! do crosswords) just keep busy.
Honestly I'm on day 15 and I can not believe I got here but I did and so will you. Champix is a great drug!!
I actually still have 20 unopened ciggies in the house and 20 unopened at work which have been my safety net and I plan to throw both away at some date. That works for me but not for anyone I know.
Anyway good luck and let us know how you are doing.
Yeah, I'm kinda surprised how laid back I'm feeling - not really wanting to strangle my wife, kick the cat and so on. Perhaps I have that to come...
Like you say: I can't believe anyone else in the world could do what you're doing, keeping packs of cigarettes around. But we're all individuals, we all have our own reasons and trigger points and motivations: perhaps it's important to you to have that reinforcement that says "look, I could easily have one right now - but I'm NOT!" Me: I wouldn't trust myself.
Knitting? Perhaps you're right... But I have a ton of stuff I could/should be doing with my model railway. As my wife points out, we dedicated a whole room to it - and I never go in there any more. Perhaps I can kill two birds with one stone here.
I was really reticent about thw whole Allen Carr thing, by the way, but thought I'd take a look. I fear I could become quite evangelical on his behalf. His 'thing' is very much like yours: with the right mental attitude, the right perception of why you're where you are and how things could be so much better - those are the things that make for long term non-smokers. Better get off my hobby horse...
Oh - and it would be very remiss of me not to congratulate you on where you've got to. Yours is an example I'm hoping to follow.
Hi Ian, not sure about easy, but you are right on many things. Having done the Allen Carr clinic and cd I am a convert, although cant agree with the "Enjoying it" bit, although I am on Day one, but its not painful just feels weird, keep looking for my tin, lighter,papers etc, I think its the ritual I miss as well as the Nicotine. Just trying Carrs way to quell the nicotine worm, doing ok.
Good to hear from you again and well done on your day 2 smoke free and glad you're finding it easy with the help of champix and Allen carr
I'll admit I read the book but didn't find it really helped me although some of his tips were good Admittedly I had already quit before I read it [I think about 3 weeks]
Dee - perhaps I should have said 'easier' than staying quit... I'm on day five, and not yet seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I didn't roll my own, so don't miss the ritual as much - or at least, not that one, but the many others that smokers accumulate like when we're driving, when we're having a drink, with coffee and so on. I just went to see the practice nurse - a scheduled appointment - who manages smoking cessation for the clinic. Two weeks ago, I blew a 30 on her meter (an off the scale heavy smoker, which surprised me as I seldom exceeded 20/day) - today, I blew a 3 (which is a non smoker). My blood pressure has sunk to new lows - 122/66 earlier today. The nurse's enthusiasm was great - and I think she knows I know that, when I go back again in two weeks, I won't want to have let her down. Same as no-one wants to let the forum down when people have been so supportive.
Thanks Ian, that helped. On day 2 and finding it really hard but must keep going, husband hid tin and baccy anyway so cant have one and nearest shop is 2 miles away so refuse to drive there.
Quitting smoking IS easy, I've done it 100's of times.
But yeah, Allen Carr, must reread him. The bit that stuck in my head was WE are not giving anything up- Only an addiction, there's nothing to enjoy apart from the relief of drug withdrawal- and think of it as moving towards health and wealth, with everything to gain.
Yes i read him last year .Found it a great read but didnt give up at the time.I find myself a allot more relaxed of current and am hoping this is the right time(was quite a stressfull time when I was reading carr).Day two and no really bad symtoms or cravings come to mention it but have been taking it real easy (actually havent been out for two days) and am trying to be gentle on myself....good luck you can do it....
This is a slightly controversial thing to say, but after 30 years of thinking that quitting would be the most difficult thing I ever did, I actually found it to be quite easy ONCE I HAD DECIDED NEVER TO SMOKE AGAIN.
My many previous failed attempts were always because I kept having sneaky "just one cigarette" smokes which dragged out that awful first 2 weeks or so into a kind of permanent withdrawal. I was really just setting myself up to fail.
Yes be confident! You are the master of your own non smoking destiny!
I have not read the book, but addiction is the key word to quitting smoking. There is nothing good about smoking, yet due to addition behaviors we believe we will give up so much if we stop smoking. That is a total untruth, we have nothing to loose and everything to gain, and we must understand that. For me at least, I had built up such a fear of quitting and fear of living with out nicotine. The fear was my real problem not the nicotine. Once I realized this, quitting was easy!
No question there were physical cravings, but they are no worse than any smoker feels every day when they want another smoke. Maybe we need to go though this physical withdrawal from our addiction, to mentally to conquer the addiction and to begin to heal. But at any rate it is not nearly as bad as we believe it is. Has anyone ever died from a nicotine craving?
I think it is so important to be proud, proud that you are brave, proud that you beat the physical addiction over the early days and proud that you beat the mental addiction over the rest of you life.
Notice above I said quitting (was) easy. Confidence is so important. I am a non smoker. I am not a part smoker part not smoker, I am not a smoker trying to stop, I am not a person who is not smoking and wishing I was smoking. I am one thing and one thing only, I am a person who does not and will not smoke. That true fact I am 100% confident in!
I also think you need to very kind to yourself. What every it takes, give it to your self. You are not a bad person for having been a smoker. But you certainly are a very special person who deserves everything wonderful, from the very first second you change into a non smoker. Be kind to that non smoker!
Have a really wonderful day Ian, you deserve it and have earned it!
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.
I'm on day five, and not yet seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I didn't roll my own, so don't miss the ritual as much - or at least, not that one, but the many others that smokers accumulate like when we're driving, when we're having a drink, with coffee and so on. I just went to see the practice nurse - a scheduled appointment - who manages smoking cessation for the clinic. Two weeks ago, I blew a 30 on her meter (an off the scale heavy smoker, which surprised me as I seldom exceeded 20/day) - today, I blew a 3 (which is a non smoker). My blood pressure has sunk to new lows - 122/66 earlier today. The nurse's enthusiasm was great - and I think she knows I know that, when I go back again in two weeks, I won't want to have let her down. Same as no-one wants to let the forum down when people have been so supportive. 
quit smoking with asthma
Quitting smoking (15 days)
