Ok, since I quit cold turkey 60 long days ago I've become a bit of a smoking encyclopedia, the internet is a fantastic tool for learning and I have re-educated myself with smoking, in fact I know I would never 'enjoy' smoking again knowing what I know now.
Anyway one of the things which interested me was to learn that smoking releases the feel good reward chemical 'dopamine' into your brain, hence the supposed satisfaction and relief from smoking. I now know why it meant so much to me............I'll just vacuum the whole upstairs and do the dusting then my reward (a fag), I'll just pull up these weeds and put in this new plant then stand back and look at my work with my reward (a fag)! I really struggled to enjoy any task during my quit as it wasn't the same without my cigs, I couldn't even go into to garden in the sunshine a few weeks ago as the associations were so strong.
They dont seem to sell bottles of Dopamine in the shop and as I also quit drinking at the same time as smoking (although I've now introduced a little alcohol) I was beginning to feel very empty inside.
To make my point, I just wanted to recommend that taking a good multi-vitamin and a separate B vitamin have worked wonders for me. I swapped my cheap vitamins last week and went to the big health store and got a good multi vit and a good strong B vitamin and the difference is apparent, my digestion is better, my energy levels are fantastic (me and OH suffered extreme fatigue and digestive probs in first 6 weeks of quit), I think the B vitamin releases energy from your foods and this can sometimes suffer when you quit so I've read.
Anyway these increased energy levels have led me to doing some very child like things like running very fast down my road, chasing the dog like a lunatic, wanting to rip my shoes off and join in my sons karate lessons, trying to get my very worried OH to join me in a tango!! What I am saying is that I think I am now getting high on endorphins, the feel good chemicals released through exercise. I have honestly never felt so good and have turned a real corner in my quit, I know I will still get crappy days but I had plenty of them as a smoker!
I am going to have my 34th birthday on Sunday and it will be my first non smoking birthday since I was 19 so Hooray!
Just to say that anyone who feels like me and my OH did in the first 6 weeks of our quit...........tired, sleepy, grumpy, achy, bit low, digestive problems, bit spotty, empty feeling......IT WILL PASS and when you come out the other side it's AMAZING!! But like me you might need a bit of help so take some vitamins and see what happens!
Shelly xx
Written by
nsd_user663_9067
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
I'm at the six week mark (44 days) and am feeling a bit 'bleh'. I have vit supplements, including B, but am terrible for remembering to take them.....
I don't feel 'bad', I just don't feel great! But then, I don't remember ever feeling 'great'. I've been waiting for this sudden hit of energy to arrive, but it hasn't. In fact, over the past two weeks, I've probably got less energy rather than more! No urge to smoke though, not really, but I do wish the 'empty' feeling would be on it's merry way!
Today I'm forcing myself to spring clean - and I mean seriously clean, not just my usual token gesture toward cleaning. I've just been wiping the nicotine off the blind in the kitchen and nearly puked.
Oh how true that is....hadn't really thought about it in that way before, but you are right...it was a little treat after doing the housework, gardening etc, etc....
I have to admit I'm just going into my 3rd month and still feel like I am missing something - especially after a meal or with that cup of coffee on a Saturday morning....
I will give the vitamin B tablets a try though...anything is worth a try.
I have also found that during the first few weeks I was high with energy and in a raving lunatic mood (a good mood) most of the time...but having injured my back recently, have been deprived of doing any exercise, so need to get that ooomph back soon....
I know it will never be easy and it is a long road, but I am proud of myself for ever getting this far....
I do know what you are saying, I guess I am just so over excited to be finally out of the black hole I was in from about week 4 to nearly 7. When I first quit I was bursting with excitement and energy but as I said it was replaced with nearly 3 weeks of hell, and there were 2 of us feeling the same.
We actually thought of returning to smoking as I was getting a bit worried about my moods in particular, it was more of a burning rage than just an irritable feeling!
I just think if you can ride it out you will finally reap the rewards with the energy and everything else that goes with. There is nothing bad to quitting smoking, it is all good. Just a battle with the demon in your mind. I swear there were a few times I thought to hell with it I'm going to have one, I came on here and would read someone else feeling the same and the great advice they got and somehow pulled through.
It's comforting to come on here and know that everyone else is getting the same sort of feelings and cravings...and it certainly gives me more willpower to carry on....
I come on here most days to try and get some support and it does help enormously xx
Hi shelly heres a link I think you might like about all the supplements we can take after we quit, I found it one day when I first quit and reading about the levels of dopamine going down after we stop, so I have increased all the things or near enough all of them and it does seem to work also have a banana every day amongst all the other fruits and fibre I now eat instead of choccy and crisps, congrats on your quit and a good thread to have started xx
Sounds good to me and if it works for you then great. I'm all with you in the reward stakes, funny how we got used to doi ng something then sat back with fag in hand to admire yet these days as a non smoker.....'what does one do?' it's horrible i hate it.
I Know what you mean about the nicotene Inderellie, although i hadn't smoked indoors for many years, i know how bad it is for things like blinds, fabric sofas etc.........imagine what our insides were like YUK! I shouldnt say this but my in laws have probably kept B&Q iin business over the years buying paint to cover over the 3 inches of nicotene in the house!
Thanks for the list of supplements Angie, I was going to take st johns wort but to be honest my depression calmed down a lot after my digestive system started to return to normal. I never imagined ever having such problems I mean I tried over the counter products, I even defied the doctors prescription.........I was in pain, bloated and felt like a big huge sluggish lump! Imagine my horror when I discovered cigarettes contain laxatives and thats why everything gets messed up when we quit. It makes me quite angry to think of all the ingredients included in cigarettes that make it agony for us when we stop. I know we did it, we had a choice, but it makes me even more determined to kick Mr Tobacco in the balls and never give him another penny!
Fallen Angel, you sound like me in that you really miss your reward, it is a huge void but again it is just breaking down the associations, I now reward myself with a strong tea and a small piece of chocolate, its not the same, but over time it will become the norm. I cannot tackle the garden yet, it is my hardest obstacle, because its outside and it was always OK to smoke outside, I dunno maybe I could suck on a lolly or something! Any ideas would be welcomed.
Biggest reward for me today was popping to the petrol station for a pint of milk and seeing my old shiny gold bullions of B&H at £7.08 for a 20 pack OUCH!!
Use your vote carefully tomorrow people............vote for yourself to be smoke free xx
Just to add my five pennorth, i totally agree that exercise and associated endorpins is a huge help - i've been hitting the gym and running, takes the edge off all of the craves and empty feelings.
Didnt know about the laxatives in fags - honestly, it really is a scandal - anyone suffering with digestive problems during early phase of quit, i recommend you try psyllium husk or linseeds, both natural and REALLY effective, if you know what i'm saying! Getting bunged up is the last thing you need when you're trying to quit.....:eek:
I think i might try some Vitamin B. I was feeling absolutely fine until today, and for some reason from about 3 o clock onwards today, every 5 mins I've been thinking of smoking, its driving me nuts
PatricK Holfords "How to quit without feeling shit" is great for supplement advice and tips.
I missed my dopamine ooh too, and replaced it with a chocolate/eating dopamine ooh (Not good for the waistline) and a wine drinking ooh (not the same as a double dopamine ooh from fags and booze- took some getting used too)
Vits are really good, but they do have to be hi-dose multi vits rather than your average ones.
Time passes and the brain resettles itself, so you don't need a "hit" from anything anymore. Never thought this would be the case, as i was your classic buzz seeking person , but I'm genuinely a lot happier now. I don't "need" anything.
but I'm genuinely a lot happier now. I don't "need" anything.
Thats amazing. We should all appreciate the simple things in life. Now i come to think of it my drinking/smoking habit is/was VERY expensive but seriously unhealthy.
It's like having a gaping hole in your life and constantly trying to FILL it with 'something', generally that something is lack, a lack of something to make us feel good. All the fags wine aand sex in the world is never going to fill that gap. Contentment starts within and when we achieve this without the bad habits life gets better and all else fades away.
Yes Jude, absolutely correct, the vitamins must be high dose, I was taking the same vits from a supermarket with no effect, then bought them from the big vitamin shop (H&B) not sure if i'm allowed to say it and the difference was astounding. I was never really into the natural side of things before and often thought to myself do they just have a placebo effect, but I forgot my vits at the weekend and felt like absolute poo, today however I was back to my buzzy self.
Must confess to having rather a tough weekend, not sure why, just a lot of thoughts rather than craves, but today absolutely delighted to be back in a more positive frame of mind.
What you were saying about now not 'needing' anything and fallen angel referring to enjoying more simple things in life, really struck a chord with me. I'll admit that not only was quitting smoking important to me, but I also felt that I was possibly verging on being someone who may have a slight drink problem, getting to the point of having a drink almost every night of the week, never someone who got drunk, just as an evening chillout, but 1 or 2 would often lead to 3 or 4 or more!
Anyway, now life without fags and only very little alcohol if any has given me a life filled with simple pleasures. Just tonight running with my little boy and my ditzy border terrier I was laughing genuinely out loud and felt so happy, happy not to be thinking of when I'll get my next fix!
Got a few worries and concerns going on in my/our life at the moment but feel better equipped to handle them with a fresh and un-addicted mind!
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.
Day 4 - Getting Better
