Nrt?

[nsd_user663_15646]

I've been trying to quit for a year now. I've managed for a week or two tops then something happens and I use it as an excuse to start. Or I start to smoke when I drink, have some left over the next day and don't stop again. I need to quit now for medical reasons. I need to have nicotine out of my system asap and keep it out for at least a year but hopefully by then I'll not want to start again anyway.

So since I failed so many times I was wondering if maybe NRT would help? I can cut down to 5 a day so I wouldn't want a high dose. I crave so so much and I have the habit issue- when I drink being the biggy, I can't let myself go to a party tonight because I know I'll smoke but I can't do that forever. So I was thinking maybe I'll make it long term if I use NRT so I can deal with the problems one at a time.

But I'm concerned about how long that'll take and if I can get a lose enough dose to cut myself down from 5 a day. I think I'd prefer patches to take away the actively getting rid of the craving you get from gum or the inhaler type things.

Any advice appreciated

[nsd_user663_4149]

Hiya Sponge and welcome to the forum. I used NRT in the form of patches and can see nothing wrong with that, there is also inhalator and gum, I did use inhalator alongside the patches for a few days, but found out I didn't need it. There is also Champix which is fairly popular here, this has the added bonus of containing no nicotine at all. Do you have smoking cessation clinics in your area? Your best bet would be to use one of those, failing that has your GP's practice got a stop smoking nurse? Patches do come in different strengths so try to find out as much as you can. Also if you can't drink without smoking decide how much you really need to drink. Wish you well whatever you do. David.

[nsd_user663_15646]

thanks for your reply

I suppose it's not so much the physical drinking (though that doesn't exactly help) but the social situation within which I usually drink. I can not drink or only have 1 or 2 very easily. But I still want to smoke because my mates do, I like going out for the banter, in clubs I like to go out into the cool for a bit, it's often when I really get to talk to folk because my hearing isn't great and pubs/clubs tend to be a bit loud- it's just generally developed into part of my social skills. But I can't still do those things and not smoke because watching others smoke while having the habitual trigger is a nightmare. I refuse to stop having a social life or totally change it in order to quit smoking.

Going to my GP, or anything where things will be kept on record, worries me a bit. I tell my doctor I don't smoke because of issues with other medication (long story but it's not medically necessary for them to know, my medical reason for quitting is separate). So I can't have anything getting back to them