Coming off patches early - advice/stories please

[nsd_user663_25105]

Hi Everyone

Looking for advice and stories from people who came off the patches early. I am on day 32 today. Did 28 days on 21mg 24 hour niquitin then the doc has moved me onto 10mg 16 hour nicorette which I have been on for 4 days. I am struggling with the physical and emotional side of detoxing and am wondering whether to just get off the patches all together and get the last detox out the way.

Hope everyone is having a good day.

Angy x

[nsd_user663_20978]

i went from 21mg 24 hour then staraight onto the i halator i found i only used the inhalator wen i needed it and for about the last month i i bearly ise it havent changed the cartrige for three weeks

the way i look at it for me personally is i would rather have the inhalator now and again rather than go back to smoking if i am going through a hard time

[nsd_user663_22999]

Hi Angy

I wasn't really on patches (well only the first week) but have been on NRT gum ever since the start, until about 4 days ago when I decided to come off that too as I was sick to death of chewing!

Doing it this way was both good and bad for me.

Good because it got me over the worst of the habit-breaking part of no longer smoking and I'm not sure I could have done it without the mental prop of the NRT.

Bad because I ended up effectively having 2 lots of withdrawal. Although I must confess the second one only lasted 2 days and wasn't nearly as bad, it was still bad enough to not want to do it ever again!

Don't know if that's helped at all, but whatever you decide... good luck!

[nsd_user663_5920]

Hi Angy

I dropped in strength sooner than expected and came off the patches early.

I began on the 24hr patches .... wrong for me. I wasn't a heavy smoker and didn't need the constant drip feed so after just a week or less I dropped to the 16 hr ... I didn't enjoy the taste in my mouth from them nor did I appreciate the smell of my skin.

Whilst they were a useful crutch in the early stages I ended up wanting rid of them .... and the nicotine, from my system.

Coming off early worked for me ... it did involve upping my game a bit re resolve and determination, but worth it. Others too have found they managed just fine, better than they expected to. My mood for the first day or so without patches day did get a bit 'sharp' let's say .... but when my 17 yr old son told me to stick a patch on and chill ! ... that helped strengthen my resole to manage without.

Finishing patches early isn't for everyone though. Some blame that decision in having weakened their ability to stay quit and began smoking again whilst others felt they had a rough ride, wishing they'd reduced slowly and stuck with the programme, but still stuck with their quit

You'll get different experiences posted back regarding this

Read the conflicting advice and experiences and weight it up ... think it through and decide what you know your able to handle

All the best

Pol

[nsd_user663_23860]

Quit my Patches after 5 weeks

Hello,

I came off my patches after 5 weeks, 3 weeks at full strength and 2 weeks step 2's.

It was a really tough 2 days of dizziness and generally feeling out of sorts, but by day 3 i felt really, really proud of myself that I was going it on my own!! (for the first time in my adult life!!)

I will admit that I'm going through a bad few days of thinking about smoking all the time, dont know if thats down to not using the patches, or if its just something that happens.

I wouldnt change what I've done, glad i dont have to stick those stickys on me anymore, and the funny black squares left behind when removed!!

Proud that I beat the actual nicotine addition and dealt with the 72 hour detox period!

my mind is bugging me, but i pat myself on the back at the end of each day, and hope that some day i wont think about it anymore!

jo x

[nsd_user663_22533]

I used the 24 hour ones for a week and stopped. Just used the inhalator when I needed it for a few weeks. Worked for me and didn't have any horrid side effects. Good luck whatever you decide.

[nsd_user663_25105]

Thank you all for your input. I still haven't decided, but I am seeing my Doctor on Monday and will discuss further with him.

xx