Are you avoiding alcohol?

[nsd_user663_34154]

Hey all!

End of day 9 here (Champix-aided). Feeling pretty good on the whole but I'm not really sure what I ought to be doing with all the time that I would have been stood outside smoking!

Anyway, that isn't my question. Are you guys avoiding alcohol because it is a trigger, or are you OK with it?

I had been denying myself a glass of wine up to this point, but the nasty dentist made me have a filling earlier today and I felt that I deserved some sort of reward for not biting her fingers off!

So, a glass of wine has now been consumed and I'm off to sleep in a bit. But I'm a bit surprised that there are ciggies in the house (OH is a couple of weeks behind me) and I'm not even thinking about "borrowing" one!

So, maybe alcohol isn't my trigger. Interesting.

What are your triggers? Are you avoiding anything, jut in case? Not nosey (well, I am, actually), just interested to hear other people's experiences!

C

[nsd_user663_4847]

Evening Cathy

I've been quit for a while now.

For me in the first two weeks I watched what I drank and had exit strategies in place. So 6 days in I left the pub before I was tempted. 13 days in I drank beer rather than spirits before heading to bed early.

This place and why quit helped enormously.

But with alcohol for me a few glasses in the early days was ok, being blotto was something I didn't tempt. Now I don't even gave craves anymore but just the occassional thought but for me loads of alcohol lowers the inhibitions and I remind myself of how far I've cone and how little I want to do the first few days again.

[nsd_user663_30954]

Hi Cathy

I drank in the second week of quitting . Southern Comfort

was ok in the pub .. but when i got home

I felt as if i was being starved of nicotene

(on patch's) .. it was a desperate moment or 2

i didnt give in ..

but have been very wary of alcohol since

a party a few weeks back ... and i succumbed and had a cig

so ... alcohol IS dangerous to my quit

I think i am avoiding alcohol now

[nsd_user663_34425]

I tend to enjoy having a small beer when the kids have gone to bed and I'm sitting watching tv (in that one hour of peace every day!!). I don't have any problems with that, but it tends to be a much worse case when I'm out so******ing and there's lots of alcohol flowing!

(edit. I don't know why "soc ia li sing" is a rude word!!???!)

[nsd_user663_34421]

Hi,

I seem to inadvertantly given up alcohol at the same time as smoking, which is almost the end of day 9 now. I didn't mean to, in fact I thought some form of pleasure would be required.

It just seems a natural thing to do now, and I enjoy how much better I feel without both, when compared to how I felt using both vices (to excess).

Plus Champix seemed to make booze taste less good too.....All the best to you.

[nsd_user663_32615]

I suspect that the Champix weakens the desire for booze - I haven't had a drink since I started taking it, even when I have been out with friends. I'm not a regular drinker anyway these days, but it doesn't appeal to me right now. No bad thing, I think - some of the real Champix/psychotic episode horror stories have been related to people who have been drinking.

[nsd_user663_34154]

Yes, when I started looking into Champix, I noted that one study on rats concluded that they "choose" less alcohol. I'm not really sure that I want to know exactly how a lab rat can choose alcohol, or even why it was being offered! :eek:

I'd be very wary of drinking to excess while on ANY medication. But I have noticed that, without the association of going for a smoke between drinks, I am drinking excessively slowly!

In other news, with not a lot else to do, I have done more baking this weekend than you can imagine. I have an excess of cakes and biscuits in the kitchen, and I wish I could send them out to all of you for doing so well with quitting, but as I can't, I shall have to eat them all on your behalf!

[nsd_user663_33962]

I've drank 3 times since I quit (day 14). Been fine with it but only had one or two. I don't think I could manage being drunk just yet.

I'm not really avoiding alcohol so much as I just don't fancy it. I'm not a big fan of drink, most of the time I only do it so my cigarette's better. So I guess it is a big trigger but one I'm not actively missing.

[nsd_user663_32978]

Hi Cathy

Well done on getting so far.

I am not a big drinker as the hangover is terrible so only have alcohol every so often. I was worried the first time I went out but I was fine. Helps that people can't smoke in the pub anymore which was my downfall when I quit last time. I also have very few friends who smoke now.

I know if I eat out then I find I get a crave afterwards but I can't avoid eating (even though I could do with losing quite a few pounds :D)

Lingy