Just wanted to touch base and let you know I'm still hanging in there. Been having a bit of a time with it recently so have purposely not posted too much as I want to be positive :rolleyes:
Been battling with these bloomin patches, have rolled around the floor with them, beat them with a stick, stamped on them, and finally wrestled them into the bin........I am patch free
I am convinced that they were making me feel unwell so have been fighting hard to free myself and prove the quit nurse wrong. I have felt much better physically but the craves have crept back with a vengeance. Had a bit of a re-visit to Week 1 when I had those childish tantrums about not being able to smoke. However, this has just convinced me more that I might as well have gone cold turkey. I've been quit 6 Weeks now and was still struggling to quit nicotine in patch form. I think the Allen Carr book is correct in stating that NRT can be a torturous way of quitting. You have to keep "doing it" every time you drop a patch size. Anyway, I feel like I'm a bit more "quit" now I have binned the dreaded patches but watch out for my "inner child" in case she re-emerges again for some tantrums heehee
Hope you are all well, have been keeping an eye on all my buddies here
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I've also had the same problems with patches. When I read you post your could have been talking about me. I will be eternally grateful to Mrs T on this forum for saying maybe I could look at alternatives as you keep ending up at the same place with patches. She was right...I believe that for some people they prolong the withdrawal from nicotine and add their own side effects. Anyway after a short, failed quit on patches, I thought I'm going cold turkey. At least, I'll know what I'm feeling is due to withdrawal and not the stoopid patches. Also everytime I tried to quit with patches I'd get to week 12 and cave in as the dosage is dropped from 21mg to 14mg...again prolonging withdrawal.
Anyhow good luck with the cold turkey..it's hard at times but isn't every method????
I'm glad it's not just me....was starting to think i was going mad with the patches, not many people on patches to compare notes with.
I'm sure I feel a million times better now I've binned them. As you said, I feel like I've had to give up smoking about 4 times over in this last 6 weeks. Every deviation from the patch is agony. I just cut the programme down to 3 Weeks @ Step 1, then 3 Weeks at @ Step 2. TBH the patches on Step 3 were so small they weren't sticking properly so I just went for it and binned them.
I'm now back to reading reading reading to ensure my reasons for quitting remain strong now I'm on my own so to speak !!
Good luck with your quit, stay strong and keep doing it !!
I've tried loads of times on patches...all unsuccessful but I just thought I'd have a better chance on them...I used to smoke 12-15 fags a day. I've tried starting on the lower dose, 14mg patch but it was never enough. I therefore used to start on the 21mg patch but this was too high, but..........I liked it as when I used to put that 21mg patch on in the morning I got a nicotine hit I really did feel.
Everytime I tried to reduce the dose at 6 weeks (not 12 as I said earlier) to 14mg I failed in my quit and smoked. I think by putting on the 21mg patch (which is equivalent to smoking 20 fags a day!) all it did was make me more addicted to nicotine not less!!!!!
The side effects were unpleasant too...insomnia (lasting for weeks), restlessness, sweating, concentration problems, anxiety, "feeling not quite yourself", I could feel my heart beating fast a few times (but ?real or anxiety)...anyway all those side effects plus having to give up fags just got to me. I think I've give them a good go and they're not for me. Already, I feel much better from not using them and I also know that by now all the nicotine has gone from my body and this is just me doing this...brill.
Good luck with your quit, have a tantrum, shout etc when you need it and I'll do the same XXXXX
P.S. I didn't want to come across as dissing patches...they obviously work for loads of people...just not me. XX
P.S. I didn't want to come across as dissing patches...they obviously work for loads of people...just not me. XX
Yes for any other posters reading this thread I feel I should also point out that I am not suited to many things drug related lol, Champix as an example also made me ill :eek: so potential quitters......please do not take mine or Lisa's NRT aversion as the norm, you must try anything that helps!
When I first started this quit many people were advocating CT as the best method and I thought they were absolutely bonkers, however I now realise there is a benefit to having 72 hours of nicotine withdrawal as oppose to 12 weeks of torture on NRT......lesson learned.....but I still wonder would I have quit without the patches??? Dunno the answer to that but if ever there is a next time (god forbid!!) I think patches would be a last resort for me.
but I still wonder would I have quit without the patches??? Dunno the answer to that but if ever there is a next time (god forbid!!) I think patches would be a last resort for me.
Next time??? :eek:
Why on earth would you want to put yourself through this all over again, Pip?!
By far the easiest course of action from this stage is to never take another puff. You are free, and your freedom needs protecting at all costs from here... Just never forget how precious it is.
Glad that you are happier now that the patches are history, though.
I think they have helped in some ways but there are some interesting thoughts about the concept of having to start again every time you drop a dose and reverting back to that 'it's so unfair that I cant have a fag' state of mind..
I started on the max dose for one week and it was far to hellish to cope with (side effects) so therefore I dropped to the 14mg.
This was a big adjustment and took a couple weeks to get used to but was definitely worth it.
Anyhow, after week 5 I dropped again to the 7mg patches and bingo turned into complete 'manic depressive, expected treat denied 5yr old phase' again!
Second week on these patches and I think i'm getting used to lower dose but to be honest i'm not looking forward at all to finally ripping the damn things off for good. (or am I).
Again - don't want to come across as slating patches but my thoughts are similar to yours. When I quit for nearly two years (and it would have slipped regardless of what method I used - that was caused by my own stupidity!) - I started off on patches.
I read and read and read and soon came to the realisation that I was addicted to the Nicotine and the habit (I was ill-informed before that) - patches enable you to crack the habit first and remove the triggers - however, the draw-back is that patches are slow at delivering your Nicotine and you are always in a state of moderate withdrawal.
In the end - I ditched the patches - did my 72 hours and the rest was history - well - until stupiditiy struck!!!
Yes Chris, I felt the same...patches were making me miserable. Some people quit with them...I think it's down to the kind of person you are. I don't mean an "addicted personality type" as I don't think they exist, you're either addicted or you're not. I mean...some people can handle the slow drop in nicotine and some people (like me) freak out when that happens and reach for the ciggies. I'm on day 8 now....and at least I know that all these frigging mind games are down to me and not the patches. Keep with the quit.
Its an interesting one - as some may view the drop in patches strength as a tick in the box towards freedom. I used to dread the drop. In the end - do the cold turkey - get the Nicotine outta of my system within 48-72 hours and thats the physiological part done - now to deal with the mind.
That said - I am not sure if I would have been able to handle quiting last time without the patches - it did take the edge off!
Like I say some people quit using patches......but I've never quit for any substantial time using them. I've always ended up smoking again. I think I gotta start trying something new to quit hence the CT. The last time I ever quit for a long while was many years ago and according to my OH that was cold turkey too (I can't remember it). I do remember his sister offering me a fag in her pub when I'd had a few and *snap* just like that I was back to smoking. So I'm not doing that again. Why do smokers try and get you hooked again???? I do distinctly remember turning her down a couple of times...they probably like it as you've just shown you're as sad as them LOL!.
Hmm - Smokers worry when they see someone break free, I remember feeling that way when I saw a close friend go though the pain and give up and succeed - it actually started to make me feel bad that I carryed on.
That said - I am not sure the Sis was trying to get you hooked again - maybe its just the usual social situation - drink and fag - that kinda thing.
No I'm not sure she was doing it on purpose either...Deborah, well she's got a dominant personality LOL!...anyways it was my own fault for caving. At least I know the situation and will be able to handle it better. Especially doing the family visiting at christmas. XXX
So, the feelings i'm getting, ie: constant sort of mild panicky feeling in the chest and the restlessness/lack of focus/cant be arsed to do anything other than mope about feeling sorry for mself etc could be down to a slllooowwww sort of constant withdraw even with the patches on?
Hi Oliver - it could be. I am treating myself to a few easier days at work for the first 3 days of this quit - and I think that it is wise to if going Cold Turkey.
I remember when I quit on the patches - I did get the lethangic feeling for a week or so. It soon passed. Its strange as most feel they have more energy - but each to their own!
Just to update regarding the patches, this is now for me Day 6 patch free (Week 7 of my quit) and I am coping MUCH better. I am thinking a little more about smoking, but the tiredness, muscle aches, agitation, insomnia all seem to have improved no end. My head feels much clearer too. Defo a good move for me coming off them
Great Pip - pleased its working out for you and you should be pretty much Nicotine free now - 7 weeks in too - well on the way to overcoming some of the most common triggers!
Thinking Pips cracking this one - but always remember Not One Puff Ever!
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