I wanted to let you all know how amazing you are. I decided to quit the fags (again) and got champix with some misgivings, you know how it is...! I had read everything I could find - even though I know 'Dr Google is not your friend' :eek:
... And it has been Totally Plain Sailing. I am certain that my new habit of sitting down after dinner with a cuppa and this forum has been the reason I haven't had any real craving problems!
I have spent my usual trigger times (after work; after dinner; before bed) reading posts on here. Clicking on any links and reading those. Re-reading posts which rang a bell. Searching for my symptoms on here - aluminium taste in mouth! Someone here has had it. Sleeping tooooo much! Someone's been there. Weird smells. Bleeding gums. Coughing wee gungey bits up. Being shocked and horrified realising how hair from a smoker's house smelled/how strong it smells when someone's had a "sneaky" fag. People here have been there! And survived!
I was just thanking God for this forum and thought better come on here and thank you all too. I will continue to lurk and hope I will maybe start posting and helping others if I can.
I'm quite excited to be nearly a month smoke free, hope it continues to be not an option to light up (got that here too)
Thanks everybody xx
Written by
nsd_user663_53260
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Welcome Calyx, that post on its own should encourage any new quitters that this forum's worth its weight in virtual gold it's certainly got me this far....nice post and hope to read more soon!
Spot on what you said about the Forum, its a great place, and very additive! Read enough and you will always find someone in similar situation to yourself, it can be very helpful and re-assuring.
Gosh thanks again I didn't expect such a quick response (didn't think of you guys responding to me! Daft I know!)
Ps I have read your names often on the forum and feel as though someone famous has replied to me!
Pps I'm not as mental as these posts make me look. Honest
Your post was great, it shows how you've got this far in a positive way using this forum to replace ciggies, I was posting after 2 days, I could not have lasted 24 days without ranting!! And you don't sound mental I told my missus I was half-famous. She rolled her eyes. End of fame then! :rolleyes:
Welcome Caly, good decision to quit and to sign up to this forum A mine of information and support, as you have already experienced. Keep posting and I will watch out for them and read read read if it helps those trigger moments. After a meal etc are the worst times, if you can get through them you can crack this
My twin sis was over this evening and she's really keen to stop smoking too. I have pointed her over here to this forum and am trying to stop going on about how much better everything is! I never wanted to be a sanctimonious ex smoker but rather I wanted to lead by example. But I can't seem to keep my mouth shut about how easy it is with champix and reading through the forum here. My poor sister has been very patient with me
I have not had any 'cravings' (I used to call those internal conversations, where I would talk myself into stopping the quit until xxx or just having one more pack, my cravings) since stopping. My fear is that champix is doing all the hard work. And that it will hit me like a runaway train when I stop! However, if I have felt the 'I could go a cig right now if I hadn't quit smoking' thought, I have tried the 'breathe in and out as if you were smoking' and now feel that not only does that totally disappear the thought, it also gives me an instant wave of relaxation for a moment. So my 'almost craves' are relaxing!?!?! I just hope it continues!
Night all you lovely people. Keep on keeping on and lots of luck in your journeys xx
Even if the Campix is doing all the work (which I doubt), when you come to stop using it you could cut down over a period of time rather than abruptly stopping. I'm getting to the end of using Campix and have cut down from 2 x 1mg per day to 1 x 0.5mg per day over about 4 weeks. There have been some mild to medium cravings each time I reduced by 0.5mg, but these dissipated after a few days. Quite a gentle process really!
You've made a great start to your quit and are doing really well, well done.
Hi Caly,you,v done brilliant to get to d 24. this forum is the reason I have stayed off fags (9wks).I did exactly the same as you in the early days(LOL get me!!).Just kept reading everyones stories and couldnt believe it when lovely people were answering and giving advice.
Thanks Helsbelles, Carol and Biggrin. I have cut back the champix from two 1mg back to 1 x 1mg per day because I felt it was too hard to peel my head off my pillow in the morning, that improved straight away. I have not felt any worse crave wise which is a relief! Also I feel that I could use those to take the course for longer if needed although hopefully not.
Craig, I did a lot of reading up about the odd taste and most people say it's either your taste buds growing back (don't know about that myself) or it could be bacteria which is in your gums/teeth which used to be kept in check by the nicotine and smoke chemicals killing it, now growing and you can taste it. If that is the case, some people have got medicine from the doctor which has got rid of it. Another thing it could be (and the theory I believe) is, when you smoke the capillaries in your gums shrink back from the surface. When you stop, after 2 or 3 weeks, they are growing back to normal. This makes your gums look pinker than before but also causes tooth brushing, eating stuff etc cause bleeding for a while. And blood in your mouth tastes metallic because it has iron in it... See where I'm headed...?
I had it from after about 10 days and still have it although to a lesser extent and less often, now at day 25. I am using a mouthwash after brushing which seems to help (just in case the bacteria theory is right as well!)
Hope you are doing well everyone and thanks again xx
<doubletake> Carolrose 9 weeks!!?!?! WOW well done :cool: and it's so true, this forum is the reason this quit is the last ever for me, I just can't believe it took me so long to start posting
<kicks self>!
Serious note though - I have been trying for about a year to work on self esteem. These nearly 4 weeks off the fags has done more for my self esteem than anything else. I think that's why I never posted at first (like what could I say that could help others?) but now I'm thinking 'you twit - you post for help for yourself and others reading it get help from that...' I didn't actually feel like I needed help stopping though, on the champix, at all so it was a moot point!
Ramble ends! Keep it up Carolrose I'm only 6 weeks behind you haha
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 24 and struggling - help
Break Through on Day 24
