My story so far - before starting the course I started to smoke ciggie halves for a few months - this cut my smoking down considerably. I also tried to change my routine a bit.
I started the course with no intention of setting a solid quit day (as the thought of quitting terrified me). From what I have read, reseach shows that an optimum quit would be between 2 and 5 weeks so I wasn't too worried - also, that my goal would be smoke free at around 8-10 weeks - so lessening the psychological pressure.
Ok, so I started - no problems on .5mg 2x daily - just a bit sicky and headachy for about 1/2 an hour - so a banana before the morning pill helps along with a bit of catch up TV. Still smoking.
Then up to the 1mg 2x daily - feeling very tired - 2 days flat out on sofa, 3rd day walking around in an anxious state and shaking - after this, walking around in a trance (daydream) for about 3 weeks. Couldn't trust myself to drive and felt anxious pretty much all the time. Smoking reducing.
I am now 5 weeks in and over the worst (I hope). I feel ok now, trance and anxious feelings gone, driving and enjoying the lovely weather. I have bought an ecig containing 0% nicotine just as a back up (to fill the gap). I do use this but not that much.
I feel I am nearly there - start of wk 5 I went 3 days with no smoking - I just have a few puffs of a ciggie to remind myself ciggies do nothing if I feel I need too - this seems to be working as the 'puffs' are getting few and far between. This method seems to be working for me as I feel the although champix is in control physically, I am in control psychologically and now it's the habit that I am finding tricky.
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There are a lot of people who don't advocate using cigs because even though you maybe using 0% nicotine your not breaking the hand to mouth habit, however I bought an ecig too and I know that it helped me get through the first difficult weeks. I hardly use it now and I too only use 0% nicotine so I say do whatever makes you stay off the real thing. Good luck with your quit
Yes, I can appreciate what others say about the ecig - but the physical addiction is in the nicotine. Once the physical addiction lessens the less likely you are to think about ciggies in any form - which is what champix does. Like you, I feel an ecig does help me out, but I also believe it will be a short term aid and like you, will eventually be little used.
Well done on taking a big step towards being cigarette free. It is daunting to think you will never smoke again. Many of us broke the quit down to "I won't smoke this hour", psychologically it helped me in the early days it doesn't matter how you stop smoking as long as you quit.
Ah yes, I had forgotten about the take it an hour or a minute at a time that Caroline refers to. I used that and had forgotten I had needed to! NOPE is a very good and well used one for me. Deep breathing (in the early days fantasising I was having a cigarette), orange juice, lots of it. And exercise. All the best with your quit, doing it your way
Week 9 and still going strong - I still get the days where I get the 'strange' feelings - I guess it's my brain trying to make sense of it all. Anything that works - but the butterflies 'strange' feelings are getting less. Sometimes I feel 'normal'? Yesterday was quite challenging, this morning nothing
So getting there
Those early in their quit - your are doing amazingly and it really does better
Thank you Walkabout and well done!!! .5mg per day is amazing! You really sound like a non-smoker now, your confidence is inspiring. I am now inot my 10th week and reading my 3rd book. Sometimes I get the 'strange' feelings so not quite there yet.... I do hope I can be as confident when my time comes to reduce....
Thanks Celestine, especially encouraging. I'm doing okay although somewhat wobbly! But, I was surrounded by smokers this weekend and it didn't bother me at all. I know however, I'm perfectly capable of just tripping myself up when my guard is down.
10th week. That is great going. I'm very pleased for you.
Thanks Celestine, especially encouraging. I'm doing okay although somewhat wobbly! But, I was surrounded by smokers this weekend and it didn't bother me at all. I know however, I'm perfectly capable of just tripping myself up when my guard is down.
10th week. That is great going. I'm very pleased for you.
I must say, all through my quit I can honestly say people smoking and the smell of smoke does not bother me either.... my 'craves' seem to follow a wonderful trigger feeling ie. enjoying the sunshine, gardening and relaxing breaks etc... which sadly, is a lot of the day in this weather. I have learnt how to cope with the stress trigger ie. deep breathing and meditation, this is a little different. Perhaps my deep breathing and meditation hence relaxation is now partly a trigger?
No, you won't trip yourself up on champix.... what good would that do? Champix will still be blocking your receptors and making ciggies taste awful (although now they would taste awful anyway :)).
I am told champix takes a week to completely leave your system.... after 3 days your body will be working to adjust to the lower dopamine levels and lack of protection around your nicotine receptors (this is why reduction works for some). Also, that some keep a spare packet in the cupboard and take one every now and then when they feel they need to - if only as a safety net? I think this is a good idea.
If too wobbly stick with it, you may be reducing too quickly?
The issues arise with some who come off too soon is that they return to smoking
I'm going to go ahead with stopping it next week; I'll just have to be vigilant.................and come on here a lot, and see how it goes.
Hmm, that pleasure association. That's similar to my beach experience at the weekend. Sunshine, relaxed, the sea, dipping in for a swim......idyllic really, but seeing strangers smoking triggered that I would enoy myself even more with a cigarette. It wasn't envy of them, it seemed to be about 'i'm having a fine time.........but it could be even better by.............'. Of course I knew it wouldn't be :0)
My story so far - before starting the course I started to smoke ciggie halves for a few months - this cut my smoking down considerably. I also tried to change my routine a bit.
I started the course with no intention of setting a solid quit day (as the thought of quitting terrified me). From what I have read, reseach shows that an optimum quit would be between 2 and 5 weeks so I wasn't too worried - also, that my goal would be smoke free at around 8-10 weeks - so lessening the psychological pressure.
Ok, so I started - no problems on .5mg 2x daily - just a bit sicky and headachy for about 1/2 an hour - so a banana before the morning pill helps along with a bit of catch up TV. Still smoking.
Then up to the 1mg 2x daily - feeling very tired - 2 days flat out on sofa, 3rd day walking around in an anxious state and shaking - after this, walking around in a trance (daydream) for about 3 weeks. Couldn't trust myself to drive and felt anxious pretty much all the time. Smoking reducing.
I am now 5 weeks in and over the worst (I hope). I feel ok now, trance and anxious feelings gone, driving and enjoying the lovely weather. I have bought an ecig containing 0% nicotine just as a back up (to fill the gap). I do use this but not that much.
I feel I am nearly there - start of wk 5 I went 3 days with no smoking - I just have a few puffs of a ciggie to remind myself ciggies do nothing if I feel I need too - this seems to be working as the 'puffs' are getting few and far between. This method seems to be working for me as I feel the although champix is in control physically, I am in control psychologically and now it's the habit that I am finding tricky.
Hi Celestine
You described the feeling perfectly.
I am on day 26 and the 6th day on 1 mg Champix and stopped completely for 2 days.
Still feeling very tired and need to keep my hands busy not to reach for my top pocket where the cigs used to be.
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