The damn patches

[KatNL]

So I should be finished with the patches last week but Im not. I have cut back to wearing them from 1 pm to 8 pm and on run club days until 5pm. I really don't want to end up like those people who have admitted to me that two years later they are still on the last patch or still using the gum. One person told me they still take the losanges and that they give them cavities and make their fillings fall out - wow! Im in production next week but I guess after that it will be a mini cold turkey. It's kind of depressing. I don't wish I was smoking at all. I'm done with that. I've cut down my coffee and mostly drink decaf- yuk. Now I just need to be done with the nicotine. I put up with that big drop when I initially quit. I smoked a pack but went on the last patch right at the beginning. I feel pretty fed up with myself. Im not afraid I will smoke. Im afraid of the final withdrawl I guess. Im just sick of feeling awkward and fragile and uncomfortable in my own skin. Thanks for letting me write this out. It's back to winter here in Newfoundland. Cold temps and forecasts of snow. But the sun has real warmth. And I bought a new pair of light weight hiking shoes with the money I have saved from not smoking and not going to the store all the time. I gained ten pounds but lost four from running, so all is well except this last final thing....

[RoisinO1 Administrator 3 Years Smoke Free]

Hey KatNL , good to hear from you I think you are a bit hard on yourself but appreciate the worry you have of getting hooked on the patches and just wanting to be free from nicotine. You are progressing well with the reducing of them and in another week you will be 3 months smoke free and usually the time spent and dosage with the champix pills, so maybe set your target to stop the patches on 14 April, the day you turn 3 months. If it is too tough, have a box on standby.

Have faith and believe in yourself though, you are alot stronger than you think and have proved that by not smoking for the last 3 months. Also, look into breathing exercises to help with craving episodes. Continue to drink plenty of water, lots of fresh whole fruit and veg and keep up the running 🍏🍎🍐🍊🍋🥑🥬🥬🥕🥤

[KatNL 6 Months Smoke Free in reply to RoisinO1]

Thanks that's good advice. Im working towards that. And if I have to keep the patch for a little longer I will. I'm just frustrated and kind of amazed. I am really done with smoking. I don't think about smoking. I don't care about it. When I see other people doing it I get scared because I think Im going to want to too. But I never do. So it's just that last bit of nicotine addiction. And it's a tough last bit. The good thing about the patch, besides the fact that it did allow me to stop smoking of corse, is that it has really forced me to look at my nicotine addiction. So I know I am quitting a drug, nicotine. I think it's the reason I stopped wishing I could smoke, or being upset that I couldn't smoke, or craving a smoke. I know it's the nicotine I crave. And that pisses me off! Not sure if this makes sense. But thanks for this place to write it. Going to run club tomorrow morning and its supposed to snow darn it all.... I'm really looking forward to it!

[ladyinthelake 6 Months Smoke Free]

Congrats on your success so far! I know that everyone has a slightly different relationship with smoking, but from my experience you have made it past the more difficult hurdle -changing your habits. Nicotine will leave your body in 3 days and the actual withdrawal will be more subtle than you think. But since you are concerned, have you considered cutting the patches in half? Keep the current schedule but reduce the dose. And in 2 weeks, cut them into quarters. And if you have to, 1/8 pieces after that. You sound determined. You can do this.

[KatNL 6 Months Smoke Free in reply to ladyinthelake]

Thanks, yes I am thinking of that. I wish there was more information around on how they work . I But yes. I think I may just do that. Take care.

[Hidden]

Take heart.

You will be a former smoker/nicotine user someday soon.

But you will always be a nicotine addict.

It’s important that you learn to live with your addiction. It’s a permanent roommate.

Be gentle on yourself

Best regards

Umpire13

[Mummymonster 100 Days Smoke Free]

Hi Kat. You’ve come so far. Be proud of your achievement.

I used lozenges to stop smoking about 5 years ago. I started smoking again about 3 months in, but kept using the lozenges too so all they did was make me even more dependent on nicotine.

Stopped cigarettes and lozenges with Champix this time.

Think it may be the addictive personality, I was really scared to let the Champix go. I was very scared that I would start smoking again. If that is not a fear for you, just do it, you can cope with withdrawal for a few days. I always remind myself that smokersspend most of their waking hours craving a nicotine hit. Non smokers never do, and exsmokers only crave when they are transitioning.

When I stopped the Champix, craving did increase for a few days, helped to remind myself that we smoke or suck lozenges or use patches or vape, not because we like it but because we are addicted. But we shall overcome!

Mmxx

[KatNL 6 Months Smoke Free in reply to Mummymonster]

Thanks , and yes that is how the patches Have been helpful - i really see that it's a drug addiction. Sigh.

[RoisinO1 Administrator 3 Years Smoke Free]

Hey KatNL , how is things now?

[KatNL 6 Months Smoke Free in reply to RoisinO1]

Thanks for asking Roisin01. Good no more coffee overdoses. But I am still on the patch. Im in production this weekend. And then on the 15 I will try to either go right off or wear it for only two hours a day. I stuck with not putting them on till 1130 or 130 this week. And I haven't had one on since fivepm for two days. so we will see. I know that just stop using it day is coming up for me

[RoisinO1 Administrator 3 Years Smoke Free in reply to KatNL]

You are doing fantastic KatNL - well done!

[Leo2018 6 Months Smoke Free]

I too am having the same issues with patches. I have been really good till dropping down patch mg. going from 25 to 15 I had been on the 25 for 8 weeks and I feel like I’ve gone back to the beginning at parts of the day where I have had cravings like I did at the beginning where I have thought is it easier to just smoke. I have my vape fixed up so I don’t go for a cigarette I will keep this as a back up if it all goes bad and I have to go out. I have 1 more week on the 15mg and then down to 10mg and in all honesty I am dreading I feel if I am going to fall it will be in the next 3 weeks and I have gone 9 weeks tomorrow (can’t even remember the last day I had a cigarette) tried not to keep track on dates only know each Sunday is another week down. But I’d love to know how long this lasts for as I don’t want to spend the rest of my life feeling like I’m missing out on something. Hope things improve for you

[KatNL 6 Months Smoke Free]

Hi Leo2018, I think it all lasts until we are off nicotine totally. Im kind of mad about the patches. I started at the lowest - even though I smoked up to a pack a day. Im not very big and the other patches made me shake. So I had a really big jump there. It was bad. Anyway Ive done the whole time on the lowest patch. It's 7 mg - just enough to keep me addicted- that's what pisses me off. So I should really get off them next week - thats 12 weeks. And yes, I will have to go though another horrible withdrawl event and that feeling like life is a boring blank. Luckily I have a bit of a temper and as I said I'm pissed off with the whole thing now. So I m not going to smoke.

Don't give up. Everytime you drop down a patch level you are weaning off nicotine and that's good, even though it feels horrible. But that's it. We are just going to have to bare it. I don't know if champex is better or not. But this is what I did and this is what you did. And remember, you don't really crave smokes, just nicotine- which is awful. I miss how I used to think about smoking, but I don't think that way anymore. I friggin hate being tied to a stupid plastic patch. I think the patches are good for that. You absolutely can't avoid realizing that you are addicted to a chemical, like any other drug addiction. so the usual advice- drink lots of water (which I always forget), get outside if you can, and I guess be tough! I'll be thinking of you.