Stepping down tomorrow

[Stephanie44]

I’m at day 41 on the patch and tomorrow I’m going from step 1 to step 2 and it makes me anxious. Has anyone here already step down on their patch journey? How did it go, did I cravings become more intense?

[Yvonneh1234 Administrator]

hi stephanie44 your doing great so far 😊💪 try keeping busy take your mind off it , do something you enjoy doing ?if you don’t feel ready to go to step 2 patch just stay with step 1 patch a little longer everyone’s journey to quit is different and difficult and people quit smoking in lots of different ways there isn’t a time limit how you do it like I said it’s different journey for everyone 😊.you could try patch 2 and if its not working for you then go back to patch one for a while the main thing is your not smoking 🚬 😊 it’s normal to feel anxious so don’t be too hard on yourself your doing amazing 😊🥰 A lot of it is mind over matter and you’ve done the hardest bit now and that was giving up well done you you’ve got this 💪😊🥰xxx

[Stephanie44 6 Weeks Winner in reply to Yvonneh1234]

Thanks for the encouragement, I have step 2 patch on this morning and I can’t even tell the difference, which is good.

[Yvonneh1234 Administrator in reply to Stephanie44]

Oh that’s great Stephanie 😀 keep going I wish you lots of luck your doing amazing let us no how you get on with them 🥰😊xx

[TheTabbyCat Administrator LONG TERM WINNER]

Hi Stephanie44, Very sound advice from our Yvonneh1234 There's no fixed time line whatever the instructions tell you. You'll just get up one morning and feel confident, that's when you lower the nrt dose.

You're doing really well, try not to over think about it 😊

[Cloe Administrator]

Hi Stephanie,

Well done! 41 days is amazing, you’re doing fantastic!

Great advice from Yvonne and TabbyCat.

Are you still getting intense cravings? I times the cravings which really helped me cope better with them, it meant I just got through them one at a time (rather than building them up in to one big day of cravings) it also meant I knew I only had to get through 4 minutes something (I can’t remember the seconds I think 37 🤔) at one time, then I would relax between cravings, which made all the difference.

Maybe try the lower patch and see how you feel, I used to cut my patches down, if you have ones that are just like a thin plaster with no gel in them, with that you can cut down at even more of a gradual reduction.

I found when I lowered the patch, my cravings did go up a notch, but not as harsh as the first days, and it would take say 2 days to adjust to the new dose, so if your cravings do increase, they will lay off a bit as you adjust to the new dose, remember getting through that means you’re one step closer to being totally nicotine free!! Don’t forget why you’re doing this and what your goals are.

And like Yvonne has highlighted, if you’re struggling with cravings, maybe focus more on bringing in some more coping strategies for the cravings. Like healthy distractions, a conscious substitute, I used to chew chewing gum like I had to chew my teeth off!! 😂 but it helped me get that grrrr…. out! 😂 if that makes sense. Removing myself from a situation and giving myself 5 helped too. You can look at the pinned posts on helping with cravings.

You are doing amazing, you’ve got this far and you can do this. Well done for reaching out too, posting on here is another great way of coping. 🚭💝🙏🏻🥰

[Stephanie44 6 Weeks Winner in reply to Cloe]

Hello, my cravings aren’t as intense but I still get them.

[Yvonneh1234 Administrator]

great post cloe I still use a pen 😂 I think it’s the hand to mouth thing for me still even though I quit nearly four years ago now😂 I have pens in the car in my kitchen draw and in my hair for emergencies 😂 🤷‍♀️🤣some of the pinned posts on here are great and worth a look Stephanie 😊🥰 keep going xxx

[Briarwood Administrator Ducky]

Hi Stephanie, lots of good advice already so I’ll just say well done, you’re doing great🚭💪👏 good luck with the next step in your journey and a very happy smoke free New Year to you🎊🎇💃🥂🥳🤗xx