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NRT or not?


18 years ago 0 1521 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Members, Share all your success stories! Melanie ____________________ The SSC Support Team
18 years ago 0 456 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Tennielle, I would say from your post that you don't feel confident in going cold turkey. You see your life as stressful. If the patch gives you the confidence to quit again then why not? I have used the patch in the past and I personally didn't see much difference in the cravings but, it is obvious that people are all unique and how you feel and what makes you mentally ready is MOST IMPORTANT. (I was allergic to the patch and had to discontinue in 3 weeks). I did break old habits with it in 3 weeks though.. Get the patch, you can always wean off it later. I remember your last quit.. you didn't seem confident. I think you are smart to get more prepared this time.. Did you get some candy ? Clean out your car ? Throw away all cigarettes and ashtrays ? Avoid people who smoke if possible and places that make you want to smoke.. bars, great parties.. you know... Put money (IOU is better) in a jar everyday equal to the cost of a day of smoking. Let your kids know what it is.. they will check it for you everyday believe me. You can give them a cut for good behavior. Be determined and you can do it !! Hang Tuff ! Chris [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/1/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 9 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 247 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $31.5 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 1 [B]Hrs:[/B] 1 [B]Mins:[/B] 8 [B]Seconds:[/B] 4
18 years ago 0 456 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
groovykitten, I have a mother with emphysema too. She has been smoking for 58 years. She is still smoking and on oxygen 24/7. She has pnuemonia and is still smoking. She says she is trying to smoke herself into a heart attack. It is not working though. Sometimes she just disgards the oxygen and doesn't seem to care. She repeats the same story day after day when she doesn't keep her oxygen on. She doesn't have alheimers or those types of diseases, she has lack of oxygen to her brain. Yesterday, she called me and asked me what my brother's name is. I told her and then asked her if she was on her oxygen.. of course she said no. She doesn't talk long.. too hard to breath. I told her that I quit smoking.. she said that's great.. and told me that 2 of my nieces had quit too. Then she said.. Now if we can just get me to quit (my brother quit last year). She always says it but doesn't mean it and runs away to her room and hides when we try to talk to her about it. She weighs about 90 lbs and smokes in between coughs. She gets up at night and smokes.. It has been haunting me for for a long time. My son is so happy that I quit that he kisses everytime he walks by me.. he is 18. People in our lives can really give us reasons to want to be healthy. It is such a relief to know that I will (God willing) not end up like my mother. Hang tuff !! Chris
18 years ago 0 519 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
It doesn't have to be a choice between the patch and cold turkey. I got Commit lozenges. I tried the gum and didn't like it. I have no trouble sleeping either.
18 years ago 0 254 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
What made this quit stick? Watching my mother, who smoked like a fiend for 40 years struggle to breathe while lying in her hospital bed. She has been diagnosed with COPD (emphasyema) and STILL smoked. We finally took her to emergency one day because she couldn't even lift her head off of the pillow without gasping for air - that's how bad her lungs had gotten and STILL she smoked. Watching her, I swore I wouldn't do that to myself. Everytime I get a craving, I think of how she sounded and looked. She is a bit better now, but ONLY because for the last two months my family has prevented her from smoking. If she had the means, (getting around on her own) she would be right back at it. Believe me. It's a horrible addiction, as we all know. p.s. I used the patch because it was my talisman against slipping. The risk of stroke and heart attack are HUGE if you smoke while wearing. Even if you rip the darn thing off, there is still nicotene in your system for up to 2 hours. So, I figured while I wore it, I didn't want to put my health at super risk by smoking AND wearing. It worked for me.......... you decide for yourself WHY you want this to work. Get a good mental picture going and stick with it. It has to mean something to you, something you can pull out and use when the cravings get bad. YOU CAN DO THIS! [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 12/19/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 53 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 808 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $357.75 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 4 [B]Hrs:[/B] 20 [B]Mins:[/B] 48 [B]Seconds:[/B] 17
18 years ago 0 100 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
I need some advice from some of the long term quitters out there. 1. What made this quit stick? What was so different from the other times you tried if any? 2. I am struggling big time with this Cold Turkey stuff...I am thinking I should go the patch again. I have tried it before and generally did very well with it, except that I had such a terrible time sleeping. Cold Turkey I can sleep, but making it even 24 hours seems impossible...I freak out! My lifestyle does not allow me to freak out on a regular basis...I work with crazy frail old people and have two small children I am alone with most of the time. So what does the experienced quitter think? I am really leaning towards slapping that patch on...even if it is just all in my head. Tennielle [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/10/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 0 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 0 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $0 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 0 [B]Hrs:[/B] 0 [B]Mins:[/B] 0 [B]Seconds:[/B] 0
18 years ago 0 672 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
[quote] 1. What made this quit stick? What was so different from the other times you tried if any? [/quote] I was sick of smoking, so i don't want to smoke anymore! The other 3 times i failed, my heart simply wasn't in it. [quote] "I am thinking I should go the patch again. I have tried it before and generally did very well with it, except that I had such a terrible time sleeping." [/quote] A question for you.. How much do you want to stop smoking ? Remember, Cold Turkey it's all over in 3 days... this leaves you plenty of time to enjoy being a non-smoker. Fight the good fight. [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 1/1/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 406 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 10,152 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $2639 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 58 [B]Hrs:[/B] 4 [B]Mins:[/B] 26 [B]Seconds:[/B] 48
  • Quit Meter

    $12,506.22

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    Days: 625 Hours: 15

    Minutes: 44 Seconds: 57

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    3417

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    51,255

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18 years ago 0 586 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Tennielle, I used the patch and it worked very well for me. My quit was much easier than I anticipated. This was my first attempt at quitting and I feel my quit is very solid. The method you choose is a personal decision and should be based on how you feel and what works with your lifestyle. You said two things that stick out to me... "Cold Turkey I can sleep, but making it even 24 hours seems impossible...I freak out!" AND... "I am thinking I should go the patch again. I have tried it before and generally did very well with it, except that I had such a terrible time sleeping." It looks as if you may be leaning towards the patch and the only thing stopping you is problems sleeping. Did you try removing the patch at night? Many members have done that and it helped. Even without the patch on at night, and even with cold turkey, you may experience some sleep disturbances. I did for a couple of weeks but now I sleep better that I did before I quit. If you feel you would be comfortable trying the patch then I suggest you go for it. This method might be better for you considering your lifestyle and you also want to feel as confident as possible when you quit. You can always stop using it and go cold turkey if sleeping becomes too much of an issue for you. No matter which method, I do recommend making this site a part of your daily routine. It's a great help....someone is always home to lend a hand :) Welcome to the SSC! [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/2/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 373 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 7,474 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1331.61 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 39 [B]Hrs:[/B] 13 [B]Mins:[/B] 44 [B]Seconds:[/B] 21
  • Quit Meter

    $18,679.78

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    Days: 689 Hours: 19

    Minutes: 13 Seconds: 44

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    4802

    Smoke Free Days

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    96,040

    Cigarettes Not Smoked

18 years ago 0 382 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Hi Tennielle, I workerd on the principle that whatever it took I would do except smoke!!!! I used everything and it seemed for a while...all at once! Guess what!!! It worked! Seriously, a lot of it does indeed depend on your mind set. If you believe that the patches will help, they will. I found them to be a godsend! I did not sleep, but I kept them on overnight. Now in the UK they have new 16 hour patches so that you can sleep. However, just taking off the patch each night seemed to help lots of people. The patches gave me the confidence and time to adjust to the psychological and emotional aspects of quitting. I felt they did help with the initial withdrawal from smoking. Just remember to follow the programme with them, and you will not find the steps down too hard. Some people, in their desire to rid themselves of Nicotine, try to reduce the time they spend on patches....it may work for some, but it can cause problems for others. I always found cold turkey too daunting a prospect....tried it once! I was really determined that this would be my final quit! That.....DETERMINATION......is the key to the whole thing Tennielle. It will keep you going, and the patches and whatever will keep your physical side ticking over. It really IS all in your head Tennielle.....and the result is a QUIT! Do not feel you are being weak to use NRT.....let it do its job and revel in the great feeling of FREEDOM that quitting brings. YOU can do this, and the patches can help.......so can we here at SSC!!! WHATEVER IT TAKES, JUST DON'T SMOKE!!! Lolly. :) [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 11/25/2004 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 443 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 15,528 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] �2215 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 61 [B]Hrs:[/B] 17 [B]Mins:[/B] 31 [B]Seconds:[/B] 22
  • Quit Meter

    $11,086.00

    Amount Saved

  • Quit Meter

    Days: 693 Hours: 14

    Minutes: 45 Seconds: 21

    Life Gained

  • Quit Meter

    5543

    Smoke Free Days

  • Quit Meter

    110,860

    Cigarettes Not Smoked

18 years ago 0 763 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
so you haven't managed to quit for 24 hours yet??? I don't think I could have ever quit without the 'edge' the patch gave me. it didn't take away my cravings, but it sure let me manage them and learn coping skills that enabled me to stay quit. If you decide to use the patch, use it AS DIRECTED. Quitting smoking has to be a CHOICE. you have to WANT to quit.... katy [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 1/4/2002 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 1499 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 59,977 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $8244.5 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 195 [B]Hrs:[/B] 13 [B]Mins:[/B] 54 [B]Seconds:[/B] 0
  • Quit Meter

    $158,952.50

    Amount Saved

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    Days: 5342 Hours: 22

    Minutes: 48 Seconds: 27

    Life Gained

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    45415

    Smoke Free Days

  • Quit Meter

    908,300

    Cigarettes Not Smoked


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