EvolutionHealth.care

Home
Main Forum
Quit Smoking
Who's quitting this month?
I need a quitting partner

Advanced Search Form

I need a quitting partner

5 years ago 0 +0 / -0 6

Hi Katie’s! See above for my life’s story. Thanks for the insight on your experiences. I’ll update my plans later next week after the Dr visit. Thank goodnesst I have hobby activities for the next five days that don’t permit smoking so those will at least cut down on idle times when a cigarette passes the time away. Stay tuned.

Quit Meter

$19,000.00

Amount Saved
Quit Meter

Days: 436 Hours: 22

Minutes: 55 Seconds: 3

Life Gained
Quit Meter

1900

Smoke Free Days
Quit Meter

76,000

Cigarettes Not Smoked

5 years ago 0 +0 / -0 6

Hi Stella! Sorry to say I’ve digressed a bit. But there’s a reason. I’ve been taking Gabapentin for controlling nerve pain. Early last year my right leg just started hurting like crazy no matter what I did or in what position I took. I underwent numerous tests and exams and the conclusion was lumbar spinal stenosis - when your spine moves out of position and pinches a nerve. Dr prescribed Gabapentin which i’m Coming to find out is addictive which is why the literature warns you not to just stop the drug but to work on a plan with your Dr. I go visit him next Thursday. I think there was a reaction between the Gabapentin and the patch and the anxiety attacks of stopping smoking. The good news is is that my leg pains have been gone for 3 months now and believe me i’m Grateful for that. Now I’m left with the drug and excercises to increase the strength in my stomach muscles. I’m hoping that developing a program of gradual reduction in the Gabapentin plus the introduction of Chiantix which I think is a drug that gradually eliminates the desire for nicotine without substituting nicotine will help me achieve both goals. But it’s going to take a bit longer than I had originally thought. Stay tuned and thanks for being my quit buddy! Not sure I can help you much but don’t hesitate to ask. So how cold is it up there these days? Temps to be in the lower 70’s this weekend but rainy. I love Texas!

Quit Meter

$19,000.00

Amount Saved
Quit Meter

Days: 436 Hours: 22

Minutes: 55 Seconds: 3

Life Gained
Quit Meter

1900

Smoke Free Days
Quit Meter

76,000

Cigarettes Not Smoked

5 years ago 0 +0 / -0 180

Hi Bob, I used Champix for my quit. If you're averse to crazy dreams, then Campix (Chantix in the US) is not for you! Holy moly, Champix dreams were exceedingly vivid and often quite disturbing. Emotional and physical side effects are super common while you're awake as well. I really suffered from all of the above, and ended up not taking it as prescribed (I'm not a doc so cannot recommend this!!), in a way that worked and was more tolerable for me. It did help me immensely in the early days of my quit, but the side effects sucked.

5 years ago 0 +0 / -0 16

And just to be a bit more precise on time frames - I think the cravings and withdrawal symptoms get lesser each day. Sometimes it is possible to get surprise cravings, which can come out of the blue, even after cravings have subsided a lot. For me though, the cravings did get less each day, and the second week is easier than the first week. My sleep also gradually got better, and I think sleep had pretty much returned to normal after a week or so.

I've completed week 7 now of this quit attempt, and whilst cravings can still pop up on occasions, they are very diluted, and can disappear as quickly as they came.

Quit Meter

$1,198,771.20

Amount Saved
Quit Meter

Days: 6007 Hours: 9

Minutes: 12 Seconds: 38

Life Gained
Quit Meter

45408

Smoke Free Days
Quit Meter

998,976

Cigarettes Not Smoked

5 years ago 0 +0 / -0 16

Hi Bob. I did give up once using patches, and stayed off the cigarettes for a few months. I think I used the patches for a few weeks, and they did help to take the edge off cravings. I got to a point where I stopped thinking about smoking, and then foolishly started to smoke socially, thinking that I would be able to. Before long, I was back to smoking!! I would say the patches helped though, and that they did their job, and I was fine with not using them at night.

I have not used patches this time, but have had nicotine gum and an inhaler as a back up, if needed. I've used these when I've had desperate cravings, which have been occasional.

It's tough giving up, and one does feel like climbing the walls in the early stages. Night time for me was the worst as well. I barely slept in my first week, and my brain was completely addled - I could barely focus on what people were saying in the first few days. Some of the cravings were really intense too - a real mix of anxiety and physical craving, which left me shaking on occasion. I kept empathising with the characters in the movie, Trainspotting!

It did ease off a lot after the first couple of weeks though. I fought to keep my focus on the negative aspects of smoking; the proud feeling I get from not smoking, and kept going over the benefits of not smoking. Also, I've avoided listening to that inner, rational voice which sometimes says, "just one will be ok". I've made it my "bottom line" to never give in and have just one, whatever happens. This was my undoing last time, even after getting through the worst stages of quitting.

It does get easier, and it will ease off soon. Keep remembering what a great thing you are doing. It is a major life achievement!

Best wishes

Kaitie

Quit Meter

$1,198,771.20

Amount Saved
Quit Meter

Days: 6007 Hours: 9

Minutes: 12 Seconds: 38

Life Gained
Quit Meter

45408

Smoke Free Days
Quit Meter

998,976

Cigarettes Not Smoked

5 years ago 0 +0 / -0 796

Hi Bob,

Welcome to the stop smoking center website. Congratulations on starting your quit journey!

I too quit with the help of the patch. For the first two days I wore them 24 hours a day. I put them on before I went to bed and did not have an urge in the morning when I woke up. But I did have some vivid dreams the first two nights too. The second night the dream was so weird, I swear it was in COLOR too, I decided to not wear them the next night. Didn't have any issue the next morning with an urge, and the weird dreams stopped. Never used them over night the rest of the time I was on them.

As for the lack of sleep, it could be the patch and it could also be your body trying to adjust with less nicotine. It could also be from a lack of caffeine from the coffee, or the uncertainty of whether or not you can do this, or a combination of everything. I have no experience with Chantix so I'm no help there. Having anxieties when quitting is also normal. You are going through a big change in your life now by quitting, and the outcome seems to be questionable at the beginning of your quit. "Shaking like a leaf right now but I will not give in. I wonder how many days this will last before things calm down." It varies by each individual. Unfortunately there is no given time as for how long it will last. Just hang in there with all your might and it should start to get easier for you. Nicotine is a terrible drug. How long did you smoke? Have you tried to quit before?

Stay strong Bob.

Not One Puff Ever

Quit Meter

$23,183.60

Amount Saved
Quit Meter

Days: 771 Hours: 13

Minutes: 4 Seconds: 48

Life Gained
Quit Meter

3832

Smoke Free Days
Quit Meter

84,304

Cigarettes Not Smoked

Stay safe & Strong.

Not One Puff Ever (NOPE)

Tim

5 years ago 0 +0 / -0 175

Hi Bob

You are supposed to take them off at night or they will give you crazy sleep. Perhaps try the quickmist spray with the patches. I find it helps to actually have something to do when l crave a smoke. Hang in there. It will get easier (so they say).

Quit Meter

$13,840.00

Amount Saved
Quit Meter

Days: 101 Hours: 4

Minutes: 22 Seconds: 50

Life Gained
Quit Meter

1730

Smoke Free Days
Quit Meter

34,600

Cigarettes Not Smoked

5 years ago 0 +0 / -0 6

Hi Katie, thanks for your reply. You say you gave up once. Can I assume you weren’t successful with patches? What did work for you then? Well I got two hours of sleep so far tonight. Shaking like a leaf right now but I will not give in. I wonder how many days this will last before things calm down. Any ideas?

Quit Meter

$19,000.00

Amount Saved
Quit Meter

Days: 436 Hours: 22

Minutes: 55 Seconds: 3

Life Gained
Quit Meter

1900

Smoke Free Days
Quit Meter

76,000

Cigarettes Not Smoked

5 years ago 0 +0 / -0 16

Hi Bob. I gave up once using patches. I took them off at night, as I couldn't sleep at all - they gave me crazy dreams etc. It's worth experimenting with taking off the patch at night time, I think. I've heard other people say they have done that too..

Quit Meter

$1,198,771.20

Amount Saved
Quit Meter

Days: 6007 Hours: 9

Minutes: 12 Seconds: 38

Life Gained
Quit Meter

45408

Smoke Free Days
Quit Meter

998,976

Cigarettes Not Smoked

5 years ago 0 +0 / -0 6

Hello. My name is Bob and this is day 5 of my journey to become nicotine free. Made it three days cold turkey but the anxiety was terrible so I’m trying the patch. It seemed to work great yesterday, the first day, but right now things are really rough. I’m wondering if I should remove it for overnight? It’s been on 7 hours now. Could barely sleep last night and am not looking forward to another night of tossing and turning. Am beginning to wonder if Chiantix would be better. Any thoughts? Have been trying to avoid other activities which were accompanied by cigarettes such as snacking, alcohol, and no more than 1 coffee in the morning. Any merit to these tactics? Anxieties are more accute at night: hard to breathe. No problem breathing right now but I’m not ready for bed yet. Looking for partners.

Quit Meter

$19,000.00

Amount Saved
Quit Meter

Days: 436 Hours: 22

Minutes: 55 Seconds: 4

Life Gained
Quit Meter

1900

Smoke Free Days
Quit Meter

76,000

Cigarettes Not Smoked

Reading this thread:

today's top discussions:

This Month’s Leaders:

Most Supportive

Most Active

Most Loved

I need a quitting partner