To think I'd be better off sellotaping a cigarette to my arm?

[Mandatorymongoose]

I saw the Dr today (about a couple of things which she did help with) and while I was there mentioned my plan to give up smoking and requested some nicotine patches.

First she asked me if I wanted to come to the stop smoking clinic where they could tell me about chewing gum and inhalers, so I thanked her but said no, I had looked at all the options and tried other methods in the past and I know patches work reasonably well for me.

She asked how much I smoke currently (around 7-10 a day) and wrote me a prescription which I dutifully thanked her for and took to the chemist without paying much attention to.

After waiting at the chemist for a little while they came and told me that they didn't stock the patches on the prescription and they weren't sure if anyone else would either because they couldn't even order them in.

So, I had a closer look. The recommended first step for around 10 a day is 2 weeks of 14mg patches.
She's prescribed me 5 days of 5mg patches.

Even if these patches weren't next to impossible to source aibu to think they wouldn't be strong enough to actually get me through the horrible first few days and that sellotaping a cigarette to my arm would probably provide about the same amount of nicotine? and that 5 days isn't enough anyway!

I'm irritated because I'm already anxious about giving up smoking and this has made it worse

I wish I could vape, I had to quit cold turkey due to being knocked up. I tried patches a couple of years ago, all they did was cause a rash. It didn't/doesn't help that apart from the money issue, I didn't want to quit (pregnancy being a different ball game, of course). I've heard mostly good things about vaping though, it may be the way for yourself.

This is my plan, and to not drink until i have been off the ecig for a while

Good luck SingingHinnies. I actually only used the ecig when I was drinking (I didn't like smoking it as it felt too big - I was a roll up smoker for my last few years smoking) rather then all the time so it wasn't an issue to stop using it.

Drinking whilst quitting is really difficult and even now I try to avoid a night out with just smoking friends.

Seriously, get a good start-up vape kit with a refillable tank and a decent battery.

I had been smoking for over twenty years and when the price went up, I moved onto rollies. I was getting to the point where I couldn't see myself ever stopping and it made me really down, tbh.

Then DH got me a beginner's vape kit -- and that was it. Never made another rollie. I have gradually bought weaker and weaker liquids until I am now on a no-nicotine vape liquid.

And in hindsight, I don't think I was actually addicted to nicotine at all. I reckon my "addiction" was and still is a habit that involves a kind of mental mini-break, coupled with an oral gesture and a change in breathing. Now I am no nico-vaping, I notice that often all I need is to just stop, pursue my lips and suck in hard and blow out hard ... and I don't even need to pick up the vaper.

The weird thing now is that I will never go back to smoking cigarettes or rollies. They are messy and smell horrid and make way too much dust.

I'm half way through Allen Carr's easy way. It makes sense but I don't know if it'll work. We'll see!

I gave up with Allen Carr a year ago, I stopped drinking too (other than a few months relapse recently).

The 'addiction' is in your head.

Yes more Allen Carr love here. The physical addiction is all but gone in two days and even then it's a very gentle sort of pang. The real addiction is in your head.

Nicotine replacement therapy just prolongs the pain and maintains an addicted state of mind.

I tried quitting with patches a few times, I always found I relapsed. What finally worked was realising that I'd had tonsillitis three times in one year, my asthma was steadily worsening, I couldn't walk up stairs without puffing, my skin looked 10 years older than the rest of me, and I didn't want to be a shrivelled up little old lady puffing away so I had to stop at some point. The desire to smoke just went away on its own, I woke up one morning and stopped.

I have an NHS app on my phone which tells me how many days I haven't smoked for (1563) and how much money I have saved (£11,500 - although it's probably more as I expect prices have gone up in the last 4 years). It's been very effective as a deterrent to relapse as I can't imagine ever resetting it.
Cold turkey worked for me.

I found that the key for me was kicking the habit rather than the nicotine.
I needed something to do - I developed a pretty serious lollipop habit but it broke the need for something in my hands / mouth. I also still chew on pens terribly but I stopped a huge chain smoking habit.
Nicotine replacement did nothing for me - it was all about the physical craving for me which I did without thinking.

I finished the book and have had my last cigarette. I no longer smoke ooooh. He's right- relief and joy!

I love the Stop Smoking clinic. It's much better than you'd expect. Helpful, not judgey, even quite good fun (my counsellor is a good laugh).

HUZZAH!

Well done binspin!

Have you tried sticking them over your eyes so you can't find your fags? That's the only way the wretched things work!!

Sticking them over your mouth works too

Would recommend the clinic support and patches plus another nrt. The clinicians who run the clinics are very up to date with what is available and what the success rates are for various methods. All the research says that patches on there own are not effective. Champix can also be very successful. All these things take a while to adjust to just like cigarettes when you first start smoking.
Good luck.

binspin congrats your now free!!!

I found nrt crap. I smoked for 20 years gave up three years ago using champix and Alan Carr. Best thing I ever did. I never thought I would get to the point where I hate smoking. I'm there 100% :)