To think I should be able to give up nicotine patches easier than cigarettes

[knobblykneesandturnedouttoes]

Hi, I quit smoking 5 months ago using patches. Wasn't easy at the start but overall it has been ok. However, I'm still stuck on the stage 1 patches after all this time! I've tried 4 times now to switch to the stage 2 ones, but I get really tearful and desperately crave cigarettes. Not enough to make me but any, but enough to make me go back up to the stage 1 patch. Has anyone else had this problem as it's really annoying me. I feel so much better but really want to get off nicotine altogether rather than keep on spending a fortune on patches.

I would just bite the bullet and go cold turkey. You've broken the habit of smoking so now it's just the nicotine (I found the habit harder to break then the nicotine addiction, and I still use nicotine free e-cigs). According to the smoking course I did, it takes 48 hours for the nicotine to completely leave your system - if you took the patch off now, you could be nicotine free by the weekend

Just go cold turkey and be done with it. You'll have a shitty 3 days or so but then it will be out of your system. Just get it over with and stop wasting money.

Yes just stop using them, it's really not normal to be tearful etc.

I'm in the same position with Nicorette gum. I quit smoking nearly a year ago and still chew the gum. I think cold turkey is the only way

They don't tell you about this when you quit, that you may have trouble quitting the nicotine replacement. My dh had the same, he chewed nicotine gum for ages.

OP maybe try the gum while you try to cope with stopping patches? You can break the gum in half and reduce that too, alternate with ordinary gum etc.

It certainly is normal to have feelings of sadness, tearfulness, low mood etc when you quit. I've heard it said it's like losing your best friend. Part of that is the effect of the chemical on your brain but most people who smoke use it in part to deal with difficult feelings. I had a penny-dropping moment after quitting when I was tempted to smoke after a shock (crazy violent neighbour shouting at me), that nothing would be different after smoking but I'd never learn to deal with my feelings without nicotine if I didn't just get through it without.

No shame in this, this is why we get addicted. Either choose to taper off with gum or try quitting cold turkey, but anything that helps you quit is better than going back to fags. And omg is it worth it! Best thing I ever did.

I might try cold turkey then. Kids going to grandmas this afternoon until tomorrow evening so it will be a 'good' day to be in withdrawal I suppose. I'm just really scared that I will end up smoking and ruin this quit as it's the longest I've gone except during pregnancy.

I have tried the gum but it hurts my throat. Also tried vaping which the stronger ones hurt my throat or the weaker ones weren't enough. It seems I'm a fussy nicotine addict 🙄

I didn't like the gum either OP. It made me cough. You could try putting it under your tongue instead of chewing. It might be just enough to deal with a craving.

Do feel free to do whatever will make you feel good without smoking. Is there a treat you can have whenever you get a craving? Something delicious that will distract you and make you feel like you're being good to yourself, or something you can cram in your mouth to keep your hands/mouth busy (carrot batons are a popular substitution apparently, though admittedly not much of a treat). Popcorn? Really good coffee?

I have heard that people cut the patches in half. Here is a good discussion about that incl the idea that you can leave half the backing on (ignore the title, there are a lot of good ideas here): www.thoughtco.com/why-you-shouldnt-cut-nicotine-patches-608419

Keep in mind you only have to do this once, so do whatever works and gets you through it. (If you smoke though, you're back to square one and will have to do it all over again.)