Opinions please

[sosoverytired]

Right, I want to quit smoking. Today is day 3 cold turkey. However, brain fog is killing me. Close to Christmas and lots of important self employed paper work to get done in about 2-3 weeks.

For background. Historic anxiety and depression. Anxiety has re occurred due to shock bereavement about 8 weeks ago, disabled child, both children with health issues.
Upside down house. Personal health issues.
For reference the panic attacks look like heart attacks.
Basically I have to function right now or many many things go very very wrong.

I do want to quite and thought of giving up at this stage makes me sick, however I need to function for the next couple months (TIL January) and can get a proper plan in place.

Só opinions please. Cause either way I feel like I'm failing.

Yeah I was going to suggest vaping as an alternative to going back on them

Youre nearly there

After the weekend youll be done

Taking nicotine in whatever form will just mean you have to do it all again.

Stick with it

Vaping all the way - find one that works for you, remember to always be charged up, experiment with flavours, everyone’s different and don’t see it as a “quitting” aid for now just go with it.
At the very least it’s cheaper and not smelly!

Allen Carr’s book was a revelation to me. It took 21 days to change the habit and a week to get over the physical withdrawal.
Don’t try gums and patches as they only delay the inevitable and taste horrible.
You need to pick a quiet time.
I did mine on a 2 week holiday with other non-smokers. Different place, no stress. It’s noticing when you use cigarettes as a crutch and what to do. After that I pushed for another week and I’ve been smoke-free for 9 years. I had a 20-30 a day habit.
And on another note, my skin now is amazing while I always looked grey and unwell before.

I read The Easy Way to Stop Smoking by Allan Carr (not the chatty one). I followed every step and went from 20 Marlbro lights a day to 0 on March 1st 2003. I am still a non smoker. You CAN do it!

My friend recently quit and swears by the patches to help with the fuzzy feeling. Don't quit quitting!! it's almost over x

Champix???

If as PPs say you will be over the brain fog within a week- stop panicking.

In the time before Xmas think how much time you’ll gain by not having to take time out to physically go and smoke a cigarette.

Giving anything up, the first few days are the hardest- you’ve already done that.

I need to cut down on stuffing my face. If you can quit smoking cold turkey then I can give up unnecessary face stuffing- you’ve inspired me to do it..... today is day one......

After a couple of false starts my OH succeeded in quitting a major smoking habit through vaping. He now only vapes non-nicotine stuff, and only needs a few puffs a day. (His triggers are phone calls and paperwork!)

He also had one hypnotherapy session which he said was crap, but I'm not so sure as he gave up smoking (using the vape) shortly after.

Good luck with whatever you decide. I wouldn't blame you if you cut down for now, and go for quitting for good in the new year. Maybe buy yourself a vape kit for Xmas, or get others to contribute. It's like getting in training for a marathon

I increased my Anti-Ds six weeks before I quit so the higher dose would be in my system.

I was smoking 3-5 a day and went cold turkey. Day one and two were okay, by day three I was having night sweats, my anxiety was through the roof (which stopped me eating) and my bloods were all over the place (smoking withdrawal effects blood sugars of diabetics). Day 6 I had to lock myself in the toilet at work as my anxiety was getting too much and I was knackered from the last of sleep.

Somewhere in the second week my boyfriend stayed the night and said I had aged ten years 😂 and I think my general anxiety and jumpiness scared him a little bit.

By day 23 I was no better (stoptober) and looking even older! I had been sent home from work three times at this point. Day 31 (dressed as a ninja turtle for halloween) I thought fuck it and had a fag, within hours anxiety etc reduced back to it’s normal level for me and I could go back down to my usual doses.

So, that was a bit of a screw up! I have tried champix before but it made me feel sick, which risked causing other issues to surface so my GP took me off it.

Oh well, I’ll try again in the NY, I’ve tried 5/6 times and always ended up an anxious mess, but I’ll crack it one day. The anxious mess this time isn’t as bad as it has been previously when I tried to quit, so that’s actually positive.

Nicotine flavoured vape, after 2 days it stopped being weird and I was able to wean myself off that much more easily than the fags. 3.5 years smoke free, good luck! X

Ooh your doing so well! Keep it going. I found that totally passed after being a week cold Turkey.
Quit 6 years ago successfully, if you push through it you'll feel amazing

Ask the pharmacist for the pills. You can continue smoking while you're on them and then gradually start cutting down naturally because you've got the nicotine from the pills and it takes some time to get into your body.

You literally just carry on as normal and take the pills every day. It took FIL 4 weeks but by week 2 he'd cut down by half.

Never heard of pills so will ask at pharmacy while I'm there today. Still not had one so it's day 4 clear! We will see what pharmacy says later. Luckily they also know all my meds and my children's meds so makes it easier.

Thank you all for understanding.