I've been smoking for 30 years, since I was 15. I decided to get NHS help giving up and my practitioner phoned me up and asked me to choose a date. I chose October 1st. She sent me 14 nicotine patches (dose 21 mg) to wear for 24 hours each one, also a supply of little Nicorette sucky things, max usage 4 per day. I was supposed to be on 21 mg for 6 weeks, then 14 mg for 3 weeks, then 7 mg for three, making 12 weeks total. The first 2 weeks went fine, then I went to the pharmacy to get the second lot of 14 patches. She requested 14 mg. She said this was her mistake at the next phone consultation. I said never mind, let's give them a whirl. Well, nothing bad happened. Now it's nearly another 2 weeks gone by. Today is day 28. I put on a patch on Thursday but the next day I took it into my head to not renew it. I've now gone 2 whole days without any patches, and so far nothing bad has happened. I feel a teeny bit sort of edgy from time to time, but nothing drastic. I'm not supposed to use more than 4 cartridges in the Nictorette inhalators each day, but in fact I am finding just one is enough. So AIBU to keep not using the patches? I've got 16 sitting in the cupboard. The practitioner said I shouldn't get ahead of myself, but if I feel OK why use them? TBH I'm not sure what this 'craving' business is supposed to feel like. I do get pangs of wanting a fag at certain times, like after meals, but I can distract myself by doing something and having a puff on the Nicorette. It's not like running out of fags and wanting them, because I definitely don't want to smoke.