Stop smoking during Corona.

[Inappropriatefemale]

So I have just read that smokers are 14 times more likely to get corona virus because the lungs can’t clear the virus as well as non smokers and whilst I’m probably smoking even more just now through sheer boredom, then I think it’s a great time to try and stop, in all honesty then I don’t even enjoy smoking fags and roll ups anymore except first thing in morning.

Is anyone else out there trying to or thinking of stopping? I thought it would be good to support one anothers attempts to stop at this time.

I have tried to stop smoking once and it was a few months ago but to no avail, I used the patches but now I need sheer will power to get through and some support!

Keep going it's so worth it. I started at 16 was smoking 20 a day in no time. I stopped twice for pregnancy and always went back to it. Third pregnancy at 33 I just stopped cold turkey. It was so difficult but the cravings always pass. You just have to breath through them. I never ever thought I could do it. I loved smoking and I couldn't imagine stopping and thought if I did I would always think about it and crave it. I did do it and I don't think about smoking now. I hate the smell of it and can smell a smoker a mile away! It's the worst thing I ever started and the best thing I ever gave up. Keep going it's unbelievably worth it ! You can do it !

This may be where you read it, OP
It's an excellent step to give up smoking now

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/smokers-at-greater-risk-of-severe-respiratory-disease-from-covid-19

Emerging evidence from China shows
smokers with COVID-19 are 14 times more likely to develop severe respiratory disease

I found when I gave up, the idea of giving up was much worse than the actual giving up part, if that makes any sense. I'd just drummed it into my head that it would be incredibly hard, and the reality was, it really wasn't, even after 20 years.

If you're struggling going cold turkey, try nicotine replacement.

I’m still smoking!!

Of course you are! Because you don't really want to quit, you just think you should and you think it gives you some control over the whole covid 19 madness.

Until you actually want to quit, for yourself, because you want to, because you had enough you won't be able to.

Go to a vape shop & talk to the staff, they can help you get set up properly with a vape, don't bother with the small ones that look like a pen, you don't get enough hit of taste or nicotine & the juice costs a fortune for a small amount, get a mod & separate tank, that way you can buy juice in larger amounts & choose how much nicotine to add, I would start on 6mg & work towards 3mg then aiming for no nicotine, it gives you something to keep your hand & mouth occupied & stops the withdrawals, get a menthol or mint flavoured juice, I like blackcurrant tunes flavour it has a menthol hit with a blackcurrant flavour.

8 days now!

But PP poster is right you have to want to. I wanted to.

Started straight onto the 4mg lozengers but needed mess that what they told you you should have minimum.

Yesterday switched to the 2mg ones. I've had 6 in 20 hours after having 2 4mg ones in the morning before I bought them.

Don't get me wrong sometimes I do just think I'd love to go outside to have one but I'm not craving the nicotine.

I quit 8 years ago, I picked a date and had my last cigarette.

I told myself I was an ex smoker, not a smoker trying to give up. That was an important mental aspect for me! It wasn't as hard as I was expecting, (I do have strong willpower) and I lost weight and started exercising.

When I smoked I couldn't walk up the stairs without getting breathless, but now (well, before lockdown) I was training for a half marathon :)

One of the best things I've ever done. But PP is right, you won't do it unless you really, really want to be an ex smoker.

9 days on and my watch tells me my normal pulse rate is 10bpm lower than last week.

Quit today OP. Make it happen!

Break it into chunks, and reward yourself.

Aim for a week first. That will reduce your cravings and should be more achievable.

That's excellent progress, weird

Nearly cracked last night, but I'd had a few drinks. Thankfully dp didn't pop to the shops for me! Day 11 here.

I found a random one this morning.

Decided to see if how I felt.

1 puff and went in bin. Had a headache ever since.

It was a crack and giving up giving up as I wouldn't buy them.

It's actually given me more resolve to know even if I met friends socially I wouldn't have 1 now.

I'm reducing one cigarette a week for now, so that one for seven days is reduced with using my vape.

The second week is replacing two a day with the vape, week three replacing three etc etc.

I'm hoping this will work but going cold turkey will not be the best strategy for me right now.

Thighmageddon I am trying a similar strategy minus the vape as I'm not able to get out to buy one (not doing any kind of shopping/contact at all with people outside of my house at the moment, have tobacco in house because of duty free).

Keeping track of every time I smoke, 9-10 is my absolute maximum a day this week (but if I can get under that, great) next week 8-9, and so on.

If I can get down to 5 a day within the next few weeks I will be thrilled. It would be the least a day I've smoked a day in 10 years.

Finished yesterday on 8, so under maximum.
I know it's still 8 too many but it's a start and the least I've smoked in a long time.

Recording numbers and times in my phone notes is definitely helping me.

Well done wild any improvement is an achievement.

I stopped cold turkey after reading Allan Carr’s book. I too found the thought of giving up so much harder than the reality.
It’s about 15 years ago since I read his book but from what I remember as a smoker you spend your whole time thinking about the next cigarette. This was me, as soon as I got up, before starting work, break and lunch times, last one before bed, an hour after my last one I would be thinking about my next.

As a non smoker I have no cravings, at all, I never think about them ever. Stopping really set me free. I found that after the first 24 or 48 hours once the nicotine is out of your system the cravings get less and less and after about a week pretty they much stop altogether.
To be honest I look back and can’t believe I used to smoke. Good Luck.

Well done wild, I ended on 7 and not had one yet today despite being awake since 6am.

Full of admiration for those of you quitting smoking , My grandma stopped smoking after over 50 years of 40+ a day one winter when she had a cold/flu type thing and couldn't get to the shops when she ran out of cigarettes. One morning she realised that she hadn't smoked for four days and didn't miss it so just didn't buy any more and never smoked again. She was lucky though that any withdrawal symptoms were presumably masked by feeling so shitty from the cold/flu!

I’m a relatively light smoker with exercise induced asthma so I was worried about catching it. However I’m 90% sure I’ve had it and my only symptom was a mild sore throat red eyes for 3 days. If it wasn’t covid 19 that caused the red eyes I’d love to know what else it could have been because the NHS didn’t have a clue!

Omashu conjunctivitis can make your eyes glow red. I had it last year with the flu and I looked like a red eyed monster.

Apparently quite common with viral respiratory diseases.

Wombat. I'm the same. 9 days in and i can't believe why I did it and can't imagine enjoying it again! I was exactly the same as well always planning when I could have the next one. Any journals I did, shopping trips, day trips, ds team competitions at the weekend.
It's a really odd thing now I've come out of it. I have the 2mg lozengers but I'm not really craving them. Have the odd one during the day when I can feel I need that nicotine. Usually after morning coffee, after a big meal and before bed.

I join a stop smoking group and it worked for me! We were offered NRT and I opted for champix and I have to say one month in I'm absolutely fine. The two tablets was far too much for me so I reduced to one and felt better (not so wild dreams)..! I'd urge you to give them a go if you can get them. Stopping by during a world pandemic wasn't the plan of course but I'm absolutely determined no and will never ever smoke again.

Thanks itsgettingweird that's the way I am trying to view it.

Thighmageddon that's brilliant, well done. I'm going to try and push it slightly longer tomorrow before having my first one.

Well done to everyone cutting down and to those who have quit. Definitely the best time for us to do this if we're able to.