Why is DH finding stopping smoking so difficult still after 3 months??

[thelittlebluepills]

DH has smoked for years but finally gave up on New Years day - but he still says he is craving the cigs as much now as he did on day one. IT is not getting any easier.

He uses the nicorette inhalator thingies and has one in his mouth almost permanently. When he has spoken to the Pharmacist or Stop smoking helpline they just said he had to keep going.

life is stressful for him at the moment - he has been ill health retired so he's just in the house all day with nothing to do (except ignore the long list of jobs i leave for him )

help! i don't want him to start smoking again but can't see it lasting much longer if it doesn't get easier

I gave up smoking nearly 2 years ago after a heart attack.
Even now the cravings are intense at times and I feel that for me they always will be, im a smoker that dosent smoke rather than a non smoker.
I also use the nicorette inhalor and find it helps,I have not had a ciggy in all that time.Did your husband want to give up, or,like me was it forced on him because of ill health? I feel that is at the root of my problems.
Sorry,no help to you at all but he is not alone this is a common problem,and its early days yet

The nicorette inhaler will be fuelling his addiction, surely?

I found that three months after giving up I didn't have a physical addiction anymore, but I still had the psycological addiction. That took longer to go, probably a few years until I felt it had gone.

It wasn't as hard for the whole time, tbh, once the nicotine was out of my system it got easier.

i will always be a smoker, whether I give up actually smoking or not.
I gave up for 5 years while trying to conceive, PG , BF.- I missed it every single day for those five years, never once did I think this is getting easier.
Which is why I went back to it.

I know others who once the physical addiction goes, never smoke again, and people who literally smoke 2-3 times a year at parties.

Some people I think just struggle with giving up

Has he tried Champix or Zyban?

The point of nicotine replacement is that you gradually taper off usage of it.

It is possible to use Zyban in conjunction with nicotine replacement therapies.

Your DH and heronsfly need to quit nicolette inhalators. They are still addicted to nicotine and that is why they still have intense cravings.

Not sure what advice to give but he is doing so well. My dad tried and failed to give up and it is so tough. I'm sure you are telling him what a great thing he is achieving every day he gets through without smoking. Time for the next step?

What is he interested in? Apart from the house jobs can he get into some kind of new project just for himself?

He needs to see a qualified smoke stop advisor in person for a tailored quit plan. Is there a practice nurse at your surgery that does it?

After 12 weeks he should be at the stage where he is on bare minimum NRT or have stopped by now. To be continuously using an inhalator means that his nicotine receptors are being continually boosted and so will keep demanding nictotine. If he smoked a pack a day before then he probably needs more nicotine replacement than an inhalator alone and may benefit from dual therapy, or Champix. (Zyban rarely used nowadays as side effects are significant).

Also behavioural cravings can last a long time, and sitting around at home makes it so much harder. He needs to try diversional activities each time he has a craving - get him to crack on with your list of jobs!

Dh tried to use a patch twice. It didn't work.

thanks - I will mention the champix thing to him - also the fact that the inhalator may not be helping the cravings

he didn't want to give up - admits that he really enjoyed it - and only gave up because even our little boy asked him to stop

He is a bit depressed anyway and can't really get motivated to do much - (so I think it's a miracle that he's still not smoking) I have suggested various diversionary activities (including some forearm exercise ) but to no avail

he has piled on tons of weight and is still eating lots of chocolate and sweets etc

It's going to be a real uphill battle if he doesn't really want to quit.

dh has been using nicotine gum for 10 years on and off now.

he thinks i found it easy to stop smoking because i managed it and stopped inhalator things too. hardly, failure just wasn't an option.

if you tell yourself smoking (or nicotine) is a marvellous pleasure which you will have to do without then of course it is horrible to stop. getting rid of stinking coughing moneyeating misery is bloody marvellous once one is able to see it in those terms.

all that said it is mostly more pleasant to have dh on nics than off.