Anyone want to hold hands and quit the fags together?

[QueenofDreams]

Hi,
I'm quitting smoking. Had my last cigarette on Saturday. My DP kept me on the straight and narrow yesterday, but he's at work today so does anyone want to come and hold my hand/join me in ditching the cigarettes? I smoked 10-15 rollups a day, and I'm just sick of the cough. DP quit cold turkey a year ago, and DB quit using patches about the same time. So now it's my turn

just bumping your thread before it disappears from active convos.

oh, good luck btw!

thanks

Hi! I am on the other stop smoking thread but will join you here too - I had my last cigarette on Sat night and THAT'S IT - no more.

It will be SO worth it to live smoke-free - do you have LOs? My LO is 2 and I really want to do this for her. I am a social smoker, not really bothered during the day but give me a glass of wine and it's all over - I can easily binge smoke all evening.

The impetus for me is that I am getting a funny pain low down in my chest and that's the reason I have to stop. I am absolutely terrified. Going to the docs tomorrow but all I can think about is cancer

KEEP STRONG TODAY each day it will get easier. Do you have anything you can eat / drink to take your mind off it? I am planning to stock up on goodies as a reward.

Hi, I have recently quit using the prescribed drug 'champix' and it has been so easy, you just really do not feel like smoking. Some people get side affects from it but I have been fine. I have tried patches/gum/cold turkey previously but never managed very well, however, with this I have not smoked at all in 4 weeks. I'm very determind not to start again and honsetly feel this time I have beat it.

Good luck with it!

Hi Novice and IFI - I'm using Champix, but for some reason still getting cravings - I think maybe it's not actual CRAVINGS as such, so much as wanting to smoke out of habit (if that makes sense) I know when I DO smoke, I get no nicotine rush or anything.
novice I considered joining the other thread, but everyone else seems quite far down the line, so thought a fresh thread for new quitters might be an idea. I have a ds (19 months). Hope your doctor gives you good news. Let me know how you get on!

thanks QoD, I will let you know how it goes tomorrow, I am completely terrified and have not managed to eat anything all day

I feel so silly and weak, but this time I am utterly DETERMINED to stop.

Sometimes I do sort of feel like I would like a fag, but like you QoD I think it is more the old habit. I haven't been climbing the walls or unreasonably crabby (like I normally am when I try and stop). I have, however, been eating like a piggy, tons, all day and all night, my breeks are very much tighter around my ass now as they were a month ago . Never mind, one thing at a time I figure, fags this while, weight sometime after that......

Afternoon ladies, I went to see my doc this morning and apparently I have an inflammation on my lung and nothing more sinister. Yay!

However, after 36 hours of not eating or sleeping with worry, this is a BIG wake up call to quit. I literally spent all last night worrying about whether we have mortgage protection and who would look after DD if I wasn't here and I'm NOT doing that again so that's it. No more smoking for novice.

How are you all doing today? QoD how are your cravings? Imfeckingpetigo, don't worry about the weight gain thing - I reckon we'll get onto dealing with that once the fags have been dealt with. Have a

novice great great news! Very glad to hear you're ok. Is the inflammation smoking related?
I'm doing ok-ish. I caved and lit up a cigarette this morning. But had two puffs and came back in gagging. took two cups of tea to get the taste out my mouth. bleurgh. I'm taking that as a positive sign
Im I wouldn't worry too much about the weight thing either - the way I see it is that exercise will be a lot easier with your lungs clear of gunk, so once you get into it you'll be healthier all round!

Oh that is good news novice and I'm glad it has pushed you into being more positive about stopping.
QoD I nearly had a fag today, my ds was driving pure insane and I really wanted to run to the doorstep and have my 5 minutes of peace to relax, I didn't. I think this champix is good in that even though you think you want a fag actually doing it is quite a horrid thought (as you found out today!).
Having a fly glass of wine and that seems to be making things a wee bit better

well done QoD and Im! Sounds like you were both sorely tempted yesterday and managed to resist. QoD how do you feel about having lit up again? The fact that you were gagging on the taste is such a good sign that you really are NOT a smoker any more, just try to remember that feeling next time you're feeling the urge.

I went out for dinner with my DH last night and had quite a lot of wine which is usually my trigger but I managed not to crack

Bought some gum today - is it any good? Just think I should try and have something handy when I next get a craving.

Yes the inflammation is smoking-related which is very annoying and he said it could take a while to go down and I have to be patient. It is quite painful sometimes, but stopping smoking will prevent it from getting any worse than it is. I am having spirometry tests on Friday to see in more detail any damage but it's nothing awful which is the main thing. MASSIVE wake up call for me to see that smoking has actually compromised my health.

Well done novice, you are doing really well if you can drink and not smoke especially as you are just doing it cold turkey!

I tried the gum once but didn't like it much nor the inhalator but it is definitely worth a try. I have heard that after 2 weeks the nicotine leaves you completely but that probably seems an age away!

I can't believe how little it does actually take to damage your lungs, you always imagine that it is people who have been smoking 40 a day for 40 years that end up with problems. Obviously it isn't but I think I do justify myself with that excuse. Hope everything goes well on Friday, let us know how you get on.

I've been fine today, had a busy day which helps. I am worried what will happen once I finish the champix but that's not for a few weeks yet so will just need to wait and see.

Good luck for the rest or the night and tomorrow

Hey guys.
I've been ok today although still feeling the urge to smoke.
Been having chest pains which I found bizarre, but dp says that nicotine is an anaesthetic so while you're a smoker you don't feel the damage you're doing to your lungs. Can't vouch for the veracity of that one though.

Hi there Im and QoD, we did really well yesterday! another day as non-smokers

Im - was it your doc who prescribed champix then? I don't know anything about it - does the 'dosage' decrease as you go along, or does it work to get you through the first month or so and then you're hopefully far enough along to do the rest yourself? sorry for my stupidity, it does sound really helpful!

QoD, someone told me (classic anecdotal evidence!) that smoking destroys the little hairs (?) on your lungs which help you fight infection. While you're smoking the smoke kills off quite a lot of possible infection but then you stop, and the hairs don't grow back immediately, so you are prone to getting a tight chest and infection in the first few weeks. Or something... this might be BS of course

I didn't need to use the gum yesterday, I kept really busy in the evening and then it was late and I was knackered so just went to bed. I got my 'quitkit' thing from NHS yesterday which was fun bedtime reading (not) . My sleep pattern is all over the place though, keep waking up at 3am, are either of you getting this?

Hmm novice I'm not the best to talk about effects on sleep as I usually have sleep problems anyway. But I do seem to have worse restless legs than usual. Once I do manage to get to sleep I'm not waking up too much, although for some reason I have been waking at about 5am.
You have to get Champix prescribed, but at my GPs it's the practice nurse who does it. The dose builds up over the first week, then you have the same dose the rest of the course. I think it's 12 weeks you take it for, and you have to stop smoking in the 2nd week of taking the tabs.

Hi, I'm sleeping okay with my tablets but have really vivid dreams every night. Not sure if that is because of the tablets or just stopping the fags.

I also got my prescription from the GP but had to see the smoking cessation officer first to go through the side-effects etc. I have about another 6 weeks to go.

QoD my ex had restless legs, it was horrid for him so I feel for you.

Good luck today, hope you get a better night's sleep tonight novice.

the weird dreams are through tablets - Iused patches the first time and had weird vivid dreams. The second time I gave up I went cold turkey and never had the dreams at all.

Oh okay, thanks IvyKaty. I don't mind them at all, have dreamt a lot of my grandmother who has been dead a good 10 years, it's nice.

Well done giving up cold turkey, I have tried that so many times and always fail. Probably I didn't want to stop enough I guess, plus I am very weak willed (excuses, excuses).

yeah, the first 2 nights I woke up on the dot of 3.30am, wide awake, no idea why, took me ages to drop off again - s'pose I should have used my alertness todo some cleaning or something HA HA!
the next night it was 1.45am but then last night was OK, just woke up at 5 (not too bad as I'm up at 6 for work anyway).

QoD, I feel like I am coming down with something today as well, thinking about you with your chest. Are you getting cold-type symptoms? am going to snuggle up with DH tonight and watch the leaders debate (how sad) with a nice glass of wine and hopefully go to bed early and knock it on the head.

DH is going away this weekend and my mum is coming over for 2 nights. She knows I'm trying to quit so hopefully she'll keep me off the cigs if we have too much wine on Fri night. Planning a trip to Kew gardens with DD on Sat if the weather is good - fresh air! hopefully that will help too

How about everyone else? any nice non-smoking plans for the weekend?

No I don't feel coldy at all. I was sneezing a lot yesterday though. I've had a blocked nose for weeks now - had a cold and the symptoms just didn't go, it's the main reason I decided I'd had enough. well that and I'm TTC so I might as well quit BEFORE being pg
We're going out somewhere this weekend for SIL's birthday - just a quiet lunch I think. Haven't told any of DP's family about quitting so they'll be rather surprised I think!

QoD sounds like a nice weekend you have planned, and GOOD LUCK TTC . I am vaguely thinking about it too and it's definitely a factor in wanting to give up. Do any of your DPs family smoke? will that be a temptation for you at the weekend? or will they be pleased you're stopping?

Hey, you realise if we get through today and tomorrow we'll have done a whole week?!

So, on top of my lung inflammation (which is getting a bit better - off for my spirometry tests this lunchtime - joy), I now also have a kidney infection and general feeling of rubbish-ness. I get kidney infections about once a year, really evil, why do I have to get it NOW? I feel like crap but at least feeling ill means I'm not wanting a fag I suppose!

Argh Novice I've never had a kidney infection but my mum has told me how awful it is! Take care of yourself.
No one in DP's family smokes now. In fact I'm the only smoker in his and my family now with dp and db having quit last year. So no, there won't be that temptation at least
Can't believe it's nearly a week! we're doing so well

Oh novice poor you, I hope you feel better soon and that your results are okay this afternoon.
It will be a nice surprise for the family then QoD, I hope you enjoy whatever you end up doing for your SIL birthday.
I am a single parent so am planning the usual things to keep the children entertained, swimming, museum and chips!
It is snowing up here, very bizarre, looks like it is lovely way south and here we are all freezing. My children went off to school today with hats, scarfs and gloves. My poor ds starts his football training outside tonight, hope he does a lot of running around!

am sitting on the sofa eating chocs with a hot water bottle strapped to my back for the kidney pain - not ALL bad then!

QoD it's easier when no one in the family smokes I reckon - no one to cadge fags off when you lose your willpower My DH's aunty smokes like a chimney and I am dreading seeing her in a few weeks, I'll be so tempted and she LOVES having someone to go outside the pub and gossip with. NHS stop smoking people called me today and were very congratulatory about having managed almost a week, we should be SO PLEASED with ourselves.

Im, when did you give up, are you almost a week too, or longer? and where do you live that it's cold enough for hats and gloves?! Here I am in London worrying that I sent DD to nursery without her sunhat this morning! Swimming, museum and chips sounds perfect btw, how many DCs do you have?

Oh yes, and I went and had the spirometry tests this afternoon - I think they went OK but the nurse said that the doc will phone me if he wants to see me again. He may want to give me an inhaler apparently. The inflammation is getting better, or maybe I'm distracted by the pain in my kidneys