Erm..... I think I just quit smoking.

[CarbeDiem]

I'm 36 been smoking on and off (for the most part on) since I was 14.
Stopped long term during 3 pregnancies but always started again after.
Same goes for long hospital stays - always always re-start.

I'm asthmatic and believe it or not it doesn't make me react like chemicals or cats, obviously it's certainly not helping my lungs/asthma at all and that's always shocked me. I don't have a morning cough either, never have. I do get out of breath if I run or during heavy exercise and I'm terrified about COPD.

I used to smoke roughly 40 a day until about 3 years ago when I started ttc then I started to cut down to roughly 15 -20 daily, sometimes less.
I have wanted to stop for ages, read Allen Carr and amassed nicotine aids - patches, gum, lozengers, the little inhaler thing. Also tried vaping but couldn't get away with it. :( I just couldn't summon the motivation. I even hoped the Gynae Dr would tell me that 100% my smoking was what was/is not letting me get upduffed... but he didn't.

Anyway, yesterday I suddenly thought about it, nothing in particular prompted it and something has driven me on since then.
Last night I raked out my patches etc... left them on the bench for morning then went and smoked 3 cigarettes in roughly 10 mins to sicken myself.
Woke up this morning and slapped my patch on and puffed away on the inhaler thing while having my coffee.

I FEEL FINE - no craving really, I haven't wanted to pick one up AT ALL - I'm quite shocked. I tried a lozenge earlier but bleurgh! I don't like them, it gave me hiccups and tasted absolutely horrible.

I'm giving myself little pep talks each time I pass the bathroom mirror.
'You can do it Carbe, think of your lungs, skin, teeth etc.. You won't stink anymore, Cigs are vile etc....'' :)

I'm worried about after dinner - the cig after dinner is probably the one I 'enjoy' most in the whole day. If I feel like I want one I'll maybe try another nasty lozenge or brush my teeth, chew mint or spray some antiseptic in my mouth.... Something to distract and make me not want one.

I'm going to try my best not to eat instead of smoke as I'm already trying to lose weight and have lost a little so I don't want that back on. I've got pumpkin seeds, carrot slices and dried goji berries as well as fruits to pick at if I need to so hopefully I'll be able to continue losing weight.

I don't know why I've posted really, will maybe keep popping on to log it down.
Hopefully I won't succumb, I want to be free from this stinking evil weed.

KiaOra well done! Have you tried a fruit flavour for the 0% nicotine, for those times you're going out with mates who smoke? They taste much nicer IMO whether with nicotine or not

Yes. It tastes like verbeena and glycerine. It's vile. But, put it this way, I'd rather do that than inhale the smoke from a proper cigarette, it seizes my lungs, I am not joking, I can't breathe.
I'm someone who LOVED smoking, you know, proper loving it. I don't miss it. :)

Hmm that may be a brand issue, I gather that using a decent brand is even more important for low levels of nicotine because you don't get a masking effect from that. Also, the blend of PG/VG can affect the flavour a bit....

I use totally wicked, allergic.
What would you recommend?

Alchemist's Cupboard & Triphammer are both excellent - a bit more expensive than some but well worth it for the flavour. I've heard good things about Celtic Vapours recently as well.

I'm sure some of the others will chip in with seriously nice "boutique" makes

Thank you! I'll look them up. 20 ml last me about 4 months, so a bit more expensive is ok :)

Thanks all for your comments.

That spray is no longer appealing - Why the hell would I want to squirt it up my nose. I've gone off that idea now as I hate nose things.

KiaOra - Don't worry, yes I need to use my asthma inhalers but the 'inhaler' I keep writing about here is the nicorette inhaler that you pop the the little nicotine cartridges in - it's kind of like a small plastic cigarette, without smoke, that I can, and do, hold like a ciggy. It's because of this that I'm surviving - without it I doubt I'd have passed day 1.

Even if I felt like using and E-cig, I can't be arsed with the hassle of ordering one from a different country by the time it got here (10-14 days from UK) I'd be well over any withdrawal. Then I'd have to keep reordering the oils.
I had a Trendy branded one, bought here - Dh found out they're fakes (big sign in the supermarket/on the news) so went in the bin. Most stuff like that comes from China or Russia so definitely poor quality, not kite marked and often dangerous.
Like I said, I have tried one for a few days and I didn't like it much so for now I'm not going to think about them.

Battling my way through this mornings craving right now.
I've woken feeling shitty, fluey, aching with a blocked left nostril, sore left side of throat and right earache ... WTF? :)

Have a good day all.

Carbe hold on in there. You may well have just picked up a virus and the timing is coincidental.

On the other hand, your body has been acclimatised to having the 4000-odd chemicals other than nicotine pumped into it day after day for 20-odd years, and has got used to them. Now you aren't smoking, your body is starting to detox. Short term effects can be feeling shitty partly due to withdrawal to the other crap in fags, greasy hair/skin and a chesty cough as the lungs clear out. Long term effects likely to be better breathing, reduction in your asthma symptoms, improved stamina, faster healing of injuries, lower chance of getting ANY form of cancer, and better hair, skin & teeth - well worth the short term effects IMO!

Totally up to you of course and I won't try to persuade you further but I do think it's important to address misconceptions ...

Not sure I want to go there because then later I'd need to wean off those too or stop immediately if I fall pregnant - whichever comes first.

This would be exactly the same as with your NRT products. It's the same pharma grade nicotine in both. Lots of people successfully wean themselves off ecigs. Others just carry on vaping, happy to have removed ~95%+ of the risks of smoking. Incidentally, NRT is routinely prescribed in PG if the mother can't stop smoking without it.

I had a Trendy branded one, bought here - Dh found out they're fakes (big sign in the supermarket/on the news) so went in the bin. Most stuff like that comes from China or Russia so definitely poor quality, not kite marked and often dangerous.

Yes most ecigs are made in China - that goes for the cheap, the expensive, the well known brands, the fakes/clones ... they are capable of making iPhones now you know If you want something that's not made in China you're generally looking at high-end mods costing £100+ and even then they will almost undoubtedly have sourced components from outside the EU or US.

Basically what you've got is a battery with a bit of wire on top and some glycerine with nicotine and flavourings in. Things can go wrong but the number of things that can go wrong is very limited. The biggest danger is batteries overheating and venting and the very occasional cases where this has happened have been where someone is using the wrong charger and overloading the battery. It's worth remembering that this can and does also happen with phones, laptops etc. - they all use the same sort of Li-Ion batteries which are prone to this - but that never makes major headlines.

The best way of avoiding this (actually very small) risk is -

• buy your kit from a reputable company (and yes if there was a product recall on the one you bought you are wise to stop using it)

• always always always use the correct charger

• don't leave charging batteries unattended

The above advice is good for ALL devices that use Li-Ion batteries, not just ecigs.

Sorry to bring all that up on your support thread, I'll shut up now and just wish you lots of strength for today. You're doing really well!

Thanks Plenty.
Yeah, I get you regarding you Patches and stuff and falling pregnant. It's all basically the same shite that I'm putting in my body.
I think most of why I'm wary of E-cigs, not just because I don't really like them, is that I don't want anything to replicate a cigarette. I want to be as far away from them as possible and as quickly as possible. Patches and inhaler just seem to me, an easier way to get rid iyswim.

Unfortunately Chinese electrical products have a VERY bad reputation in the Country that I live - it's not at all regulated like in the Uk. Dh doesn't even trust legit shops after having his fingers burned too many times before. If I really wanted I could order from the UK and then have things forwarded here or PIL can bring when they come over - so not a huge issue.

I've tried to walk off this shite feeling, went to the farmers market again today, stocked up on the last of the raspberries/strawberries/blackberries to freeze for winter.
Cravings are coming and going, I felt sick,spluttered and jumped out of the way when a guy at the market poofed smoke in my face.
Oh no! I'm going to be one of THOSE ex-smokers, aren't I :)
I can feel a difference in my breathing already, I've not got a cough but have been sneezing my head off all day.

I'm off to prepare dinner - chicken, mushroom and pasta bake for later. Then just to get past the post dinner mega crave and that will almost be the end of day 4.

Reporting, that my calmness has lasted until almost the end of day 4.
The rage was lurking in there I knew it and DH has just bore the brunt

Feck sake! Is it not bedtime yet.

Thanks Polter.
Yeah, it's difficult with him still smoking. He's getting better at remembering to GTF outside :)

What a shitty night, up, down, tossed and turned. Then up early for the wardrobe guy arriving to measure up. I'm knackered.
Morning craving feels a bit less today. I'm not enjoying coffee any more though - Meh! you can't have it all Carbe shut your dish whinging

The little voice is still trying to tell me to have a cig.
I think I read somewhere before that it takes around 6 weeks for our brain to accept a new 'habit' or in this case forget one and what we're introducing/taking away becomes our new 'normal'.
Only another 5 weeks + 2 days to go then before I can kill the little voice :)

28 days I heard, Carbe. Sorry to hear you had a rough night, I think that's quite common when you stop smoking. Your DH really should be better at not smoking near you. You must be really noticing the smell by now if he smokes indoors. Bin all the ashtrays except for one and put it outside.

There's only one ashtray left, he's emptying and cleaning it. I can't say I can smell it any worse than before tbh. I've always thought they stink and have been able to smell one a mile off. He's getting better, I think just once today he forgot.

I don't know if it's linked, I haven't googled :) but I'm super super emotional today, twice today for no real reason I've had waterworks :(
Normally I'm hormonal more at ovulation time than before a period and ov time will be here in roughly 4 days so still a bit early to be emotional yet (I've tested too so know I'm defo not).
WTF is going on in my body??

28 days you say.... I'll take that, sounds better than 6 weeks ;)

Yes that's probably linked. Among the several thousand chemicals in fag smoke there are several that act as mild antidepressants (MAOI's) so even though you're on NRT your body will be missing those. It's one of the reasons smoking rates are so high among people with mental health issues.

Just be really kind to yourself (and have a good blub if it helps), you'll get through it

Thanks Plenty - glad to know I'm not going crazy.

Today has been much better. I think it has a lot to do with getting a good nights sleep. Rather than risk a disrupted night again last night I took a sleeping tablet and it worked.
No crying today :) Mood pretty much normal.
Craving might have even been a little bit less this morning AND after dinner.
Dh hasn't forgotten even once today, went outside every time. He's smoking much less too which will help him when he decides to quit.
I even enjoyed my coffee this morning - first time since ditching the cigs.

The little bastard voice is still trying to corrupt me, although not as many times daily as it was before. My triggers/habit dodging are - morning, after dinner and going to the toilet (yes really) :) So I'm using the nico inhaler heavily at those times.

So day 6 almost done, I never thought I'd get this far tbh so I'm quite pleased with myself even though I've still got a long way to go.

Somebody, anybody please tell me this is normal - related to quitting.

My front tooth has been a bit sore for a few days, granted I'm chewing the inside of my lips/cheeks a bit but I always do that and it never hurts my tooth.
I was at the dentist 2 weeks ago and she had a good check of my teeth so would have noticed anything wrong.

Right to the point - My front tooth feels a little wobbly, I even made Dh wiggle it too and it definitely moves. Not to where it could come out - not that bad. The others all feel fine. I haven't knocked or bumped it.

I'm sure I've read (or I've imagined) that after X amount of days after stopping the blood can fill the gums and begin to flow properly again - could this be why? please say yes
I don't wanna lose teeth ffs!

Well done! Sounds like you're turning the corner

The tooth thing could well be gum disease which is common but not normal IYSWIM. Smoking is terrible for your gums but at the same time masks the effects because what you heard is right - it restricts the flow of blood to the gums. Then when you stop the capillaries regrow. Have they started bleeding at all?

Get to the dentists asap for a check up and make sure you see the hygienist too.

No not bleeding. I've no history of gum disease, even my dentist is surprised I've never had problems from smoking other than pale gums which from what you've said is from smoking. They look pink right now.
I'll see what it's like tomorrow if no better then I'll make an appointment.
I've just been to both 2 weeks ago but best to check.

Thank you for verifying - I read so much I sometimes confuse myself :)

Almost the end of day 8 and I'm still fag free.

Feeling a little easier with each passing day. Today after eating it took me ages to notice that I actually didn't think about smoking afterwards.

My tooth feels better thank the lord!

Patches are still making my arms ache, it's quite painful at times but I googled and found although not listed as side effect, it is quite common but so far unexplained.

I'm just back in from the cinema and eating out and resisted alcohol - I'm nowhere near strong enough to fight cigs if under the influence :)

Well done.

Op you are doing brilliantly I am I'm awe of your super willpower! Surely the worst is behind you. The health benefits of being a non smoker are starting to be realise by your body and the actual physical addiction should be subsiding. So keep at it. You're a non smoker and the worst is over!

And you say you're terrified of copd. This time next year you probably won't even think about it.