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.

Thanks guys.

Yes, I'm rotating the site of patches. Each day it goes in a completely different place.
I've got the clear ones on :) and refuse to buy any different ones as I've got so bloody many of them. So aching muscles it is. People have said when they drop to the lower patches this problem stopped for them so hopefully it will for me too.

I don't know where the willpower is coming from Stealth - Seriously no idea. I've got none for chocolate :)
I hope the worst has passed me. Physically I feel okay. I keep alternating between tasting and smelling so clearly to being bunged up but I think that's all my soft tissues in my mouth/nose/throat going through the recovery process. My breathing is much clearer, I can inhale much much deeper which does give me hope that my lungs can recover well.

Day 9 - So far so good.

Excellent to hear :)

That's fantastic! Well done, I'm sure you're through the worst now

Thanks Plenty, hope so.

Still going :)

Had a wobble yesterday.
I was decorating and getting stressed. For about 2 or 3 hours I felt like having a cig, like I needed one. I kept distracting myself, had the nico inhaler clamped in my mouth, got the nico gum back out... Bleurgh!
Then realised the bloody patch had only fell off, I have no idea exactly when :)
Popped a new one on and within minutes felt okay again.
I've been fine today, picked a bit more than I'd have liked, but I can't give up smoking AND be thin at the moment :)
Maybe another week then I have to get tough and get back to my sensible strict eating.

Dh is 100% good now - every time outside without forgetting.

Day 11 almost done :)

Thank you Polter.

Are you still going strong?

Wow Carbe! good going. You are a wise woman to avoid the booze - I barely smoke any more, but two drinks and I'm chaining them.

Wow you're doing so well keep going!x

Yes, still going Stealth - day 13

Rooty - that's what I'm worried about if I drink. I think when I get further down the line I hopefully won't want to smoke but IF I did have one/some then maybe it would be easier to put it down to stupidity/being pissed and stop again straight away. At the moment that wouldn't be possible as the giving up is still too fresh in my mind to want to do it again any time soon -if that makes sense. I rarely drink anyway so it's no big deal really :)

Thanks Shona, I intend to.

This nico inhaler has been a God send, I honestly don't think I'd have been able to do it without. I'm now trying not to hold it in my hand like a cigarette though, I think the quicker I sever ties with the habit of doing that, the better. Still taking it to the toilet though :) :) but plan to stop it.

I don't NEED anything after meals anymore. Mornings are still a bit difficult but it's more the habit, I think. Overall, I think about cigs much less. The times I'm catching myself say... Do X,Y or Z and have a cig are getting less and less and the little voice is finally starting to STFU become less too.

Big bonus.... Dh has mentioned a few times over the last few days that he'd really like to quit. I've not pushed it, it's his choice. He's already cut down a hell of a lot since I stopped - so that's better for him if he does decide he want's to stop.
We had to stay in a Hotel last night and he had one cig all night. Pre - me quitting we'd have been in and out all night smoking 20 between us :). He's doing well too.

That's amazing! if you both quit, think of all the $$$$$ you'll have!

Haha! Not that many ££££'s rooty - I'm not in the UK so it's roughly only £2 a pack of 20 here.
If it was just cost, hell!! I'd NEVER have stopped :) :)

Oh well done you're doing brilliantly! That's great your DH is thinking of stopping too - you're showing him that it can be done and that there's life after fags £2 a day each is £1460 a year. Not to be sniffed at!

Thanks Plenty.

Still going and still pretty much the same.
I MUST stop the picking or my new name will be - Ten Tonne Tessy. :)
Monday, I'm back on the diet. Currently I'm too scared to step on the scales.
I'm not going completely crazy but I am eating more than I normally would and have had a few very naughty things.

Day 16

I've not long been up and have had breakfast and I'm about to have a shower - My point..... I don't have a patch on yet and you know what?
I don't feel anything. I've used my nico inhaler and feel the same as I do when I'm using the patch.
Of course that could change within the next hour but I think I'm comfortable enough to just see how it goes without.

Had a bit of a bad day yesterday but not because of cravings. Since I quit I've been unable to go to the loo properly. I can 'go' but never feel like it's done the job properly. My tummy felt bloated and was getting very uncomfortable.
I found some forum where lots of people had the same issues for around 2-8 weeks after quitting. So it was good to find out why it was happening.

After much searching I found some natural remedies that I could try...... I ate lots of prunes plus made prune juice. I upped my flax seed intake and drank it in warm water before bed.
Also in some warm water went some fresh lemon juice, olive oil and honey.
I'd eaten water melon after my dinner to try and assist with digestion.
Drank lots of water.
And finally, because I read it as a remedy, but mostly just because I had some and like the smell, I rubbed Lavender oil on my feet before bed.

So... my loo visit this morning was VERY relieving but now how the hell do I know exactly what helped :) :)

Off for my shower.

:o

My bet is on the prunes. Flax seed I have no idea about the effects on digestion, and for the other concoction I've heard Olive oil can be useful but lemon & honey for me is a cold cure.

I thought I knew just about every use for lavender, and constipation relief is a new one on me. I'm guessing the theory is that if you have the problem due to stress & tension, lavender is one of the best ways to help you relax & sleep?

hello, I have decided to stop today. not had a cig since 8pm last night but right now I am craving so badly

I smoked from age 17 up until I found out I was pregnant last year. stopped completely with no problems while pregnant but then started again a few months ago. I think it was easier to stop when pregnant because I didn't want to hurt dd. Now she's a 10 month old I don't have that to spur me on .

you're doing fantasticly by the way!

Good luck tucking. Your dd will grow up with a non smoking mum and you've already proved you can do it if you want to badly enough.

If your motivation before was your dd, that's still a valid motivation now for you. You can't really smoke anywhere near her because of the harm from passive smoking. You can't smoke near anywhere she may go, for the same reason. You can't smoke where she can see you, in case she decides it looks fun & "if mum does it then I can". And you can't allow your health to be affected badly so you can always be there for her .

You may find that doing something with your hands helps (e.g. knitting, crosswords), as part of the addiction is the hand to mouth habit & something to hold & fiddle with - this is one of the reasons why e-cigs can be so successful compared to most other forms of NRT.

Oh I'd forgotten all about the stuck poo stage I went for the figs. Good strong coffee can help too, along with the usual plenty of exercise and fluids.

Good luck tucking! Are you cold turkeying or using nrt or ecigs?

Allergic - Yeah I'd probably say the prunes combined with the flax seeds (which has a similar effect to wheat bran but much better imo).
The lemon and warm water I have used before. I drank it daily, first thing until the dentist advised me to stop/cut back. It is fab for energy, prompting a loo visit and believe it or not, settling the stomach. The honey, I only add to sweeten it, not for any other reason :)
Another suggestion was baking soda in warm water but I couldn't stomach the thought.

Tucking - I wish you all the luck in the world. Well done for deciding to stop again. YOU CAN DO THIS.
Stay strong Xx

Plenty - Other than because of the fact I am no longer taking a cig to the toilet with me - I'd never have thought the lack of one would slow down my bowels so much.

If you hadn't shifted it yet I would prescribe good coffee, a good book and plenty of peace and quiet.

After a year I still have occasional problems. I'm currently not quite over my usual holiday 'backlog' which would in the olden days have sorted itself a bit quicker.