Anyone fancy giving me some support?

[CigarettesCanKill]

No more smoking for me anymore. I don't want to vape, I just want to stop. I have a 1 year old dd who I want to be healthy for. I want to not be so skint, and I'm sure not spending £4.10 a day on fags will help towards that!

I had my last cigarette at around 6pm last night and have been fine until now. This is when I have finished my jobs and sit down with a coffee to relax for 10 minutes. I always make coffee, go have cigarette, come back and coffee is cool enough to drink.
I need to quit this time. New year, new me.

I too smoked through most of 2 pregnancies lanbro. It's the past, nothing we can do to change it. Time to let the go, I bet your DC are really proud of you for quitting

Well done lanbro. 3 months is excellent, long may it continue!

I started thinking thoughts like 'I want to be there to see my children have their children'. It is a long way off, but stopping smoking is a giant step towards being here to meet my grandchildren.

"I don't think it's a free prescription"

Is it not anymore? I am out of date with my knowledge on stopping smoking services. In 2013 when I gave up I got free NRT through New Leaf. It was the fact that NRT was free that kept me going. Shame if that's stopped now.

Ah - I think New Leaf is a Nottinghamshire thing, rather than national. They still offer free NRT on prescription, which is great news for anyone living in Nottinghamshire.

Not sure, just going by this page 'It offers free one-to-one support along with stop smoking medicines, which are available for the cost of a prescription.' It should be free IMO.

You are right, it is not free having read it properly (it used to be!)

But then you do get 2 weeks worth of NRT for the cost of one prescription. 1 prescription charge of £8.05 is almost exactly the same as the cost of just 1 packet of cigarettes - but the prescription gives enough nicotine to last 14 days.

That is good value for money!

ooh I'm in Nottingham, I'll look up new leaf. I also have a free prescription card thingy so even if they do charge, it'll be free anyway won't it?
I've brought a pack of patches from amazon because the pushchair is broke and I couldn't get to town. When they arrive I'll give them a go and see if I can do it. I know from being pregnant if I just last 3 or 4 days without one it's started to break the habit and is so much easier. So far because of DD not sleeping/teething/development leap I've just crumbled under pressure.

I think I'm going to start putting the money I would spend each day on cigarettes in my old savings account for a week just to give myself a visual shock as to how much I'm wasting. I thought I could use it to reward myself each week I've been smoke free. Start small with a nail varnish or a new kindle book and then for each month/months I get a bigger reward. It might help spur me on. I'm a gamer so I'm going to try and see it as a challenge like in my games. each time I beat a craving I mentally give myself some points? I don't know, I'm rambling

well done on 3 months smoke free lanbo

If you get free prescriptions then yes, nicotine replacement would indeed be free.

Here is the New Leaf Nottinghamshire website.

From my reading of it you get one voucher for 2 weeks worth of nicotine replacement and then if you attend another meeting two weeks later you get another voucher for another two weeks worth of NRT.

Get the maximum number and strength you need, because then you can eek out the NRT to last longer than 2 weeks. For example if you say you need the max dose of lozenges (15 per day) then 14 days worth would be 210 - so 11 packets (they come in packers of 20). It may be that after 3 or 4 days you reduce your dose to 10 and then down again to, say 8. Therefore your 11 packets will last longer.

Then go again after 2 weeks but still ask for the max dose. You should be able to get 4 weeks worth of NRT to last 6-8 weeks or longer.

If it is just 2 vouchers you get and you have managed to go 4 weeks not smoking - pressure your nurse into giving more vouchers. When I gave up in 2013 they gave 6 vouchers for NRT - 12 weeks worth. But I'd not stopped using NRT after 12 weeks. Spoke to the nurse about this and pointed out that if I started smoking again for a month, I could come back and requalify for another 6 vouchers. Did I really have to start smoking again to carry on with New Leaf support? She saw logic and re-started me on the program as soon as the 12 weeks ended, so that I could continue with free NRT.

Makes sense, FATE. The biggest mistake people make with NRT is to try to use the minimum for the shortest time possible. The whole point of NRT is to separate the nicotine addiction from the habit of smoking. You should be using as much as you need to kill the cravings until you're used to being a non-smoker, then cutting down to 0 nicotine. If you're trying to tackle both aspects at the same time you may as well go cold turkey.

Right got some patches today from the new leaf people. tomorrow I will start my quitting journey. hopefully it will be easier with NRT

Defo easier with NRT.

Good luck!

Don't worry if you also need extra NRT for the first few days, this is quite normal. You can combine if needed - take some lozenges or chewing gum aswel if the withdrawal gets too bad.

Basically if you find yourself giving in and going out the house to get some cigarettes, go to the chemists instead and get extra NRT rather than buying cigarettes. You won't need extra for many days.

That's a good tip fate thank you. The shop is next to the pharmacy which is handy. I'm more worried about not getting my mini breaks from dd during the day.

Still have the mini breaks!

When we gave up mu husband still went outside for 10 minutes several times a day because he needed that. I found the association to difficult to handle so avoided out usual smoking spot (and also avoided cups of tea, another association). Everyone handles it differently.

right that's the last cigarette smoked. lighters in the bin which is being collected in the morning and teeth brushed. tomorrow is a whole new me.

Ill join you tomorrow Cigarettes. Stopped for 5 months last year and stupidly started again. Have a few left in a packet here and once they're done I'm not buying anymore. Loads of lozenges left over from the odd few weeks I've quit (been on and off them) since starting again so will just be using them.

Not sure if it's still going or not but the British heart foundation had a really supportive forum for stopping smoking.

Good for you.

On my first day I sent out hourly text updates to my closest friends. It helped to have a constant supply of moral support and congratulations throughout the day.

Keep the texts positive though ("14 hours not smoking. Just had my first non smoking lunch" for example). Don't dwell on how hard it is, distract yourself instead.

Ive put my patch on and so far so good. Been up for nearly 2 hours and am not bothered by not having my wake up cigarette because it's cold and wet outside.

Excellent, well done. How's it going now?

not too bad. kept myself busy and haven't really noticed. usually had at least 2 cigs by now

Well done for not smoking two, that it brilliant! Just over 4 hours done :-)

Having my first craving made dp take my purse to work and only leave my debit card as the local shop doesn't take cards. Think I'll find a book to read with dd, keep myself busy.

I'm craving to cigarette.
I'm telling myself that if I can just sit for 5min the craving WILL go away! We can do this!

I'm craving to cigarette.
I'm telling myself that if I can just sit for 5min the craving WILL go away! We can do this!

Try finding something to fiddle with in your hands - half the craving will be for the habit rather than the actual nicotine.

I found some grapes in the freezer and am googling recipes to decide what to have for dinner which has taken my mind off it