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Hi chime, Welcome to QuitTrain. The quitting process takes time regargless of whether or not you use NRT's. Here is my experience: I quit smoking three times. The first was cold turkey. The second was with the patch used for the full 8 weeks with 4 weeks of step 1 (21 mg of nicotine). The third was with the patch for less than 8 weeks (maybe 5 weeks...I don't remember exactly how long) and I only used the step 1 patches for the first few days but used the step 2 patches for at least a couple of weeks. I went through terrible physical withdrawal with the cold turkey quit. I felt bad for a month and then slowly started to feel better. I had virtually no physical withdrawal symptoms with the second quit. With the 21 mg patches, I hardly even craved a cigarette which I found quite unbelievable. I did experience some withdrawal symptoms with the third quit but not too bad. With NRT, I found it much easier to focus on the mental aspects of quitting when I wasn't simultaneously suffering physical withdrawal. When I was done with the patches, I did not have any withdrawal symptoms that I was aware of. With quit #2, I went from Step 3 patches (7 mg) to nothing. With quit #3, I cut some of the Step 3 patches in half, so went from 3.5 mg of nicotine to nothing. I didn't want to take any chances because I used the patches for a shorter period of time and was afraid that I might suffer some withdrawal which I did not want to do. Good luck and best wishes for a successful quit!

Hey, I quit using the patches, I think they are literally the best thing ever, I couldnt have done it without them!! Its defintely not a cop out, its a very useful tool, they realllllly help, and you can just work down the strength of the patch over time. Coming off the patches wasnt then like going cold turkey, I worked down the strength over time and then found odd days where i had forgot to put on the patch! Thats when I thought i was ready to come off them when that kept happening, i suppose i did use them as a crutch in the beginning, but i needed that! We had lots of smoking rituals and my new ritual was putting on the patch, setting me up for the day! Good luck with it!

Thanks for your replies!! This forum really is awesome! I shouldn't have said patches seem a cop out to me, didn't wanna sound like I disregard anybody's (or my own) success with them, I was just worried I'd end up dragging out the withdrawal phase using them. Sounds like, especially reading your post @Gus (thank you so much for sharing your experience, and congrats on 3 years, that's huge!) that maybe going off the patches won't be like stopping smoking day 1 again. I really worry about that cause I currently can't take time off work, and I'm a nurse so I kinda gotta be 100% all of the time. But when you feel like it's time to quit and you wake up one day and know that it's THE DAY then you really shouldn't postpone it even if the circumstances might not be ideal, in my opinion. Reading your posts made me think that maybe I can get through this and not be a total wreck at work once I stop using the patches. Thank you, for the kind words and support as well, everybody!

Welcome and congrats chime!!! This literally is the best forum, the ppl here are incredibly kind and supportive, and funny! Lol. I quit cold turkey, but it was bc I was suffering from not only wheezing, breathing stuff from smoking but anxiety, some other medical stuff, and I landed in the hospital for two years in a row (around this time lol) and kind of had to say this is it. I went 3+ days cold turkey in the hospital and then drs were like “want some help? Pills? Patches? Etc?” And I was like ummm I guess not bc isn’t the worst over? And a rough time very much was had. I wonder if nrts would have helped me. So no, nrts are certainly not a cop out. You do u!! And you already have quite a formidable quit down! You can do this rooting for u

NOPE

Hi welcome Congratulations on your new quit. I didn't use patches so I can't offer advice but looks like 6ou been given good advice above already.Good luck with your quit however I do it.Stsy close to the board here during your early stages it's really helpful.

You can do this, @chime! Welcome to the train. 5 days without smoking is AWESOME! I used the patches (and lozenges/gum) until I built up my other quitting “muscles.” I was a very heavy smoker and needed to quit asap without lead time to prepare mentally, so some extra reinforcement helped. I ended up accelerating the step-down to get off of the patches because after a few weeks it became clear that the NRT was prolonging my withdrawal discomfort. (Plus they were driving my skin bonkers.) But by then I had developed other coping skills to lean on to make it through that final withdrawal. Wasn’t pretty, but I made it… and 2+ years later am a very grateful nonsmoker. Everybody’s strategy is unique, you’ll figure out what works for you. Every quit that sticks is a good quit! Stay close to the forum, let us know how you progress, and learn all you can about addiction. Knowledge is power and the community here is super supportive. Glad you found us!

Advanced NOPE!!

G’day NOPE .....Not One Puff Ever.... (replace Ever with Min,Hour, Day as required)

Welcome @ammj Very glad you found us because we can help you stay quit! We have all been in your situation, some longer than others. I am a relative newbie as I'm quit only 9 months. I certainly know the struggles you are going through and it's not easy at all. But I can guarantee you that the longer you stay quit, the urges will get less and less. I get very few urges now and when I do, they last only a few seconds and then they are gone. Keep posting here so we can all help you. You will get a ton of great advice from everyone here. They are wonderful people and I am so glad to call them my friends. There is also a socializing and game section to keep you busy to take your mind off of smoking. So stay close by and I hope you have a great day!!

Welcome back!! Thrilled that you’re taking your seat on the Quit Train. Stay active here and read all you can on addiction… it really helps!

NOPE!!

Hello and welcome to this magical place .. Congratulations on your fabulous quit … All roads lead to Rome ( Freedom).If Patches help you get there …Great …just get there !!!. We are here to help you get there …to help you along … Stay close …read all you can ..join in..make friends …play games …all these will move you along in your quit … Looking forward to getting to know you better

Hello @chime! I quit smoking by using the patch. 3 year anniversary the 17th. You do what you gotta do to put the smokes out for good. I used the patch because I suffer from severe anxiety and do not use any medication to treat it so I needed the assist. I started with Stage 2 then after a couple of weeks dropped down to stage 3 and used those for a few weeks until I forgot to put one on one day and didn’t realize it for hours so I was like, “I guess I’m quit.” LOL Not going to lie. The initial 2-3 weeks was very hard for me. I was practically bed bound and cried nonstop for days and days. I could not have survived quitting cold turkey. Sure you have to eventually go through total withdrawal but it isn’t such a big deal on the patch. Like I said, I literally forgot to put the patch on one day. Keep hanging around here and you will have all the support you’ll ever need. Good luck with med school. It is very wise to stop smoking now because there will NEVER be a ‘best time’ to quit. See you around!

Nope ...no f##ing way

Hi guys, I'm new to this forum and currently on my 5th day of not smoking. Quit cold turkey a bunch of years ago and stayed off it for a long time until some stressful stuff happened in my life and I was dumb and started smoking again. I've been back to smoking for 2 years and wanted to quit again for almost as long, but could never make it beyond a few days. Finally had enough and decided to try out a crutch, aka patches. Woke up 5 days ago and decided I would just try it, and so far I've been staying strong. Why I'm posting this: I don't really like the idea of the patches. It feels like a cop out, like I'm just prolonging the withdrawal process. At the same time, I work a stressful job in the medical field and worry to not be able to perform adequately at my job while battling nicotine withdrawal at its full force. If any of you have quit with patches: How bad does it get when you stop using them, after however long? Was it as bad as cold turkey for you, or did the time you were on patches improve the experience somewhat? I definitely went through withdrawal symptoms when I switched from smoking to patches, so I have the small hope that maybe I can quit the patches too and the first few days won't be quite as bad with brain fog/getting the shakes/all the other fun stuff. I would appreciate any input! Have been reading the forum a bunch these past few days, and it has helped me. You guys are great!

NOPE!

Keep yourself busy that will definitely help. Also, learn what your triggers are. For example, that after dinner cig was my favorite, so in the beginning after I finished dinner I would get busy with something that took my mind off of smoking. I did this in the beginning because that is the most difficult time. Did you know that after about 3 days nicotine goes out of your system. In the beginning I used a cinnamon stick as a make believe cig. It really helped me and it tasted good too. Just hold it and put it in your mouth and then suck air through it and you will get a nice taste of cinnamon. I think I used that for about a month or so. Some people also use cut up straws. Whatever helps you get your mind off smoking. Good luck and keep coming back!

7 hours gone . I hope this time I'll cross the last time's 22 hours mark when I failed and relapsed .

NOPE!

NOPE

Hi guys, sorry I couldn't stopped myself and was back to smoking again. But I am on this journey again and this time I'm determined to not to fail. Tks all for supporting

Welcome aboard the train @chime and congratulations for taking back your freedom I agree with intoxicated yoda, using NRT'S is not a cop out so get that out of your head. As far as the patch goes we have quite a few members who used them at the start of their quits. I didn't so I'll let them give you any clues. I have read on several different posts that as their quits progressed they forgot to put one on in the morning and that's how they stopped using them. I'm glad you've been reading the forums. There's a lot of good info there starting with the pinned posts. I'm looking forward to your success

Hi @chime. First of all, using patches to quit isn't a cop out. Whatever crutch you need to break the habit of lighting up is valid. Patches, gums, lozenges, etc. are viable options to actual smoking and no one will show up at your house to revoke your quitting card just because you used a legitimate tool to quit smoking. This quit I didn't use any type of NRT so I can't really speak to what type of withdrawal you may get from the patches. However, my research has led me to believe that the nicotine might not be as addictive as the other chemicals in the cigarettes such as the pyrazines so I wouldn't stress about withdrawal from the patches yet. Get yourself off the cigarettes first. You can cross that bridge with the patches when you get to it. There have been quite a few here who did use NRT to quit so I'm sure a few of them will be along soon to tell you their experience. Congratulations on 5 days smoke free. That's a huge accomplishment. Welcome aboard the train. Take a seat and hold on tight. The trip is well worth the price of the ticket.

Sick as a dog.. But NOPIN with the best of them...

NOPE

Hey, look at you racking up some hours! That’s how every quit starts, one moment at a time. Withdrawal sucks, but I promise it’s TEMPORARY. Smoking again will only extend the misery and make you have to repeat withdrawal all over again. Oy. Much better to knuckle through this first tough bit, then you’ll be free. For me, when I first quit my mind got super obsessed with the idea of wanting to smoke. It totally dominated my thoughts. I was a basket case. But then someone here on the Train said, just take smoking off the table. Full stop. Period. End of story. There are a million things you can do in this moment, and just one you cant do - smoke. That advice really helped, because it changed the question. Rather than asking, “Can I possibly make it without smoking?” I asked, “How can I support, soothe and distract myself while I get through this damn withdrawal?” That mental shift made all the difference. It shifted my focus away from what I couldn’t do to what I COULD do. Just keep going, @ammj. You can find your freedom!!

You can do it ammj!! Jillar told me in the beginning of my quit the only way out is through so ya just gotta go through some sh**. (I said the sh** part she said the through part lol). It sucks but it will pass and be over one day. Then stupid normal life things like a clean room or a hot dinner gives u the same dopamine as those stupid cigs did. You’re doing great!!

G’day NOPE .....Not One Puff Ever.... (replace Ever with Min,Hour, Day as required)

NOPE!

Hey! Been a very tough year. Mom has been in and out of the hospital and rehab. But guess who still on the Train? Me me Me! And that is pretty amazing considering everything. Hope everyone is well and I hope if you thinking of quitting you take courage in knowing many here have managed to do so and you can too! Read through this entire site and find info and courage and a good amount of humor too

cpk Quit Date: 02/04/2015 Posted March 3, 2015 I've been doing some research online - various sites - and one thing I've noticed is that all those into new quits are extremely impatient, including me. All the newbies are asking, "When will this fatigue get better?" "I feel like crap...when will it go away? "My sleep is all off..." and I won't even go into the weight thing. The general sense I have is newly quits are a pretty impatient lot. I think part of it is what I'll call the "freak out" --- There are so many changes going on, good and bad. It's almost like being a teenager. It's just a general freak out, at not having a handle on what's going on with the body, the mind, the emotions, one's responses and reactions to the outside world. As well, teens have more social pressures, increasing responsibilities, heavier workloads... When my son was a teen he'd open the refrigerator door and just stand there... I'd say, what are you doing?, if you want something, get it and close the door...why are you standing there...? He'd act like he was just waking up, would say, I don't know what I want...and he'd close the door, but would be back 20 minutes later and do the same thing all over again. That about sums up this experience for me. I'm like a teenager. I don't know what I want. I think patience would help me see this isn't a bad thing. I'm freaked out because it's all new. I'm uncomfortable a lot. Like a teenager. But hey, being teenager-like at my age is okay for now. Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/4664-patiencei/

8 Sneeky sticks be like moths… they swarm at nite!

^^^ True that! It’s a totally awkward phase (including a few tantrums). But it passes!

Zzzzzz 7

hey @overcome Check out Dr. Bryan Ardis. He claims to have helped people with "long Covid" using nicotine patches. makes me wonder sometimes if the nicotine in the cigarettes might have been weaponized to addict the consumer base and just pure nicotine maybe has some medicinal properties. i'm not about to tempt that monster again however so if I get sick I'll just stick with some homemade chicken soup.

-20!

Belated NOPE!!

NOPE!!

Chicks on a roll!!

That's tough lol Nancy beat sticks

Good to see you Dianne.. Congratulations keeping your precious quit ,through tough times ..hope your Mum is doing well x

Never tease sharks

Congratulations Dianne!! Sorr6 about the struggles w your mom, best of luck to you and her!

Ammj it’s ok if u smoked and feel weird to come back here, ppl do it all the time and everybody just tries to help, that’s all. We’re rooting for u!!