Jules1977

There is no doubt that quitting is tough, some say that nicotine is the hardest addiction, that i don't know as i have never taken other drugs, well i drink coffee but i can go without it which i quite often do, and i drink alcohol but neither am i addicted to. I use the term addicted because i can go days without feeling the need to have coffee or alcohol. Shame this board dosent have a Poll feature (or does it) because it would be good to know how many failed quits people have had before they consider they are quit. I am sure there are lots of failed quits, but when you look at a failed quit were you really serious about quitting. I tried to quit once but had no intention of quitting. I was from pressure from others, so i just smoked in secret ! Whats interesting is the method people try to quit. I did cold turkey once a few years ago, lasted about 6 hours, then decided to give up cigarettes and smoke cigars, Packet of cigars a day later and back on the fags. This time as many of you know i have done it with patches and Vaping. Now off both, but it HAS worked for me and been relatively easy. I had 6 cigarettes in the first 2 weeks which i was pleased with, (i would usually have that for breakfast) and then nothing. I am also scared that one puff will lead to going back to the old habit. Lets stick together and fight this nasty demon

Thats a shame, it should not be that way as a "starter" for smoking. It should not be seen as cool. Surely a non smoker would not go an buy nicotine gum or patches, and then take up smoking. I wonder why your son decided to vape. I am sure there are many like him though. How long did he vape for before he started smoking. I don't agree with vaping BTW, no one knows the dangers as its relatively new, however i think its clear its not a bad a smoking (in the sort term) but still an addiction. For me it helped me quit. Each to there own. I am no longer vaping. but it helped so be it. I reached my goal. and on here we all share the same goal.

why? well it keeps me occupied, in fact its a way to help me, lets take a step back. In my case I was a heavy smoker... 3 PAD min. smoked for 20+ years. Money on cigarettes doesn't bother me, where i live they are cheap and without sounding like a complete ahole the savings i will make form not toking have no interest to me. So I quit because i wanted to quit. I did quit. I went on the patches and affetre a few weeks felt so much better.... now where am i today almost 2 months later... well here the truth. I quit on 1 May,. I went on holiday a few days later and smoked about 6 cigarettes during the week. I kept with the patches following what they had said and reduced the strength. I started vaping 0mg Nicoteen once in a while. I finished the patches. I Vape 0mg nicotine maybe a few times in the evening max. So, while I may not be 100% clean and free from puffing something, my goal is to get there. Its a long road and i consider where i have come from that its been a huge success. PS the 0mg Vape is not really worth it, all that messing about with juices and batteries etc.... so I have decided to stop that one now. Jules

Ok, time to clear a few things. I am off the nicotine completely for now around about a week. my ONLY source of nicoteen came from patches, which i followed a plan over 8 weeks and finished with the small low strength a week ago. Now the vaping... yes I Vape, but I vape 0mg nicoteen! I dont vape much and i done it to take the edge of the giving up process. Remember everyone is different. To me I have not had any nicoteen in my body in now over a week. For me giving up has so far been way easier than i thought it would be, but like i said each person is different and like another post each person will have different symptoms. One thing that always told me smoking was a mental game was flying. I travel all the time. I would be in the smoking room getting my fix after fix just before the flight. I could then board, sit on a 16 hour flight, and not once be bothered about smoking. This i believe is because my brain knows I can not smoke in the air and so will not allow me to crave having a cigartette. I guess hypnosos works the same way? Jules

I read a very interesting post in a forum the other day about nicoteen and addiction, which there were significant agreements to in the reply sections. The point was made on a vaping forum which basically said that nicoteen is not as addictive as people say it is. It was generally based around the fact that when people are smoking cigarettes they are always waiting the next fix etc. However a lot of people whom have completely stopped cigarettes and replaced with vaping have expressed how easy it is to go several hours, a day etc without vaping. If they forgot there device, batteries run out etc, they wouldn't panic but wait patiently. However, and I know too well, that if i forgot my smokes back in the day it would be a full on panic to the next store, return home etc.. my day would stop until they were replaced. This then leads to the issue that is there other substances in cigarettes that are addictive apart from teh nicoteen? Julies

Hi, I used the NRT, being patches. made no difference tothe symptoms you are having like heartburn dihorrear, bloating, gas etc. The only thing it did was help the craving. I think the rest i your body having a clean out of all the toxins. Which is good. The nicoteen in the system does no harm to you at all. It gives you the craving and the want for more, but the way we get our nicoteen is through the cigarettes, which of course have all the other toxins and crap in them, which your body is now trying to get rid of.

The first hour is the hardest IMO, you could do what i did and quit just before bed, that way you get the first 8 hours for free!!! Seriously stick with it, life is for living, not killing yourself

yep it does!!! lol

Good to see you.. PS does this ticker work?

Hi, just to say, I am vaping 0mg nicotine, its not a way to get my fix just a distraction in the evening, don't even do it during the day!

Hi I know a lot of people frown upon the vaping here on this forum, but i would like to know who has used it to help there quit. I did (omg nicotine btw) but just as something to take the edge off it. I think we all know its better than smoking, and even the NHS are recommending.... just throwing it out there to open up a discussion? Jules

Just get through it, and its worth while, i guarantee that. For the first few weeks of my quit i was romancing the smoking and had to mentally get over that. Now I also liked a cigar once in a while, and now i just need to get over that hurdle. (PS not had a cigar since i started the quit)

yep all sorts of dihorreah, its the body getting rid of the toxins. I quit about 7 weeks ago, (had a few on holiday, and not had one since 16 May, I noticed that the cough only really started last week, and now i am hacking up all sorts of rubbish.

i tend to disagree... sorry, but, if you are a heavy smoker, quit for a period of time, and have one cigarette, or even a few, then quit again, i do not agree you are back to square 1. Take my case. Quit 1 May after being on min 3 packs a day, went on holiday and smoked 6 cigarettes, and thats it, got back and got on the full quit again. Now i do not consider the 6 smokes in a week back to square 1. Its a set back but nothing to get worked up over. I am not proud of it and in NO WAY am i saying one or two is OK. I guess I am lucky as i had the determination to get back on the quit and not fully relapse

Dont go upsetting yourself that you had one cigarette, you have done that now, move on. I had a few after i tried to quit during the first couple of weeks. Havent had one for nearly a month now. At the end of the day its up to you, only you can decide if you want to quit or not. Just make sure that one doesn't lead to another one.

I had a relapse after a week or so, I quit on 1 May, went on holiday and had about 6 cigarettes in the week, told myself i didn't care because i was on 3 -4 packs a day. Felt very guilty, but didn't fall back on it. Best thing i did was not care about my relapse, so what! move on and continue. No need for extra stress. Keep up the good work.

I changed my routine, used to get up, coffee, sit outside, 4 cigarettes, shower and work, now its up, quick juice, shower and off to work. No sitting down outside. my hardest part is say having a drink waiting for dinner to cook, that was my smoking time, would chain through 10-15 cigs in that period, now i just resort to reading this forum!!!!

Congrats, If you are like me you work yourself up and when you do it its actually a lot easier than you thought. Same as the dentist, hate going, and when you walk out you go... well it wasn't that bad !

it was not too bad, easier than i thought considering the group contained several smokers, what i found strange and helpful is how bad smoking is now considered in the UK, having not been back for 3 years it was very strange. Even at duty free the cigarettes are hidden away in a separate room at the airport, and now all the packets are the same, so I guess people can smoke there richmond without looking cheap!!! After my previous holiday thought this one would be difficult but it was fairly easy.... got to keep this going now. I am still on the patches but now on the lowest ones and have another week of them. Couple of times i have actually forgotten to put on the patch and not realised until the next day!, but still keeping with them as i have been recommended to complete the course. Thanks for all you help guys and gals J

BOOM !!! Did it !!! Got through the whole 10 days without any wobble !!!!

You are so correct , I had a few relapses and I chose to have a smoke. That's how I felt and I justified it to myself that I had done well for a few days and 1 wouldn't hurt. I am now 2 full weeks without a single puff and so happy.

Off on another holiday tomorrow, my last one was only 4 days into my quit (a month ago now) and I was relatively successful. I had 6 cigarettes in the whole week!. Since then I have not smoked, but now going on holiday again with the same group of people, however now i have been "clean" for a lot longer I hope this time I will not fall down. Any advice will be appreciated. Thanks Julian

Agree, I can now smell it a mile off !

It sure will, as you know I am using the patches so I think they are making a huge help

Thanks, its been a bit hectic last week which is why i probably found it easier!