DenaliBlues

0

Love this thinking! Great ideas here. SADNESS -Do a kindness for someone else -Do outside chores or take a walk to get sunshine on my face -Cook a pot of soup, rice or curry to make the house smell really nice -Cuddle the cats REWARD -A tall cold drink on ice - Stream my favorite show episodes -Cuddle the cats LONEY -Talk or text with a friend -Read Quit Train posts to remind myself that others, too, have struggled but succeed -Oh, and cuddle the cats…

1

NOPE

Congratulations on your Lucky #13 months of freedom, and welcome to the Quit Train! We’re thrilled that you found us.

Welcome aboard, Mike! Glad to hear that you're neither smoking nor vaping - good work! In listening to your story, I wonder if your body is telling you that it no longer wants nicotine? I have no doubt that you get withdrawal cravings that you experience as "wanting" a nic fix. But rashes, sore throat, nausea, dizziness... all of them sound like signals that underneath the chemical addiction, your body may be having a deeper systemic aversion to nicotine. So rather than finding a new way to ingest it, might it be time to find a way to STOP ingesting it? Something to think about. In the meantime, I can share my experience with NRT, for what that's worth. I 100% agree with Christian that any form of NRT is better than smoking or vaping. But nicotine is still a powerful addiction, and there can be a price to pay for it. I have experience with patches, lozenges and gum. I was a heavy cigarette smoker and I used all three to help with my initial quit. They helped, but absorption thru the skin or the mouth was a much less potent vehicle than inhalation for the delivery of nicotine to the brain. So it took quite a bit of NRT to make any dent on my cravings. And that much orally or via patch could absolutely give me rashes, nausea, etc. It was a delicate balance to get enough but not too much. Even using NRT, I was in a pretty much constant state of withdrawal. In the end, I got fed up with the whole thing... NRT was expensive and a hassle and was less "gratifying" than smoking had been, anyhow. So I tapered fast, then knuckled down to get through the final withdrawal phase. I ditched the patches, lozenges and gum and become fully nicotine free. It was tough for a while, but it feels great now. Every quitting journey is different, so "your mileage may vary." The important thing is to find your own path toward wellbeing and freedom. This forum is a great sounding board and support system.

NOPE

Hey, buddy - way to go on three months patch free! Lovin your great progress.

nope

Well done! Happy quitting anniversary!

NOPE

flu

spelunker

-5

NOPE

Well done, Johnny! Congratulations on your decade of freedom! And thanks for all of the encouragement you’ve given to me and so many other quitters.

-4

nope

OB/GYN Doctor