Giving up cigerettes! Any Advice?

[mama kare]

Yesterday was my first day tobacco free in (im ashamed to say it..) 4 years.

I was smoking 20-30 cigerettes a day and started feeling lethargic, tight in the chest and phlemy in the throat constantly.
I am breathless after walking up a small flight of stairs or walking up a small slope in the road.

I am using 14mg nicabate patches and found that yesterday wasnt very hard to get through at all :)

Though lastnight I started coughing this horrible hoarse cough like something was irritating my throat and chest. I started worrying though it eased once i went to bed.

However this morning when I woke the cough was back with a vengiance.. Upon doing some research on the net it states that when you quit smoking almost immediately your body begins to clear out the toxins.

Some develop a cough and this is the vili repairing itself and regrowing in your respiratory tract.

Amazing how the body works!

Just wondering if there are any other parents out there who have kicked the bad habit and how you got through it, how you're getting through it and what you have found since quitting.. Did you cough like this? Did you experience tightness in the chest and is this apart of the nicotine addiction?

How long do these symtpoms last and when can I expect to be symptom free?

The patches are working a treat.. I havent any cravings and I find that a few times a day if I chew sugar-free gum it freshens my breath and helps remind me that I'm doing some good for my body.

[BlakeNatsMum]

Hi, I'm not a smoker, however, my sister has been a cronic smokers for years and has recently given up with the help of some sort of tablets she obtained from her doctor. I'm not sure of the name, but it may help for you to go and see your GP if you feel you need additional help!

Best of luck with it all!

[JiminyCricket]

Hi , firstly well done!
I quit when i found out i was pregnant last year and it was really hard, i too got the cough.
But you know the first 2-3 days are the hardest and then something in your brain just stops thinking about smoking all together and then you are free!

I visualise little monsters in my brain that live on the nicotine and when i stop smoking they are dying they strach on the walls of my brain and stomp their feet to try and make me smoke but when do stop smoking those monsters will die and i will be free.

Good luck

I also read that eating sunflower seeds helps , i find eating chocolate helped too.

[DoubleDelight]

I am now 5 months smoke free and it's been hard. Change your routine, for me I associated certain times and activities with smoking so I had to change up the way I did things to lessen the cravings. If you're struggling with the oral fixation grab a lollypop and this will help.

Talk about giving up and garner all around you to support you.

You can do this :yay:

[mama kare]

Hi, I'm not a smoker, however, my sister has been a cronic smokers for years and has recently given up with the help of some sort of tablets she obtained from her doctor. I'm not sure of the name

Is it CHAMPIX?
I have tried champix, though it gave me heart palpatations, nausea and made me very faintish so the dr took me off them.

I'm on nicabate patches, I'm using a lower dosage than the ones im meant to be on to avoid heart palpatations but I'm feeling good.

Best luck to your sister, let me know how she goes. I do know a lot of people who are now non-smokers thanks to champix!

[Jelly Baby]

Firstly well done, what a great decision. :yelclap:

Secondly I quit cold turkey when I found out I was pregnant, haven't looked back since. I feel fantastic.

My partner on the other hand had to have some help and swears by CHAMPIX. I had my doubts about whether he could do it but he did. :thumbsup:

So if things get tough go have a chat to your GP.

Keep up the good work.

[lambjam]

I quit over 4 years ago using patches, they're a life-saver :D. Although I'm very bad at it, I took up knitting for a couple of months... my family members all scored very mediocre scarves, but I found it gave me something to do when I would otherwise be having a cigarette, and helped distract me from it.

[DoubleDelight]

I started on Champix and would have to say be very careful if you are going to take this. I became almost suicidal on this medication and know of two other people that were even worse. I also had nightmares, nausea and headaches. I think if you can do it on your own you're much better off.

[mama kare]

Hi , firstly well done!
I quit when i found out i was pregnant last year and it was really hard, i too got the cough.
But you know the first 2-3 days are the hardest and then something in your brain just stops thinking about smoking all together and then you are free!

I also read that eating sunflower seeds helps , i find eating chocolate helped too.

I was more motivated this time deciding to give up.. I have tried a few times in the past but didn't get past a few hours let along one whole day :yelclap:

The first time I gave up was when i found out i was pregnant with my DD too.. I found that with my morning sickness- cigerette smoke made me ill and i couldnt stand someone smelling of it without gagging.. though i had one when my DD was a few months old and wham.. biggest mistake!

I've been chewing on sugar-free gum in the afternoon just to give my mouth a fresh taste.. I've also been snacking on bits up of cut up apple that i keep in the fridge as a healthy treat and drinking plenty of water :)

I have to say.. while smoking I had a really bad habit of always drinking soft drink or juice with a cigerette.. I couldn't have a smoke without a drink - so I was basically always drinking soft drink which was taking its toll on my health also.. But for the last two days I've had this renewed love for drinking bottled water and I'm actually suprised at how much I have been drinking.. It's like my whole body has woken up and gone "okay.. enough of that stuff.. lets get back to healthy living!"

I wont kickstart any majoy exercise regimes this week, though I'm thinking next week I might start going for short walks to help my body work its muscles more.

I'm only 26 and I feel 56.. How terrible!!

[mama kare]

I started on Champix and would have to say be very careful if you are going to take this. I became almost suicidal on this medication and know of two other people that were even worse. I also had nightmares, nausea and headaches. I think if you can do it on your own you're much better off.

I agree. I feel more in control just using patches.. like somehow its really me doing it.. Not saying those who take medications are not doing it - anyone who can give smoking up is a champ in my eyes, no matter how you do it!

I found that being dizzy lot of the time on CHampix was scary and my legs would shake and I would have to lie down on my back, feeling like I was about to faint.

Different things work for different people but it wasnt for me either.

were you able to give it up still?

[DoubleDelight]

I haven't had a cigarette for nearly 5 months. It was so hard for me and still is but I'm determined this time. I figured that taking the Champix nearly killed me so I wasn't going to start smoking and have to go through it again.

In the beginning I just broke it down into really short time periods to get through, you know 1 day, then 2 days, then 1 week. Small goals, lots of distraction and short term some weight gain. I figure though it's easy to lose a couple of kgs than fight lung cancer.

[mama kare]

I quit over 4 years ago using patches, they're a life-saver :D. Although I'm very bad at it, I took up knitting for a couple of months...

I havent heard many success stories from patches so thanks so much for sharing this with me!! :thumbsup:
I have been printing out colouring pages for my daughter and helping her colour in - have been finding this helps keep me busy too, despite feeling child-like lol

[mama kare]

I am now 5 months smoke free and it's been hard. Change your routine, for me I associated certain times and activities with smoking so I had to change up the way I did things to lessen the cravings. If you're struggling with the oral fixation grab a lollypop and this will help.

You can do this :yay:

Thanks so much for your support!! I ventured to the local store yesterday to buy my DD some colouring pencils and when the store clerk who always serves me asked "Do you want a packet of smokes with that?" I was put on the spot, but smiled and said "No thankyou. I don't smoke anymore." :D hard.. but i did it!

[mama kare]

Challenges so far.. Well, I'm trying to remain calm and I keep reminding myself of my resons of giving up:

1) For my health,

2) For my daughter and husband, and

3) To have more control over my life.

But what do you do when your 4yr old has a tantrum? I used to go out and have a cigerette for a break and come in much calmer than before.

I'm not tempted for one, no.

Though I have to now find another way around the situation.

I'm trying deep breathing exercises, though while my 4yr old remains on the floor throwing herself around and wailing because I said she needs to have something more substantial for lunch rather than eating chocolate like she wants to, I somehow feel obliged to throw myself down beside her and wail away too! :hissy:

Luckily we're heading out soon to meet my mum and sister for lunch so i'm hoping that will satisfy my little one enough.. Otherwise she will just do this in the shopping centre instead!

Breathe in.. Day 2 will come and go and it will pass.. Breathe out.

hours gone by: 39 hours :smiliedance::smiliedance::smiliedance:

[mama kare]

sorry if TMI.. coughing up phlegm to the point i feel like im going to choke or be very ill.. is this normal in the quitting process?

i'm guessing it might be another way for the body to get rid of toxins.. and call me stupid but i never thought this could/would happen??

has anyone else dealt with this and how long did it last??

[smog]

hey:wave:, you are doing great so far!!
i have been a nonsmoker now for 6 years:D. i quit cold turkey. i had many many failed attempts but one day somehow i just did it. i think i did it mostly by working on my thought patterns.
i never told myself i would never smoke again, i got by thinking if i really want i can have it. do i really want it or do i want to not be controlled by this any longer?
i told myself no matter who or how having a smoke was justified it was ME who didnt want to be a smoker, so even if i deserved to have one due to someone else giving me the ****s i had to keep saying to myself i dont want to be this anymore.
a few times i actually sat out the back and had a pretend smoke:laughing: actually helped a lot
change your habits ie brush teeth immediately after dinner.

the main thing i would want to say is that if you do lose it and have one start quitting straight away again . keep fighting it.

:smiliedance:YOU CAN TOTALLY DO IT I KNOW YOU CAN:smiliedance:

good luck!!:flowerz:

[UmmInayah]

sorry, no advice

just huge congratulations!!

[mama kare]

Supermumof3 - Thankyou for your inspiration and kind words :) I love all the support I am receiving - It is beyond what I thought I could receive while doing something like this!

I had a great day yesterday in hindsight. The coughing thing was pretty annoying, espcecially how i had a spell in the morning, was fine all day and then it suddenly started in the afternoon. My mum got a little worried though shes much happier I've chosen to give up then continue to smoke.

My husband had a rough day yesterday and came home. We sat down at the back, yes, where we usually smoke. I had my first alcoholic drink and thought to myself "I can do this." Amazingly enough the drink tasted completely different to what it does when you smoke.. smoother and sweeter? lol

My husband was wanting a cigerette and I told him to go ahead, though he was feeling pretty uneasy about it. Funny thing is I didnt even notice he had one until he was stubbing it out in the ashtray! I was too pre-occupied with my daughter :laughing:

Day 3 and feeling fantastic!! :wave:

[spoon]

Well done honey:yelclap: Keep it up:D:yes:

I quit 3 years ago.

I love not being one of the smelly people carrying a cloud of smoke around with me every where I go.

I love that if I have a wheezy cough now it is not because I have been smoking, just a little cough from a cold etc.

I love not having to stop what I am doing to go and become a stinky person.

I have found healthier ways to reward myself, give myself time out, and relax.

You are doing very well! You have gotten through the first 3 days which is always the toughest.:yelclap:

[mama kare]

I know I'm on a better path and I'll be healthier in the long run.. but I've been doing some reading on giving up and I'm actually quite shocked at how smoking really does wreck the body and take its toll.

Most sites claim that your bodies never really recover completely after being a heavy smoker.. It can take up to 15yrs alone to gain most of the capacity and health of your lungs back.

This cough is terrible and I feel like I cannot breathe.

I'm actually feeling a little down right now - I'm not going to light up.. I am far, far from that now.. I just feel so guilty at what I have done to my body.

It's like facing your demons really.. While you smoke you turn a blind eye to all the bad things in nicotine and tobacco.. Its such a horrible reality that I am now coughing up so much phlegm and this is my body trying to get the poisons out.

I cant believe I have done this to myself! I'm horrified to be honest.

Here are some more facts I've found:


Within 20 Minutes of Last Cigarette:
• Blood pressure drops to normal
• Pulse rate drops to normal rate
• Body temperature of hands and feet increases to normal


Within Eight Hours:
• Carbon monoxide level in blood drops to normal
• Oxygen level in blood increases to normal


Within Forty-Eight Hours:
• Nerve endings start regrowing
• Ability to smell and to taste things improves


Within Seventy-Two Hours:
• Bronchial tubes relax, making it easier to breathe
• Lung capacity increases


Within Two to Three Weeks:
• Circulation improves
• Walking becomes easier
• Lung function increases up to 30%


Within One to Nine Months:
• Coughing, stuffy sinuses, being tired, shortness of breath decreases
• Tiny hair-like structures that line the airways in the lungs and help to clean out the air ways, called cilia, regrow in lungs. This makes it easier to handle mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce infection
• Body’s overall energy level increases
• Chance of heart attack decreases


Within Three to Four Years:
The risk of getting cancers of the larynx and bladder decreases


Within Five Years:
The risk of getting cancers of the esophagus and the mouth decreases


After 10 years Without Smoking:
•The risk of cancer of the pancreas decreases
•You are 30-50% less likely to develop lung cancer; the longer you stay quit, the less likely it becomes

[mama kare]

Well done honey:yelclap: Keep it up:D:yes:

I quit 3 years ago.


First of all, Congratulations Spoon, that is such an amazing effort!! :yelclap:

What withdrawals did you go through, do you remember? Did you cough a lot at first?

I'm finding that since deciding to quit I am concentrating more on eating healthier and drinking large amounts of water (which I did not do all to often as a smoker unfortunately :no:)

[mama kare]

Day: 5
Feeling: Okay. Hot and cold - flu'ish.

Okay.. Challenge!!

The patches take away all my cravings right now so I'm doing well, though I still feel.. think.. when another person lights up that I have to.. that if I don't - It feels wrong not to.. Make sense?

Yesterday at a friends, one of them keep lighting up and at frist I was fine. Maybe there was a decrease in nicotine which was realased in the patch or maybe, it was just me being tested to the limit..

As I said, the first few he had didn't really bother me, though towards the later end of my stay I could smell it on my own clothing and my throat started closing over a fair bit.

I was talking to this friend at one stage and found myself leaning away thinking "my god.. did i smell like that?"

So my challenge then turned into amazement and I immidiately felt better for it, thinking "That's right - I dont smell like that anymore.. and I don't taste it anymore.. I can do this."

I came home after a few hours though soon enough, I started coughing again and I couldn't help but wonder "Is this my body reacting to being in a smoke-filled house for most of the day? What have I just inhaled that I have been trying to get out?!"

I felt vile, not sick, just.. disappointment at how my coughing fits had just started dying down and just from visiting a friends house where there was a smoker - I came home coughing again..

Yes, there is an upside.. Atleast it wasn't me smoking! But.. There was a short time there were I did feel powerless and tempted. By the end of stay I found myself watching his cigerette dart back between his mouth and the ashtray.. I had to tell myself to not focus on it.

The other upside is the fact that I got home WITHOUT being tempted to the point of lighting one up. Maybe I'm becoming obsessed with giving up.. But is it wrong to be like that?

This really is hard at times.. It's not just giving it away we have to deal with here.. It's changing our thought patterns entirely.. Like resetting part of the brain.

Another friend tells me that she's been a non-smoker for 5 months now though she finds herself sitting in the car at lights or waking up and thinking "Okay, time for a smoke.." Only to find herself correcting her thoughts and saying "No, I don't do that anymore."

I don't think people who don't smoke or who never smoked completely understand..

[spoon]

I used the inhalers which were great for craving control for me. I was coughing for a few weeks but it slowly disappeared. I think it was my lungs trying to get rid of the gunk I had filled it with over the years. I am already healthier because I do not smoke. My body is healing and I know it. It is better to stop it all now, I hated the fact that I was being controlled by a substance. Keep up the good work :yelclap: you have done it, you are already a non smoker, you are already living a great healthy life. Google "real age" and you will come across a health website where there is a lot of importnant information about quitting smoking and health. Let me know if you have trouble.

[mama kare]

I used the inhalers which were great for craving control for me. I was coughing for a few weeks but it slowly disappeared. I think it was my lungs trying to get rid of the gunk I had filled it with over the years. I am already healthier because I do not smoke. My body is healing and I know it. It is better to stop it all now, I hated the fact that I was being controlled by a substance. Keep up the good work :yelclap: you have done it, you are already a non smoker, you are already living a great healthy life. Google "real age" and you will come across a health website where there is a lot of importnant information about quitting smoking and health. Let me know if you have trouble.

Googling as I type this! Thanks for that!
Feeling happier tonight :) Day 5 and still not giving in.

DD had a bad tantrum this afternoon and I was tempted, though I withheld. Very, very hard, but it's worth it.