quitting with Commit - Smoking Cessation Message Board

ceceliamurphy · 07-05-2005, 09:05 PM

I'm 20, a pack a day smoker more or less, and I'm trying to quit smoking because i think my years-long problem with anxiety has much to do with smoking; because i'll be in Sweden next year where cigarettes are SOOO EXPENSIVE; and because my parents really want me to.
This is my first attempt; I'm using 4mg Commit lozenges to quit
Today's my first day, so far so good. When I have a lozenge, my cravings cease for a good couple of hours. These are my only worries for the day:

1. fatigue) my only real complaint is that i feel pretty devoid of energy. Strangely enough, my cardiovascular workout (a 5x/wk habit, even throughout my smoking days) PALED in comparison to my normal smoker's workouts. I just read a post talkiing about the fatigue associated with quitting smoking.But since I'm still consuming the stimulant via the lozenges, it may simply be something else than quitting.
2. food) i was struck by a strong sugar craving and a very strong hunger pang mid-afternoon, more intense than I'm used to. But this is when my blood sugar normally spikes anyway, so it's not surprising. It's probably a combination of quitting smoking and reducing my caffeine intake (caffeine ALWAYS makes cigarettes effectually irresistible for me)
3. too high dosage?) I'm not sure whether this is typical for nicotine gum/lozenges, but I start to feel very nauseous, sometimes my head hurts, (signs of nicotine overdose, actually, right?) when I'm dissolving one in my mouth. I CANNOT dissolve NINE a day like the package says; that's way more nicotine that I consumed to start with. I've had about four or five. And I CANNOT finish a lozenge, the most I've dissolved one was about 75%. Mostly I spit it out halfway.
My body and brain realized that my cheek is now the source of the pleasure it's missed so much, and so I get a genuine sense of satisfaction for the first few tingly moments of absorption. I guess that's good, although I'm truly afraid I'll become one of those people who stays stuck on NRT way after the smoking is through with.
I was sort of disheartened when I read a post today that the real withdrawal symptoms wouldn't come for people on NRT until they gave up the patch/gum/lozenge. Cause I must say, I'm really really struggling with this already...now I'm overwhelmed, thinking that this isn't even the real struggle. . .

Johnsternow · 07-05-2005, 10:09 PM

Cecelia,

I’m not going to lie to you. It is rough at times. Be strong! I did the patch thing for 7 and a half days and had to take it off on that 8th because I started tasting it in my mouth and smelling it so it grossed me out so much. I went the rough route afterwards. I promise you it gets easier every day though. For me it did. Depending on most people I would guess 4 to 6 weeks with no cheating you would be downhill from there. Gets so easy afterwards you may even laugh at it. Cheating just prolongs or can change your craving end date.

Look you can do it!!!! Just GO, GO, GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

I hope this helps a bit. You can come back any time and we will support you in any way possible. Good luck and keep us informed.

JohnD

Deda · 07-06-2005, 05:54 PM

cecilia...welcome, and congratulations! You will never regret quitting smoking, and you will someday come to a point where your cravings are minimal, and you will hardly ever get them. That's where I'm at now after 22 months w/o smoking. (with patches and sometimes gum) You'll even grow to hate smoking, and hate the fact that you ever did it!
Hang in there, it DOES get easier, as John says above. I'm breezing through it now...and I was a very heavy smoker!

And concerning the real withdrawls not coming until AFTER you wean off the NRT...well, don't even worry about it until you get there, okay?! The thing is, before you go off completely, you will wean down g-r-a-d-u-a-l-l-y...that's why they make them in different strengths. You will use the weakest strength before you give em up for good, and then try to gradually ease out of that one, and then quit. You'll be on so little nicotene before you quit the lozenge, that when you DO stop them, your body will hardly notice the withdrawl. Please don't worry about it anyway...not right now. Take it one step at a time, and right now just concentrate on staying quit, and working on that, as that is the main objective. We are more prone to relapsing in the beginning, so be on guard for that, and don't sweat the small stuff. Take up a new hobby, or exercise, meditate, music therapy, whatever!
There's a lady I'm good friends with on this board, named Cindy_in_FL, who quit with the commit lonzeges. I will try to get her to come here and give you some advice. She and her hubby are doing GREAT, and both use the lonzeges too.
God bless you...
Deda

Barrie · 07-06-2005, 07:48 PM

well you have to want to stop to stop.

ive been stoped just over 3 weeks and ill tell ya after just over 30 yrs off smoking i truly feel born again.. for crist sakes give em up now and live longer

barrie

x smoker

ceceliamurphy · 07-06-2005, 09:00 PM

wow! thanks for all the enthusiasm and support for a stranger!
I feel good today, I'm getting used to the lozenges. They make me a little less nauseous now and they didn't give me a headache today. They really quell cravings!
Unfortunately, my mouth feels a bit sore from all the lozenges, and my tongue is kind of swollen. That's listed as a side effect though, and I think it's normal and okay.
I don't think the fatigue I felt yesterday was quitting-related after all.
Well, good things:
1. I like going to bed smelling like soap and shampoo, not cigarettes.
2. I like not having to roll my window down in 100+ degree weather when I'm driving
3. I feel like I can focus better on the things in front on me, instead of needing to break up every activity into twenty minutes intervals so I can have a cigarette "break"
4. I feel less anxious by far, which really is my goal.

I'm so worried about the drinking thing, though. . . the fact is, I don't want to stop smoking when I'm drinking, damn it!
ps. my first thirty-six hours without a cigarette in six years.
At twenty-four and twelve hours it was probably a record, too. I used to even smoke when I was sick as a dog, in bed for days on end.. I still would have at least one cigarette. That should sound gross, but I'm not far enough away yet from the addiction to be surprised by my own insanity.