back on the patch - Smoking Cessation Message Board

marian100 · 05-07-2007, 05:50 AM

i have been off the patch for 4 months and am starting it today. i have had the worst cravings the last couple of days. went from not thinking about smoking at all to slight to intense cravings. am trying not to go back to the cigarettes. i have started at the lowest patch but will go up if i have to. it has been 9 month since i've had a cigarette and i don't ever want to smoke again. i'm hanging on the best i can. God bless

lorriem · 05-07-2007, 09:54 AM

marian 100
9 months smoke free that is great.I am on the inhaler and had a relapse for a few days due to mega stress. Could that be the cause ofyour cravings?

marian100 · 05-08-2007, 08:47 AM

it is like my brain is not feeling well and thinks cigarettes will help. but i know they won't from previous experiece. i thought maybe i could have one or two and let it go. but i don' think that will happen. and i am not sure if i could quit again. every time i do it is longer and longer between smoking. and i would have to quit again. it is hard enough to do this when you are feeling strong emotionally, but really hard when you are down. started an antidepressant a few days ago. God bless

Deda · 05-08-2007, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marian100

i have been off the patch for 4 months and am starting it today. i have had the worst cravings the last couple of days. went from not thinking about smoking at all to slight to intense cravings. am trying not to go back to the cigarettes. i have started at the lowest patch but will go up if i have to. it has been 9 month since i've had a cigarette and i don't ever want to smoke again. i'm hanging on the best i can. God bless

Smart move, Marian, going back on the patch, instead of going back to trying to kill oneself. Good for you and pats on your back!

I quit with the patch in Sept. of '03, and stayed on those patches for quite a while, (my hubby was on the nic gum).... after about 5 or 6 months on the patch, [I was down to the little one, but afraid to "let go", so afraid to give up that nicotine]. Well, then one day I 'borrowed' one of his pieces of gum, and then I was TOTALLY addicted to that.... that was torture [for us] to get off of....but we finally did it!,....I did about 18 months after I started it. [the gum]

Fortunately, I survived the nicotine withdrawl, and have never, ever smoked another cigarette....or ever wanted one again- -honestly! It seemed like once I got off of the gum too, it wasn't long after that that I finally quit thinking about smoking and having any more cravings... seriously...today I NEVER crave them,...

I actually HATE smoking, (went to an Indian Casino last night, and every time a smoker came near me, I moved!!)

Even when I'm upset today, or stressed, (liked when my dad passed away last May), I don't even think of 'em....and you will get to the point one day as well,...we all do, if we just hang in there long enough. (It takes a while to work that habit out of our minds!..it really does) It's almost as if I never smoked before. I think it's all in our minds...the cravings and all. We are brainwashed into thinking they "help us relax"....bull! I'm more relaxed now than when I smoked, and I'm learning to handle my stressful situations like the non smokers of the world always did--without em....it was easier to to that than I thought it would be. (How does inhaling some burning leaves rolled up in some cheap paper [for 4.50 a pack], help relax us, anyway?!)

I now see that I was actually more stressed from smoking because I worried constantly about getting cancer, or some other illness, and running to the store at all hours of the day and night, wondering how I would get through an event where I couldn't smoke....wondering how I'd do staying at friends homes who were non smokers, etc.....now that's stress!! And spending all that money??!!

So glad I'm not spending that money anymore....hell...I need it to fill my tank up with gas!! LOL Hang in there!!!!!!

I did have one relapse too, at the 4 month point into my quit... that was always my danger zone...4 months...just about every time I quit. It lasted a few days, and for the first time ever, I quit soon after, as before when I quit, (at least 10 times prior to this quit, I was like you, and it would take me years to try quitting again) I [honestly] never thought I'd see the day where both my spouse and I would never crave a smoke, and go years w/o smoking, and actually be as happy as we can possibly be....I think even happier w/o them!! Hang in there....and don't give up that patch until you are ready-- 100%. There's no hard rule about how long we stay on these nicotine replacement devices. My husband was on the gum for over 3 years.....yeah, go ahead and laugh people...but today he doesn't crave nicotine in any shape or form. (YAYYYYY!!!)

Hang in there.....you will one day whip this little devil's a$$..

I know you will.

Best of luck to you....
Deda

PS~ And to all of the sweet people [friends], that I used to coresspond with--> HOLA!!! I'm sorry I hadn't been here in so long....our computer crashed, [finally... after 6 years or more], and we weren't in any hurry to get it back up and going. (I actually started getting more done around my home, and more exercise too!) I would occasionally use the one at the local coffee shop, or friends home. [my laptop needs cleaning up too] Hope you're all doing well, and I see the board has slowed down some...hope you're all still well and still smokeless, and still around here sometimes.... keep on keepin' on.... JUST DON'T EVER SMOKE!!! Take care all.... Love, Deda

marian100 · 05-09-2007, 05:57 AM

thanks for the encouragement. i hadn't thought or craved cigarettes. glad to hear you had a problem at 4 months also. gives me hope. still on patch. God bless