New Looking for any tips.

jonmelo33

10 posts
Registered:
31 Jan 2019

01 Feb 2019

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Hello Everyone,

I have been a smoker for many years, i am new father he is 15 months old now thought but i noticed he has been sick lately and terrible cough. Now i dont ever smoke around him or anything but i know smoke can linger on my clothes and i dont want to be the reason he gets worst. So i decided i need to stop smoking and get healthy so i can also be able live a long life and enjoy it with him and my Fiance.

Official Quit date is tomorrow, i am going to be using the nicoderm patches but where i know i have a real hard time with it is at work because i am so use to taking my breaks to get out side and get away from what i am doing. any tips from people on what they did to help that urge to smoke on a break. also driving i find it the worst for me also.

I truly am ready to quit and make a new start for myself so any tips on what helped you will be greatly appreciated.

atp

501 posts
Registered:
31 Dec 2018

01 Feb 2019 in reply to jonmelo33

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Jon,

Welcome to the community, and congrats on deciding to quit smoking.

The first few days are always the hardest. I changed my routine by making a decent breakfast, stuck a pack of gum in my car door, bought snacks (Nibs were my favourite) to munch on for when I got a craving. You might need to change what you do for break - stay inside and make yourself a nice cup of soup, or why don't you call you fiance and have a good talk (about what you'll be doing with all that money you're saving by not smoking).

The most important thing is to keep your mind occupied. Talking to another fellow who quit smoking recently he said he downloaded a game on his phone and kept trying to beat his high score.

mari_m

92 posts
Registered:
03 Jan 2019

01 Feb 2019 in reply to atp

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Hi jonmelo33, good for you for taking this journey to becoming a nonsmoker, joining this helpline has been one of the best things I’ve done for myself. And we can help each other through the rough spots. It really is easier when you’re not quitting smoking alone! And you may want to call and speak to a helpline coach as they are so helpful. I agree with atp that distractions are very important to give a persons racing mind a break. Someone said their mind won’t shutup, and neither does mine sometimes. So I have to do something to distract myself. It does get easier with practice. And read as much as you can about this addiction to find out how to overcome it. It sounds like you have some very good reasons to quit, hang on to those reasons, write them out and keep that list handy to remind you. I am also on th patch, as I found out from past attempts to quit, that I need help. Cold turkey didnt work, champix was too strong for me. And I always have nic gum or regular gum nearby in case I need an extra boost. One day, one hour, sometimes one minute at a time. So glad you have joined the helpline, and know we are all here to help each other. You’re not alone -m

jenna lee, quit coach

265 posts
Registered:
28 Jun 2018

01 Feb 2019 in reply to jonmelo33

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hi jonmelo33,

Welcome!

What a beautiful gift to give yourself and your family. You are already ahead of the game by identifying what you triggers are, and reaching out for support to problem solve.

atp and mari_m, great ideas! Distractions are definitely key, and sometimes we need to get creative. jonmelo33, what do you enjoy? What activities make you lose time? Additionally, we cannot always avoid triggers like driving and work breaks, so getting used to the new habits will take time; please be kind to yourself if it feels funny in the beginning. Also if something doesn't work, that is okay, just try something else!

Some strategies for the car that community members have shared: listening to talk radio, changing the station you usually listen to, cinnamon sticks, straws, toothpicks, water bottles, etc. Sometimes it only takes something little like driving a different route.

Hope this helps,

Jenna Lee

jonmelo33

10 posts
Registered:
31 Jan 2019

04 Feb 2019

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Hey,

Thanks for the ideas and tips i love the support and the idea of coming on here just read messages about others quitting and people giving advice. i am not going to lie i thought it was silly at first but it truly has helped.

so officially it is day 2 for me i didn't start Saturday as planned. but i did get a gym membership decided to start working out again. also this weekend i went and bought an engagement Ring to purpose to my girlfriend. I know i said Fiance earlier as she been with me for so long its like she already is.

so now i cant go back to smoking because what i would of spent in a year on smoking is on her ring hahah. little extra motivation.

today first day back to work and on my breaks i been going for walks to the park near by just get away instead of standing around everyone who smokes. but i have noticed i am trying to reach for a smoke then realize i don't have any.

i am wondering is it normal to feel extra drained? i feel more exhausted then normal today and little nausea feeling.

Thanks again everyone!

treepeo

832 posts
Registered:
29 Nov 2017

04 Feb 2019

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Hi jonmelo33,

Yes, it's normal to feel extra tired. Quitting smoking is hard work. It is physically and mentally draining. You need time to adjust to the changes you are making.

It's great that you joined a gym again. You will replace a deadly habit with a really healthy one. And you are going to set a good example for your son by being a non-smoker. How cool is that?

jenna c, quit coach

58 posts
Registered:
29 Nov 2018

04 Feb 2019

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Hi jonmelo33,

Congrats on your day 2 of quitting. One day at a time. As treepeo said it is normal to feel tired after quitting and this can be a withdrawal symptom that can occur for a few weeks. The body is undergoing detoxification and is adjusting to the absence of nicotine and its stimulating effects.

Some thing you can do is try sleep enough to recuperate, eat healthy foods and drink a lot of water. It's also good that you are taking walk breaks during your work. Doing this and getting a gym membership will be helpful as well to gain more energy through exercise and a great distraction too!

If you have quit cold turkey, this could explain why you may be having this withdrawal symptom.

Hope this helps!

Jenna C

jonmelo33

10 posts
Registered:
31 Jan 2019

04 Feb 2019 in reply to jenna c, quit coach

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No i didn't go cold turkey i am using the Nicoderm Patches but that is it. but it is hard because i was smoking on average 12 - 20 smokes a day depending on the day.

Thanks for the help. i do have one other question might sound silly. but since i am using the nicoderm patchs which sends nicotine into my system to help. once i stop using patches will it be like another withdraw from that?

i dont know if that makes sense?

wende

15 posts
Registered:
03 Feb 2019

04 Feb 2019 in reply to jonmelo33

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Wishing you the best of luck! I am on day 14 and so far, so good. I find using the nic mist has really helped me. I do a lot of driving and know what you mean by smoking at that time. I am finding that avoiding smokers all together is the only way I can do this. I find chewing gum helps and when the craving starts, I wait because it does pass within 2-3 minutes. I also tell myself I am a non-smoker. Good luck and go one day at a time!!
Wende

jenna c, quit coach

58 posts
Registered:
29 Nov 2018

04 Feb 2019 in reply to jonmelo33

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HI Jonmelo33,

That's a good question. Using the patches in general helps reduce withdrawal symptoms however when you get off the patch there is risk of having some w/d. The chances are fewer if you use the patch program accordingly (step 1...step 2...step 3).

"Each smoker has different withdrawal symptoms. The most common are:
    Irritability, restlessness, impatience, nervousness
    Poor concentration, dizziness
    Sleep Disruption, awakening at night
    Mild depression, tiredness, anxiety
    Headache, constipation, gas, stomach pains
    Increased appetite, hunger, desire to smoke, mouth ulcers, colds,    sore throat, coughing,     sneezing"

Kind Regards,

jenna c, quit coach

mari_m

92 posts
Registered:
03 Jan 2019

04 Feb 2019 in reply to jenna c, quit coach

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Hello Jon, in answer to your question about using the patch, i finished the 10 week program last Saturday and I feel as though I have some depression going on, although it could also be from isolating myself because of this cold weather. So I really have to use some distractions and that helps. Today I really had to push myself to get out for some fresh air, ended up shovelling driveway, and felt better afterwards. But I am glad I used the patch as I needed the extra help, and the nic gum too. Doubt that I couldve quit and stay quit going cold turkey. I think I may just experience a bit of withdrawal for maybe 3 or 4 days and then it should be over. And it is much more manageable than the withdrawal I had at the start of my quit! So things are getting easier, just have to keep going forward one day, one hour, sometimes one minute at a time!! We can do this. -m

jonmelo33

10 posts
Registered:
31 Jan 2019

07 Feb 2019 in reply to mari_m

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Hey thanks Mari and wende!

Those are good tips and Day 4 and i am still making it through and feel bit better today. yesterday was a little rough for me. i had go to doctors for issue with my finger then got a call from daycare about my son. so i called my mom freaking and had little melt down saying everything is happening now to me as soon as i quit. i then got off the phone and started saying to myself its all in my head i am just trying to make an excuse to smoke. i said that for a couple minutes over and over. and i was able to calm down and break that craving.

it truly helped again i know some of you on this thread have been not smoking longer but i just want to say when you are having a bad day just keep saying that to yourself or something along the lines.

it truly has been awesome coming on here and getting support and we are all going to be alot healthier and looking back on this as why did i ever begin to smoke in the first place.

i am finding now its hard to be around people who smoke the smell is just so strong and gross to me which is funny because i never noticed how much i smelt of smoke till now.

turningpoint

97 posts
Registered:
30 Nov 2017

07 Feb 2019

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Jonmelo, I think you're right - it is just an excuse to smoke. Good for you for recognizing that.

atp

501 posts
Registered:
31 Dec 2018

07 Feb 2019 in reply to jonmelo33

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Jonmelo,

Congrats on your fourth day of being a non-smoker.

I noticed the smell of stale smoke around the 4th day as well. You can smell the smokers as they walk by you - yuck. I went on a big cleaning spree around that time - lysol everything, throwing out butt cans, the whole bit. Partly it kept me occupied, partly it was a way of putting the addiction in its place.

BTW- the other bonus is my wife really likes how much better I smell and my fresher breath. More cuddles all around because of my quit.

jonmelo33

10 posts
Registered:
31 Jan 2019

07 Feb 2019 in reply to atp

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Thanks! Yes my Girlfriend is so happy about that too. i would remember at night coming in to give her a kiss and hug and she be like OMG you smell like smoke its gross.

looking forward to all the benefits of quitting smoking, which i am already having tons!

wende

15 posts
Registered:
03 Feb 2019

20 Feb 2019 in reply to jonmelo33

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Hey jonmelo33, Just checking in to see how you are doing. Today is my 30th being a non-smoker. It has been an interesting ride! But I am doing much better than I thought. I have this new mantra in my head now when the cravings come... I tell myself I am in control, not the addiction. It does help. I have been around a few smokers and last weekend had a slip, but after a few smokes, I thought wth am I doing and stopped. I have to admit, it tasted rather disgusting - which was a good sign. I am not ready to be around smokers yet, so I won't try that again for a while. How are you handling it so far?

wende

15 posts
Registered:
03 Feb 2019

20 Feb 2019 in reply to jonmelo33

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OMG - my husband still smokes and I thought the same thing. Now he smells gross and I ask him to brush his fangs before he plants a kiss on me! hahah

brieffree

1478 posts
Registered:
28 Nov 2017

20 Feb 2019

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Hi Everybody

As far I read your post, I do remember the same to find the right excuse to go and fail into the crave.
Is wire, Not any more, thank to my hard work to keep my quit!
The stress, can trick you into the crave, and sleep or worse relapse, this is why we need to be prepare, make a plan what do when the moment comes?
We can not change what we feel, but we can do something to change behavior in that moment!
That not happened in the first week of quit! That happened trying and trying….. burning energy, sometimes crying, sweeting, going nuts, walking with no sense, etc...
No matter, why and how if you are prepare for that moment you can stay free! and tomorrow will be better because you are prepare.
Practice every day and victory will be yours!

Enjoy to be a Non Smoker! you are doing Great! Is all part of your quit!

ONE DAY AT THE TIME! NEVER GIVE UP!

Last modified on 20 Feb 2019 17:44 by brieffree

kate r, quit coach

49 posts
Registered:
16 Jan 2019

22 Feb 2019

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Hello everyone,

Glad to see the forum has been helpful and welcoming for you jonmelo33 and that you are getting support for your quit. Congratulations on resisting the urges to smoke on your fourth day as well! It should get easier. Big thanks to mari_m, turningpoint, atp, wende, and brieffree for sharing their perspectives and offering encouragement.

The smell of cigarettes changing is something we hear often as quit coaches. This is likely due to the sense of taste and smell improving at around the 48 hour mark after your last cigarette. It is great to hear that you are already noticing some benefits of being smoke-free.

wende, it is fantastic you have found a mantra that works well for challenging your thoughts. It is also good that you are aware of a trigger of yours to smoke (other smokers) and avoiding them for now.

Keep up the great work everyone! All the best with your quits!

- Kate R

jonmelo33

10 posts
Registered:
31 Jan 2019

22 Feb 2019

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Hello Wende and everybody,

Thank you for checking in. So this Sunday will mark 3 weeks smoke free for me. I it has been a rough go in i sprained my toe (which we thought was broken until x rays said it wasn't) and then i been dealing with a terrible cold. at one point i said since i have quit i have gotten sick and and everything bad is happening.

but again i kept saying this is just an excuse to smoke. so since then i been doing pretty well i don't use the patch or anything anymore as i kept forgetting to put it on. i do get the thoughts of smoking, which usually now when i am bored or not busy. but i find something to do and keep on moving.

starting to notice the money i am saving now from not smoking which is huge. its been alot of ups and downs but i just keep saying i am doing this for a healthier me and to be there as long as i can for my Son/Family.

Truly want to thank everyone that has jumped on this forum and messaged me or given advice or found something to help them. Because it really helped me and i wish everyone the best.

atp

501 posts
Registered:
31 Dec 2018

22 Feb 2019 in reply to jonmelo33

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Jonmelo,

Well, sprained toe and a cold, all the while trying to quit cold turkey. You are really being tested, but you know what - you're still doing it and staying smoke free. That is huge.

3 weeks in and soon you're going to start feeling so much better. You'll have more moments where you don't think about smoking, you'll start to feel better. And as you said you are saving so much money (although don't you have a ring to pay for????).

I went cold turkey and by the 3rd week I was feeling a lot better. I think somewhere around that time i noticed the callous on my thumb from flicking the lighter, and the stains on my fingers were going away, and that felt good. I also started to focus on the benefits of being a non-smoker, rather than thinking what I am missing by not having a smoke - not many reasons for that though.....

jonmelo33

10 posts
Registered:
31 Jan 2019

28 Feb 2019 in reply to atp

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Hey Atp,

Yes i am starting to feel better. i do have an annoying cough now and its brutal! is this normal? could it just be from everything breaking up now?

but again being strong so since after everything to make things special celebrate my 1 month this weekend i am taking my Girlfriend away while my mother watches our son for the weekend. i will be purposing to her this weekend instead of waiting.

Which i have gotten the ring! so good things to come!

Thanks again for all the support!

atp

501 posts
Registered:
31 Dec 2018

28 Feb 2019 in reply to jonmelo33

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Hey Jonmelo,

There you go- One month as a non-smoker and with all that extra confidence you're proposing to your GF!!!! Congrats on both and that is s super amazing way to celebrate. Bet she must be really happy with the new non-smoker fiance she is about to have.

Yeah, the cough. My smokers cough went away, but then around the 3rd week I got this annoying cough with phlegm coming up - that is the tar and more than 30 years of smoking crap trying to get cleared up out of my lungs. Some people have more or less of it. That is a good thing though.

From here on in it really is mostly about learning how to be a non-smoker. And every day it does get easier.

jonmelo33

10 posts
Registered:
31 Jan 2019

17 Mar 2019 in reply to atp

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Hey,

the cough has has gone away. But your comment about living as a non smoker is so true. Sounds silly but I never looked at it that way.

the cravings urges are barely there but I do notice things will trigger the thought of going. I remember the other day I had a day off no one home and nothing to do. At that point I got the urge but I then started to laugh and be like I only want to smoke because I am bored. So I did laundry! Ahaha which my fiancé loved.

i truly can’t thank you Ap and everyone else for the support. Such a great thing everyone does here helping. Hopefully new non smokers see these messages and know they can do it too!

thanks everyone!

kate r, quit coach

49 posts
Registered:
16 Jan 2019

18 Mar 2019

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Hi jonmelo33,

Congratulations on being more than 30 days smoke-free and your engagement (so exciting)!

Also glad to hear that your cough as gone away! Quitting smoking, as atp shared, and what you are experiencing really is a whole lifestyle change in many ways. Doing the laundry was a great idea to help with that craving, and seemed to have another positive impact!

It is true: you can absolutely stay smoke-free and others can quit smoking!

Keep us updated!

- Kate R

wende

15 posts
Registered:
03 Feb 2019

26 Mar 2019

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Hello everyone, been a while since I visited the site. I fell off the non-smoking wagon through out the March Break. But, I am happy to say, I got right back on. Going through all the emotions was a bit tough. I too went into a depression and battled insomnia big time. I was able to talk to my doctor and am learning to accept this is part of learning how to be a non-smoker. My hubby started back up, so access to the nic was pretty darn easy. That being said, I am back in the groove and taking it one day at a time. Keep up the fight everyone!
wen

jonmelo33

10 posts
Registered:
31 Jan 2019

15 Apr 2019 in reply to wende

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Hello Everyone/Wende,

I am happy to see you jumped right back on and are on the path to staying smoke free. I was very close to smoking to as well. i am currently 71 days smoke free. I am noticing lately just this last week or so that i am getting really big cravings for it. i don't know why but its almost like i just quit smoking yesterday that is how strong they are.

Is this normally around this stage of quitting? i know i might always having cravings but never had them this strong since the like the first two weeks of quitting. any advice or tips would be great.

Thanks,

amandablandford

1 posts
Registered:
16 Apr 2019

16 Apr 2019

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Hello all;

ive been reading all these forums for the past two days, I’ve finally registered today. I’m on day 3 if quitting cold turkey, I’m 29 and have been smoking since I was about 15. I haven’t been a heavy smoker until the past few years. Today; I can’t seem to shake this depressing, super irritating feeling; I’ve been cleaning and sitting outside, drinking lots of water but I’m sooo irritated and I just wanna get mad at everything for no reason at all. Today is not a good day and I just needed to vent

i feel like I wanna smoke, I have not, I don’t plan to, I’m already this far and I’m just so tired of being a smoker. I’m done but feeling hopeless today

jenna c, quit coach

58 posts
Registered:
29 Nov 2018

16 Apr 2019 in reply to amandablandford

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Hi amandablandford,

Congrats on making it to day 3! Quitting cold turkey shows that you are determined to quit but can also make you more susceptible at experiencing more withdrawal symptoms such as; irritability and sadness. While venting can help, just know the first week or two is the hardest when quitting.

If you are continuing to do this cold turkey try doing the 4 d's-
Delay- the urges will go away in a few minutes
Distract- walk, puzzles, tv, knitting and any activity to get your mind off of it
Deep breathing- breathing in slowly and deeply
Drink water- drink it slowly

Keep reminding yourself why you are quitting and using positive self-talk can be helpful.
Example- "I am going to be a non-smoker, I can't wait to breath better, I am looking forward to saving money"..

Keep it up! It will get easier!

jenna c, quit coach

atp

501 posts
Registered:
31 Dec 2018

17 Apr 2019 in reply to jonmelo33

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Jonmelo,

I'm thrilled to see that you have made it to 71 days (actually 73 now) smoke free.

I hit some real big cravings at 1 month and then again just before 3 months. For me it was the constant brain chatter about just having a smoke, what harm would that be, it would be so relaxing, a reward for my quit so far. On and on.

I spent a few days taking out loud to myself while driving from one site to another that I have been smoke free this entire year, I don't need to smoke, I don't want to go through withdrawal again.

We get complacent and forget how hard it was to quit. I am pretty sure that if i have a smoke I will be back to being a pack-a-day guy within a week.

Here's the thing, just after my 3 month I turned a corner and started to feel like a non-smoker. It was a real big change for me. I really hope you have that kind of moment too.

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