SMART TURKEY VS NRT

shazzan

140 posts
Registered:
06 Nov 2018

29 Dec 2018

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The worst part of my quit was before i quit.... read about my journey and methods that i have posted in hopes of making other peoples journeys easy like mine.

I smoked for 45 yrs. and was smoking 28 or so a day when i cut down to 5 for three days prior to cold turkey. Although they say it doesn't matter whether you smoked 80 a day or 5 a day, effect of the withdrawal is the same. The further you reduce your intake the most uncomfortable you become with it. These were the hardest 3 days but valuable lessons learned in the 4 D's, gaining knowledge, joining this quit group for support and believing that i could actually do it!

Learning about the effects of nicotine on our brain and how it caused addiction, but how just ONE PUFF will reignite those nicotine sensors that nag us to give in. Knowledge is power.! And a very real warning ! NOPE (Not One Puff Ever)

If you Puff, then do so in a most unrelaxing way. Think about every inhale, whatever kind, a remind yourself of how vile the stick and addiction is. Learn to hate it. Embrace life as a non-smoker and don't fear it. Know that smokers will envy you, for they haven't yet found the courage to even think out doing what you are about to do. They don't realize how easy it can be. Open your mind to the possibility.

Once you realize you can live without smokes as a non-smoker does, once you can honestly say you WANT to be a non-smoker, then all the psychological withdrawal should be over, and only 48 to 72 hrs of actual nicotine withdrawal is left to deal with. Even that is not physical but mere thoughts.

I hope some will realize that there is nothing to fear but fear itself. It leads to paralysis, and puts you at your captors mercy. Believe me ,he has no mercy, he is a monster. You have been empowered, set yourself free without delay.

Last modified on 29 Dec 2018 10:12 by Quit Coach 16

jenna lee, quit coach

265 posts
Registered:
28 Jun 2018

29 Dec 2018

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Hey shazzan,

Thank you for being there for so many of our determined and persistent quitters here on smokershelpline.ca. Your ideas about mindset and making smoking uncomfortable and so creative and greatly appreciated!

Jenna Lee

shazzan

140 posts
Registered:
06 Nov 2018

29 Dec 2018 in reply to jenna lee, quit coach

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It is my pleasure to be here and do what i can to help others. I know you don't like me posting sites, but there are things i found that i did in starting my quit which may have contributed to my easy quit. Just three things so easy to do.

1. When you cut your nicotine off, cut your caffeine by half
2. Eat a breakfast first thing, which many of us smokers may have skipped.
3. Drink plenty of water and stay hydrated.

These three things eliminate the effects of lack of nicotine which can be confused with cravings. When consuming nicotine, your caffeine levels didn't get so high. Anyways i am no doctor, just sharing since i did do these things during my quit.

shazzan

140 posts
Registered:
06 Nov 2018

29 Dec 2018 in reply to shazzan

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As most already here know, i advocate the Smart Turkey quit and was edited somewhat. I was also referring to NRT Puffers and making my view that they should be taken as uncomfortably as possible (like cigarettes) as to eliminate the mimic of smoking. You should want to be free of them too, as soon as possible, as they are still a nicotine product.

When you have mastered living like a non-smoker, quit the aids. Cold turkey for 3 days with wanting urges, mere thoughts. You are through the longest part of the journey , the adjustment and acceptance of living as a non-smoker. The rest in a cinch. Whether down to 10 cigarettes or 1, the withdrawal will be the same and you will have to do it at some point. It really makes no sense to put it off. Embrace the opportunity of truly being free.

jenna lee, quit coach

265 posts
Registered:
28 Jun 2018

29 Dec 2018 in reply to shazzan

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Hi Shazzan,

Great tips!

Yes some people like yourself definitely prefer to get the 'suffering' over with quickly doing 'smart turkey'. Others who choose to use NRT may have no suffering at all or minimal because of the NRT. At the end of the day, there is no 1 way to quit for sure, but new ideas are always welcome, as long as they are safe and there is some evidence to support it.

With regard to caffeine, that is correct. Some people may attribute not feeling well to quitting, but is it really from caffeine working better in our systems when we quit. Same with any other medications people may be taken. Quitting can also affect the metabolism or absorption of certain medications, which is why we always recommend people let their healthcare providers about their quit, in case medication doses need to be adjusted either up or down. So the point here is, that it may not be withdrawal at all, it may be the effects of caffeine or other meds.

In regard to your point about withdrawal being the same for 'heavier' or 'lighter' smokers, I would like to add that withdrawal is not merely from the absence of nicotine. It is also from your body getting rid of the thousands of other chemicals built up in our systems over the years we have smoked. Therefore, someone who smokes more and for longer may, in fact, experience worse withdrawal than someone who is a lighter smoker if they both quit the same way.

Lastly, you are right, breakfast and hydration are key!

Thanks again Shazzan,

Jenna Lee

Last modified on 29 Dec 2018 15:05 by jenna lee, quit coach

treepeo

832 posts
Registered:
29 Nov 2017

29 Dec 2018

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Hi shazzan,

I totally disagree with you about physical withdrawal being over in 3 days, and psychological withdrawal ending as soon as you decide you want to be a non-smoker. That may have been your experience, but it certainly wasn't mine. In fact, I remember one person at work who was callously dismissive of what I was going through, and said that because I was on Day 7 of my quit, I should be completely over any withdrawal symptoms. That made me really angry, because I was suffering big time and struggling to keep my quit, and his attitude was far from supportive.

Personally, I had a really hard time for the first whole month of my quit. In fact, I missed two days of work at the end of that first month because I couldn't stop crying. I was so tempted to give in, because my lungs were aching really badly. But after that, it was like my body just gave up because it knew I wouldn't give it what it thought it wanted, namely all of those chemicals. And after that point, the healing started.

I'm glad you were able to get through all of that in 3 days shazzan, but it is not the same for everyone. And although I quit cold turkey, too, I only did so because I suspected that NRTs would not touch the pain I was going to experience in my lungs. I see absolutely nothing wrong with people using NRTs. That is what they are there for, to help people to quit smoking. Being on the patch is nothing compared to smoking a cigarette. And it is high time that there is finally some recognition that people need some serious help overcoming this addiction. Anything that helps people to quit smoking is A-Okay in my books.

atp

501 posts
Registered:
31 Dec 2018

03 Jan 2019 in reply to treepeo

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I'm sitting here winding down day 3 without a smoke.
For me the effects of withdrawal seem to be subsiding. I'm testing myself by using the NRT lozenges less. Still, want a smoke badly though. Watched an episode of Narcos Mexico last night - seemed like everyone was smoking in every scene.
That said, I am committed to see this through. Today I finally stated to think that I can really and truly do this - 3 days and no smoking. Seems like a major accomplishment.

atp

501 posts
Registered:
31 Dec 2018

03 Jan 2019 in reply to atp

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My mouth is at least starting to feel better. Weird feeling last 3 days. Licking my lips a lot. Drinking lots of water.
Restless sleeping last few nights - and I usually fall asleep within seconds.
Haven't had my usual evening beer (ok - more like 2 usually) - so there is that habit I'm breaking at the same time.
I'm 50. Been smoking for 30 years. Nearly pack a day last few years. In the last 6 months I noticed that I was smoking only half a cigarette a lot of times. Got me thinking....

turningpoint

97 posts
Registered:
30 Nov 2017

03 Jan 2019

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I, too, find that my sleeping is disrupted. This is my third day (on the patch). I'm not really having cravings, but what I do find is that I increasingly have the sense that I'm "swimming upstream".

atp

501 posts
Registered:
31 Dec 2018

03 Jan 2019 in reply to turningpoint

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The sleep seems to be restless for me. Hard to fall asleep, and then I'm awake early.

efram, quit coach

235 posts
Registered:
29 Nov 2017

04 Jan 2019 in reply to atp

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Hi All,

This thread reinforces, to me, that there's no single best way to quit; everyone is different, has different experiences, and "results may vary" as the saying goes. Each approach has pros and cons, and it's nice in these modern times that there are so many options.

Treepeo, thank you for sharing your experience. Some people have minimal withdrawals and for others the withdrawals are intense and can last quite a while. And just because someone "should" be over the withdrawals doesn't mean that they are! I hope you found others who were more supportive than that fellow at work.

Atp, welcome to SHL.ca, and congrats on 3+ days without a smoke! You're right, it's a major accomplishment. Glad to have you here! Please keep us posted.

Regards,
Efram

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