Cold turkey vs. the patch

[DLHaffner]

Tomorrow’s my quit date, 3/5/18.  I’ve tried to quite several times in the past and never made it more than 1.5days.   I’ve read Allen Carr’s the easy way, tried the patch, the gym, Wellbutrin....but never tried cold turkey so I’m leaning towards that.  I’m 37 years old and been smoking at least half a pack if not more a day since I was 14....I know gross!   My parents were heavy smokers and I know my mom smoked while pregnant so basically I’ve smoked my entire life.  I really want to be free!!!!  F u big tobacco!!!!  I’d like recommendations....I do have the patch and gum from previous attempts and I plan to go cold turkey in the morning but carry 1 21mg patch with me in case it gets too overwhelming.  What do you think?

[tryinmydarndest]

Hi there! I am certainly not an expert and there are many wonderful elders here who can guide you along, but I just wanted to introduce myself. I’m Sandy, I’m also 37. I’ve also tried to quit many times in the past. My mom was a smoker. My husband is a smoker. You sound like I did going into quitting, except you found this site first, and you read Allen Carr first. Wish I had done those things. I had 50 days, many of them pretty difficult, before I reached out for help. Now I’m at 62 days and feel more confident in my decision and in my quit than ever before. 

As far as whether cold turkey or with nicotine replacement therapies, I don’t know. I will tell you that I am still using the patch, I’m finally on step 2. I have had terrible withdrawal symptoms (even after a couple hours without smoking) so I felt I needed the help. I beat myself up sometimes for still being on it, but I feel like it helps me. Some people go cold turkey and after a few days their withdrawal symptoms subside and they’re all good. That was never me. 

When I quit 62 days ago, I decided I was not going to be a smoker anymore. My life wasn’t going to be controlled anymore. I make the decision every day, sometimes every hour or minute. It gets easier and sometimes it gets harder. But it is worth it, it is SO worth it! I say, feel great about your decision and don’t focus on the past.

I wish you all the best,

Sandy

[DLHaffner]

Sandy,  thank you so much!!!  My husband also smokes, I forgot to mention that.  I really, really appreciate your input and thank you again for sharing your experience!!!!  Congratulations also on 62 days!!! That sounds like a decade to me right now.  I’m going to keep in touch with you tomorrow and hopefully beyond -  best of luck!  I read a slogan earlier I really liked N.O.P.E. ( not one more puff ever). That’s the montra I plan to begin my day with tomorrow.

[tryinmydarndest]

You’re so welcome! And thank you! Yes NOPE helped me a lot, especially in my “bargaining” stage—oh I can have one when I go out, or once in a while. Lol, no way, doesn’t work like that. 

Having a spouse who smokes sure doesn’t make things easier. It was a big reason of why I kept going back to smoking in the past. I realize now that I have to separate the two journeys. If he’s not ready, then he’s just not. I am getting over my jealousy of his smoke breaks. (If you read my blogs you’ll see more of our trials these past couple of months. I hope you’ll be spared from them!)

I’ll be around and here in any way I can help you through. Have a wonderful first day FREE!!

Sandy

[anaussiemom]

What ever works works!   I've always went cold turkey in previous attempts.   Now doing the patch as prescribed.  I have nothing to lose being a saint for myself.   I have everything to gain, by quitting!  So trying this route of the patch.  I to have smoked since the womb.      I can feel the effects, after 45 yrs of smoking, by choice.  What ever works for you is the right way!!    

dlhaffner 

Many Blessings
Kim

[indingrl]

CONGRATS ON YOUR CHOICE FOR YOUR OWN NICOTINE FREEDOM TO BE A NON SMOKER! Welcome dlhaffner and it was SUGGESTED to blog BEFORE I used NICOTINE again and to keep blogging with questions or just to vent just dealing with life on life terms or MY emotions or MY OLD using thoughts and to WAIT for the love and solutions from those LIVING and WALKING their talk of RECOVERING FROM NICOTINE ONE DAY AT A TIME... they SUGGESTED I educate MYSELF on MY NICOTINE ADDICTION .... NOBODY ELSE... also to STAY on this site for MY FIRST 90 DAYS reading blogs from those STAYING QUIT to learn a NEW way of breathing through MY stressess of people places things situations circumstances and to KEEP AN OPEN MIND to LET people live the way they CHOOSE and for ME I CHOSE NOT ONE PUFF OVER ME... Dr Hays is the EXPERT ADVICE BLOGGER HERE please check out His experience working with NICOTINE addiction and also to go to whyquit.com to read Joel FREE BOOK... NEVER TAKE ANOTHER PUFF and read or watch videos at whyquit.com on NICOTINE withdrawing with MANY good solutions to learn to live as a NON SMOKER and pass on to others NEW and OLD in RECOVERY FROM NICOTINE what works to STAY QUIT TOGETHER...I tried quitting tons of times too and used nicotine gum patches went to panels where people talked on what helped them not to use and I failed for 38 YEARS I used MY DRUG OF CHOICE NICOTINE and at the end of MY using 50 DEATH stIcks a DAY... I was watching t.v and saw a commercial by EXsmoker... a guy was trying to drink a cup of coffee and he kept MISSING his mouth... I started laughing and THOUGHT what is his PROBLEM... the announcer said it hard to do something without smoking at FIRST but it CAN BE DONE and then it showed the guy drinking coffee bowling smiling laughing enjoying life without smoking. Then I came to this site since Oct 28. 2010 and TRIED QUITTING on MY OWN IDEAS again and failed.., I kept coming here and at whyquit. com to read Joel FREE book and I also read carr  book too and blogging while atill TRYING one less DEATH stick a DAY and I got down to 2-3 DEATH STICKS along with exercising and eating healthier since 2005 and every day I was taking ALL the SUGGESTIONS here and would NOT QUIT USING 2-3 DEATH sticks and then one night I dropped to MY knees and prayed Dear Jesus if you don't take these cigs from ME I will smoke them until I drop dead in Jesus name amen and Jan 6, 2011 I was given a COLD TURKEY QUIT and only by Gods grace just celebrated SEVEN YEARS NICOTINE FREE in MY Lord Jesus name and he doesn't USE NICOTINE TO COPE with life neither do I and I been coming here and at whyquit.com TRYING DAY BY DAY to HELP the next suffering NICOTINE ADDICT to hope and believe IF WE WILL STAY QUIT TOGETHER SO CAN THEY ONE DAY or MINUTE by minute or SECOND by second or BREATHE by breathe WE WILL ALL REMAIN NON SMOKERS and for ME in MY Lord Jesus name amen... please take what HELPS and let go of the rest to be HELPFUL is MY only aim thank you! Please KNOW DLHAFFNER you are the MOST important person to ME for HELPING ME remember where I came from and to know just like you I am ONLY ONE PUFF AWAY IF I CHOOSE TO USE NICOTINE and just for this DAY I CHOOSE TO REMAIN A NON SMOKER and live MY OWN LIFE loving people just as they are and to share ALL that was given FREELY to ME thank you for saving MY life TODAY and keep COMING BACK! 

[elvan]

I never used any nicotine replacement but I certainly have nothing against it...many people on this site quit successfully with the patch and I think that carrying a patch with you, just in case it gets too overwhelming, is brilliant.  I quit smart turkey...it sounds friendlier than cold turkey...I did all of the things to plan for my quit, tracked cigarettes, identified triggers, and then felt like I could do it...I never got a chance to really implement my new plan because I got really sick.  I got pneumonia and that exacerbated my COPD so I could not smoke, I could hardly breathe, I certainly wasn't going to make it even harder.  I came to this site every day, twice a day...first thing in the morning and last thing at night and, when I could, I came here during the day.  I read blogs, I commented, I blogged, I asked for help and I LISTENED to suggestions.  I could not exercise at the beginning of my quit because I was way too short of breath.  I also have chronic pain and that was one of my biggest excuses to smoke..."If I could just get this pain under control, I KNOW I could quit."  I was kidding myself, smoking never helped my pain...yes, it did distract me for a very short period of time but it never helped with my pain. I planned things to do instead of smoking and I found that it really DID get easier...just like the elders told me that it would.  Now, I exercise regularly because it helps to release dopamine and that helps me to feel happier and stronger.  I eat a healthy diet and I STILL come here regularly after more than four years of freedom.  Quitting is not an event, it is a journey, one step at a time...baby steps count.  I used the mantra NOPE, Not One Puff Ever...over and over and over again when I quit, it was simple, short, and to the point and it helped.  There are many people here who can tell you what worked for them...some just shook their heads when they had a crave, some actually bit into a lemon, rind and all.  I never did that because it sounded so awful, BUT, I did keep lemons around just in case I HAD to do that.  ANYTHING other than smoking.  You can do this and you are young enough to get away from smoking unscathed.  

Welcome to EX,

Ellen

[anaussiemom]

I have to say, being on a 21mg patch and cold turkey feel the same.  It sucks. It just plain sucks.   I don't want to be a smoker, it's ugly, smelly, time consuming, just yuk!   Im on day 5 of patch.   I feel no different than being cold turkey.   I have done both.  I'm not a chemist,   but 21 mgs all day of nicotine= what?   My cigs I smoked  were prob 18 mgs. per cig.  ?   IDK .  Biggest  point need,  to realize is poisoning oneself  with sick sticks.  !  That is a FACT!

Anyway whatever works, Works! 

Hugs.

[crazymama_Lori]

well, first of all, 21 mg is too much.  Each cigarette equates to 1 mg of nicotine.  if you smoked 15 a day, then the step 2 would be fine for you.  the patches do not take the cravings away.  It simply takes the edge off.  I've seen many people combine patches, gum and and lozenge and end of making themselves sick because they're constantly popping something to make the urge/craving go away and can't imagine why they're dizzy.  the main thing to concentrate on is keep yourself busy for the next couple weeks.  Take an inventory of things you've let slide in your house and that you can do.  Stock up on coloring books, handheld games, crafts, learn a hobby.  anything and everything you can think of to keep your mind busy.  Deep breathing your way through the crave helps.  I had a boatload of nervous energy the first month because I was so dang busy keeping myself busy.  After those 30 days, it gets so much easier, then after 60, 90, 100, before too long you're at 6 months.  

SOOOO  Welcome aboard.  Once you've completed Smoking Trigger Tracker Tool | Guides & Tools | BecomeAnEX ,  please visit Newbie Quitters‌ and read some there and also Best of EX‌.  Therein contains some very useful and timeless knowledge saved to share with those that are serious about quitting smoking and also understanding how nicotine works inside our brains and bodies, How Nicotine Addiction takes over (and what to do about it!) .  Be sure to use the search feature on the right-hand side of your screen to find answers to questions you may have along the way.  I can guarantee you that at some point or another someone at sometime has or had the same feelings you are questioning.  We're just a bunch of former smokers helping other smokers quit and stay quit !!!! 

[anaussiemom]

OMG I just read up on some facts of nicotine.  Your so right Lori.  Wowza way to much for me.   I was so completely wrong.  Thank you.