Hello folks, I have been a nicotine addict for around 40 years. I grew up in a smoker household so realistically, I am a 54+ years smoker. I have recently moved into a non-smoking environment and purchased a vehicle from a non-smoker. After a recent visit with my new Primary care doctor. We decided to try Chantix. I had tried patches in the past with little to no success. Anyway, I started on the Chantix and a week later I had to fly to see my daughter. I had purchased patches (24mg) for the flight. I noticed when I was with her using the combination of Chantix and patches that I really had no cravings at all and nearly the whole day had passed before I even thought about having a smoke. This gave me hope that I could possibly be able to conquer this addiction.
When I got home a started doing some research and found that it takes up to 11 days for the chemicals from smoking out of your system and 3 days for the nicotine. I have read in the past that on average it takes 21 days to break a habit. So, with this information I set up my dates. I stopped smoking on Feb 8th. I dropped the patches 11 days later. So far so good - everything was going exactly as planned. I had no cravings that could not be adjusted for. On day 22 I stopped taking the Chantix. This is when the plan came to a flawed conclusion. I managed to get through the first days cravings, but on day two I gave in (makes me sick to write this) I immediately went back on the Chantix and only had given into one cigarette - thankfully, it was a stale nasty one. I stopped Chantix again after 30 days and had the same result. How do I know when it is safe to stop taking the Chantix? I am not understanding the mental or physical challenges of this addiction. I have stopped other things in the past and have been clean and sober over 24 years. This one, cigarettes - however, seem to be my nemesis.
John
Welcome to our community!
To begin, smoking is not a habit, it is a physical and psychological addiction. There should be a recommended course for the Chantix. Obviously, for you, it's more than 30 days - I suggest you read up on it online or ask the doctor who prescribed it. Yes, the nicotine is out of your system in about three days, after which your body (and mind) have to adjust to life without it. THEN comes what I believe to be the most challenging part of the addiction - getting past all the associations and triggers you have built up over your smoking life. Read on to understand more about what's going on and how to best beat it!
The important thing you can do right now is to educate yourself on what nicotine does to your body and mind. To that end, I highly recommend Allen Carr's “The Easy Way to Stop Smoking.” This is an easy and entertaining read. You can search for it online or at your local library. Here's a link to a video here on the site which describes nicotine addiction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpWMgPHn0Lo&feature=youtu.be.
You should also read the posts here and perhaps go to the pages of folks who you think might be helpful. You might visit whyquit.com, quitsmoking.com and livewell.com for the good information contained there. @https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/groups/best-of-ex has lots of blogs written by members of this site with their experiences and guidance. You should also do the tracking and separation exercises recommended here on the site.
After you have completed the recommended reading, it will be time to make an informed choice of the quit aid, if any, you will use. If you go that route, I personally recommend the aids that don't let the addict control the dose such as the available prescription drugs or the patch. If used properly, gum, lozenges and inhalers are fine, but they need to be used only as a last resort. I have seen folks become addicted to them if they substitute them for every cigarette they used to smoke - just trading one addiction for another. I do not recommend the e-cigarette for three reasons: 1) the vapor has been compared to the polluted air in Bejing on a bad day, 2) they just provide another nicotine delivery system while continuing the hand to mouth smoking motion, and 3) the batteries can spontaneously catch on fire. . But – any method that you think will work well for you will be best for you.
The idea is to change up your routines so the smoking associations are reduced. Drink your coffee with your OTHER hand in a place different from when you smoked. Maybe switch to tea for a bit. If you always had that first smoke with your coffee, try putting your tennies on right out of bed, going for a quick walk, then taking your shower and THEN your coffee! Rearrange the furniture in the areas you used to smoke so the view is different. Buy your gas at a different station. Take a different route to work. Take a quick walk at break time where the smokers AREN'T.
You need to distract yourself through any craves. You can take a bite out of a lemon (yup - rind and all), put your head in the freezer and take a deep breath of cold air, do a few jumping jacks, go for a brisk walk or march in place, play a computer game. Keep a cold bottle of water with you from which to sip. Don't let that smoking thought rattle around in your brain unchallenged. Sometimes you need to quit a minute or an hour at a time. You will need to be disciplined in the early days to distract yourself when a crave hits. Get busy! Here is a link to a list of things to do instead of smoke if you need some fresh ideas:
https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/blogs/Youngatheart.7.4.12-blog/2013/02/25/100-things-to-do-instead-of-smoke
The conversation in your head in response to the "I want a cigarette" thought needs to be, "Well, since I have decided not to do that anymore, what shall I do instead for the three minutes this crave will last?" Then DO it. You will need to put some effort into this in the early days, but it gets easier and easier to do.
Stay close to us here and ask questions when you have them and for support when you need it. We will be with you every step of the way!
Nancy