Nic gum

[Swanbird]

I chew the nic fruit chill gum which I actually really enjoy the taste.  Sometimes I really want to chew it but sometimes I find I want a cigarette when I am chewing it.  I don't get it!  Anybody know why this would be?  Thank you for your help.

[PastTense]

Hello, Swanbird‌!

I am using the gum, too - but I really don't like the taste.

Please make sure you are using the gum according to package directions.  You don't just chew it like regular gum (at least the brand I use).  The instructions say I am supposed to "park" the gum between the check and jaw.  I get mouth blisters when I do this, but it's better than smoking.

And YES, sometimes the gum triggered cravings.  The smoking addiction has 2 parts to it: the physical addiction and the habit.

The physical addiction is part of what we feel when cravings hit.  The body is not used to funcitoning without nicotine and goes into withdrawal.  The gum eases those withdrawal symptons to make it easier to break the habit.

The habit has been the toughest part of addiction to break.  I know what I am used to and I want what I am used to and I am conforted by what I am used to EVEN IF IT'S BAD FOR ME.

Cravings are a combination of mind and body begging you to return to what they are used to.  I'm afraid you have to be the parent in this relationship and tell them both "NO!"  It's for thier own good.

Hang in there; it truly does get easier

PT

[Swanbird]

Thank you!  Will we get over the nicotine addition ever if we are chewing the gum?  I mean at what point will these cravings go away???

[PastTense]

I can only speak from my own experience; but here is what I have found.

The cravings last longer than withrawal.  You will have all the nicotine out of your body in three days after you stop the gum.

Breaking the habits are the hard part.  Every time I picked up a smoke, I embedded the habit of smoking a little deeper in my brain.  Think of a hole, every time I smoked I dug it just a little bit deeper.  Maybe only a teaspoon at a time, but deeper. 

Now I have to fill those holes back in.  Every time I don't smoke, I add a teaspoon back to the hole. 

How long the cravings last may depend on how long you smoked.  I can't give you a hard deadline.  I have had cravings zing me out of the blue!  But the daily cravings were mostly over by week three  For me.

PT

[Swanbird]

Thanks again PT.  Makes sense and good analogy!

[YoungAtHeart]

You should be using the gum only as a last resort, as you wean yourself down gradually from the amount of nicotine you got from smoking.  While dealing with the physical aspect of the addiction with the gum, you should be changing up your routines, keeping busy, getting dopamine from another source, so you learn to deal with life and your emotions and your everyday activities that you used to associate with smoking  - without it. 

Delay and distract when you get a craving - don't solve it all the time with the gum.  Get busy, stop thinking about smoking, and you will find that you can reduce the amount of gum you use (and thus the amount of nicotine you are getting) over time. 

You should have a plan to get off the gum in time.   You can start by cutting each piece in half, then in quarters, then sub regular gum of the same flavor in between, adding more and more regular gum.  If you don't work at this, you may become addicted to the gum - just subbing one addiction for another.  Use if for as long as you need it - it's better than smoking, but freedom should be your ultimate goal.

Nancy

[sweetplt]

Great advice above me...

[indingrl]

Welcome and I used the nicotine gum - it didn't work for ME - I chew it and smoked - so joy filled it works for YOU and please I am talking about ME- just sharing MY experience with the nic gum -  please take what HELPS and let go of the rest - thank you