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Give and get support around quitting

Bubby1961
Member

Feeling anxious

Im on my 3rd day and still smoking ,but not as much,im feeling very tired and a little sick to my stomache.any suggestions?

7 Replies
marciem
Member

Hi bubby!  WELCOME, and congratulations on your decision to quit smoking!  You've come to the right place for information and support.

It would help if you would tell us more about yourself and your quit. You say you're on your third day and still smoking, so you haven't quit.  Third day of what?  Are you taking Chantix or another medicine?  Are you on patches or other nicotine replacement?

With Chantix it does take time before you stop completely, when you follow their regimen.  With Nicotine replacement (patches, gum, lozenges) it is important that you QUIT smoking, do not smoke and use nicotine replacement at the same time.

If you're taking Chantix, I've heard it can cause upset stomach or nausea (I didn't use it myself), and some have had good result with eating some saltine crackers before taking it.

The more information we have about you, the more we can address your specific issues.  For anxiety, and for stress, and all sorts of other things, DEEP BREATHING, what we call "4 x 4" breathing, being concious of each breath and counting, can alleviate anxiety and stress, and also helps if anger is arising.  I use it to this day, the technique I learned while quitting, as it really is a great coping mechanism and it's free and I can do it any time any place.

Best wishes!  Others will come along with tons of information and insights for you to help you on your journey!

indingrl
Member

 3 DAYS OF NICOTINE FREEDOM

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indingrl
Member

Welcome Bubby1961 and thanks for SHARING - taking a nap HELPED ME in the beginning - for upset tummy - I drink ginger ale - I am so glad for YOU choosing YOUR NEW life as a  NON SMOKER - WAY TO GO

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YoungAtHeart
Member

Welcome to the community!

We have a saying here, "If you are quitting smoking and are still smoking, you are doing it wrong!"  Without more information, it's difficult to help you.  If you are using the patch and still smoking, the nausea could be caused by an overdose of nicotine.  If you are taking Chantix, the stomach problem could be caused by it and a change in the dosage schedule might help.  Let us hear more from you!  In the meantime........

 

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 easy and entertaining read provided a world of good information about nicotine addiction, most of which I was not aware.  I credit it in large part with my success at quitting.   You can search for it online or at your local library.


 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. Here is a video to inform you further about nicotine addiction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpWMgPHn0Lo&feature=youtu.be.

 

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 after you have tried to delay and distract.   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.  You need to start out with a plan to reduce use of them over time - which the patch does by decreasing the dose contained in them..  For the gum, 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.  For the lozenge, you need to start subbing a mint in between to begin, increasing the number of them over time. I do not recommend the e-cigarette for obvious reasons.

It will be informative if you do the tracking and separation exercises recommended here on the site. As you track each cigarette smoked, note its importance, and what you might do instead. Put each one off just a little to prove that you don't NEED a cigarette just because you think you do.
 

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-instea...


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

sweetplt
Member

Hi and Welcome Bubby1961 to Ex’s ... wrote a long post last night and it disappeared...so instead I will just give you the breathing exercises...Colleen 613 DOF

pastedImage_2.gif Happy Friday 

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Barbscloud
Member

Welcome to the Ex and congrats on your decision to quit.  Please tell us more!

Barb

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elvan
Member

Welcome to EX, stay close, do the recommended reading and remember NOPE, Not One Puff Ever.

Ellen

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