Quitting all nicotine

Discussion created by gravityhunter27 on Aug 25, 2020
Latest reply on Sep 2, 2020 by RoseH

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I was a long time chewer and eventually worked my way down to snus and eventually down to Zyn tobacco free nicotine pouches. My finance and I are trying to start a family and I have read that nicotine is bad for male reproduction so I am going to quit cold turkey this Friday. I have ordered a ton of gum, mints, sunflower seeds etc. to get myself through the cravings. My biggest concern is insomnia. The last time I tried to quit, I wasn't able to sleep at all... Anyways, just wanted to introduce myself and possibly get some encouragement as times get tough coming up.

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Mark Aug 25, 2020 2:34 PM
Maybe some melatonin might help? Certainly consult with your doctor as well as they might have some ideas. Search about insomnia here too. There are probably some posts about it and in the journey it hopefully will be a relatively short period of time.

Mark
EX Community Manager
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elvan Aug 25, 2020 2:45 PM
Welcome to EX, nicotine withdrawal can make it hard to sleep. I did not have that issue. I think it is GREAT that you want to be nicotine free to start a family, good for you. I am going to tag Youngatheart.7.4.12 and jonescarp.aka.dale.Jan_2007 because they both have really good welcome responses.
Ellen
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jonescarp.aka.dale.Jan_2007 Aug 25, 2020 2:51 PM
here's a zero stress way to get started. Every time you would smoke.vape, just say to yourself "I'm going to wait a little longer."
It will get you off autopilot
Wishing you well
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- jonescarp.aka.dale.Jan_2007 @ jonescarp.aka.dale.Jan_2007 on Aug 25, 2020 3:28 PM
  The reason I crossed it out is they're quitting cold turkey in two days. That's getting off auto-pilot BIG TIME.
  My suggestion takes 2-6 weeks to ingrain.
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Barbscloud Aug 25, 2020 2:57 PM
Welcome to the Ex and congrats on your decision to quit. Sleep disturbances are common with nicotine withdrawal. Here are some suggestions:
Cut Your Caffeine Intake in Half
Take a Warm Bath
Schedule a Massage
Drink a Cup of Herbal Tea
Listen to Soothing Music
Create a Digital Curfew
Drink a Glass of Warm Milk
Don’t Drink Alcohol
Get Some Exercise
Practice Relaxation Techniques
Practice Relaxation Techniques
Start Your Day a Little Earlier

Barb
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RoseH Aug 25, 2020 3:11 PM
Insomnia is a common side effect of quitting smoking... Go to Amazon.com and find choices for Non-Habit forming sleep aids or natural sleep remedies like Melatonin... I look for products that have 4.5 stars and I read the reviews. It is ok to help yourself be more comfortable/rested early in your quit. I did the same thing. Being tired made me weak and I did not want to lose my quit.
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Youngatheart.7.4.12 Aug 25, 2020 5:09 PM
Welcome to the community!

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 nicotine fix needed, note its importance, and what you might do instead. Put each one off just a little to prove that you don't NEED it just because you think you do.

The idea is to change up your routines so the associations are reduced. Drink your coffee with your OTHER hand in a place different from when you used. Maybe switch to tea for a bit. If you always had that hit 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 use so the view is different. Buy your gas at a different station. Take a different route to work. Take a quick walk at work break time.

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 hit of nicotine" 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
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sweetplt Aug 25, 2020 7:50 PM
Hi and Welcome To Ex’s...gravityhunter27
Congratulations on Friday’s quit date...~ I hope you are planning for that day like no other...for me insomnia wasn’t a problem, it was the opposite ... I felt I couldn’t get enough sleep...however, I have seen many have sleep problems, start researching what you can do to improve insomnia if it should arise again...if you go up and click on the magnifier in the right hand corner, and type in sleep issues, there are many posts others have written and some great suggestions to help get sleep.
~ Colleen 631 DOF
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Marigene6266 Aug 25, 2020 8:45 PM
Insomnia is probably one of the biggest problems I've had. (15 days smoke free) and it still is. However insomnia has been around since my teens (I'm 54) so it was not anything new just worse. I don't know what your situation is but for me; I don't work so I'm home alone through the day. As a result, I"m able to nap during the day and when I can't sleep at night, I keep myself busy, reading a book, working on my genealogy research, watching television. I've watched some movies that I never would have watched previously and they actually turning out to be interesting. So in a way the insomnia has been a way to broaden my horizons. I do whatever I can to keep myself busy and use up the excess energy. That's just my 2 cents, don't know if it helps you but maybe it will give you some of your ideas on how to handle.
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- Mark @ Marigene6266 on Aug 26, 2020 9:49 AM
  Marigene6266 and smiling_accountant
  
  Might also be some suggestions in Night Owls and Insomniacs. Might be a good place to connect when you're having sleeplessness as well.
  
  There is quite a bit of posts on insomnia as well. There are even some posts by the Mayo team that talk about insomnia or sleep.
  
  Mark
  EX Community Manager
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smiling_accountant Aug 25, 2020 9:34 PM
Welcome! I too struggle with insomnia. I have never been a "good sleeper" and quitting hasn't helped. I too was afraid, as last time I tried to quit the insomnia got to me. Unfortunately, I have not found anything to really help me, but I guess knowing what to expect helped me be mentally prepared for it this time around. I'd suggest googling some ideas and trying them to see if anything helps you - it certainly won't hurt. And if you find something, let me know!
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gravityhunter27 Aug 31, 2020 4:06 PM
Just wanted to update everyone. I ended up going cold turkey a day earlier just because I was getting anxious and just wanted to rip the bandaid. I have not had a single chew since last Thursday the 27th. It has been brutal. Sleep issues and severe lack of energy have been the biggest difficulties aside from the actual cravings. I pretty much go through a pack of gum and a pack of mints per day.
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- Mark @ gravityhunter27 on Aug 31, 2020 5:18 PM
  gravityhunter27 wrote:
  
  Just wanted to update everyone. I ended up going cold turkey a day earlier just because I was getting anxious and just wanted to rip the bandaid. I have not had a single chew since last Thursday the 27th. It has been brutal. Sleep issues and severe lack of energy have been the biggest difficulties aside from the actual cravings. I pretty much go through a pack of gum and a pack of mints per day.
  Good job. Have a plan for now reducing your nicotine intake over time and also plan for dealing with cravings? There are some great posts across the site. Check out the Best of EX section on the home page.
  
  Mark
  EX Community Manager
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- smiling_accountant @ gravityhunter27 on Aug 31, 2020 9:01 PM
  Way to go! Every day gets you closer to the goal. Keep reaching out for support!
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- Barbscloud @ gravityhunter27 on Sep 1, 2020 8:46 AM
  Congrats on beginning your journey. Be patient with yourself. It will get easier, but it can take some time.
  Stay close.
  Barb
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tyndallgw Aug 31, 2020 4:18 PM
Wow! Way to go gravityhunter. Things can get tough at times, but Hang in there!
-George
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maryfreecig Sep 1, 2020 5:50 PM
If insomnia is your greatest worry, deal with it now. Make a plan. Talk to your doc. Think about what you will do to cope. Whatever you do, please don't set yourself up with all or nothing thinking such as--if I can't sleep, I'll have to smoke. No one has to smoke to get anything done in life. It is an addiction. One day at a time you can learn to quit, and deal with anything.
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indingrl.01.06.2011 Sep 1, 2020 8:58 PM
NICOTINE FREE
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RoseH Sep 2, 2020 4:16 AM
Insomnia is a common side effect for new quitters. And I was one of them. I went to Amaaon.com and found several homeopathic, non-habit-forming natural sleep aids to help me get some sleep... Just make sure to read the reviews, make sure it is made in a USA facility, and that it has at least 4.5 stars. Be sure to talk with and ask your primary care physician for his approval and suggestions.
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