Discuss different approaches to quitting, including medication
I would be interested to know how much gum you were using and the strength. The withdrawal from the gum should not be as difficult as withdrawing from full-time smoking, unless you chewed a piece for every cigarette you used to use smoke. If it gets too difficult, you might try weaning yourself off the gum instead of stopping it abruptly.. You can cut a piece in half, then quarters, then sub a mint of the same flavor for every fourth, then third piece, etc. you use.
OR - you can hang in there, knowing it will get better and get through this withdrawal the best you can. Your body is adjusting to life without the drug,and that takes some getting used to - but when that happens, you will only have the associations and triggers with which to deal.
I can advise you better if I know a little more!
Just don't smoke!
You did taper off of the gum and it's good you did. There are tales galore of folks who used it to quit and became addicted to IT!
There will be a period of withdrawal from it, but you seem to be doing OK with that, so I would continue to try not to use it. All nicotine should be out of your system in about three days, then it's a few weeks while your body adjusts to life without it. The psychological part of the addiction is, I think, the more difficult part - and it will help if you change up your routines to reduce the associations built up with smoking, stay busy, and immediately change your mind's direction when it starts in on trying to talk you into smoking. Take slow/deep breaths, going slower and deeper with each, or count backwards from 10,000, or think of cities for each letter of the alphabet. Do that for about three minutes and that crave should be gone. The better you get at these things, the easier your quit will be.
You are DOING this! How cool is that?
Glad you're feeling better now. Rant anytime.
Aids have helped many successful quitters here. It is important to follow the directions--agreed you should have tapered off, but if you're feeling ok now, just keep moving forward. I used Welbutrin and nicotrol inhalers and couldn't be happier--I'll have 3 years in couple of weeks.
Big congrats on week 7.
Barb
I too quit cold turkey but Colleen(sweetplt) is right dudley87. Follow the NRT's suggested guidelines & usage. I worked with a fellow who had a 12 year quit & was still chewing 2-3 pieces of gum a day. It's been 6 years since I've had any contact with him but I would venture to say he's still at it.
