5 days off them with patches

Harpy · 29-08-2020 10:21am #1

So five days off the cigarettes today. Feeling good and positive about it. I’m using the patches for the first time. Has anyone here used these successfully or used them at all, I’m curious of people’s experiences when dropping down nicotine and when coming off them? Is it like withdrawals all over again I’m just worried about just going back on them once patches stop..

Harpy · 30-08-2020 12:35pm

Day 6 on the patch think it was the first morning I woke up and didn’t think about going for a cigarette which was good..

Harpy · 07-09-2020 11:42pm

2 weeks as a non smoker today with the patches finding the patches very good. I’m curious as to what will happen when I drop down to the lower nicottine ones and then finally stop..

Harpy · 14-09-2020 8:27pm

Hit the 3 weeks mark today.. had a few nasty cravings today But it could of been that I was just so conscious of the fact it was 3 weeks today I was thinking about it more..

Cherry Blossom · 16-09-2020 1:10am

Well done Harpy for getting this far. I stopped cold turkey myself so can’t help you with the patches. I read Allen Carr’s book and also listened to subliminal stop smoking tracks and meditations on you tube. I sucked polos, played with a fidget spinner and rubicks cube and joined a few Facebook support groups. I tried so many things it’s hard to know what worked. You’ve made a good start. I really hope you can continue down your quit path. Best of luck.

Harpy · 16-09-2020 11:20pm

Thanks cherry blossom. Feeling good about being a non smoker. I’ve been off them over 6 months before and stupidly went back on them and then loads more a few days here and there. Went cold turkey, Alan Carr and champix, champix was my longest the over six months.

Feeling positive this time just have it really in my head that I dont smoke and that’s it. So really hoping this time sticks.
I’m also spending a lot of time on quit smoking forums. if I think of them during the day now, I just come here and look through posts or go on reddit not sure if that’s the healthiest habit but it just gives me a lift if I need it seeing other people’s stories.

Cherry Blossom · 16-09-2020 11:45pm

Yeah I quit twice before for over a year and both times went back on them after house moves. I’m nearly 2years and 9months on this quit so I’m hoping this is my forever quit this time.

mariopepper · 20-09-2020 1:24pm

I also was thinking about quitting with patches but after consulting with my current doctor he recommended another option. Chantix treatment. He told that I have too strong addiction and methods like cold turk. are not relevant. I hope I will succeed too.

Harpy · 26-09-2020 11:46am

mariopepper wrote: »

I also was thinking about quitting with patches but after consulting with my current doctor he recommended another option. Chantix treatment. He told that I have too strong addiction and methods like cold turk. are not relevant. I hope I will succeed too.

I used chantix before it’s very good, I stayed off them for six months with champix. So good luck, just make sure you take champix with food, my stomach would be upset if I took them without food..

I hit 33 days as a non smoker today. I’m on the middle patches now didn’t really notice the drop down which is good. I’m looking forward to been off the patches still feel like I’m cheating a bit cause I still have nicotine in my system. But I’m getting rid of the habit first i suppose which is half the battle..

Harpy · 27-10-2020 11:02pm

I’m a non smoker over two months now.. last week was my first week without the patches.. didn’t really notice a difference without them so far..

[Deleted User] · 27-10-2020 11:06pm

Harpy wrote: »

I’m a non smoker over two months now.. last week was my first week without the patches.. didn’t really notice a difference without them so far..

Fair play to you, great achievement

ron29 · 28-10-2020 2:34pm

Harpy wrote: »

I’m a non smoker over two months now.. last week was my first week without the patches.. didn’t really notice a difference without them so far..

Fair play. I'm on week five of the patches. Going good so far. I'm thinking of doing patches for six months or so.. Just to be sure. Id be interested to see how you get on. Thanks for posting.

Cherry Blossom · 28-10-2020 7:19pm

A lot of sources say the psychological link is the tough part to break. The transition from nrt to completely nicotine free is generally easy. At least that’s what I found when I went from higher nicotine levels of vape juice to zero. It was much easier than I thought it would be. The trick is not to think it was so easy that you go back on the smokes again thinking it’s so easy you can quit anytime you want. I’ve done this before and discovered it’s not so easy next time. Stick to your quit when you can do it and say goodbye to the controlling weed forever.

Harpy · 21-11-2020 2:30am

Cherry Blossom wrote: »

A lot of sources say the psychological link is the tough part to break. The transition from nrt to completely nicotine free is generally easy. At least that’s what I found when I went from higher nicotine levels of vape juice to zero. It was much easier than I thought it would be. The trick is not to think it was so easy that you go back on the smokes again thinking it’s so easy you can quit anytime you want. I’ve done this before and discovered it’s not so easy next time. Stick to your quit when you can do it and say goodbye to the controlling weed forever.

Agree with what you said Cherry Blossom, i'm off the patches 5 weeks now i didn't get bad cravings when i came off.
ill be 3 months free on monday.

I agree about it not being so easy the next time, i made that mistake after been off them six months before with champix and three months another time.

This time i know im not capable of having just one ever, and also it'll taste rotten.

keepalive213 · 29-11-2020 12:51am

Tomorrow I will have done 10 weeks without tobacco after having smoked for over 20 years. It's the hardest thing I have ever done.
Patches for the first 3 days and cold turkey since.

ron29 · 29-11-2020 4:41pm

9 weeks now. On step 3 with the patches. I've enough patches to last until the new year then I'll drop them.. So far so good. A couple of cravings but nothing major..

Harpy · 24-01-2021 11:57pm

So I hit 5 months today. So happy!!

[Deleted User] · 01-02-2021 4:19pm

Well done everyone.
Seems a good few of you stopped smoking in this thread.

Glad to see that there is very little use of the word "quit".

I'm almost 2 years smoke free myself. Wouldn't even consider it an achievement anymore. I just dont smoke like the majority of the world. Nothing to celebrate anymore. For me, it would like not being a crack addict

Harpy · 24-03-2021 11:32pm

7 months mark today! Delighted with myself.

Jeff2 · 25-03-2021 9:51pm

Harpy wrote: »

7 months mark today! Delighted with myself.

What patches did you use or are they pretty much all the same.

Harpy · 28-03-2021 5:24pm

Jeff2 wrote: »

What patches did you use or are they pretty much all the same.

Hi,

I used niquitin which are 24 hour ones.
There's nicorette ones that are 16 hour ones so you take them off going to bed.
Think thats the only difference between the two

Lmo190 · 25-06-2021 1:07pm

Harpy wrote: »

Agree with what you said Cherry Blossom, i'm off the patches 5 weeks now i didn't get bad cravings when i came off.
ill be 3 months free on monday.

I agree about it not being so easy the next time, i made that mistake after been off them six months before with champix and three months another time.

This time i know im not capable of having just one ever, and also it'll taste rotten.

Great job! I've made that mistake and am now back on them. Dreading quitting but I know it has to be done.

Harpy · 26-08-2021 10:55pm

I've made it to one year! Absolutely delighted with myself... Onwards I go and just need to make sure not to leave my guard down now , and just keep reminding myself i can't have one ever..

Harpy · 26-08-2022 10:23pm

Happy to say I made it to two years… I have done some of the things that I was afraid might trigger me to have one like going back to office, nights out, parties , holidays but got passed them all so far.. just need to stick to the not another puff no matter what.

Cherry Blossom · 27-08-2022 9:11pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119527250#Comment_119527250

Well done Harpy your flying, hopefully you never look back.

sporina · 28-09-2022 3:44pm

Well done all..

i'm day 13 smoke free now too.. its a terrible addiction... i miss them psychologically most.. i only smoked at home - only about 6 per day.... half at a time.. using patches and the inhaler.. I think it really helps too..

I only gave them up cos I was strongly advised to by a professional to do so.. (I won't go into that further)... but if I had my way, I would continue to smoke.. so I don't wanna quit 100%.. I am hoping that will change..

Q re: patches - does anyone else find that they are not fully waterproof? some of mine have come off after having a shower.. using more as a result that I should need to

dontmindme · 28-09-2022 5:01pm

I've used patches to give up smoking and detox off nicotine for the last 20 years. I've relapsed many times after weeks, months, almost a year once. It's maybe a week since I smoked last, and was only back on them 2 days. I find patches work really well, and at this stage any time I smoke it's at most for maybe 3 days, and by then, like every time before, I eventually get to the stage where I can deny no longer how **** smoking makes me feel. Anger is a definite trigger for me.

Andrea B. · 01-10-2022 9:01am

Aiming to try again next week.

Anyone know if there were budget changes on patches, or if they come under drug repayment scheme?

sundodger5 · 01-10-2022 9:09am

As far as i know nicotine replacement therapy is now free.

I would contact your local smoking cessation team they will advise.

Andrea B. · 01-10-2022 9:19am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119687997#Comment_119687997

Thanks. I take it you mean the HSE crew as I can't see anything specifically local?

sundodger5 · 01-10-2022 9:22am

Exactly. HSE run not even sure they are called smoking cessation now, something like health improvement team...

5 days off them with patches

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