Anyone use nicotine patches to stop smoking?

stinkwheel · Bovine Proctologist Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

I've been trying to stop. I reckon I'm doing pretty well. Haven't had a smoke for 10 days now.

I was on rollies, smoking more or less a 12.5g packet or rolling tobacco every day. Went on the high strength patches. I'm still getting cravings for a cig but I am managing to distract myself.

Thing is. Everyone harps on about how much better you'll feel. Frankly, I feel shite. Lethargic, short of breath and generally can't be arsed with anything. Had the weekend off and spent most of it sitting in the house twiddling my thumbs, couldn't even be arsed going to the pub on Friday night.

I am wondering if it is the patches. I feel kind of poisoned in a way the fags never caused (unless you count the nights I've turbo-smoked a load of ready-mades under the influence of other 'substances').

Now the thing with the patches says to keep on the high-strength ones for six weeks then drop the dose down. I've nearly convinced myself to drop the dose but equally, I don't want to flush 10 days hard work down the pan.

Anyone got any experience of this? Particularly with regard to the 'poisoned' feeling because I don't think I can take another month of this. Is this nicotine withdrawal or is it coming from the patches?
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
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bazza · World Chat Champion Joined: 27 Aug 2004 Karma :

Couldn't stand the patches. Sick

I'm currently on lozenges (into week 5 now) and doing ok. For the first couple of weeks I used to get random hiccups from the bloody things but that seems to have gone away.

I have to have a pack of (suckable) sweets handy though.

Steer clear of the mint ones if you decide to switch. Sick

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stinkwheel · Bovine Proctologist Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

I've been sucking cloves. They're kind of nippy in your mouth but they wont rot my teeth and I'm not tempted to crunch and swallow them.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

Paddy Blake · World Chat Champion Joined: 29 Jun 2006 Karma :

Maybe the patches are to strong and it is like going from 20 to 40 smokes
a day.

Paddy.

Paddy Blake · World Chat Champion Joined: 29 Jun 2006 Karma :

Smoking is a habit as well as an addition so it might be the habit you miss.

Paddy.

veeeffarr · Super Spammer Joined: 22 Jul 2004 Karma :

I used the nasal inhalor, and then moved onto gum.

Was a piece of piss to quite with the inhalor.

T

Davo · Davo To The Rescue! Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Karma :

Try getting hold of Allen Carr's Easyway to stop smoking gives quite an interesting insight in to the psychology of smoking.

I used this back in May, so far so good.

Kwaks · I'm not a fast rider Joined: 28 Jan 2006 Karma :

As Davo said that is a good book, but no use to you Stink as you need to be smoking when you start to read it for the full effect of the book.

You not feel the way you are because your body is de-toxing? Any time I have stopped I know the cough gets worse etc etc
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Louise · World Chat Champion Joined: 22 May 2006 Karma :

I did patches - But they made me feel really sick. Sick

Plus they would burn my arm, some kind of irritant so had to stop.
Went on to the lozengers

JonB · Afraid of Mileage Joined: 03 Jun 2004 Karma :

You feel like shit cause your lungs are going through massive recovery.

When I quit, I went on holiday the week after and i'd wake up at 5am literally coughing up black gunk, it was absolutely disgusting. It went on like this for about 2 weeks.

It was like the worst cold I ever had.
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stinkwheel · Bovine Proctologist Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

I'm convinced I'm overdosing on nicotine. My resting heart rate is up at 90+ which isn't healthy!

I've dropped the dose. It's a bit of a cheat really. The next strength of patch down costs about the same. When I look at them, they are just proportionally smaller in surface area compared to the high dose ones. Next time I'll buy high dose ones and cut them in half.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

Dragonfly · Super Spammer Joined: 05 Sep 2005 Karma :

Well if you have been without patches so far then no point on trying them now as they will be putting more nicotine back in.

Was going to say what patches done to me but i still smoke and wouldn't be good in helping you any. Second time i tried them they burnt my skin had blisters and sever pain just an hour after putting up with it. First time went shite due to my condition i was told to not give up Shocked

made me worse.

Wont happen to you though, will power is the key here not patches and non smoking aids.
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stinkwheel · Bovine Proctologist Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

Nah. I've been on the strong patches. I was suspecting they were too strong. I've gone onto weaker ones.

Thing is it has to be because I have decided to give up. First sign of anyone preaching at me will almost certainly result in me starting again just to spite them. Hence my avoidance of 'helplines' and my GP.

I am not stopping because of the oft-vaunted health implications or because other people think I should. I am stopping because I am not enjoying smoking like I used to and I am annoyed about the habit overriding what I want to be doing (eg stopping a rideout for a fag break etc).

I am using the patches so I don't haul off and thump somebody (a transatlantic flight a few years back showed me this is a distinct possability).
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

Dragonfly · Super Spammer Joined: 05 Sep 2005 Karma :

TheShaggyDA · Repost Police Joined: 14 Jun 2004 Karma :

I was a 20 a day smoker, and used the patches. It was supposed to be 4 weeks on the high strength, 4 on the medium and 4 on the low. I felt crap, so after 2 weeks of the high strength I switched to medium. After another week I switched to low for a week, then stopped the patches altogether. The cravings weren't so bad, it was more the breaking of the habit of lighting up at trigger times.
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MoshizZ · Could Be A Chat Bot Joined: 10 Mar 2007 Karma :

Put one over each eye and you cant find your fags Laughing

I had some of the gum, it tasted horrible, dont know what the point in that is.

I think the best way to give up is will power.
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stinkwheel · Bovine Proctologist Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

bazza · World Chat Champion Joined: 27 Aug 2004 Karma :

2t-Screamer · Crazy Courier Joined: 25 Apr 2005 Karma :

faddius · Traffic Copper Joined: 16 Jun 2007 Karma :

Hated the patches, gave me a really bad headache.

Marcg868 · World Chat Champion Joined: 20 Jan 2005 Karma :

Im trying my best to keep my mind occupied as opposed to trying patches etc.

Seems to be working !
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JonT · Crazy Courier Joined: 06 Feb 2005 Karma :

I did a google search on smoking and my god, how much smoke is there! Never looks like that much normally (guess the black background has something to do with it).

https://www.uoguelph.ca/research/news/articles/2006/photos/smoking.jpg

stinkwheel · Bovine Proctologist Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

Nah, he just didn't inhale. There isn't normally that much because it goes inside you, he just sucked it into his mouth then blew it out again. Waste of money when they cost over 25p each.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.