Ready to Change

This has been going on for almost 6 years. Every time I stop using the patch I go right back to smoking. The withdrawal is horrible. Shakes, cold sweats, insomnia, stomach problems, anxiety attacks.

Are some people just more addicted to nicotine than others? It isn't the psychological/oral fixation thing that made me smoke. I hate the taste and the smell and I don't enjoy smoking at all. But I crave the feeling it gives me so much.

As far as I know there has never been any research done on the long term effects of nicotine patches. I'm assuming it's much less harmful than smoking, because cigarettes have so many other harmful chemicals and it's bad for the lungs. I don't think nicotine by itself is all that harmful, although I have seen a rise in my blood pressure when I'm on the patch.

I did manage to make it about 9 months totally cold turkey but it was terrible. The cravings never went away. I was extremely irritable all the time, I had trouble sleeping and a real problem with concentration. It was causing problems at work.

Not to mention the 20 pounds I've gained in the past 6 years

Why did I EVER pick up that first cigarette????

GRRRRRRRRRRRRR

best

The patch is a cut down method.

20 - 15 - 10 - 5 - off
If you are cutting down as the instructions say and still return...
Just for a try, do this...

When you stop the patch, replace it with a bandaid. Maybe you are using the patch as a security blanket of sorts. A Bandaid would replace the low dose patch.

Ready to Change

When I quit drinking for 2 months (I'm hoping to do it again and this time for life) I started smoking and drinking coffee like crazy. Substitution I guess.

4health

I quit using Zyban. 2x. The first time I quit with zyban I was done for more than 4 years. I quit a second time with Zyban and it has only been about 4 months now. I have done well with it. You can't drink alcohol while on zyban so alot of people won't use it but I did. I even drank on it but that isn't something I suggest since the side effect could be seizures...lol. Anyway.

I tried the patches. I tried them 3-4 times and they just didn't work. Kept me addicted. A friend of mine tried the gum and it didn't work for him. Both of which keep you addicted and both are under your control.

Zyban on the other hand, 'fixes' your brain. It helps rebuild synapses that had deadened due to nic use, it cuts off the withdrawl symptoms in the brain as well as cutting the addtion receptors in the brain. At least this is how it was described to me by my d.

Good luck. Remember, Quitting nicotine is supposed be as hard as quitting heroin. So, it ain't gonna be easy. It isn't impossible either

cutterjohn

I know just how you feel. I have been addicted to the patch for about 3 years now and I'm almost completely off them now, but it has been very difficult. What I did was use the step down approach as directed, but when I reached the final stage, I started using scissors to cut the patch down little by little over time, thus creating about a 20 step option. Additionally, I cut down on alcohol and got on anti-anxiety medication through my doctor. The meds have helped a bunch along with the extended step down approach.

My mother kicked smoking altogether using something like Zyban and she swears by it. The only downside for her was having vivid, bizarre dreams.

Good luck.

Funki

I know this is an old thread. But, I just can't see nicotine being as hard to quit as any of the hard drugs including alcohol/heroin.

Quitting alcohol was FAR harder, and withdrawals FAR more intense than nicotine. One can die from some drug withdrawals.

I've quit nicotine several times after heavy use. Both times I felt very irritable and a bit out of it for about a week (that's it), and then some subtle irritability for some months after. That's it, every time.

That's nothing like alcohol or hard drug withdrawal.