I only smoke when I drink. And it's only a cigarette or two.  Has anyone put a patch on right before they have a drink?  And when can I take it off?  I don't want to wear it long term, maybe only for a few hours...will this help?
217814
I don't think the patch thing is a good idea,  it would be feeding you nicotine the entire time its on.  I quit 6 months ago and have avoided alcohol.  I don't know what to suggest, but at least you are not smoking when your not drinking.  This would be less of a problem assuming your not an alcoholic
154144
You are deffinatley showing signs of having and or developing a serious problem. I think you should go and talk to someone (a councellor, not a friend or anything cos they can be quick to condem). I went through something similar and found talking through my problems really good. You shouldnt drink to get drunk - thats simply binge drinking. Have you thought about why you want to be drunk? Is it to feel good, to block out pain, etc? Also, its troubling to think that you hide your behavour. I know that its hard to talk about it, but it is deffinatley worth it. Its amazing how good i felt after the first session, just to spill everything out to someone who was totally unbiased, knowing that its totally confidential and whoever your talking to isnt going to think your a nutcase is fantastic!!! I hope everything works out for you, and again, please go and talk to someone. Something that really woke me up was when i was told that you can actually die just from drinking too much - because its a depressant, it can actually relax your system so much that you stop breathing and just die in your sleep. Imagine your parents/siblings/friends/etc walking in to wake you up and not being able to - that thought freaked me out. So yeah, again, hope it all goes well, i would give you my email address if you wanted to talk but i dont really want to post it here! Take care
235738
I think your question is an excellent summary of the situation that most smokers find themselves in ... I'm in exactly the same position - have just stopped (again!) - 6 days now - after 30/day since December ... No patch, no nothing... but ... will power ... and SPORT !  I think sport, and the ensuing self knowledge/respect, are perhaps the way out of this ...\n\nI do triathlon, and smoking like I did is in no way compatible with the life I want to lead...  \n\nThink about sport ... You need to give time to sport to make your life different, better...  To make your life whole, healthy, clean, and hopefully, cigarette free ...\n\nI will probably fall again, but then I will also stop again ... for the same reasons ...   \n\nWe need to find pride in ourselves, see what addiction really is, and be stronger than the cigarettes that chain our lives ...\n\nGood luck to all of us ;^)\n\nAnd to HELL the Big Money Tabacoo Companies and their shareholders who cream benefits from the demise and illness of others !!!
465273
I quit smoking back in February.  I smoked about a pack a day for years.  During the withdraw I had a headache for 3 days, and I was grouchy for about 2 weeks.  They say you have to replace one habbit with another.  What I did was started sucking on jolly ranchers and chewing bubble gum.  I also started exercising.  I have never felt better.  I noticed a difference in my breathing after only 2 weeks!!  Just hang in there, and the days will pass and you won't even think about it anymore.  It's also great to go someplace and not worry about being looked down on because of being a smoker.
485454
Do the best you can...I had a g/f that had a tummy tuck and she quit cold turkey before her surgery, but started back while she was recovering...\n\nBe strong...do what's best for succesful results of your surgery...if you feel that strongly about smoking, you can smoke again after you're through the surgery and on the mend...\n\nI know it's not easy (I'm a habit smoker myself)...good luck!
311360
Set a date 4 months into the future and say you will not smoke until then. If you still want to smoke then, take it up again.\n\nAfter 3 months you will find the craving has vanished. This worked for me. I wasn;t going to spend the rest of my life craving a cigarette. Nicotine patches help some. But the important thing is to not smoke at all while you are giving up. Throw them away now, and if you want, take it up again in 4 months.\n\nMy mum died of smoking related causes, and she was still asking people to take her outside for a smoke while she was in palliative care. Don't end up like her, it is not a pleasant way to die, and not pleasant to watch it.
472097
six months of continuous smoking does create a damage...i think u should go and take doctor's help...hope it will be nothing serious..best of luck!
507936
hey hunny - thanks for the coffee - i chose not to have cake due to being determined to get back on weightwatchers programme today - been really struggling with it the last few weeks - i gave up smoking about 4 years ago and really notice the benefits - i was feeling very similar to you at the time that i gave up - i set myself a date (6th of january fyi as it's 12 night so the christmas period was officially over) - i went to see my gp and got advice and a prescription for nicotine patches and i went for it - good luck and stay safe ~x~
393971
I too have had this problem for years. You get physically addicted to it and can't breathe w/out it. Well , I would 1st go to your doctor adn he/she will give you a percription nose spray. It won't work as well or as quickly as the one you use now, but be deligent in using it everyday twice a day. I ended up having surgery on my nose because my septum(the cartilidge in the middle of your nose) caved in on one side. Not good. I was off it for a few years able to breathe on my own, but am now back to using it again. I need to take my own advice and go back to the doctor and get a Rx. Please try this before it goes too far. It does say on the bottle not to use it for more than 3 days in a row, but they don't tell you how badly the results are. I wish you luck!!
505093
Don't think about it too much. You need a bit of determination & you obviously have that to ask about it.\nQuit on the spur of the moment - try & frighten yourself & until you cope without one, steer clear of the pub & people who smoke. I gave up in June like that & have stuck to it where previous attempts failed. I did at first allow myself to have one with a drink but then went so long without going out that I sickened myself & haven't touched one since. Be careful of that though because it can become an excuse for a cigarette. If you've been smoking 20/30 a day you may want to have patches to help you & as well as giving you nicotine it can also act as a deterrent because it is dangerous to smoke with one on. But like I said once you've quit, forget about it. The more you say to yourself I've given up the more you'll be thinking about smoking. Keep busy with a hobby. Good Luck x
12035
I stopped cold turkey about 1 1/2 years ago. Let me tell you: it's a constant struggle, especially when I drink alcohol. You really have to convince yourself that you need and want to quit. It makes it easier when you can justify it by looking at your kids, family, etc and realizing that you want to be around them for as long as possible. That's about the best I can tell you. Good luck! If you really want to quit, you can do it without patches, gum, etc.
118156
drink water, how do you eat sour patch KIDS???? jk. but seriously just get some water and just keep on drinking it for about a minute, with not much stopping. just stop to get refills, and i sware, it'll be better in about a minute.
20787
First and foremost, you have to really want to quit for good; and you have to actually quit—not just cut back.  Set a date a couple of weeks in advance and mentally prepare yourself for it. \n\nMake a list of reasons why you want to stop smoking and keep it with you.\n\nIt helps to realize that most cravings last for less than four minutes.  If you can fight through the first few days, then the first few weeks (using toothpicks, peppermints, etc), you'll begin to notice days and even whole weeks without a craving.\n\nI would advise AGAINST the patch and the gum.  The long term success rate of those is extremely low.\n\nI've found Wellbutrin (Zyban is the same thing) to be the most effective craving control method.  After 6-12 weeks on that, I didn't need it anymore.\n\n16 months smoke free.\n\n//
643325
you quit smoking by not lighting up a cigarette and smoking it.  But, that can take several tries before it happens.  I quit 6 months ago for good, but the first time I quit was 10 years ago.  I also was afraid of weight gain, so I joined a gym the day I quit smoking.  I go every day, and haven't lost a pound.  HOWEVER, I didn't give up any foods, drinks, etc...I eat everything I want to (for now, until I feel like I can tackle that issue, too) and I just look at it like 'hey, I didn't gain any weight, either'.  I'm much more fit, and most importantly, I'm not scared everytime I have a pain that I'm gonna have a heart attack, or die from smoking.  All you can do is substitute your smoking with something healthy.  When you're ready, you'll do it.  I'd say good luck, but you won't need it.
641003
WHEN I STARTED THE PATCH MY DOCTOR TOLD ME THAT YOU PUT ONE ON ONCE A WEEK AND THERE IS ALWAYS AN EXTRA IN CASE  ONE DOESN'T STICK,RIGHT? WELL SHE SAID THAT ITS NOT HEALTHY TO DO ALL THE TIME BUT IT HAS BEEN KNOWN TO WEAR ONE ON YOUR OFF WEEK SO THAT YOU WONT HAVE A PERIOD. SO AS LONG AS YOU DON'T DO IT EVERY MONTH YOU WILL BE FINE!
520905
Hello Sue\n\nIm not a doctor but I do have some experience in this area. I was a smoker for 50 years but stopped cold turkey after a heart attack and quadruple bypass surgery 14 months ago.\n\nIt is my theory that smoking robs the heart and artories of oxygen and that allows plaque buildup, it also hampers your breathing and causes laziness so smokers are less apt to exersize then non smokers are.\n\nAfter 14 smoke free months my risk of heart attack is now half that of a smoker and thats a good thing.\nBy the way I was smoking 2 packs a day so it wasnt easy.\n\nLeon
260401
I love the patch!! I've been on it for 3 years now. It's so easy to remember to change it. I was on the pill when I got pregnant with my son so the pill didn't work for me...LOL....I've never had any bad side effects. I did gain a little weight, but not any more that you will gain on the pill. All of the reports about the patch killing people have failed to mention that most of the people that have died had other pre-existing conditions that helped contribute to their death. Oh, and another thing to remember, if you are over 198lbs they don't recommend that you use the patch as it may not work as well. I asked my doctor about it when all the reports came out because I was a little freaked out. He said there was nothing to worry about. I guess it just depends on whether you are comfortable with it or not. I'll be on it until I decide to get pregnant again. It's the best birth control I've ever used.