Withdrawal Symptoms From Quitting Smoking

Bellycaster

I haven't had a Cigarette since January 2nd. I had to quit this time as I was told I had Hyper-inflated Lungs (X-ray Results), which is a sign of the earliest stages of C.O.P.D. Also the Spirometry Test I had showed my Lung Function was more like that of a 60 year old rather than the 45 year old that I am.

I'm not really craving cigs much, I went to a support group who can get cheap quitting aids, I chose the Nicorette Spray, which I found was like spraying Mustard Gas into my mouth, fecking foul stuff, made my gob sore. Stopped using that instantly and have used a "10 Motives disposable E-Cig" equivalent to 40 cigs, I use 1 a week.

What symptoms have you quitters suffered with? I keep getting bouts of tiredness, it'll suddenly hit me any time of day and I'll feel like going to bed. Just happened this afternoon, very groggy after feeling OK up until then.

On the upside, I'm feeling healthier, but trying not to substitute the cigs with snacking etc.

randella

I put on weight, but the main one was anger. Christ I was pissed off!  It does pass though. 

Ironically (speaking of withdrawal), I ended up with a back problem (unrelated) a few years later which left me, in the end, unable to walk. I had surgery which fixed it but then had a massive, appalling week-long crash from stopping all the shitty painkillers the GP and hospital had been feeding me. The net result being I took up the tabs again. Silly boy. I stick mainly with a vape but I do like those tasty Marlboro Lights from time to time so I know what you’re going through. 

Stick with it and power to ya

Danny1969

I used the Champix pills to quit. They really did make it a piece of cake and I have no fond memories of smoking now, whether the times before when I gave up I used to constantly crave a fag 
The downside of Champix is a lot of people suffer adverse side affects from them, luckily I didn't 

GuyR

Well done for quitting. I quit 20 years ago. Bought myself a 62 jazz bass straight away on the basis if I started smoking again, I'd sell the bass. I was playing it an hour ago. I remember craving a cigarette, particularly with alcohol, but that does pass.
keep it up, it's one of the best choices you'll ever make.

randella

GuyR said:

keep it up, it's one of the best choices you'll ever make.

A million wisdoms, if only I could. 

Hoof

The sore gob is fairly normal, as is a sore throat.

A few weeks in I suffered a lot of cold type symptoms which came to a head with me coughing my lungs up for a week or so but that's the worst of it.

After that you feel more energised, sleep better and feel calmer. 

The urge to smoke never seems to fully leave, but it gets further away as time passes.

If you smoked proper fags then put the money your're saving aside. Just seeing it mount up is a nice little reward in itself. A few months Marlboros = a really nice guitar/amp/new sofa/holiday/decent looking prostitute for a whole week!

Good luck!!

RMJ

Well done mate. 

I've smoked on and off for 20 years. In recent years it's been very infrequent, maybe 2 or 3 on the rare occasion I find myself in a pub with someone who smokes. 

I've been really fortunate that I can put it down whenever I want without too much bother. But I do find I put on weight after stopping. 

Bellycaster

Thanks guys.

@Hoof the sore gob was from the Nicorette Spray, this stuff is evil, I truly don't know how anyone can take it. I gave it two tries and sacked it off.

I'm liking the "Buy a Guitar" psychology though Although I have some real life things that the money will come in useful for first. Damn it!

I wasn't allowed Champix @Danny1969 I'm glad really as I probably would have suffered side effects.

I'm not craving as much as I thought I would, the E-Cig seems to take the edge off. I don't like this tiredness though, feel floored sometimes.

hywelg

RMJ said:

I've been really fortunate that I can put it down whenever I want without too much bother.

So leave it down. If you like I can PM you with a description of the pain involved in having radiotherapy to the throat, would that help?

Oh and I quit 40 years ago so the sooner you stop the better.

Phil_aka_Pip

Quitting: the smartest decision you'll ever make
The dumbest was starting in the first place.

All the best!

RMJ

hywelg said:

RMJ said:

I've been really fortunate that I can put it down whenever I want without too much bother.

So leave it down. If you like I can PM you with a description of the pain involved in having radiotherapy to the throat, would that help?

Oh and I quit 40 years ago so the sooner you stop the better.

I didn't mean my comment to sound glib. 

rsvmark

Well done- keep it going. I just got fat. But put the money aside you used to spend on fags. Watch it build up..... And hey presto, visit the classifieds!

Flink_Poyd

I quit 16 years ago and cant really remember anything major other than the odd headache. I really was lucky that I had the will power to go cold turkey, no weening myself off, just see how many days I could last although I did substitute fags with stuff like mints and chewing gum (I think). I stopped counting after about a month as I knew I had it beat. Put on a bit of weight as food tasted awesome. I did used to take part in quite a few "Jazz" cigarettes but thats a few years ago now as well.
 Keep it up fella.

Neill

I do hope you stick with it fella, cigarettes killed my dad (60 a day, Park drive, no filters) he was 48 and the last two years of his life, and our lives, were hell as he slowly wasted away.  I get very angry when I hear the tobacco lobby going on about personal freedom guys like David Hockney just because he's been smoking for 60 years and no ill effects it's ok. 

I lost a good friend last year who had smoked like a chimney all his life and had multiple health issues which I reckon were all related to smoking.  He was a great guy just couldn't give up the fags, it's an evil business.  

munckee

I quit 7 years ago. I upped my running to avoid weight gain and it felt like someone had taken a tight belt off my chest. I didn't use anything just went through pain barrier it was the best way for me. Had tried before on a few occasions though. 

paulnb57

I quit about 6 years ago, just stopped, no aids, just stopped, went cold turkey, for a few nights I had the most amazing Technicolor dreams, worse was trying to find something else to do at the times I would smoke, I realised how much of the whole smoking thing is habit. I absolutely hate the smell of them and the smell on people now......
I've put on three stone, which is a bit of a bastard....
I really cannot understand why they are allowed to be sold these days......
I find Vaping a bit odd too, substituting one addiction for another, I wonder what the side effects will turn out to be in a few years time....

ThePrettyDamned

Chemically, the withdrawal ends very quickly with smoking - usually one or two months. How many cigarettes did you smoke? If 20 a day, you got about 200 hits of nicotine per day (ten puffs per cigarette) and your brain is continuing to expect that. 

This is why, if you want to quit, you need to make sure you cut the nicotine. I understand that nicorette and e cigs can help, but you really need to reduce the nicotine in your body. The best way is to cut it out altogether, although it takes a lot of willpower - you got to do what works for you.

All of my friends who have quit did it cold turkey - they only suffered for about a month, then never felt better. 

Grunfeld

Bellycaster said:

On the upside, I'm feeling healthier, but trying not to substitute the cigs with snacking etc.

What you have done is brilliant and in time it will truly feel the right thing in every cell of your body, every bit of your life. 
it's really hard to convey just how right it feels not to smoke any more.  It's just the most right thing I have ever done.  I remember the seemingly endless cycle of "giving up" and wondering how far I'd make it.  Fuck that, it was shit.  I think that's why for me, personally, (and I know this has to be personal), I don't like any form of nicotine substitution.  At what became the last time I wanted all that nicotine out of my system.  Out and stay out.  And I'll get on with my life.

Withdrawal symptoms -- I thought they were totally worth it.  That was me paying my dues.  And I figured when it's gone, it's gone.  They went.  You stop feeding them nicotine and they stop bugging you.
@Bellycaster here's something I was happy to post last November.  You are doing the right thing.  You absolutely will not regret getting nicotine out of your life.

Vibetronic

I quit about 2.5 years ago and went straight to vaping - no side effects from stopping cigarettes at all (apart from my clothes smell better, I don't get a cough at all now and I don't get out of breath easily so all good). I stopped the vaping about a year ago now - this was actually more difficult than giving up cigarettes as I really enjoyed it (probably as I used it more and could do it inside), and was really grumpy for about 2 days - and now just use the nicorette spray stuff which I don't mind actually. I'm stopping that in the next week or so, and I'm anticipating a couple of days of mild grumpiness before forgetting about it. I think I will always have a slight hankering for a lovely smoke with a pint or a cup of good coffee, but I'll never go back to it. Good luck with keeping it up, you'll be fine

boogieman

I finally beat the addiction to the bastard things 7 years ago. I went cold turkey too. I got banging headaches for the first week and felt incredibly irritable but those symptoms wore off. I was then left with feeling tired, that lasted for another couple of weeks. 

I found the worst thing was the craving for a cigarette every time I smelt someone lighting up, especially with a drink or after a meal. That goes away eventually but it took a long, long time. I did cave in after about a year and bought some cigs when my dad died... but they tasted vile. You’ll know you’ve finally beaten the addiction when you walk past a smoker and think “what a disgusting smell”. 

@Bellycaster ;;Whatever way you chose to give up, stick with it. Just keep thinking of all the health benefits. Putting the money away, that you would’ve spent on cigs, in a gas fund is a great incentive. Soon makes you realise how much money you wasted. 

Veganic

Inability to concentrate.
Tingly fingers.

The first one needed a sustitute task. Gum or tea or a brisk walk.
The second one I just had to tell myself that I really love the feeling a tingly fingers.

If you are using nicotine still you may not get the full cold-turkey effect.

Long term, I am left with a vague free floating craving for something, but strangely that something is not a cigarette.