Hi Richard. I remember early in my quit I was so caught up in my quit I was forgetting to take my anxiety meds. And when I realised I was like oh maybe I can manage ok without them! But within a few days my anxiety was through the roof! So went back on them. And felt much better for it. I normally remind people to remember to take any medication they normally take! As a quit is all consuming and it can be easy to forget. Is there is reason you are cutting back on your meds on purpose? If you are feeling crappy I'd maybe not cut back. Or maybe talk to your doctor about it. But I appreciate you know you best and what's best for you. How are you feeling today? Hope it's a better one for you

Today not bad. But its early lol. I am just trying to get off these dam pills. I think alot of my anxiety was from the smoking  or should i say trying to quit smoking. Only started taking the xanax about 2 years ago. Had to go for some heavy duty reconstructive surgery and my dad was also put in the hospitol with a rare disease that slowly kills you over time that isnt cancer.So all this stuff gave me anxiety attacks. They couldnt get my bp down for the surgery. I convinced the doctors that it isnt bp meds i needed but something for the anxiety. They finally gave me the xanax or alprazolam as its called now. Well i took it twice a day for a long time. Than the opiod scare come in and they tried to cut back. It was cut in half and was torturous on me. Thats when i started to reseacrh it. This stuff is worse than the anxiety. So i cut that in half now. Take about one fourth of what i used to. So between stooping smoking and the cut back this is rough. But ill be dammed if these chemicals are going to run whats left of my life.Keep checking my bp every day and oxygen levels. Seem ok . bp will rise when aggrivated but seems to go down now faster. And the doctor did say he wants to cut back on the xanax

comes in and a

Richard, you are dealing  with so much right now, so please give it some time. You will feel better the further you get away from smoking.  We all used smoking when we were nervous because we felt it would calm us.  It was more of a mental thing and never really did do the job.

As far as the anxiety, I have dealt with that my entire life.  I have panic disorder and panic attacks.  I have never taken xanax but take a half of a clonzapam   (1/2 mg in the morning and 1/2 mg at night).  I have done this for years and it controls the panic.  I would not take yourself off these meds because most of them you should be weaned off.  

As far as the opioid  scare, as long as you take the medication as recommended there is nothing to worry about.

I believe you are past the hell week  and  should have the nicotine out of your system.   Remember quitting is also a mental thing.  Your mind is trying to trick you into feeling you need those cigarettes.  You need to learn a way to redirect your thinking.  Don't let those thoughts overtake your quit. Just keep the thought of your improved life and health for most in your thinking.  You are going to come out of this journey so much better.  

Keep posting and reaching out.  We will be there for you.  Hang in there.  

thank you but actually i dont even want one anymore. I think thats because i feel so bad. I think the real test will come when i am feeling better. Just gotta remember how bad i felt while quitting. As for the opiods i dont think doctors have a clue lol.

This made me laugh so much because it is just typical smoker thinking. Having a heart attack and switching to organic food was my favourite lol. 

You are so right in that the real test is when you feel better. I didn't smoke for a week once bed ridden with a cold. When I recovered it was only a matter of time (I'm talking 2 hours max) before I forgot how I'd been feeling and was back to smoking. 

My advice is to reach out here when you feel at your weakest. That is when you find out how powerful this place is. 

thank you i will be here daily just to be reminded how many people care and know what i and others are going through. Feeling a bit less dizzy today which comes and goes

Hi Richard, glad you're feeling a bit better today. And please take some comfort in knowing that what you are going through is completely normal for where you are in your quit. A lot of members have also found that once they were further along in their quit their anxiety actually lessened and the attacks were fewer and farther between. l Hopefully this will be true for you as well.

You also talked about hoping that once you feel better you wouldn't cave to a crave. One thing I did was each month on my monthaversary I would read my threads from the beginning just to remind myself of how brutal my first few months were and to not forget where I came from! I highly recommend doing that

thank you i will be here daily just to be reminded how many people care and know what i and others are going through. Feeling a bit less dizzy today which comes and goes

When will I feel good?  That, and When will I stop thinking about smoking?  I asked myself and others who had quit those same questions every day for quite a long time. Just know that breaking any routine of 50 years is going to be a process.  Your addict cravings won't just disappear overnight.  It's the accumulation of day after day, month after month without a cigarette that begins to form a new normal in your brain.

Reaching that place of comfort, better health, and ultimate freedom takes different time for different people.  All I can say is, when you get there (and you will) it's rapturous.  

Thank you  hope so nope i know so lol. Had a good day and a half. Than felt like crap again today. Sore and a little foggy but not as bad as when it first started. Was out weedwacking and mowing so that can be part of it too.