DenaliBlues

+1 to all that @jillar and @Brioski have said. NRT works by supplying a limited dose of nicotine through your skin or your gums. You get enough nicotine to shave the edge off your cravings, to support a commitment to quitting. But the hit is gradual. By contrast, inhalation - through either vaping or smoking - is a super potent delivery vehicle for a lot of nicotine to enter your bloodstream and brain very quickly. Because of that, it’s likely to intensify rather than diminish your dependence. Plus there is all kinds of other harmful c - - p beyond nicotine in ecigs and vape juice. Bottom line: the only way to quit smoking is to actually quit smoking. It will suck for a while, but it won’t kill you. And you’ll be glad you did it.

N O P E

Sending you love and fortitude. Well done for not smoking your way through your troubles!

Happy 7th anniversary!!

nope

Congratulations on your 7 years of freedom!!! Thanks so much for all that you do to support us on the Train.

NOPE

… only streak at night. Which has the added benefit of…

Bravo, Sirius! Congrats on your stellar quit.

Gnashed her teeth

…air-dry by streaking, instead. Although I am concerned about…

Lost at sea

7. Make a radio antenna

NOPE

Hi, Sandi. These are great questions. Quitting smoking can mess with your blood sugar (drive it down or up) as well as your digestion (which might slow down). So listen carefully to your body, support it with whatever fluids and nutrition it needs during the first crucial weeks of your quit. I am not diabetic, but I do have to be careful about extra weight. I found ice-cold sugar free and caffeine-free drinks (especially diet root beer) to be really helpful. I also used a lot of non-food things: aromatherapy inhalers, silly putty, fidget spinners, etc. Best of all, though, were small tasks to keep me busy. I kept a notebook of little house things that needed attention, and every time my mind or body yearned for a smoke I’d go cross something off the list instead of lighting up. Small stuff like wiping the schmoo out of the bottom of the recycling bin, or tightening a screw on a drawer pull. Distracting myself became a creative exercise. Plus my house was nice and clean for a while, LOL.

NOPE

NOPE

Well done. What an inspiration!!

NOPE

You are doing so great, @Slow progress! I love that you're being real about the cravings and ups and downs, but have taken smoking totally off the table as a response to them. That's the foundation of a really strong quit. @Boo once said, "There are a million things you CAN do in response to a craving, and just one you can't - stick something in your mouth and set it on fire." Good on you for embracing all the other possibilities!

NOPE

NOPE

Welcome to the forum, @Sandi149. I’m sorry you are struggling, but you have come to the right place for support. I, too, lost a 7-year quit once. I also tried to “wean” myself off of smoking. It didn’t work. I had to either smoke or quit smoking. Hovering in between was too excruciating. It’s that way because of how withdrawal works in the nicotine-addicted brain. By continuing to smoke - even “just” one or two a day - you never give your body the opportunity to get to the other side of withdrawal. You’re prolonging it without resolving it. I used NRT (lozenges and patches) and found that it worked for me. Oral or patch NRT is a much less gratifying delivery system than smoking. So it blunted the sharpest edges of my cravings while I made the initial transition to quitting. It helped me get through the first panic of not smoking. After a few weeks, when the NRT no longer reduced my edgy feelings, I knew I needed to break free of nicotine completely. It was hard, but by that time I had built up enough quitting skills to get through it. I know this is really scary. You feel like you might lose your mind. But that is your inner addict being all panicky about not getting its fix. Junkie mind tells us all kinds of lies. Here is the truth: You will not die from withdrawal. You’ll be jittery and upset and off kilter for a while. It will suck. But if you stick with it, it will get easier. Life is so much better on the other side. You can do this!

NOPE!