I am on day 18 so we quit around the same time

Welcome October ex smokers,

One of the best things about our forum is all the tips from former smokers we can use to beat this wicked addiction.

Here's a wonderful list ModJenn put together that should come in handy.

Quit Toolbox

• Drink ice water through a straw. Repeat. Drink ice water through a straw. Repeat...
• Knowledge is power. Read everything you can get your hands on about this addiction. The more you understand about your own addiction to nicotine, the better equipped you become to get through the cessation process.
• Post on the Forum until your fingers are sore. Post, post, post. 
• Closely related: Go to the NOPE pledge daily and hold yourself accountable.
• When you come across posts that inspire and/or strengthen you ~ copy and paste them into a Word document. In this way, you can reread them when you feel wibbly wobbly and are climbing the walls.
• Distract, distract, distract. (Shhhh.....I would do jumping jacks and by the time I got to about 10-12 I was distracted -- that's for sure. Try puzzles, reading a book, anything that shifts the focus of your thoughts.) More generally, stop whatever you are doing, move, and do something else. The craving will pass.
• Remind yourself this is a journey and the more time you put between now and that last cigarette, the stronger your quit muscles become and the more you have in your quit toolbox. Take it one minute and hour at at time, if necessary, and the days will keep adding up.
• Every day you go to bed smoke-free is a good day. Be kind to yourself along the way.
• What you are experiencing is normal - "this too shall pass".
• Take a shower. Brush your teeth. Put on lotion.
• Read your quit reasons.
• Create a list of all the benefits you are experiencing now that you no longer smoke. Practice gratitude at least once a day for these benefits and life changes.
• Cinnamon flavored sugar-free gum (even cinnamon sticks).
• Chai tea (I had to avoid coffee for a while but can drink it now without a problem).
• Eat healthy snacks, such as carrots or frozen grapes (Some honesty here: I didn't always do so well with this one due to this pesky sweet tooth I developed once I could taste my food again. The good news is that as my quit felt more secure my eating wasn't as erratic.). 
• Protect your quit at all costs by avoiding situations that are high-risk for you, especially in the early part of the quit (e.g., other smokers, alcohol, etc.).
• Make a plan for handling cravings when around temptation. Do not enter potentially difficult situations without a plan.
• Remind yourself that it's going to be okay - time is your friend as you relearn every aspect of daily life.
• Keep a journal to record your journey and it's easier to see how far you have come (It gave me perspective at times when I needed to remember that I may not be where I want to be but I'm most certainly not where I used to be.).
• Reward yourself for the small accomplishments and the larger milestones (this doesn't' have to involve spending money).
• Exercise - go for walks, join a gym, just keep moving.
• Accept and tell yourself (that self-talk we have to turn from negative to positive) that the craving is actually a sign of healing and they will occur less frequently and with less intensity as the smoke-free days add up.
• Deep breathing -- take 4-5 deep breaths -- fill up your diaphragm and and make your tummy stick out.
• As ModLisa says: "When in doubt go to sleep". 
• As ModMic says: "SOME DAYS, IT IS ENOUGH THAT YOU JUST DON'T SMOKE. Some days are crappy from beginning to end, and you can kick, scream, cry, punch something, bite someone's head off...if you did not smoke, you win and a little more healing happened".
• Visualize a craving like a wave washing over you. The tide does leave. 
• Tell yourself four things: (1) Smoking is no longer an option regardless of what life throws your way; (2) I am worthy of freedom from this addiction; (3) I can. I will. End of story; and (4) I am stronger than this challenge and this challenge is making me stronger.

Hi Julian welcome to this amazing forum. You have made the best decision ever to start you life as a non smoker! Read as much as you can about quitting and other people’s stories and post as often as you want too. You can do this. 

Linda

Here I am. I made it! Over a month quit. Not even counting the days. I know I'm going all the way. I wish I could report that I feel better though. I am still short of breath.  I fear that I have a respertory disease and it's too late. I wasn't diagnosed with one, but because I smoked so long, people assume I do. Some folks said they started feeling better after six months or so.

Hang in there it does get better.  I quit August 1 I was okay for about three weeks then it felt like I was getting a cold.  Well by the first weekend in September I couldn't breathe, couldn't lie down I was choking and  coughing, couldn't catch my breath for nothing.  Ended up at the doctors they said sinus infection got medication that seemed to help a little but a week later back at the doctors i was now in addition to everything else having panic attacks with breathing.  Well they said viral bronchitis got a nebulizer treatment, and oral steroid in office.  After being on new medication for a week I finally started feeling better.  Its now first week in October, I'm sleeping through the night coughing is finally starting to calm down and I can walk around and do things.  So give it time but take care of yourself and do what your body wants.  

Good for you! Over a month! I fear I have a respiratory disease too. I’ve been waking up at 3 or 4 am wheezing and in a panic.  I take a steroidal inhaler that seemed like it wasn’t  working.. My left chest started to hurt and I got extremely panicked. So I took an anti anxiety pill and drank ginger turmeric tea which helped me breathe. The pill helped me go back to sleep. I’m really scared it’s too late for me. 

Thanks for sharing that. I hope it does get better. Did you get antibiotics or oral steroids for your bronchitis? Is it common to get these infections or viruses when you quit?

Hi julian, welcome :)

It's never too late to quit!  I stopped 7 months ago after smoking for 48 years.  i am not denying its been tough but I can see that it was the best decision i made.  I want to see my Grandchildren grow up and be of good health as I enter retirement... i don't want to be one of those who is always coughing and spluttering and at the doctors every 5 minutes.  You need to remind yourself why you are quitting, that always helps.

Good luck and stay near the forum - as someone else said, there is always someone who will answer you with words of encouragement when you are struggling

Jan 

Thank you for your encouraging words Jan. I too want to live to see my grandchildren and I know I won’t be able to if I don’t quit. I will keep reminding myself.

I have to ask out of curiosity why you would be using a steroidal inhaler if you have not already been diagnosed with a respiratory illness? Were you prescribed this in the past for a severe infection?