Well, I am out of patches. Been using them for the last 2 months and I have eight 8mg pouches and 24 4mg lozenges left. My target date is June 30 and I plan on using 8 pouches and up to 5 lozenges per day.  

My fear is that I might continue the pouches as they provide a good blast of nicotine. I think they are an effective way to minimize my cravings but I don't want to become addicted to them, I will see how it goes.

Thanks to all on this forum. Your posts have helpted me stay smoke free. I check it every day for support and very much enjoy the people who have replied to me.

I feel like I have friends that really care and try respond in a positive manner to each of you.

Thanks to Loreficent, Anne2020. Xvaper, Jachat, Susan2020, Jerthie123 and others that written back to me. I am empowered by your experiences and words of wisdom and support. It's a form of therapy that has been invaluable to me.

I have started another topic called To Me 2. Hopefully it will be the beginning of my new commitment to freedom.

Good day to all

Andrew

Hi Andrew,

You can do it. Don't let the addiction the power over your will and good reasoning. Keep repeating to yourself why you are doing this, and don't think too much into the future. When cravings starts, wait it out and distract yourself, or even just go to sleep. 

Post here if need help!

candrew 

I quit using the patches.  I used the 21 mg for 2 weeks, then went to the 14 mg for 2 weeks, then down to the 7 mg which I only used for 1 week.  Mostly, it helped me through losing the mental addiction of smoking and by the time that 5 weeks was over, it really was not that bad.  I noticed a few cravings here and there but if you just wait it out they will pass fairly quickly.  Also, I sucked on sugar free strong mints, that helped a lot.

Mostly, it is still just don't smoke!  That is truly the only thing that will get you through to the other side.

Best of luck to you

Kathy

ï just don't smoke anymore" has been my mantra during this whole process. Simple but effective. 

The nicotine substitutes are helping me but really, I think it's all in my head. I'm over the physical withdrawals but I continue using the substitutes for psychological relief. I really don't think I need them as it is 5+ weeks since I've had a cigarette. Granted I think about them daily but don't experience the obsession that might make me buy a pack. I feel that I have been released from the "trap" of smoking addiction. 

Thanks to all of you in this forum. My participation has been an invaluable aid to my remaining smoke free for these 5 weeks.

Good day,

Andrew

Andrew....

I understand your anxiety? Over fearing that you might become addicted to the pouches!  That is what happened to me with the lozenges!  I wish you good luck and a continuous resolve to win!  I wish I had more wisdom to share, but I am trying to cut down now instead of fully quit!  Life is so busy Andrew, and everyone else!  I have barely any time these days!  I am on this forum for the first time in 4 or 5 days!  I wish I could just focus on a solid quit attempt and come to the forum whenever I needed help!  I turn to God!  Through his helping hand, I have managed my bipolar disorder, new médications, relationship issues and a new job!  I am, for now, just trying to cut down.  Like Lubercat said, one has to want the quit more than the smoke!  I am afraid I still want the smoke!  So I pray to the Lord!  Lord, if I am allowed to still have nicotine in my life... Let me have it only in dire need!  Let me not abuse it!  But if I am meant ti quit completely, then please give me the grace to do it right this time!  Night all.  Will post more when I have more time!!

Great progress Candrew! keep us posted!

You are in a strong position Andrew - well done and congratulations.  Don't let anything, not one thing, no matter what, infringe on your progress.  Keep building that smoke free lifestyle where you know you are most happy and content with yourself.

Cheers   

Right on Anne. I think this is my time.

Good day,

Andrew

As I feared, I think I am getting dependent on the pouches. I ran out last week with the intention of using up the rest of my lozenges until my final quit, but in a impulse ordered more of the pouches. I don't particularly like the lozenges as they taste terrible and upset my stomach. Plus, they don't have the "jolt" that I get with the pouches. The addiction is still strong in my mind. 

Regarding your fear of gaining weight, I thought you might like to read this article

Smoking Cessation Weight Gain and Control, by Joel Spitzer (whyquit.com)

Keep trying kid. You'll get it.

Andrew

Hi Candrew,

I'm glad you are updating.

I will lend you my advice from my experience. I know that some people here found the lozenges helpful, so I cannot speak for everyone, but in my personal experience and the scientific viewpoint, weening yourself by using lozenges is just prolonging the withdrawal and can be torturous because you are starving your brain bit by bit instead of just cutting off the supply and start the healing and do the withdraw at once instead of suffering withdrawal over weeks.  Statistical evidence show that the patches/lozenges/pouches are not very successful at helping people to stop smoking, let alone getting them off nicotine.  

It's like telling an alcoholic to gradually drink less vodka every day until they ween off of alcohol. No difference.

My the advice would be just cut it off.

Prepare yourself with tactics on how to deal with craving ( lots of it here!) and remind yourself you all the time why you want to rid yourself of this nasty addiction. Read and re-read like I mentioned before. Decide that you will no longer pay the tobacco companies to kill yourself. Decide that you will no longer pay the pharmaceutical companies to keep you addicted to nicotine. Decide that you don't only want to stop smoking but you do not  want to be a slave to Nicotine, a poison that increases your heart rate therefore over time reduces the elasticity of your arteries, hardens the plaque inside them which constrict the blood flow which in tern leads to a heart disease. Although Nicotine in itself does not cause cancer like the other poisons in cigarettes, Nicotine HAS been found to encourages abnormal cancerous cell to grow quickly and become tumors. 

Take the plunge.