The OFFICIAL Chatting Thread

[jeanloup]

not cheap opening ;-)

[Black Betty]

Morning everyone, whats on the agenda today?

[SewerSideUp]

Sabaho !! OR Top of the mornin' everyone !

[the eldest boy]

Hey BB.

On my agenda today is not smoking. I'm quitting. Last night, i went to the doctors and then bought the patches and gum. I had my dinner around 8pm and popped a gum...15 minutes later, i was throwing up all over the place. This isn't uncommon...the gum (and the patches) deliver nocotine directly into your system at a steady rate, but it can cause nausea and vomiting the first few times as the body adjusts. I'm about to put the first patch on...i've done this before a few years ago...it gives you a mad head rush and then makes you feel sick for a few hours. I'm going to need a ciggie to get over the stress!

[SSense]

Morning everyone :hi:
Eldest, thats a good move, but do the patches really help to quit smoking Ive heard from a few people who say it doesnt help..

[Black Betty]

Good luck Phil mate, I've gave up a few times before but alas, always went back to them.
It's hard to stop when you run a pub, plus my old pub in the UK was a whisky bar so cigars where often smoked, they were my down fall everytime, all the reps would come in and hand out the Cohibas and Romeo & Julietta's every Christmas and I had stoped since the previous new year....a whole year up in smoke....so to speak.....anyhoooo, all the best with the quiting.

[hiten86]

Morning everyone!

I've tried gum before, but never seemd to help - i'm, planning on moving to patches. . . but how helpful is it?

Enlighten me Phil!

[the eldest boy]

Morning everyone :hi:
Eldest, thats a good move, but do the patches really help to quit smoking Ive heard from a few people who say it doesnt help..

Thanks guys.

Yes, the patches do help in my opinion. I've quit with them before about 5 years ago, but then, just like BB, i had a few drinks one night, took one drag and that was all the hard work undone (i dopn't drink anymore so there no chance o fthat now!).

Quitting's very hard. My colleague has just said to me "just stop, just don't smoke". Yeah mate, it's really that simple. The patches drip-feed nicotine into your system 24 hours a day, so your nicotine craving is satisfied without all the additional crap that you get from a cigarette (carbon monoxide etc). The strength of the patch depends on how many a day you were previously smoking (in my case, 20). The idea is that over time, you reduce the strength of the patch so that your nicotine dependency is reduced to a point where you can come off the patches and use a milder substitute, like the gum.

Quitting smoking isn't just about the nicotine, it's about the "habit". What patches don't do is to get you over the insane desire to physically hold a cigarette, the habit of lighting up etc. That's where the will power is really needed, because with a patch, you're still feeding your dependency (nicotine) but you're starving yourself of the routine.

[SSense]

Thanks for the feedback Phil and Good Luck quitting :)

[Haissam]

good morning everyone

good luck phil!

[the eldest boy]

But, of course, there are side affects. Using the patches for the first few times can make you feel pretty unwell - nausea mainly. That's because when you first apply the patch, you start to absorb nicotine directly into your system, which is a bit like injecting alcohol straight into a vein. At first, the body will struggle to come to terms with this new sensation and nausea and vomiting may occur. But hey, i have no problems with a bit of sickness. Take the first patches at home after work (i.e. a controlled, comfortable environment). That way, if you start to feel a bit unwell, you can just ride it out on the sofa knowing that the toilet is just a few yards away! It's not a pleasant feeling (and you may not get it at all) but at least you know what's happening, so it's not scary. After a few days, these sensations will stop and you'll be able to apply the patch before work as part of your morning routine.

Depending on how many you smoke, the gum isn't really strong enough on it's own. That will provide an instant hit which is the equivilent of one cigarette i.e. you take one gum every time you fancy a cigarette. However, this means tha you are still getting the cyclical desire for a cigarette, and popping a gum becomes another routine. Patches drip feed you all day and help to bust the cycle, meaning you should not desire a cigarette at any time.

[hiten86]

Thats exactly what kills smokers - more than the need for nicotine, it's the satisfaction of puffin' away.

We've got blue-tooth and blu-ray disks and what not! cant they come up with cigarettes that help you quit smoking! (contradicting the whole purpose of cigarettes i know) both ways,

Phil, dont mind the stupid question - consultation is neccesarry before starting patches isnt it?

[the eldest boy]

Thats exactly what kills smokers - more than the need for nicotine, it's the satisfaction of puffin' away.

We've got blue-tooth and blu-ray disks and what not! cant they come up with cigarettes that help you quit smoking! (contradicting the whole purpose of cigarettes i know) both ways,

Phil, dont mind the stupid question - consultation is neccesarry before starting patches isnt it?

Not a stupiud question hiten, a very sensible one.

I'm going to say that no, a consultation isn't neccessarily needed before you start using patches. As long as you're honest with the pharmasist (at the chemist), he/she will be able to provide you with exactly what you need and the correct advice of how to use it. If you then use the system correctly and sensibly, there are very few risks involved, and any negative side affects can be stopped almost immediately by removing the patch.

A doctors consultation can be good for many other reasons though. I didn't go to the doctor specifically for a smoking consultation...i have another condition called chronic pancreatitis for which i have very frequent consultations and the conversation got round to smoking and how it was making my condition much worse. I probably wouldn't have consulted my doctor just to start patches. However, your doctor (or certainly someone at the clinic) can provide expert lifestyle advice - things you can do to help you succeed in quitting. They can also provide you with literature, support etc, all of which is invaluable. I'd recommend seeing your doctor just for the moral support.

[hiten86]

Thanks mate,

Been holding this back for far too long now, think it's high time i get my act together :P

Apart from that - did anybody go to the Abudhabi Jazz festival?

[SewerSideUp]

The Jazz Fest !! I missed it !! :(

Anyways, I as a surprise was a smoker. 2 years doesn't sound much. But, at a critical age it is the ON switch for the next 20 if not more !

This may seem weird, or may seem that I never stopped smoking but went on to something better :rofl: !!

Try and get disgusted of a cigarette, I don't know how to explain it. But, try this.
Youre eating your favourite dish, enjoying the smell and tase of the food and then somone starts bellowing smoke around you. That to me is worth hurting that person real bad !

Or, Get in your car in the morning. A/C on, car's air is clean. Get used to it for a week, after changing you A/C filter ofcourse !! Then, let somone light up a cigarette in a closed compartment.

Hope this makes sense, because that's how I ended up stopping.


And, EXCERSCISE !!!!