health anxiety and quitting smoking?

[airwolf451]

hi guys i was wondering if any of you could help me.

as you all know i have bad health anxiety and it can get quite bad at times.

i have decided to quit smoking, as i know its bad not only for my anxiety but for my health.

thing is im afraid of what wil lhappen if i do quit.

i need to use the patches as i dont have strong will power and need that bit of help, but im wondering will they send me crazy, or make my anxiety worse. which is what i dont want.

has anyone else attempted this and if so , did they use patches and how didthey find them, and did they interfer with your meds?

thanks guys

[jo61]

My view on it is that the patches only change the delivery system of nicotine so I can't imagine they'd interfere with your meds. If you go to the chemist's they'd help you decide which strength of patch to go for - they do vary according to how many cigarettes you smoke. I wish you luck - I gave up for 4 years on just willpower after a bad chest infection but unfortunately went back on them years ago. Apart from being bad for our health and anxiety, they're also bad for the bank balance!

[wobblyknees80]

forget using patches~ JUST READ 'THE EASYWAY TO STOP SMOKING BY ALAN CARR' i know so many people who've stopped just by reading his book. my boyfriends dad use to smoke 80 a day. he read this book and by the time he got to the end he'd stopped smoking~ years later and he still rips up your fag if he see you smoking~i know so many people who've done the same~i'm on page 42 now, i'll let ya know how it goes~it doesn't use any scare tactics~if sacre tactics work we all woulcve stopped by now~he just breaks down the reasons why its hard to stop in the first place and somehow, very cleverly make the whole giving up process enjoyable rather than a long hard struggle~worth looking into

[JimP]

I quit the fags about a month ago, found the first 3 days pretty terrible, but all's OK now!

Found I couldn't have the nicorette stuff, made me feel weird so I've just had to do it with will power alone!

[jodie]

hi

i stoped the fags for 5 years (started agane now wish i hadent )i started to drink ice water i took a bottle of it every place i went , every time i felt like i need i fag i drank some water mabe dosent work for everyone but it did for me .
i found the first week or so was ok it was a month after i started to feel like i needed to smoke .
my hubby sed the patches and he was on meds the doc told him he was fine BUT ask anyway just incase !he might not of been on the same meds as you .
good luck .

jodie xx
try the ice water it helped me .

[tam]

hi airwolf funny you should write this as yesterday i went to the doctors and asked what i could take with meds to stop smoking,he gave me patches and i asked alot of questions on will i feel worse ,will the patches interfear with meds and everyrthing else id worried about,his answer was that the patches are just giving me nicotene and i do that every day with cigs any way.i need to stop as i can feel myself drain first cig i have in the morning its like it instantly makes me tired and all the other things too.can i ask you,you say you know its bad for anxiety,can i ask why sorry if this sounds a bit thick but heard this before but would to know why?how? might help me be more determind,i will keep you posted ,need to now set a day to stop,good luck and keep us posted.tracy

[ksmith]

I gave up last year at a bad time health anxiety wise. I did it through a mixture of patches for a shortwhile and then acupuncture.

What I want to tell you is that you are anxious with them and anxious without them. So, you may as well not have them and feel better about your health!! Go for it.


Kay x

[Lynnann]

Good Luck Hunni!

Hope it works for you, just have a chat with your doctor first. If nothing else other than to put your mind at rest

Lynnann

[peach]

i quit smoking about 8 months ago now, for a few weeks after i was wondering if id made the right decision....i have to say now, i totally absolutly did!!!! the anxiety i felt quitting was nothing in comparision to the anxiety i felt about smoking and what it was doing to me.
i can now watch those awful graphic anti smoking commercials without feeling sick and scared that that would be me. now i know that each day im not smoking my body is repairing itself and in 9 years from now, my lungs will be that of a non smoker.

[sandie]

Hi Stephen

I smoke 60 a day for almost 17 years - I fnally gave up when I was pregnant with our son (he's now 21), and I haven't smoked since.

My closest and oldest friend has smoked heavily (about 60 a day) for almost 40 years; she has had a life-long thyroid problem and has been on various meds. She decided to give the patches a try and is now in her 7th cigarette-free week!!!!! I'm really proud of her!!! She saw her doctor, and he advised her accordingly - she also gets her patches on the NHS. (She bought a pre-paid exemption certificate to help keep prescription costs to a bare minimum. Her GP started her on the higher strength nicotine patches, and has gradually reduced the potency. She's trying to keep busy too, but has found the patches EXTREMELY beneficial to her desire to give up the dreadful habit!!!

Good luck - keep us informed of how it goes!!!

Sandie