Hello KTC community!
I've visited the site from time to time, and finally signed up today. I am on day 16 without any of that nasty sh*t in my mouth. I want to share a strategy that has helped me with the "struggle" (or surprising lack of) that doesn't seem to be popular at KTC. I'm hoping that this may help others that are hoping to quit and that I might get some redirection from those who disagree with the strategy. Maybe you guys are actually on board with this and I just haven't seen the posts yet.
The theme here seems to revolve around quitting cold turkey. I've tried it, but my work does not allow that debilitating "fog" for weeks or even a few days. On 12/6/16, I stopped at the store on my lunch break and bought a 2-week box of transdermal patches. I stopped at home before going back to work and threw out the can I had bought that morning, along with the odds and ends laying around. There has rarely been a waking moment in the last 3 years that I have not had a snus in, replaced many evenings and weekends by the hard stuff. 2+ weeks in, and I'm very certain with where this is headed -- 8 more weeks with the patch and then no nic-bitch ever, EVER again.
Disclaimer: I have unsuccessfully quit with the patch before. I took shortcuts... do not take shortcuts. The prescribed plan is use 21 mg patches for 6 weeks, 14 mg for 2 weeks, and finally 7 mg for 2 weeks. I would start out at 14 and give in to the cravings. I would feel woozy for an hour after applying a 21 mg patch and take it off, buy a can, and cut the patch in half the next day. I'd start to feel irritable late in the day and put the other half on.
The key to success is right in the directions-- Start at 21 mg. If you feel dizzy, it will pass shortly. Use ONE patch per day... deal with the occasional irritability in the evening. Use the strongest dosage for 6 weeks regardless of how well it seems to be going when you run out at 2 and 4 weeks.
I hope this is helpful to anyone who can't seem to wrestle the beast cold turkey. I recommend the patch over other forms of cessation because I personally have used more and more gum or lozenges in the past to match what I had been doing with the can, and that doesn't help you quit.
The store brand is $25 for a 2 week supply. I was spending $4-8 per day on giving myself bad breath and cancer.
What are KTC's thoughts? Thank you all for what you are doing and what you contribute to others (like me) trying to quit.
KTC's thoughts - NO NRT OF ANY KIND!!!!!!
I really want you to think about what I'm about to say long and hard:
1. We are all ADDICTED to NICOTINE...not dipping...not smoking...not vaping...not snus...but NICOTINE!!!
2. NRT is NICOTINE!!! You aren't even quitting and weening isn't a successful method when looking at the masses who have actually successfully quit.
3. By using NRT you aren't even going through the withdrawal that will eventually occur...you are merely delaying it because you are feeding your body the addiction still with nic. Why would you try quitting something with the chemical that is feeding your addiction? That is crazy talk and a really stupid strategy. This is what we are fooled into doing just like tanning bed companies will promote to the public that people need to get a 'base' tan before going on vacation so they don't get burned. Biggest bunch of bullshit in the world.
4. NRT is manufactured and sold by the tobacco companies. Big tobacco is still making money off of all the addicts who are fooled into using NRT. You'd think with all of these people trying to quit that those companies would be faltering...nope, they are thriving because they are keeping people addicted to nicotine...just in a different form.
5. Big Tobacco is selling their "Company Programs" to companies big and small who know nothing about quitting nicotine. The company knows tobacco is unhealthy and big tobacco has 'sold' these horseshit programs to companies so they (big tobacco) stay in business feeding all of these nicotine addicts with NRT which is completely harmful for everyone to begin with (i.e. nicotine causes heart disease, heart failure, high blood pressure, anxiety).
I get you are listening to your company paid program...but it is a bunch of bullshit because the people who procured it are likely not addicts like you and I are...cold turkey is the ONLY way. If you choose not to do that, you need to leave here because this is a nicotine free site. I'd rather you stay and quit this way than NRT which will not work long term.
Your choice...I hope you choose KTC.
