Are you ready to QUIT??

Anybody who is a smoker or was a smoker, knows how hard it is to try and break the habit. I have been smoking for 6 years now and I am on 20 a day. Last week I decided I no longer want to smoke and whilst down my doctors, decided to get some advice. I have tried giving up before, purely through will power and have not succeeded, so I had to admit defeat and ask for help. (Which I now know, there is nothing wrong in doing that). Anybody who smokes and is seriously considering giving up, I would advise you to continue reading and follow me through my journey.

When I went to my doctors last Wednesday night I attended a quick smoking meeting; open to anybody, no hassle, no pressure. Here I filled out a form and spoke to my own doctor. I took a carbon monoxide test. It came back showing that 5% of all my blood is being filled with carbon monoxide and travelling around my body aimlessly. I decided this MUST stop. My doctor prescribed me these tablets called Champix. I had never heard of them, and was intrigued by what they are supposed to do. They are not a miracle drug but simply help you on your way to quit smoking. Starting the tablets the very next day and continuing to take them for 14 days. You are expected to quit between day 8 and 14 of taking the tablets, and I was told most people don’t smoke past the 7th day! But you have to have the will power to want to do this.
At first I moaned about having to pay £7.10 for a prescription every 2 weeks but then realised I will happily spend £5 a day on a box of cigarettes. I soon piped down!

There are possible side effects; the main 1 is the feeling of nausea. However this is not intense, although it varies in people. I looked up the tablets on Google as soon as I got home and read some bad reports about side effects but read just as many good to balance it out. I was determined not to let the ‘horror’ stories put me off before I had even started taking the tablets. I am now on day 5 of my tablets and the dose increased to two tablets a day yesterday. I generally only feel sick when I smoke, which is 1 of the effects the tablets are suppose to have. I was on 20 a day and I am already down to around 3 a day. I do not get the cravings I did and when i do want to smoke, I do not enjoy the taste of them. I am also very reluctant to get in my car, which smells like an ashtray, anymore! I am finding it hard to kick the last few cigarettes I am smoking. That first thing in the morning smoke and last thing at night. But the dose of the tablets goes up again next week and I have set my quit date as the 9th day of taking them, which is this Friday.

I am not saying these tablets are a miracle and will stop anyone smoking but they are meant to be the most effective way of quitting. I really enjoyed smoking and for me to feel this way after 5 days of taking these tablets, I think is pretty amazing. I don’t like relying on tablets and I do not feel I am. I don’t feel if I was to miss a tablet that I would go back to smoking the amount I did. You are on tablets for a few months afterwards but that is just to help you. I will admit that since I have cut down, I have not stopped eating but it is finding something to fill that gap. So you just have to stick with it, and work out what is best for you. My mum is doing it at the same time as me, and we are both reacting differently to how we are going about stopping. But still finding the tablets effective, in a positive way.

But you really do have to have the want and will power to be able to follow this through. I believe everybody who wants to can; it just takes a little help. I will keep this updated throughout the next few weeks, to let people know how I am doing. It is great to be able to share with people, and if anybody has any questions about the tablets or giving up smoking, please feel free to contact me. Hope i have been of some help. Wish me luck....
Jen x