1 Week Nicotine Free

I am now 1 week nicotine free.


I reached a point in my nicotine replacement program and plateaued.

To summarize:
For the first 4 weeks or so, I used one 4mg lozenge every 1.5 to 3 hours.
Then I switched to the 2mg (lower strength) lozenges, but didn't change the schedule. Or if I did, I soon drifted back into the same frequency.

And there I remained for well after the 12 week mark (which is the time by which one should have systematically weaned off entirely)...16 weeks, I believe. =shrug=

When I ran into friends, I told them that I quit smoking, and that now I'm addicted to nicotine lozenges instead. There seemed no end in sight.

I knew it would be at some unforseen moment where circumstances coincide with a thrust of willpower. But when would this arise, and how could I make it or help it happen?

The stars aligned on a Tuesday (like the day I stopped cigarettes), June 30th. The unconnected events of nicotine supply depletion and becoming terribly ill (extreme nausea followed by violent vomiting, leading into the flu) paved the way for me to lay off the lozenges for a bit.

This is how lemonade is made.

As long as I could keep the temptation of buying a new pack of lozenges at bay, I could try to hold out and rough it. Just a few more days, and the worst of the painful cravings will pass; or so I have read.

So, here I am, a week later. Still having flashes of cold sweats every 1/2 hour or so. Still snapping into extreme anger over the slightest annoyance. Still craving at least one of the chemicals that became such an integral part of my physiology for about 2 decades.

But, hey! I'm 1 week nicotine free!