stopping smoking.

Hi CSB,

The things you are snacking on at the moment are extremely high in carbohydrates (crisps, bread, bananas) and will be sending your blood sugar levels sky high. If you snack on something with more protein, like cheese, ham, nuts (not peanuts or cashews) these will make you feel fuller. Similarly if you were to eat more protein with your meals this also will make you feel less in need of a snack between meals. I know that doesn't help the nicotine cravings, but what you are replacing the nicotine with is carbs, which is regarded by many in the medical profession as more addictive than nocotine!

There is a brilliant little book called the Collins Gem Carb Counter. This lists all the different types of foods and snacks and from this you will be able to work out for yourself something you fancy that will also be good for you. It is available from most bookshops at £3.99.

Hi there
firstly well done on not smoking for 3 days! That is a achivement in itself!
Okay firstly when looking for a snack bread not good option, not if diabettic! okay firstly try having half a apple, half of a banana,some grapes a satsuma and some sort of ritz cracker biscuit, or tuc biscuit;s nice snack.
then you need to be looking at maybe a bit of fruit with a yougut! you can always buy natural yougut and make your own flavours by blending fruit into the yougut!
You can make you own thick shakes, this is easy! take half pint of milk, some fruit two teaspoon's of ice cream, blend then you have a bnice thick shake, and you know how it has been made!
Try not to snack too late at night as this will sit heavy in your stomach, and will do you no favour's!
eating more carbs will help with weight gain, but not help with diabetties!

I find chewing gum helps, and I also use the nicorette inhalator thingy - that seems to do its job. Still have pangs and short temper - but four weeks and counting - with only a few minor lapses.

Regards, Tubs.

I used normal chewing gum when I gave up 10 years ago - A cheimst friend gave me some samples of nicotine chewing gum that reps had left him but I thought they tasted foul.
It does get easier

Good luck

I'm with tubolard about the nicorette inhalator. It helps keep your fingers busy and gives you something something to suck on when the cravings hit. It's also a lot more pleasant to use than the nicotine chewing gum. On another forum, quite a few people have had success with Champix Linky. It's prescription only, but might be worth asking your doctor about if you're struggling.

beef jerky is a good snack full of protien and not too high in carbs or fat. Most supermarkets have it neer the beer and spirits for some reason. It also takes a fair bit of chewing, so it will keep your mouth busy for a while too. Its an aquired taste, but if its your kind of thing, its worth a try. Well done with the smoking by the way

Watch out for Champix, though it works well for a lot of people it may induce depression and I believe also occasionally diabetes.

Likewise Zyban works well for some but causes more problems than solutions for others.

For feeling full without excess carbs have a look at the Satiety Index

http://mendosa.com/satiety.htm

I'm not sure about Champix causing depression, the general feeling seems to be that nicotine withdrawal is more likely to be the cause of low mood than the drug itself. I suspect that most ex-smokers will understand that feeling. The Daily Wail carried a story earlier this year about a woman who attempted suicide after taking Champix, but it turned out she'd been suffering from depression for twenty years anyway: these cases are rarely clear-cut. A quick search doesn't show any clear link between Champix and diabetes but I understand that smoking increases the need for insulin in diabetics (as well as all the other problems it causes.)

You pays your money...

Champix users have to be carefully monitored by their G.P. as there have been some adverse reactions that were not originally displayed on the leaflet. I have known 2 people who became very badly affected and had suicidal thoughts. It is like everything else, you put these chemicals into your body and some can tolerate it but others have side effects.

I think if you can keep your hands busy as well as chewing gum or something similar then you may be able to do it. I smoke and it is not something that I am proud of. I have cut back considerably but to be honest I have never been in that frame of mind that I want to quit. I know that if I am knitting or sewing then I don't smoke because I would lose my concentration.

Funny or tragic story, (depends how you view it) about a friend who took Champix.

This guy, in his thirties , with no prior mental health problems, had a bad reaction to Champix. He had a steady job, a nice house, no money worries and was soon to get married. He decided to give up smoking and opted for Champix.

He sailed along effortlessly for about two weeks and was beginning to think that this therapy would work. His behaviour began to change and although he was not aware of it his nearest and dearest were. He resigned from his job because he said he had too much to do.

He started to buy things that he neither needed or wanted, five pairs of sunglasses, clothes that would have looked better on a drag queen, a new bike, (he already had two), a return ticket to Australia for dates that he could not commit to. He put deposits down on various new cars. He was not able to sleep and could not understand why nobody else could keep up with him as his energy was boundless. He kept saying that now he was not smoking he felt 14 again. He was so busy doing the most outlandish things that he had little time to eat and was seen eating food from tins as he ran along the local roads. The crunch came when his neighbours heard noises coming from outside his house at 3 o'clock in the morning. They investigated and found he was on a ladder wearing only his underpants and with a torch resembling a miner's lamp strapped to his head. He was painting the outside of the house with pillarbox red gloss paint, singing loudly and the paint was going everywhere. When they tried to coax him down he became abusive and threatened to sort them out. This man was normally a gentle, caring individual.
The police were called and the psychiatric team assessed him and he was admitted to a local hospital. The psychiatrist was of the opinion that the Champix had altered his mood and he was weaned off it. He then went into depression for about a month and then returned to his normal self.
No one can say for sure that it was the Champix and whether this would have happened without it. It certainly gave his G.P. a wake up call and there are now strict guidelines for prescribing this drug.
One year on and he has made a full recovery and his biggest wish is that he had never touched Champix. He is back to the lovely man that he was before and everyone he knows is so relieved.

Catherine.

Poor guy! Stopping smoking during the stressful period leading up to a wedding might have had something to do with it but, as you say, who knows? All I can really say is that I know heavy smokers who've tried everything else and failed to quit, yet succeeded with Champix; I believe the overall success rate is around 44%, which is pretty impressive. Is it worth taking the risk of suffering serious side-effects, (low), to avoid the known risks of smoking, (high)? Only you can decide.

I wish my father had given it a try. *Sigh.*

Anyway back to the opening post. CBS, I found anything with a bit of a spice kick a good substitute for cigarettes. Beef jerky's been mentioned but it's expensive at £2 for an almost empty bag. The good news is that it's easy to make your own, just google "beef jerky recipe" for hundreds of ideas.

Tandoori chicken is also cheap and easy to make at home, as is Jamaican Jerk chicken.

If you're not a lover of hot food, you could try pickled shellfish, salami, chorizo, smoked sausage, stuffed olives, sun-dried tomatoes, blueberries mixed with natural yoghurt, all sorts of nuts (not peanuts or cashews), slices of strong cheese and a whole host of other low-carb snacks.

Best of luck to you.

catherinecherub said:

No one can say for sure that it was the Champix and whether this would have happened without it. It certainly gave his G.P. a wake up call and there are now strict guidelines for prescribing this drug.

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That sounds like a typical abreaction to SSRI antidepressants, they are notorious for causing manic episodes in people who have previously only been unipolar. You need the genes, which the drugs then trigger.

Paul Merton AFAICR was one such who was triggered into mania by Lariam (antimalarial), also not uncommon