Nicotine Lozenge and Nausea

This is the end of day two of my stop-smoking attempt.  It hasn't been a resounding success, but it has been okay.  I did have an unexpected set-back.

Apparently, the nicotine replacement lozenges I was using were either too strong, taken too frequently, or I just can't tolerate them.  I purchased the 4 mg. strength based on the recommendation on the box.  It said to use at least 9 per day for the first few weeks.  By the time I was on # 4, I was vomiting.  In my previous post I mentioned feeling kind of strange, but wasn't sure if it was the lozenge or not?  Well, it was.

I couldn't handle the vomiting, so I stopped using them.  I have a sensitive system anyway, and that was not how I wanted to spend my Saturday.  I have to stop smoking, but I can't stop my life to do it.  I need to still be able to function.

So, I did smoke a few cigarettes yesterday, and less than half a pack today.  I have cut way back compared to the pack-and-more a day, so I don't consider it a failure.  I have practiced today going longer and longer between.  I may try the lozenges again over the next couple of days and just not use them as frequently.  I do not want to mix cigarettes and the lozenges together (which is a speedy way to overdose on nicotine), so I have to see if I can tolerate the lozenge at a less frequent dose.

I have tried to spend time reading my Bible and writing down some thoughts on Christians and smoking, which I will share with you soon.  We also tried to get the Christmas decorations up today, too, so I couldn't spend as much time reading as I wanted.  I do have some things prepared and hope to meet again soon.

Please keep me in your prayers!

Technorati Tags: Christian smoker,stop smoking,nicotine lozenge

Day One Smokeless

Well, I have been awake for a little over an hour with no cigarette.  That really doesn't sound like much of an accomplishment, does it?  The mornings have always been my worst time, though.  Normally, I would have had at least two cigarettes by now.

The nicotine replacement lozenges are taking some getting used to.  The taste actually isn't that bad.  You are not supposed to suck on them or chew them but just hold them in your cheek, moving them from one side to the other once in a while.  They do start burning slightly after a few minutes, but not badly.  It feels like I have eaten something with little too much black pepper on it.

I do get a slight feeling of... of... kinda weird.  Not exactly dizzy, not exactly nauseous...  kind of woozy I guess.  However, I know from my prior attempts to quit that I got the same feeling without any kind of replacement therapy.  I can't say if the feeling is from withdrawal, the lozenge, a combination, or perhaps purely mental. 

I am trying to keep up a frequent monologue of prayer and asking God to help me through the worst.  I know I haven't seen the worst yet, so I am preparing in advance.  I can't help thinking that if the Holy Spirit could make tongues of fire appear over the Apostles, he can make my cravings disappear. 

Nothing is impossible with God.  It remains to be seen how quickly I spit that out when the worst hits me, though.

Technorati Tags: Christian smoker,quit smoking,nicotine replacement therapy,nicotine lozenge

Quitting Smoking Through Jesus

I have smoked since I was 14, and I am now 34. 20 years is a long time to abuse a body. I know all the medical warnings. I know the recommendations for quitting smoking, the reasons I should quit, the economic factors, and the stigma attached to Christian smokers.

This will be my fourth serious attempt to quit. So what is the difference this time? I don't know except that it just feels right. So when I awake in the morning, I will be reaching for the nicotine lozenge instead of the cigarette.

My habit up until today has been about a pack a day, sometimes more depending on what I am doing. But no more smoking. This site, my Bible, personal prayer and prayer support from you will be my lifelines. I plan to be completely and brutally honest about exactly what I am going through. I also plan to explore what the Bible has to say about smoking.

I will talk about my health, my financial impact, my spirituality, my successes and my failures as I quit smoking. And I will explore my relationship with God and how I find strength and mercy through his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Christians smoke and have other addictions just like unbelievers. But we are offered a way out. Christians can replace their addictions to substances with an addiction to Jesus.

Pray for me. Add me to your list, check in on me, and hold me accountable in love. As of tomorrow morning, I will hopefully no longer be a Christian smoker.

Technorati Tags: Christian smoker,Christian,religion,stop smoking,sin,prayer request,smoking,addiction,Christians and addiction