Day 9, Smooth Sailing

[saw2w]

Today is Day 16 on Chantix and Day 9 smoke free! I have not had any negative effects from the Chantix except for a lot of dreams, needing a little bit more sleep, and a tiny bit of nausea if I don't eat enough before taking it. I am really pleased with how helpful it has been for my quit.

Speaking of dreams I had a very realistic dream that I was smoking last night, and I think I had one the night before too. In the dreams I enjoyed the first puff and then I was like, Oh no!! I quit smoking!! There goes NOPE! I ruined everything!!!!!! And I thought it was real when I woke up both times too, and was really upset until I realized that it wasn't real.

A long time ago I remember reading that this was normal especially right after quitting because your lungs are cleaning themselves out and you can subconsciously smell it in your breath while sleeping. I don't know if that is true but I like the idea of it. I also found this link, http://mindhacks.com/2010/02/22/a-study-on-dream-smoking/, somebody actually did a study on it!

"In subjects abstinent for 1 year, 63% recalled having dreams about smoking. They had on average 5 of them, and about a quarter occurred after the 6th month of abstinence. Having dreams about smoking was prospectively positively related to maintenance of abstinence."

If you have quit, do you have smoking dreams? How often?

In other news I signed up for another 5k yesterday with some people from my flag football team. I practiced the distance again and concentrated on my breathing and on picking up the pace a little and shaved almost 2 minutes off of my previous time. And, I have a massage today and possibly a pedicure with a friend tonight 🙂

According to my app I am 1 week and 1 day smoke free and have saved $30.

[SmokedOut041412]

Informative interesting blog. Congrats on your quit & running the 5k!

I do hope it continues to be smooth sailing for you.

I chose to use the patch for the first 32 days of my quit. I've known others to quit easily with Chantix without educating themselves on the addiction and without support. 

Problem was a few months down the road they made the decision to smoke "just 1." We all know the end of that story!

N.O.P.E.

My name is Teresa & I have been quit for 1 Year, 5 Months, 2 Weeks, 3 Days, 8 hours, 59 minutes and 8 seconds (535 days). I have saved $2,192.35 by not smoking 7,495 cigarettes. I have saved 3 Weeks, 5 Days and 35 minutes of my life. My Quit Date: 4/14/2012 12:00 AM

[amjackson]

I wanted to try Wellbutrin but I have called my doctor's office twice to try to get a prescription but have had no call back from his office. Funny they tell you they want you to quit but when you call and tell him you are ready there is no answer from him. Feeling frustrated. Want it before my quit date of 10/18.

[cory-3-10-13]

I've really been enjoying reading your blogs! Congrats on your fantastic quit! I have had one very vague smoking dream since I quit back in March, but I realized pretty quickly that it was just a dream when I woke up. From hanging out here at EX the past six months it seems like tons of quitters have them though, it seems like a common side effect of quitting. WAY better than the side effects of smoking! I'd rather wake up from a smokemare as an EX than be a real smoker anyday 🙂 Have a great smoke free day and enjoy that massage! Sounds nice!

[saw2w]

Cory, I like the word "smokemare"! When you think of it that way it's like a vision to the future of how guilty and terrible you would feel if you actually smoked. It really did take quite a few terrifying moments to realize that it wasn't true.

[saw2w]

Oh here is some info on the subconscious smelling"

"9. The Smoking Dream - Be prepared for an extremely vivid smoking dream as tobacco odors released by horizontal healing lungs are swept up bronchial tubes by rapidly healing cilia and come in contact with a vastly enhanced sense of smell. See it as the wonderful sign of healing it reflects and nothing more. "

http://whyquit.com/pr/100305.html

[saw2w]

Wow!! This is really cool too, about vivid dreams in general for the 3 week period after quitting. Yay science

http://www.stopsmoking.org.uk/content/TopNavigation/QuittingSmoking/VividDreamsExplained.aspx

"Smoking depletes serotonin production in the brain. When serotonin levels in the brain are balanced it creates a happy and contented state of mind. When serotonin levels are low a depressed and anxious state of mind is created. It is believed that smoking cigarettes can deplete serotonin levels by up to 50%. What compounds this problem is that the brain accepts the chemicals in a cigarette as a serotonin substitute on the basis that any chemical response is better than no chemical response at all. So therefore, when an individual stops smoking, serotonin production improves and the brain begins to compensate itself for lost serotonin production. The brain then produces more serotonin than needed, resulting in vivid dreams and nightmares. Research has shown that it takes the brain 3 weeks to regulate serotonin levels. "

[nanawendy]

congratulations on 9 day smoke free. I quit using chantix and have been smoke free for 9 months.  Hang in there and protect your quit, it does get easier

keep calm and carry on

Wendy

12/31/12