Following up on my ‘Day 4’ post, today is four full weeks. The 14mg nicotine patch is the answer that works for me. Some days I put it on first thing in the morning, other days I wait until noon. A few days I have waited until 4pm. I take it off right before I fall asleep because if I forget to take it off, I have super intense dreams. I have taken precisely zero puffs off a vape pen. My heart and lungs feel significantly better. I have started exercising and I really feel like I will be off the patches soon.

I am switching to 7mg patches tomorrow. I have read that it is a mistake to stop using patches too soon so I am going to do the 7mg for at least a month. If I start thinking about vaping too much, I’ll switch back to 14mg patches.

I’ll give another update in a few weeks to report on the transition from 14mg patches to 7mg patches.

If anyone reading this is considering quitting vaping or smoking, get the patches and throw everything else away. The patches eliminate strong cravings, and the occasional craving you do get is totally manageable. At least this is the case for me, and I was consuming around 1-2 packs of smokes per day worth of nicotine since I was a teenager.

  • ProstheticBrain@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    0·
    5 months ago

    If you haven’t considered it already, you can just cut the 14mg patches in half to make ~7mg.

    If the cost of the patches near you is anything like they are near me, the cost of 7mg is not half the cost of the 14mg ones. So cutting them in half worked out more cost effective.

    Also, if going to 7mg is too much of a change initially, you can just trim a bit off the 14mg patches every couple of days until you get comfortable.

    Good luck!

      • UmeU@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
        0·
        5 months ago

        The patches are designed to slowly and evenly release the nicotine dose over 24 hours. If you cut the patch, it will release all of the nicotine a lot quicker which can have negative results… a strong dose super quick and then the patch stops working prematurely.

        I wish that would work though, I love the idea of tapering down from 14mg to 13mg to 12mg etc.

        Call the quit line, they will send you free patches.