Nicotine and alcohol

[mickyshell]

Nicotine and alcohol

cheers boozehag for the welcome and Hi, when you've had a couple of drinks, doesn't that then make you really want to smoke??? and what is champix? thanks, and congrats on the 60 days AF! i'm on day 4 now of botha and am such a snappy ol'mare! will my bad mood level out? I hope so or this could be divorce!!! also I'm mrs puffy face! apart from being hangover free, the pro's aren't looking that great at the mo!!! haveing a bottle of wine with a couple of rollies is becoming a good idea again slowly! oh dear.

[boozehag]

Nicotine and alcohol

Hello Mickyshell
I have always binge smoked when I drank and not just a couple of rollies either - a whole pack of 20 and more on occassion. I took the anti-smoking pills chantix (in US) or champix in UK and other civilised countries! It took away the craving for cigs and drink seeing as I only ever did both together. When I got to 30 days I had a couple of drinks to make sure I could drink without smoking and even thought it was hard - as others were smoking I did it. Everyone kept saying to me how do you know you have given up smoking if you dont have a drink!! Anyway once I did that I knew I had the smoking beat (thanks to the champix) so went AF again for May. It is bizarre people think that it is hard giving up the 2 addictions at once but I have actually discovered that without the cigs my mind has no real interest in drinking. You might find that yourself. I think now that what I thought was a craving for a drink was in fact a craving for a cig and the the alcohol was just the nicotine delivery system. Very lucky for me as it turns out - so far so good. Two friends are also on champix and it has suceeded in them giving up smoking - they are not giving up drinking but said that the champix made them cut down seriously. One friend said it put her off drinking so she had to force herself!
BH

[Doggygirl]

Nicotine and alcohol

I gave up cigarettes (finally) on Feb 26 2007 - so over a year ago. Of course when drinking, I always smoked more if that was possible - I was two packs a day on a good day.

I don't know why, but when I quit smoking, by desire for alcohol skyrocketed. That's really with the 7AM (or other rediculous hour) drinking got going full tilt. Don't get me wrong - I drank too much before I quit smoking. Daily, and too much. But it really did get worse which sort of shocked me...and led me to MWO last July.

Our brains are really complicated with this stuff, I think. And it seems to work a bit different for different folks.

I just hope I've stopped all this madness in time to avoid direct and dire consequences at 50 YO.....

DG
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[mickyshell]

Nicotine and alcohol

Thanks for the info boozehag, I'm afraid to say that yesterday on day 8 for me, I gave in and had a bottle and a half of wine plus about 4 cans of lager. I smoked loads, and now have a minging hangover and am starting again from day one today. It was a hot day, and sitting in the garden just didn't seem right without a glass of wine. But I had to have a whole bottle just to get myself to a good starting point. I'm going to try to tackle it from the smoking side I think. I'll go to the docs and see about the chantix, and any other supps he might have that'll help, vit b etc. I've got a bit of a stutter today, which I noticed I still had in the week while I wasn''t drinking, but I know it's because of drinking. feeling pretty fed up with myself, but looking forward to changing and learning to get over difficult trigger points. Will post back after been to docs. Thanks again.:thanks:

[mickyshell]

Nicotine and alcohol

Hi DG, your right , our brains are complicated things, I wonder if you craved for alcohol as your brain new it may weaken your resolve? or did you manage to drink and never smoke? Thats just something I can never seem to do, even when I haven't smoked for over a year!!! absolutely crazy, stupidness! Good luck on your quitting both, hopefully soon I'll be saying the same. How did manage to give up the cigs?

[greeneyes]

Nicotine and alcohol

For me, smoking and AL tag teamed. I gave up smoking cold turkey due to a vacation that was full of exercise. 1996. I think alcohol had a life of it's own. They sort of led separate lives for me. But over time, the alcohol gradually increased. I do not even think about nicotine. And hope to soon be that way about alcohol.

[louise]

Nicotine and alcohol

My problems with drinking started after I quit smoking - like I just sub one addiction for the other. Been AF this week and craving cigs! Little voice saying "It's ok, just to help you through until AF longer" This is helping me say NOOOOOOO!

[greeneyes]

Nicotine and alcohol

Don't do it Louise! Do not listen to that voice. In the midst of anxiety last night, hubby said you need some valium for these nights. I do not dare. I have no addiction other than alcohol and I intend to keep it that way. And when I come back from Lenair, Flyinhigh will teach me how to post Free Bird from you tube! Cause I will be a free bean!

[louise]

Nicotine and alcohol

I won't Greeneyes. You hang in there until Lenair. Sorry you are having difficult nights.

[Nia70]

Nicotine and alcohol

I am so pleased to have found this thread, I have set my quit smoking day for this Saturday which will be my day 14 AF!

Im scared but determined.

[freedomfrom]

Nicotine and alcohol

wow you have really done a great job you guys. However, it is SMOKAHOLISM and not alcohol that is the problem....smoking is the fiend! How many non smoking friends do you know who can have a 'social' drink and your smoking buddies get trashed regularly?

[boozehag]

Nicotine and alcohol

Yes that was definitely the case for me - smokaholism. I always thought I was a binge drinker who smoked but it turns out I am in fact a smoker who drank. Without the nicotine there is very little desire for drink for me. I wish I had figured that out sooner.
All of my drinking buddies smoke and although I know plenty of people who drink and dont smoke none of them drink as much as the smokers.
BH (no more)

[LVT25]

Nicotine and alcohol

I'm a smokaholic too! Still have no desire to drink if I can't have a ciggie to go with it!!

[SassyGirl]

Nicotine and alcohol

I quit smoking about four years ago. It sounds like a lot of people may have done it cold turkey - I used Nicorette gum. It is SO much better then it was when it first came out (when it tasted like an old shoe.) They improved it to the point where it actually tastes like good gum (cinamon, peppermint, orange, etc.)

Anyway - really worked for me. I never think about smoking now (the thought makes me sick.) I hope I get to that point with drinking too.

Sassy

[kriger]

Nicotine and alcohol

Sassy,
Thanks for bumping this up. I need to quit smoking, desperately. I'm on day 12 AF and was planning to set my quit date at my 30 day AF benchmark. I still feel shaky every morning and that, my friend, is because I smoke 5 cigs before I go to work! What a nasty habit and what a good time to quit. I am smoking right now. I tried a few months ago and made it 7 weeks but started up again (of course I was drinking heavily at that time-this time I won't have that trigger). That will be my plan-day 30. Have a great Sunday, Sassy. kriger