I just wanted to add that nicotine doesn't leave your body in 4 days. That's just a general rule of thumb of when the physical withdrawals peak. Also, nicotine changes brain chemistry. The patch allows a more gradual healing there as well. Some people, especially those that began smoking early in their lives and smoked for years, may find this the most difficult part of the physical withdrawal. This phase, which can cause withdrawals/cravings, can take quite a bit of time for some...even longer than the patch programs.
So much will depend on your age, your smoking history, lifestyle, etc... It's wonderful we have options when it comes to customizing what works for us as individuals.
Many people decided the patch wasn't for them, stopped and quit successfully. Many people decided the patch wasn't for them, stopped and fully relapsed. Many people decided the patch wasn't for them, stopped, then quickly slapped one back on. There's no doubt it's a gamble. Only you can decide if it's one worth taking or not.
Most of us smoked a lot of years. No need of rushing through the quit process. Whatever it takes, just don't smoke. No matter what method you choose, it's simply going to take time. If we're successful, we all end up in the same place... and I have to tell ya, it's pretty good where I'm standing :)
Keep us posted on what you decide and how you're doing!
[B]My Milage:[/B]
[B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/2/2005
[B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 644
[B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 12,894
[B]Amount Saved:[/B] $2299.08
[B]Life Gained:[/B]
[B]Days:[/B] 68 [B]Hrs:[/B] 6 [B]Mins:[/B] 20 [B]Seconds:[/B] 22
-
Quit Meter
$19,473.34
Amount Saved
-
Quit Meter
Days: 719
Hours: 4
Minutes: 36
Seconds: 36
Life Gained
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Quit Meter
5006
Smoke Free Days
-
Quit Meter
100,120
Cigarettes Not Smoked