Thursday, June 07, 2007

Withdrawal Symptoms and Activities That Might Help

Withdrawal Symptoms and Activities That Might Help*

SYMPTOM

ACTIVITY

Dry mouth; sore throat, gums, or tongue

Sip ice-cold water or fruit juice, or chew gum.

Headaches

Take a warm bath or shower. Try relaxation or meditation techniques.

Trouble sleeping

Don't drink coffee, tea or soda with caffeine after 6:00 p.m. Again, try relaxation or meditation techniques.

Irregularity

Add roughage to your diet, such as raw fruit, vegetables, and whole grain cereals. Drink 6-8 glasses of water a day.

Fatigue

Take a nap. Try not to push yourself during this time; don't expect too much of your body until it's had a chance to begin to heal itself over a couple of weeks.

Hunger

Drink water or low-calorie liquids. Eat low-fat, low-calorie snacks. See Snack Calorie Chart.

Tenseness, irritability

Take a walk, soak in a hot bath, try relaxation or meditation techniques.

Coughing

Sip warm herbal tea. Suck on cough drops or sugarless hard candy.

* Adapted from Quitting Times:

A Magazine for Women Who Smoke, funded by the
Pennsylvania Department of Health; prepared by
Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia.

From: http://dr-david-cohen.us/symptoms.html

Wednesday, June 06, 2007

Just Before Quitting

Just Before Quitting
Practice going without cigarettes.
Don't think of never smoking again. Think of quitting in terms of 1 day at a time.
Tell yourself you won't smoke today, and then don't.
Clean your clothes to rid them of the cigarette smell, which can linger a long time. 

On the Day You Quit
Throw away all your cigarettes and matches. Hide your lighters and ash trays.
Visit the dentist and have your teeth cleaned to get rid of tobacco stains. Notice how nice they look and resolve to keep them that way.
Make a list of things you'd like to buy for yourself or someone else. Estimate the cost in terms of packs of cigarettes, and put the money aside to buy these presents.
Keep very busy on the big day. Go to the movies, exercise, take long walks, go bike riding.
Remind your family and friends that this is your quit date, and ask them to help you over the rough spots of the first couple of days and weeks.
Buy yourself a treat or do something special to celebrate.