Yeah… that’s right…
I’ve had a playful relationship with tobacco ever since I was 17. I am 22 now. I used to use smokeless tobacco (snuff) when I was 17 and continued to use it until I went to Europe. Instead of dealing with withdrawal, I decided to take up smoking. I went back to America and started dipping again, and I went back to Europe and started smoking again.
Now, my relationship with tobacco has always been pretty tenuous at best. I was never really addicted until recently. I would get 3 dips a day on a normal day lasting an hour each time. Sure this is proabbly significant in terms of health, it was never so serious that I had trouble quitting. I quit on several occasions for a couple of months, but after a couple of days the symptoms were never that bad. I would normally just be anxious and never have serious problems. I might not sleep well a few nights, but I would get over it.
After I came back from Europe, I still smoked, but nothign serious. maybe 5 to 6 cigarrettes a day. Again, I know its not healthy, but its nothing serious. I decided that I should switch to dipping because I knew that I had quit that before.
Well when I switched back to dipping I became completely addicted. I would get countless numbers of dips during the day, and it was never that bad, because my lip never suffered that much. But the other day I was alarmed at how often I used it, and how I could go through a can in about a day and a half. That was the worst I’ve ever been. So I decided to quit.
Now, I never thought that I would have different withdrawal symptoms this time, but now they are totally different. I have serious bowel problems and awful heartburn.
What really sucks is that I still like tobacco. Its very nice when you don’t do it too much. Its quite enjoyable when you do it after a meal and don’t just do it to get your “fix”
The weird thing is that I don’t have a desire to use it that badly. Its not like that, I just feel the effects. Somehow I know that I’m not going to do it anymore, but its not like I really want to that bad anyway. I do want to do something just to get rid of this awful case of heartburn and general sense of confusion that I have now.
Loving tobacco but having to quit is the hardest part. I love smoking. I have loved tobacco ever since I introduced myself to it my senior year in high school. I’m addicted. I smoked about a pack a day for the last 10 years. Since last October, I’ve been much better and even quit for about 6 months.
Then I had to move and pack and my job stresses me out, blah blah, excuse excuse. Since last week I’ve been doing much better. one cigarette a day is what I’ve alotted myself, and I’ve tried not to get hooked on the lozenges again, so I’m only having 1/4 or 1/2 of a lozenge per day to get me through my need in the morning.
I love tobacco. My wife does not. I’m doing my best.
Merk: *Now, I never thought that I would have different withdrawal symptoms this time, but now they are totally different. I have serious bowel problems and awful heartburn. *
Take heart Merk, the Master has commented on a phenomenon that may be the same as what you’re going through:
My totally unscientific and medically unqualified guess is that if you hang in there your GI system will re-adjust to the absence of nicotine. Maybe a nicotine patch would help you get through the withdrawal? In any case, you were smart to quit; would you rather have a few days’ bellyache now or oral cancer several years down the road?
Yeah, I gotta say that anyone knows what is the best thing to do, but I think I may get some kind of nicotine (not dip though) because I don’t really have to fight cravings, just physical symptoms, but maybe I’ll just stick to an antacid. But my pepto-bismol is running low