hi diana :) you are going through what i like to call the "i lied myself into thinking i was quit". The time that you spent on that nicorette is not considered quit time at all.. and here at freedom, does not count towards your clean time. While you were on nicorette.. you were not meeting your required amount of nicotine intake, therefor causing yourself to be in a state of long and slow withdrawal the entire time you were using it. Now that you have gone nicotine free, you are experiencing these withdrawals again but more intense. This is why we urge so many people to quit cold turkey.. unfortunately for you, you were not lucky enough to know this at that time. You have been considering yourself "quit" for several weeks which is why you feel as if this is lasting so long.. but in physical terms... you have only been quit from nicotine for 6 days. The first week is the week that you go through the most physical withdrawal.. the first week completely nicotine free that is. Some of your symptoms are concerning me though, the vomiting, diarreah, stomach pain.... I haven't see these symptoms as "normal" symptoms in a quit and think maybe you should head over to the doctor if they dont subside within the next day or so. You could easily have a flu on top of all of this and it just seems as if its part of the whole process.
congrats on having 6 days nicotine free... i know it seems really hard right now.. you definitely got stuck doing the LONG route in your quit, but you are here now.. and your physical symptoms will subside soon enough. hang in there... drink lots of water.. be sure you are eating correctly (read that article marty has mentioned), try to rest as much as you can (dont be alarmed if you have sleeping troubles) and READ... read all of the articles you can over in joel's library. that will give you the answers to most of the questions you are having. hang in there... DONT PUFF... it seems like hell right now.. but it WILL pass and it IS worth it
Beccy
10 months and 3 days