You’d think that by week three of not smoking I’d be feeling pretty great. But the truth is, I feel like shit. I have sinus congestion. My allergies appear to be worse. I cough quite a bit, still. I’m always on edge. And I have dizzy spells. These are particularly bad right when I wake up. I find that I have to keep my eyes closed for a while after I wake up because if I open them too soon I get the “bed spins.”
I wonder how this 21 mg patch is doing in my bloodstream. That is, I wonder how quickly does it take effect in the morning. I wonder if the level it keeps me at is a lot different than when I was smoking. I wonder how long it takes to wear off once I remove it. (I remove it religiously at 10 pm, two hours before I go to bed.)
I have to wear these for a total of six weeks. Then it’s cut in half with smaller patches for another two. Then those are cut in half for the last two weeks. That’s gonna be a bumpy ride. I already have the date marked on my calendar for going down to 14 mg. That’s a Friday. So at least I’ll have the weekend to adjust.
Meanwhile, I find this quitting thing is exhausting. I really wanted to smoke yesterday. I was even gaming out scenarios about when it would be safe for me to do so without being discovered by anyone. But I didn’t do it.
Exhausting.