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by creature

I just started taking the new drug Chantix 4 days ago to help me quit smoking. They say the usualy SE are nausea, constipation, weird dreams. Since I have been taking it I have been extremely tired. I mean tired. Has anyone else tried this drug? What SE did you have and did it help you quit.
I have been smoking for over 20 years and I have tried everything else. I want to quit and I am ready, but it's just so hard. Any advice would be helpful.
Creature

[kstec]

Re: Want to quit smoking!!

I took Chantix for appx. 2 weeks and I had to quit taking it because I started to throw up every morning. I didn't cut down on cigarettes but I did on food. Everytime I thought of food I got sick, but just kept on smoking. If anyone reads this and has successfully quit, please let me know how. I've done accupuncture, hypnosis, laser therapy, the lozenges, the patches, Quest low to no nicotine cigarettes and nothing has worked. i did quit when I was pregnant and breastfeeding but started back up right after. I'm one of the patients who is very "dumb", I have asthma and my mother had COPD. I always feel like a dork when I go to the doctor for my annual bout of bronchitis and for my refills of albuteral and singular for my asthma. Oh and I have tried to quit cold turkey and I'm like a homicidal maniac, noone wants to be around me, not even me. I just hope that I quit before the doctor tells me I have some type of cancer attributed to this disgusting addiction I have and can't kick.

[Pumpkin1621]

Re: Want to quit smoking!!

I smoked for 5 years and I quit cold turkey. It was very very hard. I kept buying a pack and smoking 1 then throwing the rest down the toilet. Finally I was able to stop. I won't lie. I had cravings for over a year. When I walked passed a smoker I wanted to kiss them to get some of the nicotine.


Now it has been almost 2 1/2 years. I don't have cravings anymore (well every once in a blue moon I do), and now I don't like the smell. I also don't drink alcohol at all anymore. That helps fight the cravings.

It is a mind game. It is hard. Get the willpower and you can do it! Once you decide to quit though you have to do it!

[BWSPN]

Re: Want to quit smoking!!

"They" say you try about 7x's before your able to quit. I have not smoked for about a week this time. Seems kind of stupid too smoke when it gives you headaches and gag when you inhale. Don't know why that started but it sure gave me an extra reason to quit. I have quit for 6mths before and it was easy to do when I was sick. I had bronchitis something awful, and I was still trying to puff away. Try to stay away from other smokers if you can. Get rid of your ashtrays and lighters. When the thought of smoking comes into your mind replace it with something else. Good luck!

[Cattitude]

Re: Want to quit smoking!!

Originally Posted by creature

I just started taking the new drug Chantix 4 days ago to help me quit smoking. They say the usualy SE are nausea, constipation, weird dreams. Since I have been taking it I have been extremely tired. I mean tired. Has anyone else tried this drug? What SE did you have and did it help you quit.
I have been smoking for over 20 years and I have tried everything else. I want to quit and I am ready, but it's just so hard. Any advice would be helpful.
Creature

I took Chantix and have been smoke free for almost 4 months now.
Nausea was the only S/E that I had. It would last for about 20 minutes after I took my dose and taking it with food did help. I certainly did not like the nausea but it was bearable and the end result WAS worth it.
It states you are supposed to set your quit day in week two, preferable day 8 of therapy. I slipped up twice, once on day 8 and once on day 10 but I haven't smoked since then and I feel so much better.

I must also say that I took Chantix for 10 weeks instead of the recommended 12. Thankfully, I still did ok.
Best of luck to you.

[aKyRN81]

Re: Want to quit smoking!!

Originally Posted by kstec

I took Chantix for appx. 2 weeks and I had to quit taking it because I started to throw up every morning. I didn't cut down on cigarettes but I did on food. Everytime I thought of food I got sick, but just kept on smoking.

Did you try just taking 1 daily, at lunch, with lots of food? That stops the queasies (I had that too but no vomiting) and vivid dreams and still works!!! You wouldn't want to know how long and how much I've smoked until this med. Like you, I've done the whole thing from hypnosis to patches and everything in between.......Chantix will work if you work with it and don't give up. Best of Luck!

[grandee3]

Re: Want to quit smoking!!

Have you tried American Lung's online program to quit?
I started it a few years back.
They have you pick a stop date and other techniques like writing down negative things about smoking and some other stuff to help you stop on the day that you picked. I think the date has to be about 2 weeks or so.
Well, I had a stop date, got thru several days of the program and was really serious about quitting. About 5 days from my stop date I developed Pneumonitis. I was on neb tx, antibotics etc. Yep, you guessed it, I could not stop smoking while I was sick (with a serious upper resp inf). I know how awful that sounds but I just could not do it! And I certainly know better. It's kinda hard to admit that but maybe by doing so I will be able to stop soon.

[miss_anneRN]

Re: Want to quit smoking!!

i smoked for 14yrs. i quit 6yrs ago. 2-3 yrs prior to that i'd quit every other month for various lengths of time. i did it cold turkey during a finacial low point (milk or smokes... Uhmm?). i kept one ciggee with me at all times. that one cigee never got smoked. i waitressed at the time and was in the habit of having a drink and a smoke after working a long night. i would hold the ciggee, tap the butt end on the bar, spin it around, kept it eyesight on my dash board, but never smoked it. the last time was EASIEST!!! no joking.
i got to the point that the stale smoke smell made me almost vomit. especially when i got home from work and took my long hair down and could smell it in bed at night. i'd have to go shower. i would actually start getting the sweaty, room spinning nausea feeling.
nausea was my inspiration. also, i moved in with a guy who didn't smoke. i had to change my habits about smoking. (many of us associate activities with smoking). when i used his car i couldn't smoke on my way to/from work anymore , couldn't smoke and talk on the phone unless i went outside (and here in maine going out to smoke is only nice about 3months a year!!) i had also been tapering the # of smokes i had per day. a year before i quit i smoked about 1ppd. when i finally quit i was only smoking 3-5 butts/day. always have a bottle of water, gum, carrot sticks in reach, get plenty of excercise. my b/f and i made a deal: every time i wanted a ciggee at home we'd have sex instead. so then after sex i'd want to smoke so we'd have to have sex again!! (that wore us out in like 3 days but his support after was awesome!!) i did not gain weight. (i gained weight in nursing from sitting around an endless # of hours studying)
GOOD LUCK TO YOU...
QUITTING IS THE #1 BEST THING YOU CAN DO FOR YOURSELF!!! maybe an online support thread would be helpful...keep us posted on your successes...

[chuchie]

Re: Want to quit smoking!!

Congratulations! My only advice to you is to get rid of all of the ashtrays and lighters. Clean out your vehicle and try your best to avoid alcohol and coffee. I know it may sound crazy to give up cigs, alcohol, and coffee but do your best. Also, just tell other loved ones that you used to smoke with that you are seriously trying to quit and that is why you may not be able to join them if that is what you normally do on your breaks, they will (hopefully) understand. I quit cold turkey in July and since I have quit many other people close to me have quit or at least has made serious attempts to do so without me opening my mouth and being preachy about how glad I am that I quit and blah blah blah. Studies are suggesting that exercising really helps with quitting so go outside and take in some fresh spring air! I wish you nothing but the best.

[NurseCherlove]

Re: Want to quit smoking!!

I feel ya - Boy, do I feel ya!!!!!! I just stopped taking Chantix about 2 days ago. My excuse?? I had a BIG emotional upset while I was on my period a few days ago. Well, even though I could feel the drug working (the physiological need for the crap was simmering down), I was/am still mentally hooked. I guess I thought that this drug would somehow magically take away the mental addiction to smoking too. I hadn't quit by the recommended quit date, in fact, went and bought a pack of smokes the night before the quit day. And then my 'big upset'. I feel like a ******* failure.

I too was somewhat nauseous with the chantix. I will say that I have heard really good results with this drug. Of course, leave it up to me to screw up their statistics

Sorry...I haven't been much help. I will leave you with this thought: From the stories I've heard, I do think this drug can work if given the chance and you are not under the false belief that it will also take away the mental addiction. We will have to lick that one on our own.