Quitting Smoking...again! Anyone tried Chantix??

[TINKERBELL_82]

Hello all!

Wer'e bound and determined to quit smoking for good this time, and Ryan and I are using the drug Chantix. We are on day 3 of the pills, and still smoking because they advise you not to quit until day 7.

Has anyone else out there tried this stuff, and did it work for you?? We want to quit so badly, and apparently this has a very high success rate. If you have experience with it, any helpful hints would be much appreciated!

[pooh0601]

Most patients have had much better success with this drug than Zyban, Nicoderm, Nicorette, etc.

The most common side effect was nausea, which usually will subside once your body gets use to the medication.

This medication will only work however when the patient is committed to quitting. It's not a magic pill that you take and will make you stop just like that.

[BigDisneyDad]

I was a for over 25 years. I was on Chantix for a total of 4 weeks (1 session). I was able to stop smoking 8 days after starting the pills and I've been smoke free for 3 months now.
I can even stand out in the smoking area at work and socialize with my friends that still smoke without wanting to light up myself. Also, I did not have any side effects while taking the pills. I would say Chantix worked very well for me.

Good luck with kicking the habit!!

[TINKERBELL_82]

I was a for over 25 years. I was on Chantix for a total of 4 weeks (1 session). I was able to stop smoking 8 days after starting the pills and I've been smoke free for 3 months now.
I can even stand out in the smoking area at work and socialize with my friends that still smoke without wanting to light up myself. Also, I did not have any side effects while taking the pills. I would say Chantix worked very well for me.

Good luck with kicking the habit!!

Thanks David!! Can you tell me how long you were taking the pills before you lost the urge to smoke?? I'm on day 3 and I still don't feel any different.

[BigDisneyDad]

I don't remember how many days I was taking it before I lost the urge. I would imagine it would be different for everyone. it just depends on your body and your attitude about quitting. I smoked my regular "pack-a-day" for the first 5 days and then I smoked 2 cigarettes on day 6 and then 1 on day 7. On day 8 I was able to look at a pack and say "I'm not going to smoke today" and I haven't looked back since.

You have to make sure you are taking the pills according to the directions and you need to make sure that you finish out the whole 4 week program.

Again, Good Luck!

BTW - I tried all the other things listed above and none of them worked for me.

[TINKERBELL_82]

Thanks again David! That gives me lots of hope! I am determined to quit, but also very addicted. I was beginning to worry that I hadn't started feeling like smoking any less yet.

I also have tried every method listed above and have not had any permenant success.

I start taking the full dose tomorrow, so hopefully in the next couple of days I'll be a non-smoker!

[hooberry]

Kudos to you for wanting to quitI work as a pharmacy tech and can tell you that my customers have had great success with chantix. Most quit after the initial starting pack , within a few days the urge seems to subside and most patients don't even finish the 1st months presciption, I can only think of one patient that actually used the 2nd month refill, so it seems to be getting great results. Good luck

[tinkerbelle75]

Day 20 here.. And 30 minutes after I take my dose i feel extremely nauseated. Make sure you take it with food and water.I still have one every here and there- only out of habit,though,not a physical gotta-have-it kind of thing.
For me, it's an extremely psychological habit.It's something I have done 30 times a day for 12 years.
I have noticed that with the Chantix, it's kind of like a " so what' feeling after you smoke, instead of an "oh,that was so good." I think it's working, I am just a little slower to give it up than most.
My husband, on the other hand, is on Day 17 and he is smoke free.
He hasn't had luck with anything else either.Hopefully this is the last time either of us quit!!

[Here we go again...]

Kudos to you for wanting to quitI work as a pharmacy tech and can tell you that my customers have had great success with chantix. Most quit after the initial starting pack , within a few days the urge seems to subside and most patients don't even finish the 1st months presciption, I can only think of one patient that actually used the 2nd month refill, so it seems to be getting great results. Good luck

I was coming to post the same thing. All of the patients at our pharmacy are seeing the same results. One lady was smoking 3 packs a day for years and after 2 weeks is down to about 4 cigarettes a day. THAT is pretty impressive.

(How are things in Houma?)

[TINKERBELL_82]

Day 20 here.. And 30 minutes after I take my dose i feel extremely nauseated.

We have felt that way too. They say this is supposed to subside after a while. Another side effect we have both had is very vivid dreams!

I'm starting day 4, the first day of the double dose!! I'm seriously excited. We have a weekend trip to WDW next weekend, and I am thrilled at the prospect of not having to take a smoke break every hour!!!

Good luck Tink!! I hope you and your DH can quit for good this time!!

[Melanie]

Good luck to you all!

[Christine]

Is Chantix the drug that works by "taking the pleasure" out of smoking? If it is, then that's what my sister in law took and it worked WONDERS with her! She is completely smoke free after less than a month and has no desire to smoke at all (and this is after 30+ years of heavy smoking).

Best of luck!

Off topic: My doctor said there is a similar drug soon to be released for weight loss...that it will take the "pleasure" out of eating. I'm goonna be waiting in line for that one!

[TINKERBELL_82]

Is Chantix the drug that works by "taking the pleasure" out of smoking? If it is, then that's what my sister in law took and it worked WONDERS with her! She is completely smoke free after less than a month and has no desire to smoke at all (and this is after 30+ years of heavy smoking).

Yes! From what I've read, it blocks the nicotine receptors in your brain, thereby elimainating the "pleasure factor" from smoking while reducing your withdrawl symptoms.

That's great news about your sister!!!! This drug seems to be somewhat of a miracle for a lot of people!!

[Lizzy]

My husband had great success with Chantix. It made him not enjoy the cigarettes so much during the week that you take it while you smoke. He also had to take a business trip to Alaska on his "quit" date" and was too darn cold in December to go outside for a smoke. He quit while in Alaska.

Unfortunatly, due to some high stress times a few months later he started smoking again. I am positive if this particular catastrophe hadn't happened right then he would have stayed a non smoker. So he is smoking again now and has no intentions on quitting.

[mkycrzy1971]

My dad, a heavy smoker of Camel non-filters for the past 45 years, had a heart attack in May. He was giving Chantix while he was in the heart hospital and quit "cold-turkey". This is after many attempts to quit smoking during the past 20 years...he said that after about one week, he sometimes had a craving but never acted on it. I think this heart attack really opened his eyes to the fact that if he continues to smoke, he may very well not live to see his grandkids graduate high school. I am so thankful and pray every day that he will continue to be strong and stay away from this bad habit.

I also know at least 4 other people who were very heavy smokers (a couple of which even had the smoker's raspy voice and cough to tell you how heavily they smoked) that had success using this drug...I think it is great and a definite life saver!! Good luck and remember to keep a positive attitude.

[DisneyDudet]

I have had a few patients and some of the nurses on my unit have tried it and they say its amazing stuff.

A doctor talked to me about it, and he said that Chanitx is only for those who really want to quit, not those looking for a magic pill. Its something that does take some will power as well. Also, he said if the body or mind are in a crisis, its not an appropriate course of treatment, so thats just something to pass on to others.

I'm happy with the results my patients have had and the nurses will come in and say "I only wanted one yesterday and I don't even want to look at a cigarette today!"

Kudos and Pixie Dust to all of you taking this plunge!!

[TINKERBELL_82]

Thanks to all of you for all of the well wishes and support!! We are on day 5, and I am still smoking, but without even really thinking about it, I've cut down to about 1/3 of what I was smoking!! DH and I are still smoking the same packs we opened on Monday!!

mckycrzy1971- My wonderful, amazing grandmother died on July 19, almost 3 weeks ago, very suddenly from a heart attack. She was 63. While they did not attribute her death directly to smoking, she was a heavy smoker so we can safely assume that played a major role in her death.

I am so very glad that your dad had the willpower to quit! Please send him our hugs and support to stay on track!! His story, the fact that he smoked for so long, gives me so much hope that we can kick this habit too!!!

[disneydeb]

Off topic: My doctor said there is a similar drug soon to be released for weight loss...that it will take the "pleasure" out of eating. I'm goonna be waiting in line for that one!

I will be in line right waiting with you for THAT wonder drug!

[crazypoohbear]

I didn't use pills to quit (don't think they were around 18 years ago) But I did go to a hypnotist.
Can you combine the pills with something like hypnosis, acupuncture, etc???
Just wondering if you could "double up" to really get you going.
Good luck with quitting, it's the hardest and best thing you'll ever do.

[TINKERBELL_82]

I didn't use pills to quit (don't think they were around 18 years ago) But I did go to a hypnotist.
Can you combine the pills with something like hypnosis, acupuncture, etc???

You actually can. The pills contain no nicotine, so I've read of people actually using nicotine replacement and the pills. (That's kind of silly when you think about it, considering you're not breaking your nicotine addiction, just prolonging the withdrawl).

I have 2 friends who have done hypnosis, one who quit successfully and one who started back up after 3 months. Considering how pricey it is ($300-$500) I'm going to give the Chantix my best shot for now. (Even though that's really pricey too!)

Day 5 of pills- 2 days until quit day!!