Chantix
May 1, 2007 by Tracee Sioux
Filed under Parenting
A week ago I started taking a new smoking cessation pill called Chantix. I had heard of quite a few people who have actually quit smoking by using this new wonder drug. I had also heard it causes night terrors, but that seems a small price to pay considering that if I do not stop my life might end with the nightmarish reality of dragging an oxygen tank around everywhere I go.
My true motivation is that someone told my daughter that I will die if I smoke. While true, I think this was totally inappropriate and I feel a little bit of anger and resentment about it. Of course, what I’m really angry about is that I HAVE to quit smoking and I love smoking and don’t really want to stop doing it.
In my perfect world, smoking would not only not kill me, but it would be healthy like exercise or my daily vitamin.
But, in reality my five-year-old daughter bursts into tears and with true pain begs me to stop smoking so that I don’t die because then who will be with her and take care of her.
Who can smoke in the face of that? Apparently, I can. Not only have I expected two pregnancies to cure me of my life-long habit, but I’ve quit at least once a week for the last year since my son was born. I’ve quit so many times and tried so many methods, I’ve come to the realization that smoking is like shackles on my life and I can’t seem to find the key to get them off.
At my recent OB/GYN visit I asked about the new miracle pill and he gave me a prescription. I thought, I don’t care what it costs I’ve got to get rid of these shackles once and for all. I hated that it controlled me. Turns out it was covered by my insurance. Even better.
I nearly wept with unadulterated joy when the pharmacist told me to take off the nicotine patch and smoke during the first week of taking Chantix for the best effect. Permission to smoke for another week! YES! Without guilt or harrassment from my five-year-old conscience. Could it get any better?
I’m currently into my second week. I stopped smoking a few days early while I went on my retreat because there was no smoking allowed on the grounds. It’s going okay. I think I’ve grieved enough for my lost right to smoke, surrendered my precious identity as a smoker, broken the physical habit and addiction. Hopefully, taking this pill will help me get over my urges to cheat and have just one, just this once.
I’ll let you know how it goes. And really, you should stop smoking. If you think you’ve got it bad, you can read just how much I loved my cigarettes at So Sioux Me.
Try the Chantix. Couldn’t hurt. I haven’t had any night terrors, by the way. Thank God for that.
AMENDMENT on Sept. 27, 2007:
This is Tracee Sioux from Blog Fabulous/ Chantix, where you’ve been hanging out and getting support. Because readers are finding it difficult to navigate 700 comments, I have built a new website called Quit Coping.
Quit Coping will be using the same tone and texture you enjoy here on Blog Fabulous, but it will allow more interactivity and connection with other quitters. It won’t take so long to load up and I’ll be better able to encourage everyone personally.
Please continue our wonderful discussion at Quit Coping,com.
I am greatly honored to be part of your transformation from smoker to non-smoker.
Sincerely,
Tracee Sioux
http://www.quitcoping.com
I got Chantix from http://www.pillavenue.com
I Didn’t face any problems and quit smoking after 6 weeks only. I haven’t had a single cigarette since then. This is after 12 years of continues smoking (1 pack a day!)
Hi everybody. Today is my first day as a non-smoker. Yeah me! So far it has been fairly easy. Of course I have thought about it, but I just tell myself NO WAY! I hope the following days go as well. Congratulations to all you who have posted nad been smoke free for weeks and months. That is really something to be proud about. One day at a time.
I hear ya Laura. I was pretty upset when someone told my kid I was going to DIE so she would harrass me. Seemed like a pretty lame thing to do – to the kid & me. But, now that I’m not addicted to smoking anymore I’m so glad to be chained to it.
Smoker’s right’s beg the question – are we “entitled” to do something that is so nasty? It’s not just effecting us – our lifespan effects everyone in the family. And anyone anywhere near the smell of it can get sick because of it.
I’ve been overcome with waves of regret that I ever smoked. Embarrassed that I was ever so selfish. Totally humiliated that I ever smelled like that. And I smelled like that constantly for my entire adult life. So embarrassing. I smoked around children and in public all the time! I was so rude and obnoxious about smoking. I smoked outside the church doors, on school property, and church halloween carnivals. Wrong, it’s just wrong. And no one could tell me I didn’t have the “right.”
Regret. Gotta let it go and move on.
So proud of all of you!
Tracee
Hello All
After being a smoker for 14 years, and being with a non-smoker for over 3, I have finally decided to take the leap and fill my Chantix Rx…I’m scared, and love smoking, but the time has come…My boyfriend cannot stand it and will not propose to a smoker, by BP is way high (smoking + slight obesity + birth control pills = BAD), and I can’t lose the weight I need to if I can’t work out for more than 10 mins without being winded! So here I am to join this blog for your support. It was actually all of the above wonderful success stories combined with another one of my boyfriend’s snied remarks last night that have inspired me to give it the good ‘ol college try, so I look forward to sharing with you all over the next little while, and can’t wait to post my success story!! Bye for now, Melinda.
Congratulations to you all!! I had my last cigarette on July 2, 2007 and have been off the Chantix since August 07, 2007. The trick to being sucessful with Chantix is to go into this adventure with the attitude that it will work, no side effects and you will be sucessful. I had very minimal side effects. Some queezy stomach in the first 2 weeks, never bad enough to stop the meds. I’am still having the crazy dreams but they are fun!! I smoked for forty-two years and this has been so sureal, almost as though I had never smoked. Best of luck to all, patti
My sexual response: Chantix has reduced my desire a little bit, but my blood flow improvement has made up for it – wow! That and my bicycling have seen drastic improvement. Heart rate not as high for a given effort and it recovers more quickly after I cease an effort. Good stuff. Once my quit was 4 days old, the Chantix seemingly has worked by allowing my smoking urges to pass quickly – the compulsion doesn’t become an obsession. My utmost respect and sympathy goes out to everyone trying to quit smoking and my gratitude goes out to all of you for helping me to stay quit by sharing honestly.
Hello Everyone~
My best and my congratulations to all who are now smoke free.
Today is day 12 on “Chantix”, and yes, I am still smoking, but, am down to 6 cigarettes, which is amazing for me. They just don’t taste the same at all. I will light up and take a drag and think why did I do that, it just doesn’t feel the same. I also have gone from a pot of coffee to 2 cups, the coffee doesn’t taste as good either. And I have had no upset stomach to date and no increase in appetite, quite the opposite, I feel full much quicker and have less of an appetite.
I do have the restless sleep and the funniest of vivid dreams, I have dreamt of people and places I haven’t spoken to or been in years.
The date I have had in my mind all along since I started taking the “Chantix” is Sept. 20th, and I am hopeful I will have my last cigarette on the 19th.
I know that the instructions tell you to stop on the 8th day, but, for me that was pressure, and I am letting the “Chantix” take it’s course, and it is and I am pleased with how little in comparison to what I did smoke (1 1/2 packs a day).
I enjoy reading everyone’s comments and find great encouragement here.
Take good care~
Nancy
Tracee,
I sooooo understand, but now we move on and appreciate the differences (and improvements) in our lives and look to other changes that are in our control to make. For me it’s exercise and dropping some weight.
Mandi,
Congratulations! It will get easier and you will have stretches of time that you won’t think about it. Then those times get longer and longer. You CAN do this!
Good Morning All!
WOW! I stumbled across this website sometime ago. It was when I started Chantix, but prior to my quit day. Today is one week quit for me. I had smoked for 12 years (since college). I loved smoking and still do. There are just way too many reasons to quit. The bad reasons hands down outweigh the good. It has been one of the most difficult things I have ever been associated with. I feel like screaming at times. My eyes swell up with tears because I want a cigarette so bad (or I think I do). I often have pity on myself and think, why me?!? But, I can say with what I want to believe as certainty, I do not want to go through day 1 again, ever! The pill has of course been helpful, but as I have read many times throughout this blog, it is not the only tool we need to have to be successful.
Be strong, it has to get easier, right?
CONGRATS to everyone who is trying, has tried and will continue to try
.
Tracy
Tracy and everyone else:
A close said to me just last week “the hard way gets easier and the easy way gets harder”. I think that makes a lot of sense.
I am on day 8 and still smoking 2-3 cigs a day. I had a family crisis come up two days ago and couldn’t believe the timing. The crisis will be ongoing for a while so I decided that I am going to keep trying to quit. . . no matter what.
Something must be working though because even with the anxiety of the crisis I am not smoking more.
Thanks everyone for sharing.
Kimberly
I’m on eight days without a smoke and eleven days on the Chantix. If there was a day to test me, TODAY is that day. While driving to work I hit a deer and may have totaled my car (waiting on ins. co. to call back) AND an hour after this my cell rings and my Dr’s office is calling to tell me there is a change in my mammogram I had done last week from the previous two years ago! and I need to go for a breast sonogram. THAT was when I fell apart and started crying, I’m not a woman that cries easily, ever. OH, I wanted a cigarette so bad, because you see that would have fixed my car and made my mammogram perfect!
! I didn’t even consider actually seeking one out, I just thought, “boy if you were still smoking you’d go through a pack today!” So, I’ll be ok, maybe need to get a new car, I wasn’t hurt at all and thank God I had a seat belt on because the car is a mess! And honestly, being a nurse I’m not very worried about the mammogram. I have no history, nor do any women in my family, it’s just another inconvient test!
This is a more recent article that you should all read before blowing Carter’s story off.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/091807dnmetalbrecht.e73ba542.html
Hi, all. I started taking Chantix a week ago Sunday, and have set my “quit date” for tomorrow. I’d actually set it for today, but forgot and had a cigarette first thing this morning. That’ll teach me to quit and still have cigarettes around the house. I’m very anxious to see if this med works. So far, the only thing it’s done for me is make me very nauseous, and I have a ringing in my ears that started yesterday. Has anyone else had that high-pitched noise in their ears? I noticed today, however, that I didn’t want to smoke as much as I have in the past. I was out and about for quite a while today and purposely didn’t take my cigarettes with me. ‘Didn’t miss them at all, and one place I always smoke is in the car. So I’ll finish up the few I have left, and start tomorrow smoke-free. Wish me luck! I’ve marked this page so I can check in tomorrow. – susan
For the record, I did not post the above Sep 18, 2007 at 12:21 pm. Someone is using my name. I never “blew off” Carter’s story.
Hi All,
Teresa, I am going through the same things – I didn’t hit a deer, but my son backed my care into a pole on Saturday, which was my quit date! Yesterday, I had to deal with the insurance and auto body place. Then on Monday, my doctor called me to tell me they need to do an ultrasound on my right breast because they found something questionable on the mamogram. UGH! Calgon take me away!
I am on my 4th day of being smoke free! I have not smoked and will not smoke, but boy do I think about it.
Let me know how everyone is doing!
Enid
Hey All…
Im a newbie here who has been on Chantix for 14 days. I was a pack and a half day smoker ughhh… and have cut down to almost 3-4 ciggs a day, of which I take a drag or two then throw it out. I have 4 ciggs left and Im DONE!!!! I dont even have the desire to smoke anymore. Chantix really works. I have experienced the “dreams” all of which were good
and some slight nausea (because I didnt take on a full stomach). I have also started walking after dinner (one of the hardest times for me NOT to smoke) so all in all I would say that Im doing good and pretty dam proud of myself… and to all of you who inspire me by showing me that Im not alone out there 
Thanks Guys… and Gals…. Ill keep you posted.
Hi all! thanks to all the men for the responses! I had read yesterday that some men experience, “no wind in the sails” while taking the drug, but there has not been a problem for us (wink-wink) Today is my 1 month anniversary quit and I am going to buy myself something nice.
Teresa, Good luck with your Mammo. Im sure everything will be fine, Have a great smoke-free day all!
Lisa,
You’re doing everything right. The walk is good for the body and it squashes the urge.
Your comment about “feeling so damned proud of yourself” is your greatest ally – a silent partner. That was the most exhilerating feeling for me the first few weeks after I quit – that I had actually beat the addiction. You should feel proud and keep reminding yourself of that. It’ll keep you away from the damned cigs.
I just found out I am pregnant and I need to quit smoking. My Dr. told me to start taking Chantix. He told me to start taking weeks ago but I didn’t think I would get pregnant so quick. I have read all the blogs above and don’t see where anyone was pregnant and started taking this pill. I was going to start the pill this morning and then there was something on ABC this morning that a guy was killed or killed himself and his girlfriend said it was due to the Chantix. She said it made him crazy. Okay, kinda freaked me out. I know there is no research on pregnant women but what could be worse. Smoking or taking this pill. I need someone’s help. I need to take my first pill ASAP but I am scared. I don’t want anything to happen to me or the baby.
Please let me know if anyone has any suggestions.
Thanks,
Kim
Enid and Janet, thank you so much for the well wishes, I have a breast sonogram tomorrow morning, that I will drive to in my rental car! ;-( !
Still waiting to hear if my car is done, I went out at looked at it again last night at the car shop, holy smokes, what a mess, I can’t stress enough to everyone; WEAR YOUR SEATBELTS ALL THE TIME! I’m stiff and sore today, and my mind keeps drifting back to the accident…. I forgot to take one of the doses of my chantix yesterday, but like I had said earlier I’m not taking the full dose anyway, and I’ve not taken it today. I feel fine, no overwhelming urges to smoke and no side effects from not having the full dose of Chantix. I’m lucky in that I don’t live with any smokers and I’m not really ever around smokers. The few times I have been, it was a completely neutral experince, apart from thinking to myself “I’m so glad I’m not chained to that crap anymore”!!
Kim
I would not take Cahntix if I found out I was pregnant. You don’t know what the effects it would have on the baby. A Lot of women quit while they were pregnant and then started again after the baby was born, And a lot of women have smoked thru their pregancy. If I could not quit while I was pregnant on my own. And I had to choose taking chantix or smoke I guess I would smoke and start the Chantix after the baby was born and wasn’t breat feeding.
>
Ease up on the self importance. I wasnt using your name. I was using MY name. I didnt notice that there was another guy named Bruce on this blog. (But i did just scan back and see that not only is there another one, but he felt it necessary to tell a blog full of ladies that he sleeps at “half mast”. Real classy. Improved circulation was quite enough info.) To insinuate that I was attempting to impersonate someone on a chantix blog is laughable. And I never said that you in particular blew off Carter’s story, but you can read some posts and see that a few did dismiss his story. I can say from some people in the know that Pfizer sure hasnt dimissed it. So get over yourself.
Bruce and Another Bruce,
A blog of recovering smokers was bound to get snippy eventually. All that residual anger. lol.
Take deep breaths. You are among friends. Everyone here has a common goal – we want to quit smoking. Anger rears its ugly head in that process. Deep breaths.
Kim,
I agree with Bev, I wouldn’t take Chantix if I were pregnant. This drug has not had the long term research or the effects on fetuses. I would try to limit your smoking or try and quit cold turkey. I hate to say it but, I smoked while I was pregnant but that was 27 years ago. My son is normal and didn’t have any major health problems. Good luck!
I’m having a tough time. I was on Chantix when I went into the hospital with pneumonia in July. Chantix kills my cravings most of the time but lately I have been having a cigarette in the evening after work. The weekends are also getting tough. My husband still smokes so the temptation is enough to join him occassionally. Maybe its just a period I’m going through.
ok….enough said. Have a great day!!
Well stated Tracee (to the Bruces).
We ARE a bunch short-fused former smokeaholics. I wonder when that stops . . .???
Been 100 days for me and I can still chew the arm off those who irritate me the wrong way at the wrong time.
Like everybody else, I loooved my little ciggies, but my husband convinced me to try, and we quit together. He was able to put them down almost immediately, and never looked back. It was a little harder for me, and I continued to have one or two cigs several weeks after beginning Chantix. I finally quit on August 31, and have allowed myself to have 2 since then. The cravings were hard for me … sometimes instead of “one day at a time”, it was “one hour at a time.” I still don’t see myself as a non-smoker yet … but I am in recovery!
Nausea hasn’t been too bad, but “vivid” barely begins to describe my dreams. I usually wake up laughing at the absurdity of some of them!
The most annoying thing is how easily Chantix worked for my hubby. But it worked for me, too, albeit a little differently.
Everybody keep up the good work — I’m proud of all of us!
Debbie, sorry I just saw your blog about having a tough time quitting on Chantix, I hope this makes you feel better so I had to share it with you. Today I saw one of my clients that I havent seen in about 6 months and she told me that she has quit smoking with help of chantix but guess what it took her 4 months to finally stop!! and my husband could not stop after just 8 days it took him a whole month. So just keep taking the pill and try to worry less about it.. I t might take a litttle longer to kick in..
Hugs carolyn
I agree Jim – Well said Tracee – I am looking to this website for positivity and support in my soon to begin adventure in non-smoking, which is probably what most of us here are here for – support and positivity! So let’s keep the negativity to a minimum, and be there for each other in this trying time….
Kim
I quit smoking cold turkey as soon as I knew I was pregnant; only 4-6 weeks along. My kiddos are 16 & 19 now! It was TOUGH, I did cut way back to those awful low tar cigs, Carltons, and they were so bad it just wasn’t worth it! I only ever needed a really good incentive to quit and pregnancy was it! This time it’s impending surgery! Good Luck to you!
Tracee, Thank you Thank you for this blog. I read this last week. Went to the Dr. and asked for my Chantix. I am on day 2 of Chantix and yes after 40 years of smoking, I have already cut back. I tried everything, including a stop smoking clinic with shots behind my ears that affected my vision for 3 days. The stop smoking lasted 3 days and then back to normal. I hope this is “the cure” for me, I am sick of smoking and stinking like a trash can. Thanks everyone for the comments.
Marti, with an attitude like that I think Chantix will work for you. Just remember why you want to quit when the urges come. Good luck. chantix will make it easier but it is still a daily struggle. I have been smoke free for 31 days and looking forward to being smoke free for life.
After day nine of taking Chantix I decided to quit taking it. The side effects are killing me. My head feels like I’m contantly in a fog, I’m tired and want to take a nap all the time, my stomach has blown up and feels like a rock and my stools are so hard they are hard to pass, I’m irritable and snap at everyone.
I’ve done some further research about this drug and I don’t like what I see. If you go to Google search and type in Chantix side effects, you will find blog sites like this one with lots of horror stories.
I was really gung-ho about this drug ’cause it really helped my craving but being in this constant fog and feeling sick isn’t worth it. I am still trying to quit, I’m down to 1/2 pack a day from 1 1/2.
Good luck to all of you who are succeeding, but do me a favor and look at the other web sites about side effects. You may change your mind about using this drug.
Hi All!! Hope everyone is hanging in there and are
not discouraged by the latest round of bad press
that this med is getting. I have to say that there are not enough side-effects to keep me from recommending Chantix to anyone who wants to quit. So all of you doom sayers, keep your opinions quiet. Good kuck to all. patti
Hello everyone, wow what a diverse group of comments. This is my first time to comment however I have been reading all the responses for a few days now. I started Chantix on August 22nd, stopped smoking all together on August 30th, still smoke free. I am so lucky to have the support of my husband(non-smoker, hates it) and my children who are both in college now. They have been “on” me to quit forever, I have always told them that I will quit when it is right for ME, not you. Now it is right for me, I’m doing this for myself. Recent events have probably pushed me over the edge, I must admit. My father in-law is dying of non curable brain tumors associated with lung cancer. I don’t want any of my children to have to deal with this, it’s just ugly.
I learned a great deal from all of your comments, thank you! A few days ago I thought I would have to stop taking Chantix, I was only getting about 4 hours of sleep a night. Then I saw a comment about taking only half the pill, I did it and guess what, I have slept like a baby with minimal dreams for the past 2 nights, what could be better, not smoking and a good night’s sleep!!
Keep up the e-mails, you never know when you will inspire another person to quit.
Hi all
I’m a registered nurse and I just want everyone not to get too discouraged by the side effects some people are having. EVERYONE is different and there are always going to be a few who will be very sensitive to a med that others take without any difficulty at all. I’ve seen patients have side effects from a med that I’ve seen literally hundreds of others take without any difficulty. I’ve not had a SINGLE side effect, apart from one silly dream. However, even in week two I’ve only been taking one half of a pill twice a day. I’ve not smoked in 11 days! I’ve had some urges, but they were not strong. I WILL not give in, I refuse.
Everyone hang in there!
Tracee thank you so much for getting this blog started, and thanks to everyone else for their honesty and openness. I started taking Chantix 14 days ago, and it was wonderful. I did feel foggy and had bad sleep at first, but that is starting to subside now. I find if I take my second Chantix earlier in the evening, around 5:00, it doesn’t disturb my sleep as much. So I want to encourage folks who do have some early side effects to hang in there and see if they don’t go away after a week or two.
I want very much to be a non-smoker, but I have been having one cigarette a day still, when I get home from work (my husband is still smoking). I guess I shouldn’t beat myself up too badly – one cigarette compared to 30 a day is certainly a step in the right direction.
I appreciate everyone’s great advice and look forward to reading this site every day during this incredibly difficult and drawn-out process.
Renee…check out….quitsmokingsupport.com…and you will see that your symptoms are from nicotine withdrawl.
Also, read previous posts about how many of us wanted to give up on day 8,9, or 10, and kept taking Chantix…it worked by day 13 or 14.
Seriously-I can easily find an excuse to not quit smoking–we all know that…
If you want to quit..quit cold turkey….unfortunately your mentioned side effects will double or triple..and again, they won’t be from Chantix…I’m not a doctor but…too many here just on this blog alone have had success with little to no side effects compared to the possible side effects of continuing to smoke. (btw…hard stool is constipation…constipation is symptom of nicotine withdrawl..)
Graham-non-smoker thanks to Chantix.
Hello all,
I’m approaching the two week smoke free mark and the three week on Chantix mark. My cravings pass quickly and are easily tamed at this point.
I’ve had some concerns about the articles re: going psycho. I quit drinking to support my stopping smoking and haven’t had a drink in a few weeks (doesn’t bother me except for the Friday after work drink – I’m really missing that one). Anyway, I wanted to query the other users of the blog and see (a) how were people’s cravings when they drank (still controllable, more annoying???), and (b) besides these isolated incidents reported in the news, has anyone had any problems associated with combining Chantix and drinking. So far, I can say that this is as close to a miracle drug as I’ve seen for its purpose.
Thanks all.
Ty: As strange as it sounds, I have had several glasses of wine with a meal and my cravings do not increase at all. In fact, I feel more relaxed, which is good because I have been pretty anxious since I started this medicine and have tried to quit.
I also wanted to tell people thank you for encouragement (especially those who were not able to quit right away). I am on day 11 and still smoking 1-2 cigs per day. Obviously Chantix is working but I still can’t seem to shake a few puffs. The weird thing is, (like others), I just take a couple of puffs and put it out.
I know Chantix works by blocking nicotine from attaching to receptors in the brain, and thus, blocking the pleasure dump of dopamine which we enjoy. However, does anyone know why the taste is so bad???
thanks,
Kimberly
TY,
I smoked for over forty years and like you, always enjoyed the Friday-after-work relief drink. I quit smoking with Chantix on June 12, 2007, and still had the urge to not only smoke, but imbibe in the Friday afternoon thing as well, for about six to eight more weeks. Then the fact that I was no longer an addictive personality seemed to take over my mentality. It’s perhaps the most refreshing thing you will encounter with Chantix. This was about three weeks after my last pill. The lifestyle we lead as smokers is not the same when we no longer have that cigarette crutch. The bar, the highball or cocktail just didn’t seem so enticing anymore.
I guess what I’m saying is, let the changes to your psyche happen and don’t feel like you have to cling to old ways. Chantix needs to take over and complement the desire you have to quit being a nicotine addict. The booze and the social needs on Friday afternoon all fall on the wayside all by themselves. At least it did for me. None of us is the same, however. I’m only giving you my 62-year-old perspective.
Graham, Great information – thanks!
Ty, I have been curious myself about the alcohol. I like to have a glass of wine every once in awhile. I’m going to hold off for now. I have also stopped drinking coffee, which is a huge trigger for me. Sorry I couldn’t be of more help. Let me know how it’s going.
Sharon,
Don’t stop quitting! Yes, 1 cig is better than 30 a day! I really didn’t think I could quit either, but on the morning of my quit day (8th day on Chantix), I got up and removed everything from the house. I threw away the ashtrays, hid the lighters, and started cleaning. I really didn’t panic (although I thought I would), I just became resigned with the fact that I wasn’t going to smoke anymore. I was sad and upset the first 2 days, but I just tried to move past that and started thinking more positively. I still can’t believe I’ve quit for 7 days!!!!
YOU CAN DO IT!
Have a great weekend everyone!
I’ve been a heavy smoker since my teens. In my early twenties I was able to quit for about a year and a half, but started up again. Now I smoke at least two packs a day. I have often thought about quitting, and even tried the gum (nausea made me stop) and a patch (who knew I was alergic to adhesive?). I comforted myself for years by saying that no one in my family (quite a few smoked) has ever had cancer and that we must not carry the gene that can trigger cancer. I lived with the guilt of smoking through two pregnancies – I couldn’t quit, but did cut back alot. I’ve lived with my children’s nagging, with my Mom’s nagging (I promised her I would quit before I turn 50 – the age she was when she quit). I live with coughing and sometimes feeling short of breath and having a house that smells like an ashtray.
Now, things have changed. I am only 6 months away from my 50th birthday and the promise that I made to my mother, and my father, who has never touched a tobacco product in his entire life, was recently diagnosed with and had surgery for Stage I lung cancer ( guess I do carry that gene after all). I have finally reached the point where I not only realize that, if I want to live long enough to see my children marry and have children of their own, I have to quit smoking, but I finally also WANT to quit smoking.
Today, I took my first Chantix tablet. My husband has promised to call his doctor on Monday and have a prescription called in and start immediately. My best friend and her husband also took their first doses of Chantix today. Three of us have set next Friday, the 28th, as our quit day. Hopefully, my husband will come through and have his quit day the following Monday – and will be smoking outside until he does!
Wish all of us luck – I’ll try to update next week after all of us have hit our quit date and let you know how we are doing.
Kimberly,
I am 6 days 22 hours quit and 14 days on Chantix.. When I was smoking while on Chantix, I was curious about the taste as well – it almost felt as if my mouth was coated with something (hard to describe). I read here (earlier posts maybe?) or another post something about the Chantix blocks the pleasure of smoking which unmasks the true taste of a cig. Not sure if I got it right, but now that I’m not smoking, there’s no problems with my mouth.
Last Friday night, my last night of smoking, I spent the evening smoking non-stop and told myself, remember this awful taste so when you quit, you’ll know that this is what it will taste like if you light up again.
My suggestion for quitting, is to just stop. Remove the cigs and everything associated with them from you life and tell yourself you don’t smoke anymore. It’s not easy, but it’s not that hard on Chantix and with a good support group -like here!
Take care!
Enid
I actually have continued to drink alcohol while taking the Chantix. I refuse to alter our(my husband and my) social life just because I’m trying to quit smoking. I have been just fine around smokers and when I drink I really don’t even think about smoking. However, I will warn everyone that the first two days of taking the higher dose I had only two cocktails and I was totally trashed and didn’t remember things. It really scared me but since then I have been fine. Just be very careful with the alcohol. I do like my wine, I found that if I had a glass or two in the evening it would help me relax and get a more restful sleep when the insomnia was hitting me hard from the Chantix. I talked to my doctor about it and he was fine with the wine!!!
I am 23 days not smoking, I haven’t even cheated once!! The next several days will be the true test. As I mentioned in my initial comment a few days ago, my father-in-law was dieing of brain tumors related to lung cancer, he passed away today. He will be my inspiration to continue with my quit and I hope this can inspire others as well.
thank you all for your comments.
Graham, Thanks for telling us about nicotine withdrawal symptoms. I was wondering myself if that is why I am so tired, have a headache, and feel like I am in a fog, and having trouble sleeping. I don’t want to blame the Chantix. I am determined to stick with it. I am on day 6 of Chantix. Also, if you cut the dosage to 1/2 a pill at nite to sleep will it still be as effective? I am afraid to take the chance, but would love to sleep.
Kim, I searched Google for Chantix side effects and went on Mayoclinic.com. It said do not take Chantix if you are pregnant. Hope this helps.
Thanks for your comments on the alcohol thing. I’ve only started worrying about it because of the recent articles and my past experiences trying to quit.
Hope everyone has a wonderful, smoke-free weekend!
Tish, I cut my evening dosage to 1/2 a pill and it has still been effective for me. I sleep alot better and have fewer dreams. No harm in trying it! Good luck.
Hi Everyone:
Has anyone seen that movie “Airplane” where the Air Traffic Controller (played by Lloyd Bridges) says “I picked the wrong week to quit smoking; qualudes, etc.)? Part of the reason that I haven’t stopped completely is that for the past week I have been in the middle of a major family crisis that has turned my life upside down (and it is not over yet).
Enid:
You are correct. I just need to make the decision and stick to it. I would think that the few puffs that I do now are not really doing anything for me physically, it is just a psychological thing – - which can be huge. So, no more excuses. I had my last cigarette yesterday. I am going to do everything I can not pick up another one for good!
Thanks for the extra push.
Kimberly