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
Tiffany, hang in there. At each craving you need to get yourself out of state. So do something wierd and differnent at each craving – jump up and flap your arms like a bird and say whoop, whoop, whoop in a loud voice. To hell with your office mates. Do something crazy. At the same time visualize your non-smoking self perfect self. After 3 days Cravings=habits
After 18 months the cravings are only those that I let my mind have. After 12 months you will have gone through almost all of the triggers season by season.
Go for it!
Hello, I am starting day 7 today and so far there hasn’t been any decrease in my desire to smoke. I’m beginning to worry Chantix might not work for me.
I have been smoking about a pack a day of menthols for 38 years.
Thank you for your site. It has so many good encouragements on it unlike some sites which are just plain negative.
Cathy– you can do this I remember my day 8 and it could have gone either way…even though I still had a desire to smoke I told myself “this is it– when I am out of cigarretes I am not buying anymore. I can do this and I just have to be strong!” So, I didnt buy any and didn’t bum any and I quit and I am so glad. Chantix can help you quit but you have to be strong too and work through this and it will get easier!!! Good luck to you.
2 years ago my doctor gave me a prescription for Chantix. I was 48 years old and had smoked for over 30 years. I was a smokers smoker. First and last thing I did every day….until about 23 months ago ago. Although I had been taking Chantix for a month, I could not give up those 2 cigarettes a day but I got on a plane to go to San Diego and never looked back. I am married to a smoker (drives me freakin’ insane), I have a glass of wine and that drinking bone that used to be fused to the smoking bone….done, broken, nothing there. This was my miracle. I just had the BEST annual physical of my life. The gum disease (attributed to smoking) that made me lose 2 teeth (and cost thousands for the replacement implants) is now in the past. All I can really tell you is it is beautiful here on the other side. When I get stressed, I breath really really deep. You can do this and it is worth every moment of stress and anxiety you go through.
Hello everyone!
Here’s what my quit counter says today; Free and Healing for One Year, Six Days, 14 Hours and 41 Minutes, while extending my life expectancy 51 Days and 18 Hours, by avoiding the use of 14904 nicotine delivery devices that would have cost me $3,027.01.
What a procrastinator. I wrote this a year ago to post.
I put out my last cigarette at 4:19 AM on Jan. 27, 2008 – my 52nd birthday. I had been taking Chantix for one week and I continue to take it. My opinion was that it was not doing anything to help me stop smoking. After two weeks smoke free I’m still not convinced it’s helping much – but I might be wrong. I’d like to have a cigarette right now. I won’t. I have decided to quit. Not One Puff Ever.
I’m a karaoke host and work four nights a week in smoky bars. I’d estimate 80% of the people I come in contact with at work smoke. My habit was one to one and one half to two packs a day, except on the nights that I worked. On those nights I would smoke an extra one and a half to two extra packs. I thought my chances of quitting were slim. I was and still am scared. Scared of the many opportunities to fail. I feel that things have gone well so far.
There is temptation, opportunity to smoke, old habits needing to be fulfilled and bad advice almost everywhere I turn. Just about everything I do makes me want to light up. Here’s a few.
Waking up – cigarette
Cup of coffee – cigarette
Breakfast – cigarette
Getting in the car – cigarette
Driving the car – cigarette
Getting out of the car – cigarette
Completion of anything (sometimes even a cigarette) – cigarette
Snack – cigarette
Lunch – cigarette
Hungry – cigarette
Angry – cigarette
Lonely – cigarette
Tired – cigarette
Stressed – cigarette
Open a beer – cigarette
Sleepy – cigarette
Can’t sleep – cigarette
You may have more or less things that encourage you to you light up but you know where I’m coming from.
Set a quit day and QUIT. Actually stop smoking. You can’t be a part time smoker. It’s like saying you are a little pregnant. Stop kidding yourself. Don’t rationalize. Be truthful. One drag and you’re a smoker again.
Do what needs to be done; Get rid of all your smoking paraphernalia – cigarettes, lighters, ashtrays, coupons. Everything that will tempt you to smoke or even make you think about smoking. Does drinking coffee give you an uncontrollable urge to smoke? Get it out of the house and have some milk. Did you smoke in the garage? Park in the street and use the front door. Used to buy smokes on the way to work? Find a new route. Give yourself a fighting chance. Make it as easy as you can. Be willing to alter some smaller habits to finally kick the big one. Have lots of gum and lifesavers around. “Smoke” a pen or pencil. Eat if you need to. Do your best to keep it healthy. Carrots, celery and orange slices are good ideas. If you gain a few pounds you can lose it later. Go ahead and chew your fingernails – low on calories – and they grow back. Quitting must be the overriding goal.
Do your best to stay away from the conditions you associate with smoking. There’s no way to avoid all of them. Have a plan. Decide how you will handle craving before it happens. You’re addicted to nicotine. Make a plan to deal with it. Be very careful the first time enter back into one of those trigger situations.
Spend time in environments that don’t allow you to smoke. The theater, museum, book store, library, health club. Ride the bus. Go anywhere you can’t smoke. I never smoked in the house. If I don’t leave I don’t smoke, and I don’t have any to smoke. Did you ever smoke in the shower? Go take a long one. The money you save on smokes will easily pay for the extra hot water you use.
Be wary of people giving advice on quitting. The last two people who had advice for me were at that very moment holding a lit cigarette. Thanks but no thanks.
Stay away from people who would like to see you smoke again. Some would feel better if you failed, if only because they may have failed or are scared to fail if they try. It can be pretty subtle. A friend of mine saw me eating a bag of pretzels on my third night back in the bar after quitting. “Peeeeete, watch your weight”. You guessed it. She was smokink. Always consider the source and the motive. You may have done it to one of your friends. I know I have. Try hanging out with people who don’t smoke for a while. I know, the sinners are more fun.
Keep reminding yourself of the health benefits of quitting. I don’t hack all night anymore. I can’t tell you how happy it makes me. I’ll bet my wife could tell you how happy it makes her. She can sleep all night again without me waking her up. With a little exercise and change in diet I might even be able to say goodbye to a few of my prescriptions. Two different blood pressure meds come to mind. On Aug. 1, 2007 Tammy posted a list of the positive effects of quitting. Print it out and look at it when you think you’d like another nail.
Think about the financial rewards. A carton of Basics here in Wisconsin is @ $40. Wooohooowww!!! That’s $60 a week for me. Over $3000 a year. That’s just a start. Two different blood pressure meds again come to mind. Don’t spend it all. You’re going to need some of that money for retirement now.
About Chantix; I think it has helped but I can’t tell to what extent. I know I’m in for the twelve weeks or longer. Manageable cravings and almost no side effects. I am reluctant to give Chantix too much credit. I will reserve that credit for myself. After all, I’m the one who quit. Chantix will shoulder none of the blame should I decide to smoke again.
Congratulations to all of you who have been successful in quitting, Good luck to those about to give it a go. Don’t give up if you have a temporary setback. Every time you snuff one out is a new chance to quit for good.
I know that I’m far from being out of the woods. Though based on my goal of quitting I’m off to a perfect two week start. I don’t plan to smoke ever again. N.O.P.E. Not One Puff Ever. I’m done.
Hi. Today is my 15th day on Chantix and I had my last(?) cigarette 8 hours ago. The whole afternoon I’ve been fighting the urge to pop into the nearest 7-11 to buy a pack of cigarettes. Finally decided to rush home and lock myself in the house. The Chantix doesn’t seem to have any effect after 15 days. It’s like I’m quitting cold turkey now. Don’t know how long I’ll be able to last. Hope it’ll feel better when I wake up tomorrow (provided I don’t sneak out of the house tonight looking for a 7-11). No matter what I plan to take Chantix for the whole 12 weeks and just hope it’ll kick in sooner or later. Congratulations to all those who were strong enough to succeed. I envy you.
Wonder who coined the phrase that the urge to smoke only lasts for 5 minutes? He/she probably was a non-smoker.
30 hours since my last smoke. Still don’t know whether Chantix works or not. If it does it is definitely not obvious. I seem to be getting by on sheer will power – something which I severely lack.
Can anybody say when will this urge to smoke go away?
Day 12 of not smoking..
This is great to see other people who are going through or about to go through the same thing.
Just like others have already said, it just happens on Chantix.
I went about 9 days and then the sensation to smoke became less and less attractive.
I must say for me that the drinking and smoking was always a deal breaker.. I failed every time I tried to quit in the past.
This time I just committed to not drinking for a while.
My friends and family(even smokers) have been very supportive.
My Plan is working.
Stay away from the places you would normally smoke and don’t let the stress make you say “forget it”.
Fight every thought that comes in to your head telling you it’s ok to smoke.
Remind yourself everyday that your doing the right thing.
Go out side and breath,, It’s an Amazing feeling after a couple of days off the butts.
Yeah!
i have quit for almost 8 months – started with gum and now use lozenges
piece of cake after the first week, but i really wanted to stop – i walk a lot everyday and am happy i quit – everyone said i would never quit
hah
2 years 1 month smoke free. 3 packs a day smoker X 46 years. Still have an urge every now and then but quickly passes. I even sit at a poker table full of smokers and don’t have the urge. Sometimes it smells good but mostly stinks! I wish I had quit a year earlier. Emphysema sucks!