Chantix log

[grandpamike]

First off I am Mike. I think it would be good to keep a record of how each of us are doing on chantix/champix during our quit. I wish that I had kept a daily log from day one even though a lot of days were uneventful. Today while writing this I am 71 days nicotine free. I had set my quit date for November 1st 2012 and started taking chantix. I smoked my last cigarette on December 31^st around 11:00 pm and have not touched one since. My daily coughing fits that I had suffered from for years stopped completely with in just a few days of not smoking. On the seventh day of my quit, November 7^th 2012 I suffered a heart attack. Most likely this was due to me smoking for 42 years. I was having very few urges to smoke, even when in pain from the heart attack. The doctor would have told me to quit if I had still been smoking.

Reflecting back, I have had none of the side effects from the medication. I sleep good at night, I am not depressed, no weird dreams, and I am not suicidal. In fact, I feel better than I have in years. I laugh more, and I mean laugh. I don’t know if this is from being nicotine free or from having survived from the heart attack.

I am going to try to write down any experiences I have, even after I quit taking the medication. Then hopefully others can learn from my experiences and know what to expect. If all members will do the same then maybe someday it will help at least one person.

[grandpamike]

On day 110 of not smoking and have been without chantix since day 103. I really have not noticed any difference since getting off of it. I am still doing great but will update this if anything changes.

N O P E

[minihorses]

I've been a smoker for about 35 years and tried to quit during every one of those years. I'd make it a few months and as soon as there was any stressful happened at home, which it often did because I have a son with Autism (Asperger's) and when he was angry he got violent, I'd start smoking again. It didn't take long to get back to a pack/day.  I chose the gradual quit method to be smoke free by Thanksgiving. I'm on my fourth week of Chantix and down to 3 or 4 a day already. I get physically sick for at least a week after stopping smoking and am still going through that since I cut way down BUT the Chantix is WORKING! My actual desire to smoke is so diminished now I can't believe it. I take several medications for a mental illness and Chantix hasn't affected or reacted with those at all. I've had none of the listed side effects either. I'm confident that this will be the last time I have to quit smoking and I'll be able to live smoke-free for the rest of my life. Thank God for this medicine and wished I had tried it earlier!

[Roller831]

Welcome minihorses‌!  The original post is back from 2013.  I can tell you I also quit with Chantix and I am 126 DOF (days of freedom) from smoking and nicotine!  There is a lot of good information on this site.  I encourage you to read, read, and then read some more!

I know when I first found this site, many Elders told me to read read read….and I did.  Elders are those with one or more years of being quit.  If you like what someone has to say, then you may want to read their blogs.  I have some listed below.

A list of our Elders /blogs/Giulia-blog/2017/06/18/elders-list-ao-december-7-2016 

So here's the thing.....and you may not like what I am about to say....and that's ok.  I get it.  You need to accept that this is an addiction.  Before you do that, it will be much more difficult to quit and stay quit. 

Read read read.  Do the steps to PREPARE yourself to quit.  Do the steps so you are PREPARED on quit day and for the days AFTER quit day.  

Some of the things I read in my first few days that helped me:

Dale’s Welcome to New Members My Welcome To New Members (10 Years Of Watching) 

YoungAtHeart Nancy's Blog /blogs/Youngatheart.7.4.12-blog/2013/02/25/100-things-to-do-instead-of-smoke 

JonesCarpeDiem Dale’s Blog /blogs/jonescarp.aka.dale.Jan_2007-blog/2011/06/26/what-to-expect-in-the-first-four-months 

Visit Best of EX 

And read what has been posted there.

JACKIE1-25-15  gave me the link to Alan Carr’s book, “Easy Way to Quit Smoking”.  I actually didn’t read the online PDF, but purchased a book on CD from Amazon and listened to it in my car over and over again for the first two weeks of my quit.  The link to the PDF:

http://media.wix.com/ugd/74fa87_2010cc5496521431188f905b7234a829.pdf

Keep this site close and keep posting and asking for help.  You will get it.  You will get things you like and things you don't like, but don't give up!!!  We have been through similar experiences and can share our strength and hope.  We are here to support you!

Roller