New To This

[mavis-winkler]

I saw this site on the Today Show; Recently, I've decided to"quit" on Valentines Day this year. I need to call my dr. today for Chantix.....I've heard only good things about it. I'm terrified to quit, but have made up mind.....I don't want to be "married to my cigs" any longer! We all know cigarette smoking is bad for us, but I "like" it.....but, I don't ever want to face the day I have to tell my kids "I have lung cancer" or any other bad news. I know I can do this, spend that money elsewhere, and be proud. I just need a lot of support which I hope to find here. Thanks all, and have a great day!

[margie-nelson]

Way to go Mavis...Sounds like you've got a good plan...and the motivation to quit...I just quit Dec 31st and I feel great...I too am taking the chantix...I quit one other time on chantix and I was able to go four months...I was really a fool to start agian...And I could make a lot of excuses about things going awry but the bottom line was I picked the damn thing up and put it in my mouth and lit it...There is no other way to smoke...but I feel really good this time...I am 30 days with out cigarettes and I feel fantastic...The first week was a little tough but I ju;st got a lot of gum and have been trying to stay busy...I try to take a walk when the craving comes on...Oh yeah and I drink tons of water...Probably 5 half liter bottles a day...Any way I hope you find someting in here that helps...YOU CAN DO THIS!!! And we are here to help

[barbara42]

I too, used CHANTIX for 32 day,s and it did what it was supposed to do, so i just decided that i would just not spend the money to get the prescription filled again, it was up to me. so today i have seven months of freedom and you can do it too, also drink plenty of juice, your blood sugar tends to go down and the fruit juice just helps you to not feel so blah. peace!

[mavis-winkler]

thank you so much for the encourangement! Hopefully "I" can say "I feel good" like you down the road in the near future!

[Denise3]

Hi Barbara I have a starter pack for chantix but am doing welbutrin right now so I will hold off for now and see how I do on the Welbutrin. I was 3 weeks into it and started itching really badly so I stopped for a week and then started again but just one dose this time---not the reccommended 2. Almost a week back on thisand nothing yet---we'll see how I do. If I itch again then I will switch to the chantix but I am concerned a/b the side effects---what am I looking at in terms of side effects?

[david-alexander]

Hi Marge, I need all the help I CAN GET,I have had lung cancer and I STILL REACH FOR THE CIGS I don't know what to do

[nancy-bond]

You've got all the support I can give, Mavis -- my reasons for quitting were the same, and I "liked" it, too, after smoking for 35+ years. But with the help of Champix (Champix in Canada/Chantix in US), I quit on January 24th and haven't slipped. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't had ANY cravings at all, but they're certainly manageable. I'm only 18 days smoke-free, but it feels really good to be able to say that. My hubby quit at the same time, and he's doing very well after being a much heavier smoker than I ever was. This has surely worked better than anything we've ever tried in the past. And I'm just too stubborn to light up again. 🙂 Good luck and keep us posted on how you're doing.

[wil]

Here's some info I picked up. All of us say we like or love smokes but it's not true. What we love is satisfying our addiction by loading up on what we crave "NICOTINE" then we think ahhhhh that was wonderful (until it calls again). Nicotine is a very powerful and deadly drug . Inside of you is the ability to destroy the hold it has over you. Quit for yourself and remember the only thing that can make you smoke is YOU!!!. My thanks to this group and to Chantix. Quitting isn't easy, it's just BETTER.

[sheri-w]

I know how you feel, Mavis. I worried that I didn't have the passion to quit so I would not be successful. Weigh out the pros and cons. I found that the only reason I wanted to keep smoking was because I liked it and it somehow brought me comfort. Weighing that against the smell, cost, health problems, social stigma, etc. and I found it better for me to quit. Quitting with Chantix is not all peaches and cream, you have to add a little elbow grease - but it was 90% easier than going cold turkey. I smoked for 38 years and quit 1/1/09. Good luck to you, Mavis!

[mavis-winkler]

thanks, am on my second day and always get the "urge" about this time of evening......reading books is helping...thanks for encouragement....you rock!