The directions on my Rx said to take with food (and I don't think they're mere suggestions!); if I didn't, the nausea was a given. That actually ended up being another positive -- I never ate breakfast before, now I'm in the habit of eating something healthy each morning and actually have some energy those first few hours of the day rather than just being wound up on a coffee and a cig buzz!!
I think it's also important to keep in mind that the drug needs to build in your system before you'll reach max effect and benefit. Even at the end of the first week on it I was thinking "what the?! -- I bet this stuff IS NOT going to work for me!" It took a good two weeks for it to "take hold". By then I started to notice that I wasn't getting the "high" anymore when I smoked (you know, that euphoria and sort of "heavy sigh" feeling of relief). What I noticed too is that the cigarettes didn't even taste good after awhile; I was really tasting the chemicals at that point and wondering "why am I even doing this?" I never did set a firm quit date -- I cut back each day two weeks after starting the Chantix -- bascially telling myself that I could have a cig every 2 hours, the the next day every 3 hours, the next every 4, etc. When I realized I was doing it, and it wasn't as excruciating as I'd dreamt it would be. - I decided to try having the "first one of the morning" one (that one is REALLY hard to give up) but going the entire day after that. The next day it was time to try none at all -- that was April Fool's Day, and I've been smoke free ever since. It's really significant for me -- I've set many quit dates that have just come and gone; and I've "quit" many times, to only make it a day or two before the cravings and physical effects got the best of me. I really think the Chantix, along with not wanting cigarettes to rule my life anymore got me where I am today -- smoke free and going strong.
Hang in there Zen, give the Chantix some time and use the power of positive thinking -- you CAN beat this and you will feel SO good! Cigs ARE NOT THE BOSS OF YOU!!!
