I have a prescription for Chantix but I'm terrified.

[ewells1014]

My mother in law swears by it and has been smoke free for almost a year now.  I'm TRULY terrified to start it after reading everything from the Chantix website, to patient reviews on drugs.com, to chantixhorrorstories.com  I'm generally healthy and the only thing I take is NP Thyroid (desiccated thyroid for Hashimoto's) and vitamins.  I don't drink.  I'm mentally healthy for the most part, but I do believe I may be mildly depressed.  (We moved 6-7 months ago, away from all friends and family, so my husband could start a new job.)  Other than the occasional anxiety (when I start to over think things, lol) I believe I'm mentally healthy.  I have never had a suicidal thought a day in my life.  

I am so scared I'll be the one in a million who has one of the truly bad side effects.  I realize if I start feeling "off" or otherwise bad, I can stop taking the medicine, but what worries me most at this point are the long term effects of taking it.  I've read a couple reviews where people swear the drug somehow "rewired" their brain, and where they were never anxious/depressed/angry before, they are now--many months after coming off Chantix.  

I'm looking for personal experiences how Chantix worked for you or close friends/family.  Did you feel mentally "well" after stopping the medicine?  Did you go off the deep end and have a mental break while (or after) using Chantix?

[jonimarie]

I used Chantix for 3 weeks. It does take the edge off or was I ready to quit?

I quit it as it did make me nauseous in the morning.

[DonnaMarie]

When I started antidepressants a few decades back, I knew I needed them. They scared the bejesus out of me. I got together with a good friend of mine at the time and asked her to please make me aware if I was changing, especially if I wasn't aware of it. 

I did not change. The drugs helped me immensely. 

I have known a lot of people who took Chantix and did well with it. Spend more time thinking of how it can help you. If all else fails, try cold turkey? 

Regardless, we're all here for you.

Donna

Day 233

[Gwenivere]

I’ve only known 2 people that used it.  Worked like a charm for one, turned the other into, well....a not very nice person. The thing with meds is one has to try to find out, or decide it’s not worth the risk.  I’ve turned down many meds for my arthritis because my gut didn’t want to gamble on side effects.  There are so many options which we fortunately have.  Dive right in or NRT's.  Sounds like Wellbutrin has a good track record.  Don’t drive yourself crazy if you don’t want to take it.  It’s your body and your quit.  There are so many here that will support whatever choice you make.  That is priceless and no side effects to worry about.  

[Bellegonia]

I took it for the first 2 weeks, did my quit and stopped using it cold turkey on the 3rd day when I realized that the power to quit was not in the drug but within me. Never had any side effects. I had used it once several years earlier and was not successful in my quit and gave up. Honestly, it's an individual thing. I am thankful for it this time because it actually lead me here, to the EX group. I had never looked for support previously. This group was my game changer, not the chantix. Good luck!

Belle

[ewells1014]

Thank you so much to everyone who shared their personal experience and gave advice...it truly was helpful!  I ended up starting the Chantix this past Saturday.  Right now I'm still on the two pills a day of the .5 mg strength.  In a couple more days, I'll titrate up to the full dose.  So far (fingers crossed!!) so good.  I've had zero side effects from it.  Hopefully that will continue once I'm taking the full strength.  Where I used to sit out on the front porch every morning with my coffee and smoke 4, 5, even 6 cigarettes in a row, now I'm down to maybe two.  I also go several hours throughout the day without even thinking about smoking.  When I do finally go outside, I think it's more habit than anything.  There were even a couple times where I hadn't smoked in several hours and I remembered this but thought "Nah, it's too hot outside and I don't even want one."  Hopefully this will continue and I'll be able to successfully quit completely in a few days.

[elvan]

That's wonderful.  I never took Chantix but my son is taking it now and he says that he is doing really well.   Quitting is a journey no matter what aids are used.  It is still one day at a time.

Ellen

[YoungAtHeart]

Sounds like the Chantix is working as it was designed to do.  Happy for you - and glad for no side effects!  If you experience any with the increased dose, call your doctor.  There are several ways to deal with that.

In the meantime, do some reading, and get your quit kit ready.  Start to figure out how you will change your routines to reduce the associations.  Make a plan for what you can do when the desire to smoke takes over your brain.  Will you take slow/deep breaths, go for a walk, march in place, sip from a cold bottle of water? 

Get ready!

[JACKIE1-25-15]

I haven't seen you lately, how is it going? Keep in touch. 

[ewells1014]

So far so good.  I started Chantix two weeks ago tomorrow and smoked my last cigarette this morning at about 7:15 a.m.  Its such a strange feeling...I'll think I want a cigarette so I go out on the front porch and light one, but I'll take one puff (to light it) and then sit there with the thing burning down in my hand while I play a game on my phone, LOL  Have had zero side effects from the Chantix except for once when I forgot to eat before taking it.  Had a bit of a stomach ache, but it went away when I realized my mistake and ate some yogurt right away.

I have had dreams, but they're not scary/wild/super vivid/otherwise odd.  I generally don't remember my dreams (maybe once a quarter, lol) and now I'm remembering them every night.  They're weird, but no weirder than my dreams I usually have.  

Overall, so far so good.  I'm craving cigarettes, but unlike going cold turkey or with the patch, gum, hypnosis, inhaler (all tried in the past and failed) the cravings are very mild and pass quickly (5-10 seconds).

[JACKIE1-25-15]

Sounds like it is time to get rid of the cigarettes, ashtrays, and any smoking paraphernalia.  You probably wouldn't even take that one puff if you didn't have them.  Give a shot. Time to dive in the water and swim.   Thank you for responding, stay close.