Chantix Day 2
I started Chantix yesterday, it is 9am. I have not taken the 2nd dose yet. I smoked my morning cig with coffee, I am feeling very dizzy. hope it passes soon, I have to be to work in an hour. Yesterday, about 10 min after taking the tablet, I felt so sleepy I had to nap. I don't know where this journey is taking me, my quit day is in 2 weeks.
Mainy Chantix has side effects, please" read up on them if you have not. Good luck on your quit!! Glad your here.
varenicline (Chantix) and bupropion (Zyban)
Many Blessings Kim
Welcome to our community!
The most important thing you can do right now is to educate yourself on what nicotine does to your body and mind. To that end, I also highly recommend Allen Carr's “The Easy Way to Stop Smoking.” This is an easy and entertaining read. You can search for a free pdf of it on the net (copyright enforcement won't allow me to post the link here).
You should also read the posts here and perhaps go to the pages of folks who you think might be helpful. You might visit whyquit.com, quitsmokingonline.com and livewell.com for the good information contained there. @https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/groups/best-of-ex has lots of blogs written by members of this site with their experiences and guidance. You should also do the tracking and separation exercises suggested in My Quit Plan http://www.becomeanex.org/my-quit-plan.php
The idea is to change up your routines so the smoking associations are reduced. Drink your coffee with your OTHER hand. If you always had that first smoke with your coffee, try putting your tennies on right out of bed, going for a quick walk, then taking your shower and THEN your coffee! Rearrange the furniture in the areas you used to smoke so the view is different. Buy your gas at a different station. Take a different route to work. Take a quick walk at break time where the smokers AREN'T.
You need to distract yourself through any craves. You can take a bite out of a lemon (yup - rind and all), put your head in the freezer and take a deep breath of cold air, do a few jumping jacks, go for a brisk walk or march in place, play a computer game. Don't let that smoking thought rattle around in your brain unchallenged. Sometimes you need to quit a minute or an hour at a time. You will need to be disciplined in the early days to distract yourself when a crave hits. Get busy! Here is a link to a list of things to do instead of smoke if you need some fresh ideas:
The conversation in your head in response to the "I want a cigarette" thought needs to be, "Well, since I have decided not to do that anymore, what shall I do instead for the three minutes this crave will last?" Then DO it. You will need to put some effort into this in the early days, but it gets easier and easier to do.
Stay close to us here and ask questions when you have them and for support when you need it. We will be with you every step of the way!
Nancy
Welcome to EX, you have gotten some great advice above, I really cannot add anything except to say that it is possible that the side effects will dissipate with time.
Stay as close to the site as you can, the support is invaluable.
Ellen
How's it going Mainy? You hanging in? We're rootin' for ya! Don't you give up now.
Thanks. I am hanging in there. Day 21 on chantix. I am down from 1 pack a day to about 3-4 smokes a day. I feel I can do without, only morning coffee with mom is the greatest temptation. Today I am trying to go all day without one puff.
Don't try to quit BEFORE you quit! Reducing down to less than 5 a day keeps you unnecessarily uncomfortable ALL the time, as those sensors in your brain are STILL demanding to be fed. When you quit - they gradually figure out it's over. They are just jonesing ALL the time if you are trying it this way.
Sounds to me like you are ready to quit. Find a new morning routine. Ask Mom to move the coffee routine to a different area, change it up to get over that association. Take a shower FIRST? Maybe a quick walk BEFORE coffee? Hold your cup with your OTHER hand? I treated myself to a frozen Hershey Kiss with my AM coffee. Worked for me!
Stay in touch - let us know how we can help1
Nancy
If you're down to 3 or four a day, that's the perfect time to let them go. Take the plunge. Freedom is just around the corner!
I'm halfway through the book "The easyway to quit smoking" I'm going on vacation this weekend and I will not have any.
Excellent! I enjoyed that book immensely! Have a great smoke-free weekend.
That's Nany? (notany)
Have a great weekend
Take the journey one day at a time. Welcome to EX
You have come to the right place for a new day and a new beginning.. This is all about you and what you are willing to do to be smoke free. Quitting smoking requires hard work. It can be challenging at times but you will learn that it is doable if you adhere to NOPE not one puff ever no matter what.
Start first, by educating yourself about nicotine addiction.
Education is the key to a successful quit.
Read: Freedom from Nicotine My Journey Home and Nicotine Addiction 101
Here are the links: http://whyquit.com/whyquit/LinksAAddiction.html and http://whyquit.com/ffn/
I also encourage you to read. Allen Carr’s book, “Easy Easier Way to Quit Smoking”.
Go to http://www.becomeanex.org/how-to-quit-smoking.php#thl and get started