Short Temper and Chantix

[spunkie]

I am just wondering what everyone thinks about all the members having problems with short tempers from about day 45 to day 70 (plus if they stay on the Chantix) I have stopped taking it and think I am on day 84 my husband and both quit smoking same day he stopped Chantix 2 weeks ago because of the angry and I stopped 3 days ago I do seem calmer but I am wondering is it the medication or just the lost of our smoking monster? What do you all think??

[chrissy5]

I Think That It Is A Side Effect Because I Never Had A Temper Because I Stoped Taking The Chantix After A Month.

[spunkie]

See Chrissy you only took Chantix about 35 or so days most of the people I see post about short temper problems are up in the 50 and 60 th day of their quit and like me still on Chantix I wish I knew is it the smoking monster or talking the Chantix for that long ... I quit it like I said but having so strong cravings may start taking 1/2 pill in the am or something and see how that goes

[mlynne]

Spunkie, both my husband and I are Chantix quitters. He has stopped after 11 weeks (he was on one-per-day for about a week) and I'm doing 1 a day (I'm at 9 weeks). I have noticed we're both a little grumpier, and we're blaming the meds. Last weekend we both were out of sorts and it finally blew up over "how to properly clean the grill top." Sheesh....LOL... We called a truce, and have been getting along fine ever since. But it could be the heat too, or the realization that this quitting is a long-term thing. The excitement of being a new quitter is wearing off and now we're slogging along, day by day. Still not smoking, but we do talk about it. Still not smoking, but we think about it. Feeling great about not smoking, but we "miss" it. (Not really, but you know what I mean.) Some friends of ours used Chantix to quit earlier this year, and I remember them saying they were at each other's throats even after 10 weeks. At the time I wrote it off to their marriage chemistry (they're both a little hot-headed to begin with), but now I understand how that could have happened. BTW, they're still married, and they're still quit! I'm going to finish my Chantix packet .... there are enough pills to last me a month if I take one a day. I want this quit to be my last one. And I am confident Hubby and me will survive!

[spunkie]

Well group just had another big blow up over where to park the car WOW this is not like us we never even had disagreement that amounted to anything but now this is terrible ... just do not know what to do except work it out one step at a time.

thanks for sharing it helps to hear how other are doing with this problem.

Back to being Smoke free and loving it but not the temper.

[kristen14]

It is Deff the meds.
This is why people with history of mental illness and or depression can not take Chantix.
It messes with a very emotional sensitive are of the brain.
The mood swings are most deff, from Chantix. The smoking aspect and withdrawal from smoking are long gone by day 45.
Prolonged use of Chantix is not recommended by any doc. and my doc told me that alot of Dr.'s will not prescribe it for more than 3 months anymore. It starts to make some people loopy after that.

[spunkie]

Kristen

You are right it was making us loopy ... I think it was the meds to but what surprised me was why was it ok the first couple of weeks no side effects what do you think about that??????

[brian39]

Spunkie I really think its the quit. There are many many many changes happening in your body and brain since you stopped smoking. It becomes hard to separate Chantix side effects and Quit side effects. When we quit we change the whole way we live. Some people call it the lost feeling and most people start feeling this right about the time you are talking about. We have so much time on our hands that we never have had before. We don't plan when we will have to buy smokes and when we will be able to have a smoke and the time spent smoking that smoke. When you add that up it was a huge part of our day and now we are trying to fill that time. We start feeling lost and our tempers can be way more on the edge then normal. As we fill that time with stuff that we will be doing in our new x smoker life you will start feeling "normal" again and notice way less anger or short temper. I think out of all the things that I have gone through in my quit that was the hardest. Just remember Chantix stays in your system for 7 days so changes after a couple days after stopping taking it are quit changes not chantix changes. 84 days is a great quit. It is so worth it isn't it

brian

[lynne4]

I have to say I took it for 5 weeks and think part of it was quitting, but toward the end, I really think it was the medication. And even in the short time that I took it was altering my emotions, it was quite bizarre. I was very melancholy, no real emotion in me. Then towards the end the temper was kicking in and I had no patience (poor kids!!). But once I got off of it, it was about a week and half and back to normal. While we all know there were some side effects, I know it gave me the start I needed in going smoke free - made me really not like smoking before my quit date and those feelings I had at the beginning are what get me through my urges now.

[spunkie]

Thanks Brain for being wih the group I see you quit in Nov. 2008 WOW you know reading what everyone has said one thing we know is it is a problem and I am believeing that is it caused by both the Chantix and quit it's self. Lynne I was like in the beging I was melancholy but very joyful about being a non smoker then all of a sudden it seemed like that changed yes I was in love with me quit but temper I fussed about stupid things and let there be a real issue like with my cable company OH my the poor person on the other line. I should have told her I was a EX and please close one ear because I was terrible to her not like me at all. I am glad I post this blog because I think it is a bigger problem than we realized for many of us and no matter which causes it we are EX'ers and that is what counts and I angry does get better I can tell even with me it is getting a little better each day .. SMOKE FREE AND LOVING IT Thanks to all for sharing ...