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Give and get support around quitting

dotoole5351
Member

Energy on Chantix??

I started Chantix a few days ago. I'm on day 4, about to up my dosage to 1mg per day. I feel as if I have super concentration powers for the first couple hours after I take it and I have a lot of energy! It seems to be putting me in a better mood. I haven't had any of the bad side effects as of yet, and I'm hoping (optimistic) that I won't. Has anyone experienced this while taking it? All I have read is people feeling extra tired, not perky like I'm experiencing! 

20 Replies
YoungAtHeart
Member

Welcome to our community!

You might have been dragged down with making the decision to quit - and now that you are on the road, you may just naturally feel energized.  I also understand that Chantix somehow triggers dopamine, the feel good drug you get from nicotine.  Other than those thoughts, I have nothin'!  I can tell you that I successfully quit using Chantix for the first couple of weeks (a hospital stay shortened my intended course) and had none of the side effects I had heard about.

The important thing you can do right now is to educate yourself on what nicotine does to your body and mind. To that end, I highly recommend Allen Carr's “The Easy Way to Stop Smoking.” This is an easy and entertaining read. You can search for it online or at your local library. If you do nothing else to get ready for your quit, please do give this a read. You should also do the tracking and separation exercises recommended here on the site.
 

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, quitsmoking.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. Here is a video to inform you further about nicotine addiction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpWMgPHn0Lo&feature=youtu.be.


The idea is to change up your routines so the smoking associations are reduced.  Drink your coffee with your OTHER hand in a place different from when you smoked. Maybe switch to tea for a bit.  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.  Keep a cold bottle of water with you from which to sip. 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:
 https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/blogs/Youngatheart.7.4.12-blog/2013/02/25/100-things-to-do-instea...
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

dotoole5351
Member

Thank you for your response! I didn't think about it that way, I suppose it's definitely a possibility! I am actually currently reading Allen Carr's book in preparation for my quit date of 3/25/19! I read a blog post on another site that people who suffered from anxiety/depression before taking Chantix have had the same reaction as I am having, but I am not diagnosed with either of those things. I'm going to ride it out and continue journaling about how I feel throughout the journey.

sweetplt
Member

Hi and Welcome to Ex's ...glad you found our site...I am sure you will get many responses from your post...I never used Chantix so I can not be of help...I just wanted to Congratulate you on your decision to quit smoking...~ Colleen 108 DOF 

elvan
Member

Welcome to EX, I really don't have any experience with Chantix but I certainly think that you sound great.  Please pay attention to all that YoungAtHeart‌ has shared with you and please know that we all want you to be successful.  Stay close to the site, keep up that journaling, that's really a wonderful tool.  I know that the first few days of a quit can be seriously invigorating...there is that part of yourself that never thought you would be able to do it and you are SO PROUD...this journey IS a journey and it is so worth taking.  I came to the site every morning and every evening when I first quit and I still try to come here every day when I can.  The support and the friendships are amazing!

Glad you are here,

Ellen

Giulia
Member

I didn't take Chantix, but I did have an abundance of energy when I quit.  Mostly mental energy.  My mind was on FIRE.  My creativity sparked.  I also agree with Nancy's comment above:

You might have been dragged down with making the decision to quit - and now that you are on the road, you may just naturally feel energized.

For me I think it was craving energy.  Rather than sit there dwelling in smokey tarry thoughts, I deliberately kept my mind engaged on other things.  ANYTHING other!  lol  And I kept my body busy too.  Exercising produces energy.  

Hey if you feel super concentration powers and lots of energy - don't knock it!  Quitting can be EXCITING!  In three days you're going to begin a whole new amazing journey.  It's empowering and transforming.  Think of it that way and you'll dance down that smoke-free path!

Jenny.Lynn
Member

Hello! I started taking Chantix 3/18/19 with my quit date set for 4/1!! Sounds like we are similar on timelines. I also had a little “boost” of energy with minimal side effects (other than funky dreams lol). I have been taking meds for depression and anxiety since 2010, so I’m not sure if that’s the cause. I’m currently down to 5-6 cigs from 25-30 (ughhh can’t believe it was that much) and I am already feeling better with more energy. I’m not gonna lie, I am incredibly nervous for the quit. I’m 28 and have been smoking since I was 15. I’ve lived my entire adult life with cigs. I would love to hear about how your progress is going! Best of luck! 

dotoole5351
Member

Same time lines, same age and almost same start time! I’m officially 3 days smoke free and as we know, everyone’s quit journey is different, but I have been doing very well. No side effects other than feeling a little backed up (ya know...) and having a little more trouble falling asleep when I started taking the 2mg a day but tonight I cut the night pill in half so we shall see! What has worked for me with stopping was A LOT of research and reading Allen Carr’s book. And just saying I am done. Cigarettes do nothing for me. NOPE. I wish you the best and let’s stay in touch through out our quits. 

Jenny.Lynn
Member

I am about 40 hours smoke free!! I decided to just rip the bandage off so to speak cause the cigs were just perpetuating the craves. And I have read Allen Carrs book, it does help! I also understand the ‘backed up’ issue. I don’t know if it’s the Chantix, lack of nicotine, or both lol. But yeah, that’s pretty miserable. How was it to half the Chantix? I’m so new into my quit I’m scared to mess with it haha. I figure I will after 12 week. My doc gave me a script for 6 months but I don’t want/feel like I will need it for that long. I definitely would like to keep in touch and provide support! 

0 Kudos
elvan
Member

‌ Jenny.Lynn  DO stay close, blog, comment, learn from others and read everything you can about nicotine addiction.  You will not regret quitting.   Everyone here is helping everyone else, that's how this works.  Education, support, and commitment.  I have no experience with chantix so cannot advise you on that but give yourself a little time of freedom before you mess around with whatever is working for you.

Ellen