Wow. That's a lot of questions 🙂 I've got answers (or suggestions) for a couple of them. First of all, it sounds like you're already planning on modifying the dosage before you even start. If I were you, I'd check with my doctor and let him/her know about your concerns. I believe the med can be prescribed in either 1mg or 0.5mg dosages. If you already have the script, yes, you can cut them in half. I've not seen any information saying otherwise and my doctor suggested it when I called him with my concerns about side effects I was experiencing.
I would suggest against the Chantix/patch plan. It sounds like a recipe for failure. The two work on completely different levels. The patch is a substitute for cigarettes that still provides nicotine. Chantix prevents the "aaahh" feeling one gets when smoking a cigarette by blocking the dopamine receptors in the brain.
So, think about it. If you take Chantix for a week and then stop it and start the patches, then the first day or so, the patch won't do anything for you. Then, as the Chantix gets out of your system, the patches will kind of "take over" the job. In effect, you've wasted whatever you spent on the Chantix.
Sorry, I'm rambling again 🙂 As for how long on Chantix until you quit, 1 - 2 weeks should work and it shouldn't make much of a difference on 1 or 2.
Cheers,
Rob
