Zoloft and Chantix

Discussion created by becky-lewis on Sep 1, 2008
Latest reply on Sep 2, 2008 by adam14

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Does anyone know if you can take Chantix with Zoloft. I really want to try it because I have heard great things about it....But, I do take Zoloft. I am scheduled to visit my doctor next week but dont want to wait that long....any advise would be ncie. Thanks for caring!!

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12 Replies

pspam Sep 1, 2008 5:22 PM
Hi Becky. Definitely check with your doc. I see mine day after tomorrow as I am now on Wellbutrin and want to know if I can add Chantix to the Wellbutrin. I did try Chantix last year and did very well with it for about 3 weeks but then I got some really bad headaches and I was supposed to increase the dosage and I used it as an excuse to go back to smoking and stopped the Chantix. I was SO STUPID because the second time I tried Chantix it didn't work the same way it did the first time. I am hoping that the third time along with the Wellbutrin and some NRT's just might do the trick. I am going to ARM MYSELF with replacements this time. I think it was on Oprah's site where I saw an MD post that it is OK to take Chantix with antiD's but check with your doc to be on the safe side. That same MD said that *die hard* smokers like myself should utilize as many NRT's as they need. I am taking him at his word :-)

Peace
Pam

PS - The first time I ever tried Chantix I can honestly say that I felt some sort of *switch or click* in my brain on what must be our *addictive center* because 20 minutes after I took that first pill I wondered why I had ever smoked (or had any addictive behaviors in the past for that matter). It truly was going to be the *miracle pill* for me if I just had not gotten those dang headaches. I deal with pains 24/7 but I have never dealt well with headaches and thankfully have had very few in my lifetime.
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adam14 Sep 2, 2008 12:54 AM
Give the doc a ring first, the thing about anti-depressants like Zoloft and all of the other SSRI's is that they all work differently depending on the patient. At the very least check in with your pharmacist. They are a seldom used/referenced resource on this website and in many cases they are better educated than the docs on smoking cessation medications. Plus they can take into account all of the meds your on not just the Chantix and Zoloft. Added plus, pharmacists will do this for free and all you have to do is call or stop by; there should always be someone who will take the time to talk to you...no waiting rooms, no call-backs.
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becky-lewis Sep 2, 2008 2:29 AM
Adam, you are awesome. Thank you so much for the reply and direction!!
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donna22 Sep 2, 2008 6:02 AM
Hey Becky, just want to let you know that I take Zoloft for panic attacks and am also taking Chantix...when I went to the dr and we talked about Chantix I had told him that I wanted to quit the Zoloft because I think I'm fine but he said to wait until I was finished with the Chantix, which can cause depression...he didn't want to throw me into a tail spin I guess LOL I still think it's best to check with your own Dr...I'm not dishing out med advice just what I was told...good luck
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amber Sep 2, 2008 1:10 PM
I would definitely say see your doctor or call him or her to make sure that you can take both. But be ready for a time of your life when you fall asleep. My dreams were so vivid and so disturbing that I would wake up in the middle of the night and not be able to fall back asleep. Also, Chantix has been linked to suicides, ideations of suicide, and diabetes as you probably already know. I would suggest that if you want pick up a book called The EasyWay to Stop Smoking by Allen Carr. I just picked it up today and cannot, I mean, cannot put it down. It shines a whole new light on quitting and staying smoke-free. Good luck!
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pspam Sep 2, 2008 1:17 PM
Hi Amber. I googled that book and found this website: http://allencarr.com/central/ It has lots of celebs that say they stopped smoking with that method. Is there any wisdom you can share with us from the book? It would be much appreciated.

Peace
Pam
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pspam Sep 2, 2008 1:29 PM
Oh My. I also just noticed that Allen Carr passed away from lung cancer at the age of 72 in 2006. It said he smoked 100 cigs a day?? I dont' see how that is even possible. Very sad.

http://allencarr.com/central/article/103/to-leave-a-message-of-cond...
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In the obit it says:
According to Carr, his method entails no willpower, but something much simpler - the realisation on the part of the smoker that nicotine addiction is a type of illusion or confidence trick. "Once they realise that cigarettes are the cause of their stress, and not its remedy," he would write, "they can no more believe in their need to smoke than they can kid themselves the Earth is flat."

What Carr had seen was the central tenet of his Easyway method of quitting. Smoking, he reasoned, rather than being pleasurable, was merely a device to get rid of withdrawal symptoms - "like banging your head against a brick wall in order to feel better when you stop". He gave up immediately, and started a clinic from his home in Surrey.

There is speculation that Carr's lung cancer, diagnosed last summer, might have been the result of working in his clinics - he spent years sitting in smoke-filled rooms, trying to tell people that their addiction was an illusion. When his cancer was found to be inoperable, he said he was less shocked than he might have imagined. "I've cured 25m smokers over the years," he said, "and if my illness is the price for that, it's worth paying."
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becky-lewis Sep 2, 2008 5:49 PM
Wow, what a nice story. I often wondered why I feel like I need to have a cigarette. Sometimes I enjoy it and sometimes I dont. I flew to Europe this summer and went almost 20 hours without smoking. Its all in your head, however its that part of my head that taunts me.......First day of Chantix! ! Will keep you posted!! Thanks for all the support!
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becky-lewis Sep 2, 2008 5:52 PM
Donna, thank you very much. You have put me at ease. I go to the doctor Friday, however I just started Chantix. I got it from a friend who quit after 25 plus years of smoking. She had extra and stopped taking it because she doenst want to smoke. It worked for her which is a miracle. I have known her for 25 years and we have both smoked together. Thank you Deanna!!! I sent her a request to join!
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pspam Sep 3, 2008 4:43 PM
Hi Becky. I was thinking about you today. I saw my MD psychiatrist and asked him about Chantix and antidepressants. He said he didn't know of any reason that people couldn't take both BUT he wasn't very *big* on the idea of Chantix at all. He said he has had patients become suicidal, hallucinate, horrible dreams, etc. I told him I took it last year for three weeks on the Wellbutrin and got headaches but no other side effects (I think he forgot even though I had cleared it with him last year! LOL) I see my internist tomorrow and I think I am going to ask him for another RX for Chantix. I guess I am starting to panic about 9-11 quit date and want to have every NRT available to me that I can get. Good luck!

Peace
Pam
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becky-lewis Sep 3, 2008 4:51 PM
Pam,

Thank you so much. Nice to know you were thinking about me. I actually started the pack yesterday I am on day 2. So far just a pretty bad headache today. Everyone was so helpful on this site with regards to my options that I felt it was ok to start. Self medicating....!! Anyway, keep me posted on your progress. I havent decided on a quit day yet, but hope that each day gets me stronger and stronger. Uugh!!!

Peace be with you!

Becky
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dianne-budzinski Sep 9, 2008 5:02 PM
I take Cymbalta and Chantix and I thing it was the combination that helped me to put the smokes down after 32 years. It has been almost 2 months and well I have only gained 3 lbs. It works for me. Good Luck!
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