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Discuss different approaches to quitting, including medication

ladymullet
Member

starting Chantix

I have a couple of questions. The first being that about 15 minutes after I take the Chantix (with a meal) I get so very sick, can I cut it down to half a pill twice a day and still be effective? The second how long does it take to work. I have been on it for 5 days, and not much has happened, I have cut back but sheer willpower. I still want a cigg. I have smoked a pack a day for about 33 years.
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donna22
Member

I had the same problem but only for the first couple days then I decided to have a piece of toast and 1/2 container of yogurt and then i would take the pill and the rest of the yogurt, I don'[t know if that's what did it but I don't feel sick anymore....good luck

Donna
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sandy14
Member

I would ask your doctor about cutting the pill in half and how effective that would be. Shouldn't hurt you physically to do that. Here's the thing with Chantix, smoked the 1st 7 days but gradually found no pleasure in smoking. I still had the urge to smoke but was not satisfied when I did have a cigarette. So thats what made it easier to quit is there was no pleasure in smoking and it didn't taste good. Stick with it and make sure you eat before you take Chantix.
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janie5
Member

Think the instructions is to take AFTER A MEAL. That might make a difference with your nausea. I personally wait till about 5 minutes after eating and then chugalug a bottle of water with the pill. I did have nausea one time and that was when I took pill before eating about half and hour. Won't do that again.

5 days....you are close to starting the 1 mg twice a day. I would call your doctor and get some advice from him of how to proceed. Espeically if it is making you not feel good.

Good Luck!
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havilah
Member

Yes!! In fact, what I would recommend from my experience with Chantix is take 1/2 in the morning and a full pill right before you go to bed when you start taking 1mg 2x a day.. It made me so sick, vomiting sick that I had to cut my morning dose down. The night dose, because I took it before I slept, had no effect on me. Also, you have only been on this for 5 days. It took me several weeks before my body got used to this drug. After 2 weeks of nausea I cut down to the above recommendation. Worked like a dream. Did that for months and just recently cut down to only taking a pill at night before bed. Works wonders. Haven't smoked for months now and don't have the urge or desire.
Good luck to you. I didn't think I could do it and am so proud of myself, with the help of Chantix of course 🙂
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diana11
Member

Hi,
I couldn't take 2 whole pills a day try 1 1/2 that worked for me....and for me the first time i took chantix after 4 days i didnt need a smoke but did anyway cause i wanted a certain quit date. This time i wanted the same date and i had a bad reaction to chantix the 1st day so i waited til the weekend to take it again. I smoked for 20 to 30 years. Just smoke 2 more days and maybe by then you wont want them anymore. I was amazed that my urge went away. it was more the psychological part that i had to fight....i think that is hard in itself. well good luck
Diana
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dk_
Member

I felt like hell too, but continued on. It got better. Beginning on week 3 and hardly any nausea now, but if I get it I eat something. All better.
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rob17
Member

You should be able to cut the pills in half with no problem. I did that for a couple of weeks at my doctor's recommendation. I wasn't getting sick, but I felt tired *all* the time. When I got my prescription refilled, I got the .5 mg pills. This dosage was created for people who can't tolerate the full 1 mg dosage.

And as someone else mentioned, you will still want a cigarette while on Chantix, but you won't get enjoyment from it. I read somewhere (I forget where) that it becomes akin to smoking a carrot 🙂

Good luck,
Rob
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