Anyone Else Using Chantix to Quit Smoking?

[tink38]

Thanks for the advice, Pluto!

Our friends are non-smokers, but my DH DOES still smoke. (Although not nearly as much as I do!)

Sadly, we aren't going to Vegas. We'll be doing mostly outdoor things, and kids will be there. (Their 2 and my 1) We don't EVER smoke inside, so that's not an issue for me. I'm just terrified of being a grouch - especially since I've never "met" these friends in person! (We met on the DIS!)

I must say, I'm scared of the gas. (See tag at left) I'm thinking I should at least spare them that and wait.

I'll wait to see if anyone else has more advice.

 

[vellamint]

Day 5 - started the two a day yesterday with no problems....even my headache is gone. Bad taste on my tongue though....

Saturday is my quit day.

Im scared, lol.

 

[need_a_Disney_fix]

You can do this! My DH tried EVERYTHING to quit smoking and Chantix DID IT!!! You go, girl!

 

[PixieDust32]

I quit smoking about 4 years ago, I just didn't smoke anymore, I said to my self no more and that was it.

 

[MickeyMike]

When PlutoLuvr first started this thread a month ago I had taken Chantix for over a week and was on my third day quit. I did not post because I wanted to be sure that I could actually stop smoking.

Well, now it has been about 5 weeks quit and I am pretty darn sure that I will remain a non-smoker for the rest of my life.

Chantix made it easy to stop smoking. I tried many other things to quit but nothing ever worked.

 

[tink38]

You all give me so much hope!

I've decided to wait until Monday to start my dosage. I don't want to scare my friends while we are on vacation!

I've been trying to eat really healthy and drink lots of water this week. I find it helps with the cravings.

Even though I only had the one (WRONG) dose yesterday, I did notice that my smokes were not tasting too good already. I'm hopeful!

 

[MARY-IN-OH]

When PlutoLuvr first started this thread a month ago I had taken Chantix for over a week and was on my third day quit. I did not post because I wanted to be sure that I could actually stop smoking.

Well, now it has been about 5 weeks quit and I am pretty darn sure that I will remain a non-smoker for the rest of my life.

Chantix made it easy to stop smoking. I tried many other things to quit but nothing ever worked.

good for you!! I hope to post the same thing in a few weeks!
-mary

 

[Luckymommyx2]

Congrats to everyone that has quit so far. My DH just started Chantix this morning!! He too has tried everything under the sun and I'm praying that this is it for him. It's been great hearing everyone's experience with Chantix. Continued good

 

[vellamint]

Vellamint, hope your headache gets better soon.

I totally hear you on the smoking spots on vacation. It sucks. It will be really different not being ruled by those stupid maps and DSA's won't it? I know on vacation at the World (or Universal, too), I'm constantly wondering where I can sneak one in. Oh, the fam wants to go on Space Mountain, eh? I can't go on that, so I break out the maps and find where I can smoke. And after meals when everyone's ready to go walk and go on rides, I need to figure out how I can get a smoke in. It will be awesome to not have to go through that CRAP anymore, won't it!!!!!!!

Best of luck to you. You can absolutely do it!!

HA! LOL...I already KNOW all of the smoking spots....how sad am I? Maybe next year when we go I wont need to keep finding excuses to walk to the other side of the park (fastpass runner, need a soda, ladies room). I was always finding a reason to walk away so everyone else would not have to stop what they were doing because of me. Not that I would let them stop but then I always felt like an idiot sitting there smoking alone instead of enjoying the parks.

Anyway...I am on day 6. Taking two a day doesnt seem to feel different except I am definitely more tired than usual. I am starting to feel that since I am not getting many side effects that this is not going to work for me . The smokes dont taste as good but not bad enough for me to toss them....yet.

Tell me I am being silly. Saturday is my quit day.

 

[PlutoLuvr]

You're not being silly at all, Vellamint. I think most people wonder when the med is going to "kick in" and often believe it "isn't working."

Honestly -- and I'll bet that those on this thread that have taken that big step with Chantix of stepping over to the nonsmoking side will agree -- the med REALLY kicks in and "works" when you put the smokes down. The med, while smoking, never really got me to the point where I didn't want to smoke. If the cigs were there, available, with a lighter and ashtray there, by golly, I would smoke. They tasted different, and I often couldn't finish a whole one in one sitting, and I guess subconsciously my brain wasn't getting much from them.

Where the med is amazing is when you get rid of the ashtrays, the lighters, smoke or drown your last smokes and there you are, not smoking and not having smokes available to you, you're just not going out of your mind wanting one. Craves become thoughts and not really much else.

Where the med stops, however, is with the actual habit -- IMO, anyway. You'll need to for sure have a plan of action on what you're going to do during those times you would have smoked, i.e., on the phone, driving, after meals, coffee, stuff like that. But as long as you've got a "plan" to help you during those times, the med turns what would have been a blinding, searing, "I'm going out of my mind for a cig" crave into, "Wow, sure, I'd like one, but I can make it without one" thought.

I was extremely skeptical. I loved smoking and felt I had to quit -- not so sure I "wanted" to quit. I took the med for 15 days and still smoked because I kept waiting for the med to work. The night of day 14 on the med, DH said he was ready to quit and that I could keep smoking, but I'd be on my own. I remember making a deal with myself at that time, that I'll finish that pack and if I'm going out of my mind for a smoke after that, I'll throw in the towel and go get some smokes. I even left my ashtray, lighter and (empty) cigarette case there in the garage. I was that convinced (a) I wasn't ready and (b) the med wasn't working right on me.

That was 66 days ago. That, "I'm going out of my mind for a smoke" feeling just never hit. And I'd tried to quit so many times before with patches, gums, Wellbutrin, cold turkey, weaning, hypnosis, behavior modification. I was too weak to deal with those just awful craves and resulting depression when I realized I couldn't smoke.

You are going to be really surprised tomorrow. And if you're not ready tomorrow, don't beat yourself up. Pick another date or let a date pick you, i.e., "This is my last pack. After I'm finished with this pack, I will not buy any more."

Please let us know how it goes for you!!!

 

[PlutoLuvr]

Just wanted to share a few things that have helped with my quit.

Lots of water and juices that first week quit. I didn't know that smoking affects blood sugar, so that first week without smokes can be a doozy! Push lots of fluids and eat at regular intervals.

Get moving! Totally change the routine when you "would have" smoked. Even several short (five or ten-minute) walks a day greatly help. After a meal, I would have smoked. Try a quick walk around the block instead.

Have stuff to reach for. Some folks used straws, swizzle sticks, gum, mints. Whatever. Have them all over your house, your desk, your car, your purse or pockets. I buy the sugar-free Orbit mint mojito gum from BJ's. I buy a pretty good amount of it, so I always have a treat to reach for when a smoking urge hits.

Plan on something to occupy your hands and mind. I needed something to pass the time. I found a little hand-held Uno and Yahtzee game at Wal-Mart. DH likes to play video games on the Playstation and Nintendo. Well, there are some really cool, easy, mindless family-friendly games you can get for these, and the time flies by. We play Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy and these things called party games. Party games are mindless, simple 30-second challenges you play against either the computer or a live player in the room with you. I also picked up my old cross-stitches I hadn't finished years ago.

Rewards, rewards, rewards. Our brains associated smoking with stress, anger, sadness, boredom, anxiety, but it also associated smoking with happy times. Our brains saw smoking as a reward when we were happy or excited. Make sure you reward yourself often. We prepare ourselves for the stress and anxiety, but we often forget about the void we'll face not smoking during the "good times."

The other day, DH had mowed the lawn and then it rained. I specifically went outside for a good ten minutes just to really smell that. I started smoking as a kid. I don't remember what a freshly-mowed, just-rained-on lawn smelled like.

There are so many "first" for us long-term smokers. Use those "firsts" as rewards.

 

[MoniqueU]

Today is my husbands quit day. He went to the doctor and got the results of some blood work. Mostly ok, and now he is off with our oldest son to the mountains to just get out of town and get moving. Very good for him. I hope this is it for him.
WTG everyone else WOOHOO>

 

[MARY-IN-OH]

This thread has been very important to me (and from the looks of it, to a lot of other people too!).

Plutolvr thank you for your continued support and words of encouragement. They mean a lot.

Taking Chantix 1/2 pill 4x per day really helped reduce the stomach ache as well as eating first, waiting a bit, and drinking water. Thanks for that tip!

Today is Day 5 smoke free, hope I can keep it up! My DH is not quite there yet, but I am not giving up on him.
-mary

 

[need_a_Disney_fix]

I am so happy to report that my awesome DH has won the battle!!! After many, many years of smoking he has kicked it with the help of Chantix. I cannot believe it! In the 30 years I have known him he has tried so many things to quit and Chantix did it. It is indeed a miracle and I thank God for this miracle drug. I would like to let everyone know that coming off Chantix is not ease, especially if you quit the med cold turkey. I would highly advise a tapering off process and consult your doctor on how. DH still gets an urge to smoke but he quickly thinks back to that lst cig that almost caused him to cough up a lung. He also cannot stand the smell of anyone smoking. I wish everyone the best of luck and no smoking.

 

[rie'smom]

My mom is using Chantix and while I'm happy for her to have cut back,I feel very sorry for my dad and the rest of us. She has turned into a major BWORD.
I'm 49 and I'm telling you that she was always edgy but now she has gone over the edge.

 

[MoniqueU]

My mom is using Chantix and while I'm happy for her to have cut back,I feel very sorry for my dad and the rest of us. She has turned into a major BWORD.
I'm 49 and I'm telling you that she was always edgy but now she has gone over the edge.

I can relate. I quit cold turkey and I jumped off the edge with no parachute. I was shaking, sweating, cussing, screaming. The only time I or anyone else had any peace was when I slept. Your mom may need to call her doctor and see if there is something extra they can give her. It took me a good 6 months or maybe more before I was even able to do more then a few minutes in a public place because I was so edgy. Heck today is my husbands quit day and I feel edgy NOW LOL. He seems to be doing fine.
I would definetly urge her to call her doctor.

 

[rie'smom]

I can relate. I quit cold turkey and I jumped off the edge with no parachute. I was shaking, sweating, cussing, screaming. The only time I or anyone else had any peace was when I slept. Your mom may need to call her doctor and see if there is something extra they can give her. It took me a good 6 months or maybe more before I was even able to do more then a few minutes in a public place because I was so edgy. Heck today is my husbands quit day and I feel edgy NOW LOL. He seems to be doing fine.
I would definetly urge her to call her doctor.

Thanks, I'll mention it to her.......from a distance.

 

[vellamint]

Well, I am on day five and only had one cigarette. The cravings up to today were not bad at all but for some reason I am having a really bad time today. And edgy is not even the word. I have warned my family to BACK OFF on all those annoying things that family always does to each other.......

I am trying really really hard.....

 

[PlutoLuvr]

Monique, how is your hubby doing? Today day 3 for him, right?

Mary, WTG!!!! And how is your hubby doing?

need_a_Disney_fix, that's just so awesome about your hubby. I feel the same way about the smell of smoke now. I can't fathom that I actually used to enjoy that smell!

Rie'smom, I agree a call to the doc might be in order. However, keep in mind how this drug works! Her brain is not getting satisfaction from the smokes, and this makes almost everyone who's taking the med and smoking EXTREMELY irritable. For anyone who's tried to or successfully quit cold turkey before, the days you're smoking and on the med feel like those first 72 hours of a cold turkey quit. The first two weeks I was smoking and on the med, I was a bear -- when I wasn't having a crying meltdown. I had SERIOUS doubts that I would be able to stay on the med for, OMG, three to six months based on how I felt smoking on Chantix. But once I put the smokes down, 99 percent of the irritability and sadness disappeared. Of course, there are rough days and rough situations, but those weeks smoking on the med were by far the worst from a mental standpoint, i.e., irritability, anger, sadness, moody. I wish her the best!!!!!!!

Vellamint, congrats to you! Please don't give in. There will be hard days, but lighting up will not fix whatever stress you're having. Lighting up will only add to the stress. I know you know this. Remember your motivations for quitting. I'm looking at that beautiful family in your signature. I KNOW they want you to be successful. And I know you want to be successful. I really do. Think about how awesome your vacations will be without this disgusting habit ruling you and your trip. Think of the extra money you will have. Think of the extra LIFE you will have to enjoy more vacations.

My mother was a 30+year smoker who quit with DH & I with the help of Chantix. She got a facial this past Saturday as a "treat" for herself. She told the technician that she'd quit smoking, and the technician spent about two hours getting the yellow tar and nicotine out of her pores. She explained that when you sweat, your pores are slightly opened, and when you smoke while sweating, tar and nicotine get into those pores. She said that you yourself can't see it, but smokers' faces are yellow. She used these cloths on my mother's face for a couple hours literally squeezing all the yellow out with various tools and wiping, squeeze, wipe, squeeze, wipe. When she was finished, we saw the cloths the tech had used. They were positively yellow! And my mother looks so different now. She really was yellow.

Please don't give up! These "tough" days will become easier and easier. I swear to you. Every time you get though a crave successfully, you will become even more confident that you'll get through the next one. And don't forget about the help you're getting from Chantix. I'm sure you don't want to have to go through this again, right?

Stay strong!!!!

 

[rie'smom]

Mom started using the Chantix anout 5 months ago. She still smokes 3 a day. so she is getting some drug to he brain. Yesterday, I called just to talk to she and dad and she ripped my head off about my brother buying a house.
She was a maniac and until she catches a grip,for MY mental health, I'm staying away from her. If I see her number on caller ID,I'm not answering. I'll call my dad on his cell. She's like Mr. Hyde and I'm sorry but if this is what quitting smoking is doing to her,then I wish that she would start again.