Round 2 of Chantix... fml

[NYCGarbagePrince]

Well, I started my second round of Chantix last week. Tomorrow is my official quit day. I was partially successful for 6 months last year, until I went to Vegas.

I don't know if anyone else on this board has tried Chantix, but the side effects are brutal. Don't let anyone tell you differently. Sleeping is futile. It's only been a week and I find myself staying awake fearing what I might dream when I fall asleep. One of the most widely experienced side effects is vivid dreams. People might think that's great. It's not. You wake up drained, and paranoid.

Besides the nightmares, there is that little problem with suicidal ideation. Now, I don't remember if I thought about suicide during the 2 months I took it last time. But i remember being a bit depressed and confused all the time. In one of the many first hand accounts I have read, I stumbled upon this quote that I thought was comical.

“Chantix made me desperately suicidal, just crazy,” she says. “I joked to my friends that Chantix was the ultimate quit-smoking drug, because when you kill yourself, there’s no chance of relapse.”

Well, I guess I could have avoided all of this had I just not smoked in the first place.

[Feyd]

Damn.

I assumed you've tried all other alternatives first?


F'ing with brain chemestry leads to crazy shit in some people. I had a friend in college who's mom started taking a new drug (different brand, but same type she'd been taking for quite some time) and for some reason she reacted really poorly to it.

I guess she was having really crazy psycho spells where she tried killing herself/her husband... would call my friend and tell him that she was going to drive down and stab him.

Funny thing was that it wasn't marketed as any kind of drug that would affect brain function. If memory serves, I think it was some kind of heart medication? And because it was seen as unrelated she went undiagnosed for a couple weeks while she was still taking the drug. Eventually (the geniuses) narrowed it down to the drug being the only thing that was different in her life that could be causing the episodes. She went off the drug and was completely back to normal 48 hours later.


Good luck with quiting though... smoking is nasty and you are almost certainly guaranteed a very un-romantic death directly from it, or issues related to it's use.

[Rawhide]

I tried various methods to quit and they all failed after a few months max. The only thing that finally worked for me was cold turkey (going on 3 years now). Never tried Chantix, but I've heard similar stories about the side effects.

The best thing imo is to go toe to toe with your demon. But good luck to you, hope the drugs work.

[ragingclue]

At what point do the side effects outweigh the possible benefits?

[CollinsE90]

So you kill yourself smoking, or kill yourself trying to quit


"Damned if you do, Damned if you don't"(OP should appreciate that quote)

[BTM]

GL - things like this humble my experience with smoking, only a few years and no problem quitting really. I know (as I'm sure everyone does) more people that I can count who struggle with this.

[Couch]

Originally Posted by ragingclue

At what point do the side effects outweigh the possible benefits?

Exactly. You're just substituting one set of chemicals for another.

You have to question, which chemicals are worse in the long run.

Bottom line, it comes down to being strong enough to quit. The only people that I know have successfuly quit smoking did so cold turky. They blew tons of money on all the various crap and none of it worked.

But good luck OP. I wish you the best.

[ragingclue]

Originally Posted by Couch

Exactly. You're just substituting one set of chemicals for another.

You have to question, which chemicals are worse in the long run.

Bottom line, it comes down to being strong enough to quit. The only people that I know have successfuly quit smoking did so cold turky. They blew tons of money on all the various crap and none of it worked.

But good luck OP. I wish you the best.

When I was in the Corps, I went back and forth between smoking and not smoking. It had everything to do with who I was around. If I wasn't around smokers, I wouldn't smoke. If I was around smokers, it was much harder not to. Ever since I got out, it has been easy to not smoke, considering no one around me does. Even when I'm around smokers now, I have no urge.

I realize it's not that easy for everyone, but you have to wonder if a situation like that OP's is one where you'd have to look at alternate methods of quitting. Sounds like a real hell.

[Couch]

Originally Posted by ragingclue

When I was in the Corps, I went back and forth between smoking and not smoking. It had everything to do with who I was around. If I wasn't around smokers, I wouldn't smoke. If I was around smokers, it was much harder not to. Ever since I got out, it has been easy to not smoke, considering no one around me does. Even when I'm around smokers now, I have no urge.

I realize it's not that easy for everyone, but you have to wonder if a situation like that OP's is one where you'd have to look at alternate methods of quitting. Sounds like a real hell.

That's very true too.

Your social surroundings can inhibit habits. I know for a lot of people just having a drink means having a cigarette. Similar to your situation.

[BTM]

Originally Posted by ragingclue

When I was in the Corps, I went back and forth between smoking and not smoking. It had everything to do with who I was around. If I wasn't around smokers, I wouldn't smoke. If I was around smokers, it was much harder not to. Ever since I got out, it has been easy to not smoke, considering no one around me does. Even when I'm around smokers now, I have no urge.

I realize it's not that easy for everyone, but you have to wonder if a situation like that OP's is one where you'd have to look at alternate methods of quitting. Sounds like a real hell.

This is sort of how it was/is for me too. Except replace Corps with College

[NYCGarbagePrince]

Originally Posted by BTM

GL - things like this humble my experience with smoking, only a few years and no problem quitting really. I know (as I'm sure everyone does) more people that I can count who struggle with this.

I have been smoking since I was 16. I have been smoking 3/4 pack or more a day on average since I was 18. I am a full blown nicotine addict. I smoke before I eat breakfast. I need a full pack of ciggs to play golf, and I can't get in my car without lighting up. I have tried the patch and gum. This is the only thing that has taken away the satisfaction that I get from smoking. I truly believe the cause of the depressing mood is based around my lack of satisfaction that I am used to receiving multiple times a day. It is really incredible how effective it is at changing your opinion of smoking.

The longest I have ever quit smoking was during and after I took Chantix. I am gonna stick to the same plan I had last time. Finish the starter pack and never look back. I have read horror stories of people having to wean themselves off Chantix. They had taken the drug for 3-6 months.

In response to the chemical for a chemical debate, smoking is a terrible habit that I would like to cut out of my life. Stress, long hours, and my connection of smoking to these stressors makes cold turkey a very difficult and scary proposition. It hasn't worked before for me. This has.

I appreciate the support guys.

[CollinsE90]

OP let me tell you my story and hopefully you will feel better.

Most of you know in the past I smoked bud, but I'm not talking typical pothead, I smoked 10-12 times a day...the amount of relief I would get was overwhelming, I'm an over analyzer and my brain needs to be going 100 miles an hour to keep me busy or I will sit back and analyze all the things in my life, causing stress and anxiety.

When smoking MJ, all of that would disappear, I wouldn't care anymore and would just sit back and relax. Then the hardest part came, I got to the point that if I WASN'T high, the anxiety multiplied, I couldn't sleep, and I couldn't eat. I had zero appetite and could barely eat when I was high. I had smoked so much I numbed my emotion and taste buds, and smell. So after I got to that point I realized that this isn't for me, I don't like my brain being controlled by something other than me, so I quit cold turkey.

For 2 weeks I barely ate, had trouble sleeping, had the cold sweats every night, and my anxiety was to the point I wanted to get help, but knew they would prescribe a med to mask the real issue, just like bud. So I endeared 2 weeks of absolute hell, but I made it. My anxiety is gone, I sleep so much better, and I'm back to eating normally

Quitting smoking is in your mind, realize that you have to climb the first hill but once you reach it, it is all down hill from there...stay busy, take your mind off of it, and in the end you will become a stronger person not only for quitting something but in life...because that is one of the biggest hurdles you'll leap.

[JayKay335i]

The nicotinic receptors that are stimulated by the nicotine you smoke, release small amounts of dopamine to different areas of your brain. Chantix is a partial agonist. This means that as long as you are on it, those receptors are being stimulated, but not fully activated. Think of it as putting 100 light bulbs into sockets, but only 25 of them work. Now if you go to smoke, because it is a partial agonist it has already bound the receptor with a lightbulb that doesn't work, that new nicotine of blocked from binding, so it acts like an antagonist.

Most doctors dont recommend being on chantix without some sort of antidepressent/antianxiety pill. I strongly suggest you talk to your doctor about getting on one if you haven't already.

From my own experience, just with the patch, leaving that thing on at night and stimulating those receptors while sleeping, leads to the most realistic fucked up dreams you can imagine and you dont forget when you wake up and aren't sure whats real and what isnt. Its crazy shit.

[Quick6EF]

Originally Posted by CollinsE90

OP let me tell you my story and hopefully you will feel better.

Most of you know in the past I smoked bud, but I'm not talking typical pothead, I smoked 10-12 times a day...the amount of relief I would get was overwhelming, I'm an over analyzer and my brain needs to be going 100 miles an hour to keep me busy or I will sit back and analyze all the things in my life, causing stress and anxiety.

When smoking MJ, all of that would disappear, I wouldn't care anymore and would just sit back and relax. Then the hardest part came, I got to the point that if I WASN'T high, the anxiety multiplied, I couldn't sleep, and I couldn't eat. I had zero appetite and could barely eat when I was high. I had smoked so much I numbed my emotion and taste buds, and smell. So after I got to that point I realized that this isn't for me, I don't like my brain being controlled by something other than me, so I quit cold turkey.

For 2 weeks I barely ate, had trouble sleeping, had the cold sweats every night, and my anxiety was to the point I wanted to get help, but knew they would prescribe a med to mask the real issue, just like bud. So I endeared 2 weeks of absolute hell, but I made it. My anxiety is gone, I sleep so much better, and I'm back to eating normally

Quitting smoking is in your mind, realize that you have to climb the first hill but once you reach it, it is all down hill from there...stay busy, take your mind off of it, and in the end you will become a stronger person not only for quitting something but in life...because that is one of the biggest hurdles you'll leap.

Not to take away from the OP, but I'm impressed at your DIY rehab dude.

[Hawkeye]

Man, sounds like no fun at all. Keep with it and the end results will be worth it.

Hopefully you don't try and use this as reasoning to give up and quit as it seems you have done with some of the other methods.

[NYCGarbagePrince]

Originally Posted by JayKay335i

From my own experience, just with the patch, leaving that thing on at night and stimulating those receptors while sleeping, leads to the most realistic fucked up dreams you can imagine and you dont forget when you wake up and aren't sure whats real and what isnt. Its crazy shit.

I was just talking to my girlfriend about it and she told me I used to get night terrors. I don't know how I forgot about that. But apparently during the period I last took chantix I would scream and flail in my sleep. Now that she reminded me, I remember thinking I was kicking down a door and with all my force kicked my girlfriend right in the ass and off the bed onto the floor. I woke up soon after from the vicious beating that she saw fit to bestow on me. The only words coming from my mouth during the Rodney King re-enactment scene in my dark bedroom was, "What did I do? Why are you hitting me?!"

[GT3 Tim]

I tried Chantix....same problems. Sleep was not happening. I lasted about two weeks and couldn't hack it anymore. I was a fricken zombie...

I have been patching it for 11 months now....still on 21mg/day! LOL Shit...

At least I aint smoking...so there is at least some positive side of it. lol

[CollinsE90]

Originally Posted by Quick6EF

Not to take away from the OP, but I'm impressed at your DIY rehab dude.

Thanks man, it was a tough battle...I forgot to mention the vomiting from nerves too. I also see bud everyday in front of me and I havent smoked in 30 days.

[NYCGarbagePrince]

Originally Posted by CollinsE90

Thanks man, it was a tough battle...I forgot to mention the vomiting from nerves too. I also see bud everyday in front of me and I havent smoked in 30 days.

Quit your job as a drug dealer.

[CollinsE90]

No, college town and all my friends smoke including my roommate

[Rawhide]

Yeah, smoked a lot of weed back in the day too...

Not to belittle you're putting the pipe down - it's a good thing, but quitting bud was a walk in the park compared to cigarettes.

I was a pack a day smoker from 16 to 33. Cold turkey was a bitch like nothing else I've done in my life. The borderline panic attacks the first few days were terrible. But I beat it, and because it was so painful I'm sure I won't be going back this time.

That, and what prompted me to quit was that I saw my father die from smoking related causes. It's not the way you want to go. He couldn't breathe towards the end, could barely speak, and was in terrible pain. Compared to that, quitting cold turkey wasn't so bad after all.

[Express]