FDA is FINALLY going to investigate Chantix. If you are using this drug BE CAREFUL.

If you are using Chantix, I applaud your efforts to stop smoking but you really must be careful about this drug as it has possible horrible side effects.



More about the story behind this:

after a week taking Chantix I stopped sleeping, my head started pounding like it was going to explode..

:scared:

The side effects stopped after 3 days for me.

I wish they'd stop making us guinea pigs for these drugs.

Scary stuff.

We had it done 7 months ago at a cost of $325 apiece. Neither of us has had a single slip-up, nor have our two friends who are at 1 1/2 years since quitting, and recommended it to us. We were all chain smokers. The last time I tried to quit was 3 years prior. I had lasted a week before I couldn't stand it anymore. It was relatively easy. You leave the place feeling a little silly, like you do after you get a good massage.

We still kinda like the smell of cigarettes, but have no urges to smoke anymore. 1 week after the treatment, all 4 of us former smokers were in a bar where almost everyone was smoking and didn't have a problem. We did have a few occasional urges at certain times for about 3 months - mainly habit. Mine was in the afternoon and my wife's were during the drive to/from work. However, the feeling would go away in a minute or so, and those urges are now completely gone.

My wife and my best friend's girlfriend both suffered some initial weight gain but they are starting to drop again. Still, we'd both rather have a little more to grab than see them dying of emphysema or cancer down the road. I think the weight gain issue is smaller problem for men, but I exercise regularly so that's probably a factor.

This was one of the best decisions I ever made in my entire life.

I have to admit, I've never heard of it. And I'll kick that! :kick:

I'm not sure what your experience is with that. I just haven't seen anything all that great about gum and patch success. I also knew someone who used Zyban and he was back smoking within 6 months. Just thought people should at least check it out. Here's a link from my local TV station (we went to a different firm, but I don't want to say which one, cause I don't want people thinking I'm spamming):

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=health&id=3803164

Did not work at all. I've heard it's been successful on some people. Glad it worked for you. But, IMO, it's a placebo affect.

but didnt experience what you are saying.

I stopped taking it after 2-1/2 weeks because I was getting sick at work. I had to stop after I threw up at work. Icky.

i am not feeling nauseous. i just keep hearing from people who are my age, smoke like me, female and able to quit with the drug. now, none of them felt sick. you are the first to say you did too. but i am doing one more time to see if it works.

I tried taking it with food and without food and with milk. I was okay until I was on the "full" dose twice a day. I was able to stay smoke free for 3 or 4 months. Then I had a bad stress event happen and I picked back up. :( I think this winter when it starts getting cold and my ass it out on the deck smoking, I'll be able to quit again. I just don't have the energy to try right now.


edited to add: And GOOD LUCK quitting. I know how hard it is. I've tried twice before. Sigh. I'll be up for another go around I think in January. :) I think I'll just do the patches and be the bitch for a week or so, since I can't really afford the cost for Chantix again.

I found her sitting on the toilet crying her eyes out and assumed someone had died. She had no idea why she was crying, she quit taking the Wellbutrin and was her old self again. Still smokes though.

Wellbutrin was cheaper so they had him change my RX (serious depression). I was lucky, he was a really good guy who stayed on top of things and we communicated well. He advised me that if I noticed ANY change in mood to call him IMMEDIATELY. Gave me three phone #s that didn't generally go out to patients, so I knew he was serious.

After day 3 on Wellbutrin, I was not just suicidal, I had a plan. If it wasn't that the drug also made me so depressed that I was almost immobile, I probably would have acted. (Some people can be so depressed they don't have the energy to act on self-destructive urges. Sometimes going ON a med will give them just enough energy to act, it all needs to be closely watched, which, sadly, does not always happen the way care is rationed by Insurers). Called the good doctor and he raised 17 kinds of hell with the bean counters who were trying to tell him how to practice psychiatry.

Without such a knowledgeable and determined doctor caring for me, I would likely not have lived through the week on Wellbutrin. It can be really bad stuff for some people.

is more an anti-anxiety med than an anti-depressant. I know they're classified in the same way, but doctors tend to give Wellbutrin when someone suffers from anxiety. (Like my husband.)

It's been a miracle drug for him. He's doing really well on it, and he also quit smoking as a result of taking it. He's going on two years with the med, and it's been great. But, every person's body chemistry is different, and you should keep an eye on it and call a doctor immediately if you don't feel right. Especially when you suffer depression and anxiety. And small negative change can be a horrific change.

But when the bean counters tell the doctors (who actually KNOW the patients) which drug to dispense based on cost, we have lots of trouble.

'Rationed medicine': the term Big Insurance used to scare America into fighting HRC's health care reform moves back in the 90s. As soon as their ad money defeated any change in the way care was funded, we got Rationed Medicine, but with Big Insurance doing the rationing.

even when they're being prescribed these medications for the same reasons. I'm not an expert, but it seems some of the newer types of anti-anxiety/anti-depressant drugs work in novel ways. Some people respond well and others don't.

I try to view the horror stories of side effects with some objectivity. Its vital to learn about the negative side effects some people experience and when it happens, there's a definite need for close monitoring of patients when they take them.

At the same time, it seems wrong to ban these drugs if they are really helping many others who do respond well to them and don't have other alternatives that work for them. It should be an informed choice by patients and doctors, not an outright ban.

back when that book came out. The more you know, the better the questions you can ask and ASKING QUESTIONS is important. If you aren't part of your care, you are screwn. If you have a doctor who doesn't like questions, change doctors (if at all possible)

It is because people respond so differently to various meds that questions and partnership with patient and doctor is so important. These newer meds should not be just passed out like hamburgers at the take out window. Too often, there is not decent monitoring after a 'script is written. Makes for some dangerous situations.

The close relationship should be between doctor and patient, not doctor and phara rep. ;)

... I have zero problem believing your story implicitly, or believing the stories of those who have had positive results.

Because many drugs have completely different effects in different people.

And since medical "science" has no idea what these drugs are actually doing, how could they know? They are essentially tossing a chemical into a black box and then asking it how it feels.

One thing that is definitely true, the testing regimines for new drugs are not nearly rigorous enough, and that is why so many bad drugs have been foisted on the public the last few years.

I hope that changes soon.

be in the same room with myself.

makes you get out more and do stuff! ;)

and no I will NOT explain

:blush:

Sid

In this case, though, the neighbor was legitimately afraid (and was in their house). That doesn't make it any better -- in fact, I still think in this case the neighbor was at fault also -- but this case was a bit more understandable, IMO.

i just increased from .05 twice a day to 1. twice a day. will let hubby know what to watch out for. though i am feeling absolutely NOTHING with this really expensive drug and hence, am disappointed.

2 of my neighbors are on it -- both quit smoking (easily, they said) and the obese one also does not crave carbs & is losing weigth and the one who drank a bit too much now has no taste for bourbon or scotch and has switched to white wine.

Best of luck w/ it & keep us posted.

so i am thinking that maybe it cuts the hunger receptors too. thanks. i am visiting my mother in law for turkey day. i KNOW i cannot stop with this trip. my stop day will be the monday i come back into town, lol lol.

happy turkey day to yawl.

:thumbsup: Edited to add: I think the interaction with alcohol is a big one to watch for.

geez, i just gotta stop. lol. as i puff typing to you.

i dont drink, so that is cool. except when i am with in laws and that is where i am off to today. thanks for that tip too. geez, no booze, no cig.... f*ck, this is going to be a tough three days. lol.

There's too much of that drink in one had, cig in the other for me. I stopped going to bars for at least a month. And then I'd only have one or two drinks. There's too much temptation at a bar while I'm trying to quit the cigs.

The same thing happened to me when I quit. I also had to quit several times before it finally seemed to "take." Good luck. :D

I haven't given up all hope. I just know that right now, I can't do it. I just can't quit right now. Sometime in January I'll give it another shot. :)

Although actually I think the little Korean acupuncturist she went to every day for three weeks simply terrorized her into it. :rofl: Hey, whatever works, right?

for anxiety when finishing cancer treatment. I had the same effect, like you're on speed, but also some mood swings. It eventually caused me to have problems sleeping, even when I took my old reliable, melatonin. I had a horrible weekend attending a meeting in DC, called my doc and he said to stop.

Of course the bad weekend may have been because I was staying in the same hotel as Cheney (Bush had just been sworn in and Cheney must not have had his undisclosed location ready). The evil vibes probably penetrated the hotel and disturbed everyone's sleep. :scared:

I've been on it for about 4 months and haven't had any side effects. I no longer feel a physical craving, although I do have psychological ones (habits die hard).
But, everyone should be aware that side effects are possible and this drug may not be for them.

and made me grind my teeth something awful. I had to quit after 3 weeks.

But...I get horrible nightmares from even the simplest drugs, so I am really wondering about starting this.

A few weeks of nausea would be a fine trade off to be smoke free.

and i agree with nausea. why i went back to it. i figure to quit smoking, upset tummy worth it.

because of the hallucinations(seeing in black and white and thinking my gums were outrageously swollen) and irrational behavior (the slightest little annoyance sent me into a rage). Loved the dreams - wicked cool vivid dreams, no nausea. I was down to 5 cigarettes after five days - didn't even like smoking anymore. Back up to over a pack a day again. Still considering trying the med again, in the hopes that I'll be more prepared for the side effects next time.

vivid dreams.

How long have you been on the med?

Loved, loved, loved, the dreams. I slept better, smoked less.

My dreams were very vivid, but no nightmares.
So you can imagine when I awoke, I thought for a brief moment I WAS married to John Edwards.
Gave me a good chuckle.

The nausea I experienced was horrible though. I would get dry heaves in the morning just after taking my dosage. I am going to try once again, but this time take my pill in the afternoon (just the white pill), so hopefully I will have more in my stomach and not get so nauseous.

Only that my dreams went from, how shall I explain - a TV with rabbit ears to High Def.

Married to Edwards, Very Cool, Indeed. Was he good in bed? :P

-Cindy in Fort Lauderdale

Edit for typo

I was about to make a doctor's visit about it.

yes, I have tried everything else, short of self-hypnosis.

that stopped smoking with it. and seems to effect people differently. check with doctor. read the posts in this thread. more info

Also, have you tried acupuncture? Seems strange, but it worked for my mom. Make sure you find a reputable acupuncturist, i.e. one with several certifications or training, preferably from schools in China or Korea. And lots of experience. I have been to several acupuncturists and there really is a difference.

it reduced the cravings, as long as I stayed with it. missed a couple of sessions, and ...

And the only people that are still working at what is left of those former agencies, commissions, boards, etc are inept BushCo cronies and co-conspirators.

and it just made me nauseous so I stopped.

I just checked some of the low power laser
clinics and have found one very near by.
A treatment costs about what I spend in 2 months on cigs.

*digs deeper*
*emails for info*
*lights another cig*

I don't think I've ever heard of it before.

that mentioned laser treatments(without links)
so I googled "laser quit smoking" and
found several listings.

Its some sort of pulsing "soft" laser beams focused
on traditional acupuncture points (hands ear wrist arm and side of the nose)
to stimulate endorphins that supposedly control the urge.

It sounds interesting and best of all painless. :)