lily39

I have been on Chantix for 5 days now, and today was my first day not smoking a pack a day for almost 24 years. I was terrified to take this medication, due to all the bad side effects, and also I have a phobia about taking meds, along with a panic disorder. I am so happy to say that I have had very little side effects from the pill. I started out taking it with food and water because so many say if you don't you'll get sick, now I only take it with coffee and I feel fine. For all of us who smoke for so long we know the cravings cold turkey are unbearable and on a scale of one to ten -they're an eleven!!! But with Chantix they are about a two. So I am keeping my fingers crossed and marking off days smoke free on a calendar. I will keep posting my success or failures. For anyone who is contemplating taking this -Im paranoid and I take it and it works great!

ufe

It worked for me, too. The side effects have been blown out of proportion IMHO, the clinical trials didn't support the scare-mongering that exists about the suicidal tendancies, etc etc. Most pharmacists will tell you to take a lot of meds with food, because a lot of people get queasy when they swallow tablets on an empty stomach, not me either.

The last time I went cold-turkey I felt way more depressed & suicidal (perhaps) than when I was on varenicline. In fact, quitting didn't seem hard at all - cigarettes slowly & gradually became about as attractive a thought as licking the footpath!

Good on you for quitting!!!!

Impurrfect

Congratulations!

I quit, using the patches, but whatever you do, quitting smoking is a good thing!! The hardest thing, for me, the first few days was trying to figure out what the heck to do with my hands or myself, when I wasn't taking a "smoke break" at work (we could go out as often as we wanted).

I haven't smoked in over 2 months and don't miss it at all!!

You may want to also post on the daily check-in thread. There are quite a few people who post there, but to be honest, a few of us forget, because we forget we used to smoke!!!

Hugs and prayers!

Amy

SeekSobriety

Congrats on your day! Keep up the good work.
I just hit my 9 1/2 month mark I went on a 3 week 7,000 mile roadtrip solo without even a desire for a cigarette. Keep up the great work! We are not in control of lots of things that happen in the world but we are in control of what we choose to do. We are in control of our minds not Nicotine or cigarettes. Once we remember who is in charge of our minds and take back the control and become the alpha of our own selves then the power that nicotine had over us dissipates. Once power is regained by ourselves we must guard ourselves from ever falling back under the spell by NEVER taking another puff, no matter what. As long as we do not take another puff or chew the spell has been broken. We do whatever it takes to protect ourselves, If that means not going over to certain peoples houses and just meeting them at neutral locations (non smoking cafe's) then that is what we must do. If that means having an agreement with a loved one that smoking can no longer be permitted inside the home then that is something we must do. Nicotine addiction is a killer and unless we take it seriously as such we run the chance of letting it overtake us over and over again. Enough is enough! We are taking the power of our own lives and choices back!
No longer are cigarettes and nicotine in control of us, no longer are we forced to stand outside in the freezing cold or spend over $10 dollars a day to use a deadly drug that can and will kill and maim us.

Congrats on your day.
Thanks for letting me share.

facing2day

I wonder how your doing today?? I pray you are still not smoking! I have quit a few times and am back smoking. The last time I did it with Chantix, no problems. Don't know why I returned. Will battle this later, right now I am just starting a new life alcohol free...one day at a time!

I hope you are doing well! I will watch for you to update.