Chantix

[Psykosis]

Currently about 2 weeks in on Chantix - most days there are little side effects besides a slightly iffy belly, but some days I have almost uncontrollable rage over nothing - something that I really never experienced before taking the drug (and this occurred, incidentally, before I "quit"). As far as the quiting smoking aspect, the urge is still there, although perhaps slightly muted from my attempts in the past (patch, gum, cold-turkey). I haven't lasted a whole day yet without smoking - however I am out of normal cigs now and charg'in up my e-cig to see if it can help.

A little worried about quiting Chantix now after reading this thread - although I have missed a dose a few times without any adverse effects.

[CollapsiblePony]

I also had Chantix prescribed to me by a doctor who oddly enough couldn't tell me much more about it than "it helps reduce cravings" at that point I was pretty desperate to quit and so I threw down the 100 bucks/month for it. It was great for the first month or so, but somewhere into month 2 I started having terrible problems with insomnia. This coming from a girl who is generally out by 10pm on a friday, 9 on a weekday like clockwork regardless of where I'm at (yes, I've fallen asleep at late night movies in the theater!). I had never had problems falling asleep until I was on this drug. I was getting something like 3 hours of sleep a night, it was terrible for work preformance. I started cutting out the nightly pill, reducing my intake by half, and the problems persisted for a couple weeks, so I stopped taking it all together.

I started it back up a few months later, and based on advice from another forum, cut the pills in half and only took 1/2 in the morning. This worked pretty well, the pills lasted longer and there was no insomnia, and really helped through the that first "hell week" off cigs. After a couple weeks I would start craving the cigs again, willpower would work for a while and then BAM some life event would drive me back to smoking. Long story somewhat short, I gave up on it. Still have a month and a half worth of pills in my medicine cabinet, and an ecig that has really saved the day for me.

A good friend of mine also just quit taking the pills after he had the same serious insomnia problems after about a month of use...... The crazy dreams though, we both decided they were an entertaining side effect.....

Neither one of us had some of the crazy withdrawl symptoms I've heard reported. I admitedly weaned myself off of them by reducing my dosage, but my friend did not. Of course, neither one of us could handle it for the full 3 months, we both quit after about 2.

[mlady]

i am about to start taking "champix" (the canadian spelling) it says in the product manifest NOT to use any NRT...so here's the question. the people on the forum who have used the e cig, how has the e cig helped when using "champix"

[TropicalBob]

I've used both -- but not at the same time. Chantix is supposed to block the brain's nicotine receptors. You thus would get no pleasure from smoking. Theoretically, you could smoke, but it would be a waste, since you'd get no kick, no pleasure. I had the BAD side effects, but finished the Chantix I'd paid for. I never want to see that stuff again. It shut down ALL pleasure, from food to life, and made me miserable at the same time.

E-smoking while taking Chantix should not be a problem, except that you'll get nothing out of it. So why bother? One or the other. Many have quit cigarettes by turning to e-cigs. I'd suggest you try them instead of Chantix.

[malyden]

I tried using Chantix (insurance didn't cover the cost) used it for 2 weeks and had to quit because it made me so ill. I couldn't stand being around anyone - not a good side effect when you deal with people for a living! My experience with e-cigs is 100% better and I'm much nicer to be around lol

[BadAxe]

Just to show the other side of Chantix, I used it, loved it, and actually quit with it. Did what it was supposed to do. Got no satisfaction from cigs, so the brain got trained to not reach for a cig when I got a nic attack because I knew it would not help. Quit for 3 months. Stupid me started back up again though (of course I had stopped taking the Chantix by then). But I was never successful at quiiting before till Chantix. I had a few weird dreams the 1st couple days, but other than that, I had zero side effects. Its definitely worth looking into for quitting.

[jamie]

Prior to starting ecigs I looked into Chantix, A LOT, to the point of calling the manufacturer and Dept of Health and FDA as well as reading the studies and many user forums. My conclusion: Folks who have minimal side effects and are successfully quit, god bless 'em and I fully understand why they think it's the greatest thing since sliced bread. I really do. And I'm happy for them. However I decided not to take it and I believe it will eventually be banned, as did several of the professionals with which I spoke. I understand that it still has more FDA-reported serious injury and death claims than any other medication. When I called the manufacturer hotline I had to listen to their automated message warning "Avoid driving while using Chantix" while I was on hold. (Do doctors writing the scrips tell their patients that? HAHA) Most transportation pros aren't allowed to use it.

Again, I would never criticize a successful user and am as thrilled as they are at a real quit. At the same time, I wouldn't touch it. Also, as BadAxe noted, the "quit" effect -the temporary action on nicotine receptors - is over as soon as you stop taking the medication. However many of the "serious adverse effects" are NOT over when the medication is stopped and they don't know how to fix them. Because they don't really know how it works. As their own website says, "It is believed CHANTIX also activates..." Saying 'believed' is a legal and medical noncommit meaning "We suspect that maybe possibly..." - and not even a "We believe", they use a passive past tense instead!

What we DO know is that folks have differing actions from their nicotine receptors, that's why we smoke different amounts, different strengths, some don't get hooked at all, some are hooked faster than others, etc. And genetic studies prove genetic differences in nicotine metabolism. Chantix is a one-size-fits-all bang on the nicotine receptors (and other brain functions) and that probably has something to do with the crapshoot that it is.

[TropicalBob]

What a great post, Jamie. Good to see you posting again. You nailed it.

Without too much elaboration, I think the Chantix that blocked my nicotine receptors made some permanent changes in my brain. No massive problem, mind you, but I don't want ANY drug making unknown and permanent changes in my brain.

Seems to me that e-smoking is a far better way to stay away from tobacco's nicotine. In the end, nicotine may prove more benign than Chantix.

[sherid]

Without too much elaboration, I think the Chantix that blocked my nicotine receptors made some permanent changes in my brain. No massive problem, mind you, but I don't want ANY drug making unknown and permanent changes in my brain.

Effexor did that to me....again nothing massive, but a definite drop in my ability to experience many emotions, especially the pleasurable ones. I'm afraid that one day we will see a rapid increase in brain diseases in the millions of people who are now or have once taken anti-depressants. How many school shooters were on anti-depressants and then quit taking them? Columbine killers, maybe the VA Tech killer, the most recent college shooter, etc: a very scary but quite possible scenario.

[Computer Extreme]

So, chantix is still ok until its finally pulled off the market....

FDA continues probe of Chantix - Addictions- msnbc.com