Chantix

[GTOrichie]

Iv'e had all my lower track and some of the upper removed since then I have had Short Bowel Syndrome which means it's hard for me to get any nutriants and vitamins from my food with salt being the bigest issue as your body needs it to keep itself hydrated, have a look at short bowel syndrom on the net (if you havent already) you may find some info that makes things a little easyer

 

[Nazareth]

No giant- no pain now- the Crohn's is in semi-remission now, but yeah, it was very painful right before my last operation 2 years ago- had one night I almost passed out from the pain, and I can take quite a bit- I tried puttign off goign to doc as I knew what was goign to be involved, but it couldn't be put off anym ore- it was just too bad- lost 45 lbs- got to point was feverign and hallucinating- so I figured it was time- The operatiosn are painful but only for abotu two weeks or so, then if hte operation took care of the problem ie: bad parts that were causing pain, then the pain dissappeared after hte pain from operation eased up- now htere's no pain at all except when I eat acid stuff liek tomatos, raspberries etc.

The operation htough, I made sure they kept me well doped up this time, as I had not spoken up for myself in past operations, but htis time was determined to let drugs help with hte operation pain- Nurses felt I was a pain always keeping after them to get my pain meds- but I didn't care this time- I just wanted to have as little pain as possible and just get htrough the recouping time as best I could with hte help of the meds.- it really wasn't too bad at all this time- but again, I had to keep right after the nurses- had soem that didn't like workign evidently, and I'd have to chase them down (they were usually in the break room) and get hte meds- but it was worth it, and wasn't too bad at all. This last itme, I got an air bubble in my upper shoulder (not unusual to get htese durign an operation) and it hurt more than the actual operation- You can't beleive how bad a tiny little bubble like that can hurt- I collapsed from it in the hall the thrid day after hte operation- the pain just took over and legs got weak & down I went.- but- this was hte only time I experienced this type of bubble, and I've had 9 operations.

GTO- Yeah- that's another bad disease- quite similar actually- Sorry to hear abotu oyur condition- Not easy- that's for sure- but I think it builds strong charcter having had to endure stuff liek htis- I honestly don't think I'd change anyhting really- Yeah it'd be nice to have normal functioning digestive tract- but in a way- I think the challenges have helped me in areas I might not have been helped had I not had the problem. I also think it saved my life, as I would have been very reckless and careless had I not been forced to stop drinking and doing drugs- If I had been healthy- I'd probably still be into thsoe htigns, an hwo knows, probably worse off.

 

[GTOrichie]

lol I'm used to it Iv'e had problems from birth and my last operation was about the 10th major operation Iv'e had, infact it was 3 magor invasive procedures in one as I was hours from die'ing, it sounds almost idential to your problems, I went from 16stone to 9stone I lost all coulor the skin was hanging from my body, I could barely walk and they had to central line me to stabalise my bodys electrolites before they could even operate on me. when I first started to have problems I went to see a doctor who refered me to the hospital and they said it was IBS it was only when I had lost so much weight that I looked like I was about to snap that they got worryed and did a scan that afternoon they wanted to arange the operation, I was high dependancy for 2 weeks with an estimated recovery time of a year which has now been extended to Posibly never full recovery cos of the SBS. but like I said before I have had serious problems my whole life so I don't know any other way, it's worse for somone who knows difrent and then comes into it later in life after having no problems, It much be like being hit by a bus

 

[Nazareth]

GTO -that is almost an exact duplicate of my story- had it from around age 4- Docs thought it was colitis- treated me for years for colitis, then I kept telling htem my stomach was bothering me, they didn't listen- finally age 17 was just liek you- skin and bone, walking skeleton- couldn't keep anythign down- went in to have nutrition through feeding tube to 'give my lower intestines a break' (Wrong thing to do for peopel with Crohn's- but htey STILL thought I had colitis), got real high fever, went into convulsions (had what I am almost certai nwas a NDE- Near Death Experience- long story- won't describe it here), and when htye brought me back, I remember Docs telling my folks they had to operate imemdiately cuz I had peritinitis- (intestine had a hole in it, bad stuuff in body- poisoned it)- They operated and woops- I had Crohn's Disease, not colitis! Their treatments on me all those years was doing nothign to control the Crohn's. The symptoms I siffered before operation are quite gross, so ill leave that out- but suffice it to say- no teenager should have to face it- it almost destroyed my self confidence but I managed thankfully.

The bad thing though is that I went from very sick to feelign very good for first time in my life after the operations- Grew- got strong, had loads of energy, and could go forever it seemed- then wham, around 32 years old, started back in again- lostm y job, tried to work for coupel of years- then became too weak again- so I started life bad, got better- much much better, was really enjoying life, then whamo- lost it again- took me many years to coem to terms with beign struck down again.

I've since had a pitutary tumor taken out which was causing Acromegally (same thign that Andre the Giant had- but mine happened after my growth stopped, so it didn';t cause me to grow large liek him- just a few minor problems- but it is fatal if not treated. Found out I had Sleep apnea (can't use hte sleep apnea machien because of hte ostomy pouch- long story), so can't get that treated, and am exhausted from lack of proper sleep- and now I fidn out I also have Mitochondrial disfunction- a mutation that affects the mitochondria- the 'energy factories' in our cells- it turns food into fuel- this system is malfunctioning in me due to mutation- al lthese thigns are so stinkign rare, very few peopel get them- the acromegally only 1 in 6 million get it- the mitochondrial is soemthign liek 1 in 1 million or so- Grrr. Just gotta laugh after awhile htough. At least I don't have three eyes, or two noses... yet lol

Anyway- sounds liek you've been htrouhg the ringer too- aint life a hoot? Every day's an adventure

 

[GTOrichie]

LOL small world, what are the odds?

 

[Nazareth]

1 in 6 million lol- didn't mean to stray so much lol- Guess we've gone pretty far off topic, better let this thread get back on track-

 

[icemanmaz]

I tried champix It only cost £7.30 tb in The U.K.
After two weeks I still wanted to smoke and I dont know or the doctor does not know but I had one hell of a reaction to something.
My tongue swelled up and all of the skin on my hands peeled off. It was well sore I stopped taking it and it started to clear up.It took 6 months for my hands to get better. As I play a lot of golf I was well pi@!ed off.
I have known loads of people take it and the result has been the same they still all smoke.
Apart from me TWO WEEKS TODAY WITHOUT A ...

 

[syntaxterror]

my doctor prescribed me chantix a few months ago. i never filled the scribe.

from my research online are large number of people get extreme pain in the joints. dexterity is part of my job so that's not good at all. its unknown of this joint damage is permanent or not.

other common side effects are extreme fatigue and tiredness. whoa. i don't know about you but i have a desk job this crap would get me fired!

then lastly there is a good portion of users who are no longer addicted to nicotine but addicted to chantix. no thanks.

this is bad stuff.

btw when i asked my doctor about it when he first wrote the scribe he said " only side effect is headache and nausea."

sounds to me like he was getting a little bonus from the drug company

sorry if anyone had a good experience with chantix but many don't and i find it very high risk

 

[Tumbleweed4829]

yeah my doctor prescribed it to me again even after telling her I had horrible mood swings when taking it. I explained to her that I'd be fine one minute and breaking things the next (which is very unlike me) but she prescribed it to me anyway. Then I happened to come across all kinds of stuff about Chantix causing depression and suicides. Ok to me my doctor should know this and when I told her that my mood swings bothered me she should have not prescribed it to me. So I agree that the docs must be getting something from the drug companies.

 

[dnakr]

I have read so many horror stories about Chantix, but while I was teaching last weekend, I had 2 students who told me how impressed they were with Chantix and that they recommend it to anyone who wants to quit smoking. I told them about the horror stories I have read and one of them even admitted to having really vivid bad dreams but would still recommend it.

I thought it was pretty scary knowing that she experienced a bad side effect and yet would still recommend it.

 

[TheEmperorOfIceCream]

Hi Rachel

I suppose it shows the lengths people will go to get off the demon weed. Even the least traumatic quit strategies are pretty damn awful. The funny thing is both times I managed to quit I wasn't trying to (a really bad dose of flu which I think just killed off the nicotine receptord and this marvellous device)

Emp

 

[dnakr]

Hey Emp,

How you feeling? Glad to see you back.

I agree, it seems that Chantix will be around for a long time.

I tried to quit with the patch and it worked for 6 weeks then I decided I didn't need another one - within a few hours of removing it - I was back to smoking.

However, with the e-cig I switched over without really intending to give up cigarettes. You are right, it is a marvellous device.

 

[TheEmperorOfIceCream]

All good with me right now - recovering after my eye surgery nicely. I never tried patches or gum because I knew I'd smoke as well, and I'd heard all these horror stories about people OD-ing on nic. I think we have that Chantix stuff here in the UK but under another name. Wonderdrug for giving up smoking but may cause multiple axe murders, right?

 

[Jdog]

Have to say must be different for everyone! I used Champix as it being called in the UK for 8 weeks after a 23 year addiction to the liitle white fellows! (50 a day smoker!!) Personally never experienced much other than the odd (colourful dream) !! Dare say everyone is different but it would seem that it's getting terrible press and my doctor says they have stopped it's use as i appear to be the only successfull case they have had! 75% failure after 1 month as well as terrible side effects reported! Perhaps it was the fact that i could barely breath or function that helped me kick the habit and not a little tablet! Started back on the cigars after 2 years (idiot) (Not inhaling of course) then found ecigs! I Really missed the lung feel but not the nic! Nic free but just gotta love the taste and throat feel! Good to meet you all and god bless the chinese!!

 

[icemanmaz]

This might sound weird I had tried champix never wanted to top myself I just got a skin rash at the same time so the dr took me off it. I never heard anyone else trying it.
I went to a family get together at the weekend 4 family members have been on champix for 3 weeks. went to work Monday 5 (thats 5) blokes at work have been taking it and Monday was there quit day.
They all said the dr was advising to try it. all 9 have also said they have to go the dr each week to check on their carbon monoxide levels.
It could be to see if they are still sane.
I will be keeping a close eye on them all and will let you know what happens.
One thing that was a bit strange 2 of the family members are husband and wife and they have said since taking it they have been well chilled not argued for 3 weeks and are having some amazing dreams. Plus they also said they are not sleeping well and feel a bit tired but no problem. (its well wierd they are normally a bit grumpy with no sleep I have seen them when they are tired.)
As I have a load of the stuff left all in date I might give it another go.8-o

 

[cass]

One thing that was a bit strange 2 of the family members are husband and wife and they have said since taking it they have been well chilled not argued for 3 weeks and are having some amazing dreams.

I've heard about dreams being affected, but seeing as how I dream off-beat anyhow, that part doesn't bother me. I'm contemplating Chantix right now...once I use the e-cig to get down to a pack a day or so, but I don't want my kids to suffer weird mood swings.
My question is...if you have negative side effects, you can't just stop taking it, right? It's not like, say, depo--an injection that lasts three months and if there's bad side effects you have to wait it out.
Has anyone had ANY luck with Chantix???

 

[Denni]

Just a note of caution here: if you have a history of depression or mental illness stay off the stuff.

The problem is that many people are unaware of these underlying problems when they start taking it, and that is where the suicides come into play. However rare that is (perceived to be) it's an unacceptable risk. The arrogance of big pharma and the medical establishment can be staggering at times.

 

[TropicalBob]

Chantix = NO. Unless, of course, you'd like to shut down your brain's pleasure center where dopamine and seratonin are produced, resulting in no pleasure from sex, food or the new James Bond movie.

You cannot quit cigarettes without wanting to. There is no magic pill. E-smoking is the best replacement I've yet found, but I also use snus and Stonewall dissolvable tobacco bits all day long. By using everything, I get sufficient nicotine without the bodily assault of inhaling tobacco smoke. Read deeper in this Alternatives section unless you want to bet the house on an e-cig.

 

[SMILIN]

Bob, wow, I just read this full thread, I knew I hated chantrix cause it did not work for me, in fact I was smoking more, and becoming paranoid, eating more, angrier, and feeling blue. This was even worse than the 6 months I tried welbutrin, another phsycotic. I am so damn happy with these ecigs, and NO phycosis, cept to have the best devices, and flavors, cause, I am obsessed

 

[TropicalBob]

Good for you. At least now you have a "healthy obsession." I, too, love my e-devices. They help with both addiction and habit.