Champix - anyone tried it?

Pal · 15-11-2012 2:52pm

Been there. Done that.

Relapse sucks.

I finally got quit after numerous failed attempts during years of numerous methods.
In the end I got there on my 4th month of Champix !

My advice is don't despair. You are not the only one.

gimli2112 · 15-11-2012 3:05pm

Yeah I'm constantly aware how easy it would be to get sucked back in. I assume you can go back onto Champix and that's what I'd do after talking to a doctor first. Hope you make it back from the dark side!

It's funny but one of the things that keeps me off them is the shame of having to go to family and friends and say I'm back on them.

daybyday1 · 15-11-2012 7:52pm

Thank you for your advice and support.

Haha, its so true, telling my family and friends is really awful. I know how proud they have been for me and how proud i was for me and it sucks. Relapse sucks indeed.

I guess Champix round 2 here we go...

sueandjohn · 08-01-2013 1:17pm

Hi i just want to say my brother is 47 and he used champix to quit he didnt even get to use them all and he quit,but now he is constantly coming down with bad chest infections,he is still off them a year and a half,so i think i will be giving them a try myself.

goz83 · 28-01-2013 7:29pm

This seems to be an old enough thread. I wonder if anyone can say that they've been off the cigs for more than a year, without cravings after having taken champix?

Nicotine replacement therapies have more than a 98% failure rsate after only 6 months. I was wondering if champix, being a competitor of sorts worked any better...side effects aside?

mitsybaby · 28-01-2013 8:26pm

goz83 wrote: »

This seems to be an old enough thread. I wonder if anyone can say that they've been off the cigs for more than a year, without cravings after having taken champix?

Nicotine replacement therapies have more than a 98% failure rsate after only 6 months. I was wondering if champix, being a competitor of sorts worked any better...side effects aside?

Hi Goz83,

I'm off the smokes nearly 3 years (April) from using champix... I found that they made it real easy to stop, I also read Allen Carr's book... I had little to no side effects thankfully, I felt sick for a few days, the worst was day 9, 10 and 11! (make sure you eat when you're taking them!) I had some very strange dreams but they were more funny than anything and I was thirsty all the time... I had a pint of water beside my bed every night!

I took them for 5 and a half months altogether because I wanted to make sure it worked and it has!! I don't get cravings, I can stand in the smoking area with my friends without it bothering me.... But to be honest it's too cold for that carry on!! Lol...

Good luck!!

CramCycle · 28-01-2013 10:41pm

Side effects are horrible but my wife is off the cigarettes a year next month. She has no cravings, but is often repulsed by smokers walking past her. She didn't even do the full course because the side effects were so bad though

H2UMrsRobinson · 01-02-2013 1:58am

Starting Champix tomorrow with the husband and we've set a quit date for Monday week. Really want to give up. We'll have an extra 5k a year and we plan to take some nice holidays and weekends away with our new found wealth. Will update soon. Well done everyone who's given up -no matter how you did it.

InTheTrees · 01-02-2013 6:18pm

I dunno. I was a heavy smoker and i used the gum and lozenges to quit. I'd heard about champix and its side effects and thats a risk I wasnt ready to take. Here's some info on Champix:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varenicline

rochfoj · 03-02-2013 7:57pm

5 years ago, after 40 years of cigarette addiction - 20 to 25 a day - I got a prescription for Champix tablets from my GP and having completed the regimen over a 4 week period, I haven't smoked since. No ill effects either. I would strongly recommend them to anyone who has the motivation to quit.

susanweir · 03-02-2013 10:29pm

Two years off them after 30 years of smoking 20-25 a day. Champix worked after several attempts using nicotine replacement.

H2UMrsRobinson · 05-02-2013 12:35am

Ok so we're on day 4 of the champix. This is our first day of 2x 0.5mg tablets. No ill effects from the tablets yet, maybe a touch of nausea for 30 mins after taking them, but its ever so slight and hardly worth mentioning. Today for the first time we noticed that the cigs are starting to taste not so nice and not really getting a hit off them. 6 days to go until quit day, so hopefully the cigs will become far less attractive by then. I can only liken it to having eaten the fag instead of smoking it, nasty aftertaste in my mouth.

Hope I get the mental dreams some users experience, I used to dream all the time but can't seem to remember them anymore.

On a separate note our doctor prescribed nicotine patches with our champix but I've read elsewhere online that you should not take champix with nicotine replacement therapies like the patches, I will ring our doc and ask his advice again, but just wondered if anyone else had been prescribed the patches with Champix?

Back in a few days to update, hoping it might help anyone else trying to give up or anyone who's thinking about it. I've been on 10-15 a day for about 20 years and Mr H2U has been on 20 a day for about 35 years so if we can do it will be a real breakthrough.

Denise2012 · 05-02-2013 12:38am

Off the cigerettes 8 months thanks to champix. Wouldn't have been able to do it without them! Hard to take tham for the first few days but well worth it when you get to the end of the packet. Best of luck to all trying to quit

mitsybaby · 05-02-2013 1:50am

H2UMrsRobinson wrote: »

Ok so we're on day 4 of the champix. This is our first day of 2x 0.5mg tablets. No ill effects from the tablets yet, maybe a touch of nausea for 30 mins after taking them, but its ever so slight and hardly worth mentioning. Today for the first time we noticed that the cigs are starting to taste not so nice and not really getting a hit off them. 6 days to go until quit day, so hopefully the cigs will become far less attractive by then. I can only liken it to having eaten the fag instead of smoking it, nasty aftertaste in my mouth.

Hope I get the mental dreams some users experience, I used to dream all the time but can't seem to remember them anymore.

On a separate note our doctor prescribed nicotine patches with our champix but I've read elsewhere online that you should not take champix with nicotine replacement therapies like the patches, I will ring our doc and ask his advice again, but just wondered if anyone else had been prescribed the patches with Champix?

Back in a few days to update, hoping it might help anyone else trying to give up or anyone who's thinking about it. I've been on 10-15 a day for about 20 years and Mr H2U has been on 20 a day for about 35 years so if we can do it will be a real breakthrough.

You shouldn't need patches at all... Smoke normally until your quit date and then stop smoking, but keep taking the tablets..

Good luck!

billyduk · 05-02-2013 5:02pm

I was on here giving this product a glowing reference about a year ago when I first started taking the drug and seeing the positive effects. What happened after this was a nightmare. If you have at any time in your life suffered from a mental illness (even mild depression) do not take this.

My own GP would not prescribe this to me because I suffered from clinical depression in my early 20's. Because of this I went to a new GP and lied about my mental health history. Everything was rosy for the first 3 weeks and I was down to 1 or 2 cigs a day with ease (and I didn't even want those to be honest)! I can barely remember what happened to me between week 3-6 and for two weeks after I stopped taking this. Looking back on that period is like looking back on a story somebody told me rather than something I experienced myself. I had a complete detachment from reality, suffered anxiety attacks and severe depressive states. I am not discrediting this drug at all, it works for so many people and if you can honestly say you have not experienced a mental health issue in your life then do talk to your GP about the possible benefits of this drug! All I am saying is to discuss your mental health history with your GP too before accepting a prescription.

celticcrash · 05-02-2013 6:17pm

Billy is right, Champix with any kind of mental illness or addiction is highly dangerous. Even past illnesses or addictions are highly dangerous with Champix.
Sorry not all doctors are on the ball about this. Some doctors think that if their patient has been well for years, that it would be ok for them to take Champix.
My own experience with Champix took a bad turn after about 5 weeks. I started to feel depressed. This was not the blues. more of a sharp fall into depression. I halved the amount I was taking and finshed the course a month early.

InTheTrees · 06-02-2013 4:08pm

I believe here in the USA it used to be prescribed as an anti-depressant but that use was discontinued(!) and now its only for quitting smoking.

Here is an article from Time Magazine about the top ten drugs linked to violence.

Champix (Chantix in the USA) is number ONE:

1) Varenicline (Chantix) The anti-smoking medication Chantix affects the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, which helps reduce craving for smoking. Unfortunately, it’s 18 times more likely to be linked with violence compared to other drugs — by comparison, that number for Xyban is 3.9 and just 1.9 for nicotine replacement. Because Chantix is slightly superior in terms of quit rates in comparison to other drugs, it shouldn’t necessarily be ruled out as an option for those trying to quit, however.

Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2011/01/07/top-ten-legal-drugs-linked-to-violence/#ixzz2K8Eq7F00

Tip · 07-02-2013 1:55am

Just to put in my two cents ---- Champix is the reason that I'm off the smokes over 3 years will be 4 in May 2013. It is a miracle after 38 yrs of cigs and I thought I would never be able to quit my 20 a day habit. No problems for me, I stayed on the Champix for longer than the 3 mths, I think about 5 mths in all , and reduced down the mg to wean myself off them, I really could not believe that I could do it. All I can say is Champix makes it doable. Just go for it, its the best thing that you can ever do for your health. I feel great, and my skin has dewrinkled !!!! (LOL)!!!!

gimli2112 · 07-02-2013 9:05am

I'm off them three years last month. Champix certainly helped me but I wouldn't recommend it without proper medical advice. Previous poster mentioned it but looking back on when I was giving up it's like I was a different person.
Whether this was the drug or just withdrawal, I don't know

jessie5 · 07-02-2013 9:14am

Im off fags nearly 4 months now using champix.. I smoked 20 a day for about 30 years and had tried cold turkey, patches and hypnoses but nothing would work for me.. I am still taking champix but im on my last few tablets so fingers crossed i can do it. By the way the money i have saved is unbelievable.

gimli2112 · 07-02-2013 9:20am

jessie5 wrote: »

Im off fags nearly 4 months now using champix.. I smoked 20 a day for about 30 years and had tried cold turkey, patches and hypnoses but nothing would work for me.. I am still taking champix but im on my last few tablets so fingers crossed i can do it. By the way the money i have saved is unbelievable.

When I smoked the money was never an issue. Non-smoking friends would tell you that you'd save a fortune. My response would have been "meh". At that stage the issue is just a concept.
It's only when you actually give up you realise what a difference it makes.
I've been largely recession proof as a result - extra taxes/charges etc and I'm still well ahead of where I would have been when I smoked.

H2UMrsRobinson · 14-02-2013 12:29am

Well we've both not had a ciggy for 72 hours ( honest I'm not counting!)

It's not been too bad actually, not getting so nauseous from the tablets but have been having some funky dreams but I count that as a positive side effect.

A few cravings but nothing we can't handle and they pass in minutes.

Bit stroppy in the mornings past few days but was expecting that. So far so good.

InTheTrees · 14-02-2013 1:16am

Hang in there!!

fritzelly · 20-02-2013 8:55pm

Anyone tried this who has epilepsy, but not taking drugs for it.

billyduk · 21-02-2013 1:00am

fritzelly wrote: »

Anyone tried this who has epilepsy, but not taking drugs for it.

Seriously? That is definitely a question for your doctor and not an online forum.

DMCC71 · 27-02-2013 11:18am

Hi, I am now on day 7 smoke free!! I am finding it much easier than any previous attempts, the medicine seems to be looking after the cravings which only leaves me to deal with the little devil in my head and that is ok at times and a little more difficult at other times.
I am still getting fairly anxious at times but I think I am ok to deal with it.
No major side effects, just find it hard to get motivated and a few weird dreams. I don't mind the dreams because in a strange way it is letting me know the drug is working.

DMCC71 · 27-02-2013 12:05pm

Oh by the way I have found this forum a great help and will log on and have a read if I get a bit low!!! Thanks all!!!

gimli2112 · 27-02-2013 12:41pm

Best of luck DMCC71.
They say after 3-4 days all the physical cravings are gone but not sure if that means much. I was off them about six weeks and then had a temporary relapse (2 days). Haven't smoked (other than the relapse which I pretend never happened) in many years now but I'd never consider that I've beaten it. Just know I'd find it very easy to pick up again if not careful.

DMCC71 · 27-02-2013 1:49pm

Thanks! I knew the day I stopped that I would have to commit to never putting a cigarette near my mouth again or else I would be back to square one again!
I hope the thought of going back to the first few days of quitting will be enough to stop me from ever smoking again!

H2UMrsRobinson · 09-03-2013 9:22pm

Wow - not quite sure how we've done it but its four weeks tomorrow and neither of us has touched a cigarette. There's been some hairy moments and a few cravings but its been a lot easier than I imagined it would be. The champix has REALLY helped. And there are no noticeable side effects at this stage. I really hope we've cracked it this time. Will check back in here when we've finished the course. It's well worth the initial outlay. We've still saved nearly €300 in the first month.

LTT · 16-04-2013 1:46am

Was prescribed them but found they gave me lot of broken nights sleep and weird dreams after a while, so came off them and smoked again. Wont do it unless absolutely ready and full of willpower....... Good Luck !

DMCC71 · 16-04-2013 12:22pm

I will be 8 weeks smoke free tomorrow! Not sure if I could have done it without champix! Still get the odd urge to smoke but it would take a lot to get me to actually go to the shop, buy them, open the pack, and then actually smoke one! Wow even typing that makes me not want to do it even more!!!
Good luck all!!!!!!!!!!

christy c · 16-04-2013 9:27pm

I'm 4 days fully clean after using Champix. No side effects apart from the dreams which I love! Can't remember dreams this clearly in years.

Will be starting the 4th week of tablets soon so wondering how much the next course will cost? Presume its double the 4 week course so approx €260? Would like to know so it fits the budget

Some great success stories here, well done and good luck to all

Dubchild · 17-04-2013 11:18am

Somebody i know used champix tablets to quit smoking. He was a heavy smoker and tried everything else. Champix was brilliant, i could see he was doing great in fighting the cravings, no bad moods either from the withdrawls. 2months he was on it and not longing for a smoke. It does cause some crazy dreams and sometimes an over reaction to some things that annoy you. I'd say if you drink too much alchol on a night out and take champix aswell, it's not good. The combination made him a bit too much to bare, in a way i've not seen before, i'm sure it was the mix. My friend is still off the cigs tho, so it's a good choice but expensive.

mandoprint · 24-04-2013 1:00pm

Hi all, i gave up smoking au natural after somking for the last 25 years, i did get the champix,but read the side effects which entireley put me off, i got a dvt in my leg which was the boot up the arse i needed,especially since i got up to nearly 14 a day and 30 on a friday and a saturday. I cant believe i am smoke free for exactly 5 weeks monday, i wont go back, i dont even get a craving, im very lucky i think. Anyway, i have a full unused course of these Champix things and wouldn't mind recouping some cash back seeing the cost me a bloody fortune, its the 4 week course i bought so if anyone is looking to buy, send me a pm.

Dubchild · 24-04-2013 3:03pm

Well done for quitting. If you ever get a strong urge to have one or y'know when some stress comes into ur life. Like with me i used to go back on them then but go to the local shop and get one of those e cigs it will get you by without ending up back smoking. Or if you were going for a drink or 2, that's when i love a smoke and usually cave in and have one 0r 2, if i had one of those e cigs i'd be satisified and still free from smoking regularly.

mandoprint · 24-04-2013 4:02pm

been there bud, got divaticulitus, a blod clot (dvt) and gall stones all within 8 weeks, cant get more stress than that,lol. no, i do get a little pang every now and then but i just fight it, the pangs are few and far between, im also a stubborn s***e my mussis says, its a mission now but a pleasure at the same time, i can see the money ive saved because i have, she is delighted as she doesnt smoke and i feel so much better breathing wise. its a win win, id be mad to go back on them and i really dont think i will. Thanks for the words of encouragement though:)

DMCC71 · 02-05-2013 11:33am

10. Weeks since my last cigarette and I feel brilliant!
I am coming to the end of the 3 months of champix but still have loads of tablets because I reduced my dose to 1 tab per day a couple of weeks ago. I might just continue taking the 1 a day until they are gone!

lisa72 · 11-05-2013 9:21pm

I have been smoking years i am sorry i ever started i know all the health risks that come with smoking i Really wish i could stop please help me

DMCC71 · 13-05-2013 9:54am

Lisa, go to your gp and talk to them about champix and then read this thread, I found both a great help!

denisoleary123 · 29-07-2013 8:47am

Researching Champix led me to this thread. You guys are so positive and encouraging that I feel really confident about quitting smoking, with or without Champix. I'm going to the doctor today to talk to him about maybe getting Champix. I'm actually nervous about quitting, not because i don't want to quit but because I don't want to fail, again! Boards.ie is like a quitting support group. Well done to everyone who has kicked the evil fags and keep up the good work. Wish me luck.

gimli2112 · 29-07-2013 8:51am

Good luck Denis.
It's not easy. My GP told me giving up heroin is easier

When I smoked I never considered quitting. Then I just did. If I can make it just about anyone can

mandoprint · 29-07-2013 1:23pm

Well im still off them and have no intentions of going back on them. My acid test was going out for a nite on the beer, i did the full nite without even thinking of a smoke, ive put myself in every situation which would put me back on them including alot of stress not self inflicted,lol, but i never even thought about it. Im hoping ive cracked it but its the same as everything, one day at a time,thats the way i look at this. most days i dont even think about smoking, my best mate smokes and im at him to stop now,lol, although he's cut down alot since i gave up and i dare say he will be next. So as poster abouve said, stick with it cos if i could do this after 25 years on them.... you know the rest, good luck to anyone trying

studiorat · 02-08-2013 1:01pm

2 weeks.

Took champix for 2 weeks. Stopped smoking after one week on the full dose, stopped the champix week after. Haven't had any bad craving since.

Starting and stopping the champix was a bit weird, nausea and vivid dreams.

lila44 · 04-08-2013 2:07am

I hate to be THAT GUY but...

Does anyone know of champix is available on the medical card?

NATLOR · 04-08-2013 7:20pm

lila44 wrote: »

I hate to be THAT GUY but...

Does anyone know of champix is available on the medical card?

It is, got it myself about a year ago using a medical card,good luck if you go for it

studiorat · 06-08-2013 8:37am

i was given the drug by a friend who got it on a medical card. couldnt have afforded to buy it.

its also available over the counter in spain. probably as cheap to fly there !

DMCC71 · 07-08-2013 1:24pm

I wouldn't recommend either of those options!!!! This is not a drug to be treated lightly or without medical advice and support!!!!!!!!

studiorat · 07-08-2013 5:04pm

I wouldn't treat any drug lightly. I just read the instructions properly and I have any ill effects I stop taking it.

If I walk in to a GP I'll get the same advice and be charged €60 for the pleasure. And then €160 for a course or something?

Like I said previously. I took the .5mg dose for 3 days, the 1mg and then the 2mg doses. As soon as I stopped smoking I went back to 1mg daily, at night seemed to work for me. I then stopped completely after one week off the cigarettes. Took about a week for the body to feel relatively normal again after the Varenicline. The cravings are there but the worse to the physical withdrawl is gone.

Orlaw3136 · 16-08-2013 11:17pm

Just coming to the end of day 7 off smoking with the help of Champix. This is my second time using it. First time around (about 3 years ago) I took it for a month and got complacent after 6 months clean, going back to consistent smoking (although never as bad as my prior 20 a day habit) over time. Basically I found it so easy to quit with Champix that I decided I could do it again any time I chose, hence another 2 years of ruining my health.

I have a prescription for 6 months and I fully intend using it for at least the first 3.

I knew what to expect - thankfully I didn't get any bad side effects last time around - and simply stopped smoking on the day I took my first tablet with the following results :-

- No cravings
- No desire to smoke

The difference I feel this time around is that I am very motivated to quit. I've been building up to this one for the last couple of months and have deliberately timed it to coincide with a quiet time in work (less stress) and a holiday in September (away from usual haunts).

First time around, I had to 'get myself off' the smokes. This time, its much more pro-active on my part. I 'just don't want to smoke any more'. I would nearly trust myself to stop the pills and just do it on will power but that would be asking too much in terms of trust in light of my previous failures. Even if it's having a significant placebo effect it'll do for me.

I think it illustrates for me anyway that although its a great drug (in my experience), and the way it prevents physical cravings really has to be experienced to be believed, you still have to want to stop.

Good luck all whatever you're using. Stay strong.

(smoking history - fairly typical 20 a day plus the guts of another box if I went out drinking for about the last 12 years or so. And yes I do appreciate that I appear to be one of the very lucky ones who are not adversely affected by Champix and for whom it seems to work at a very high level).

Champix - anyone tried it?

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