Champix - anyone tried it?

LTT

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

denisoleary123

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

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

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

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

I hate to be THAT GUY but...

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

NATLOR

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

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

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

studiorat

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

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).

DMCC71

Hi all!!!

I am very happy to announce that TODAY I am 6 months smoke free!!!!!!
I am so proud of myself and that feeling is enough to get me over the next 6 months!!!
Good luck to all ye in the early days and just stick with it, as you can see it's so so worth it!!!!!!

lila44

Well, I finally got champix today. I took the first one, and then started some more reading up about them. I'm now terrified to finish the course, it doesn't seem worth it. My OH is afraid ill change and be ****ty to him too! Help!

DMCC71

I will be smoke free 9 months tomorrow! I still get strange thoughts that I actually miss smoking but then the relief that I don't far out weighs that feeling!
I have put on a bit of weight but I'm not going to worry that for the moment and deal with it in January!

lila44

DMCC71 wrote: »

I will be smoke free 9 months tomorrow! I still get strange thoughts that I actually miss smoking but then the relief that I don't far out weighs that feeling!
I have put on a bit of weight but I'm not going to worry that for the moment and deal with it in January!

Congrats DMCC71!! I'm just over 10 weeks off them now. Never felt better.

My BF and housemate smoke tho, which does make things slightly awkward sometimes, but it doesn't take away from my acheivement!

dePeatrick

DMCC71 wrote: »

I will be smoke free 9 months tomorrow! I still get strange thoughts that I actually miss smoking but then the relief that I don't far out weighs that feeling!
I have put on a bit of weight but I'm not going to worry that for the moment and deal with it in January!

9 weeks off them, and do still get that feeling to reach for a cigarette.....but still not doing it. Wouldn't worry about the bit of extra weight, I have done that too....but that is a whole lot easier to deal with than giving up smoking ::D

BillyMitchel

On day 9. I think they definitely work but I am getting some side affects. Vivid dreams being 1. Not bad dreams or dirty dreams just out and out crazy dreams. I often wonder about my sanity if this stuff is already in my head!!

I smoked about 20 a day but now down to 1 and I don't even finish that 1.

I also find I'm not 100%. I'm usually very outgoing and talkative but I feel a bit withdrawn. It's a small price to pay for a few weeks if its works - which it seems to be doing.

Many family members have now used these and are completley off the dirty cancer sticks but all have gained a good bit of weight. Did everyone else find this?

Why are these tablets not more well known if they work so well? Also, how exactly do these tablets work on the body or mind? Just wondering out of curiosity really because I'm really surprised that more people haven't tried them.

donalz

well off the fags 2 year now thanks to the champix best move i ever made in my life i just wish i did it sooner , for the first 2 week sleep and the sicky feeling all over the place . but your body dont be long in getting used to the tablets. no the tablets is not for all people and your doctor will tell you that but the lucky one"s able to avil of the champix go for you you wont be dispointed i i was a big somker for a young dude and had no will power did the patchs over and over again so what i did with my doc i did the frist 12 weeks for drug and went back to the doctors for a chat and i still was not happy so i did a SECOND 12 week course of them so that was 6months on them , best thing i done i wouldnt even dream of putting on fag in my mouth now !!

BillyMitchel

Update! Off the cancer sticks two weeks and 4 days!! Woooooo (love doing that I feel like dancing and calling myself Ric Flair). I'm on my 5th week of champax

Ive been out, drunk, stressed to my eye balls with uni work and hardly any cravings what so ever. These tabs are definitely worth a try! Id still really like to know how they work though.

Downside. Occasional upset stomach when I take the tabs but it passes pretty quick. Still get the vivid dreams but nothing too crazy.

DMCC71

Hi all! I was 10 months smoke free last Sunday! It's the best Christmas gift I could ever give myself!

marieS1967

hi everyone just started on champix 2 days ago...... what i want to know is when did you all start loosing the urge to smoke.......an at @nanook my x partner quit by using champix an he smoked 80/100 cigs an would not go to bed without having 20 cigs beside him... that is y i thought i would give these champix ago