Champix aka Chantix/Varenicline

pinnyoshea

Thanks for the link DonnieL. Some scary stuff but plenty of good experiences too. I would tend to disbelieve a lot of them but Im sure some are genuine. Watched Ireland beating England :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D in the pub with a group of smokers and stayed strong. Tonight will be a real test tho. Working as a doorman in a nightclub and I normally chainsmoke for three hours straight while working there. (Not sure if you follow rugby DonnieL but the amount of smileys are due to the rivalry between Ireland and England in rugby and also because we are top of the six nations championship and have an excellent chance of winning it this year)

Poutbutton

Hi guys it's late saturday night I'm still in chaos trying to organise my life after the big move in between life going on as usual anyway!
No cravings the past few days, things have been crazy busy but even at night when I do get a few minutes to myself I'm not getting any major pangs to smoke. It is different when I am in the direct company of a smoker though so I now foresee that I could be on the champs right to the bitter end, and in my case that will be a while down the road considering I'm only taking 1 drug a day still.

So Dragona welcome on board I hope you find a way of curing the nausea, sometimes it works if you wait til later in the morning to take the tablet, lunchtime even and then your 2nd one after dinner or like me you could cut down to one drug a day, it's working for me. You can take it any time if you cut the dosage in half, your body might respond better to less of the drug in your system.
Kahlan keep it up, it can only help your health in the longrun if you stay off them although kudos go out to you & Pinnyoshea for quitting in your final year I was a wreck coming up to mine in 2007 there's no way I could have given up. I smoked so much that month before the exams that I had to go on to the Lights version of my fags afterwards :eek:

Pinnyoshea I dont know how you've got this far working as a doorman fair play to you & forget the slip ups I have them too & all I keep saying is "it's part of the quitting process to find out when you are most vulnerable & to learn when you should put your guard up", I have friends who gladly offer me fags & say "sure one wont hurt ya".
Quitting is all up to you, it's you that will beneift so it's gotta be you that puts the effort in even when it's hard. I bet your resolve is great once you are sober!
Great that we won the rugger wohoo!:D Only by 1 point mind, it was so close! I really hope they go all the way to the top & win!
Donnie you really are going through the mill! You must be fed up with all the prodding & investigations. You have stuck it out so long now with no slips, you are an example to us all. I read that piece in the wall st journal, there's lots of that type of thing on the net, I've seen some really sad & angry posts from people whose loved ones actually committed suicide but also these are the very people who should not have been put on the drug in the first place without monitoring, they all had to some degree, a history of mental illness. It's very sad. I also query whether those people who claiim to have gotten heart trouble or diabetes following their course of chantix, what if those things were on the horizon for those people anyway...{what do they call those people who try to claim against the slightest itch, you know compensation hungry people...}
I have not heard of anything as severe here in Ireland. I have a friend who works in a large residential home for intellectually disabled people. She was telling me some of the residents have been put on champix but that they are watched like hawks in case of any negative side effects or aggression/depression.
So I'm off to sleep loooking forward to my bike ride in the Phoenix Park in the morning hope it's sunny! then back home to do more unpacking drone...:(

Kahlan

Cravings, okay so today was major for the cravings, so i did something really bold, I went out to the vending machine and bought crisps and chocolate - will not be doing this again considering the havoc such foods might have on gall stones. But it did relieve said cravings!!! 2moro back to college, I have a seriously ridiculous amount of stuff to do!!

Poutbutton, you seem so on top of things, i am slightly jealous!!!

To everyone else, a big hello and not sure when I will be next online cause I intend on staying in the library til late all week!

Talk soon,

xxxxxx

Poutbutton

On top of things! I'm all over the place! :pac: Although I did get a lot done today, you dont realise how much stuff you own til you move. I have done this entire move on my own over the past week and now I'm in agony - I walloped my leg off the bedpost the other day & acquired a massive bruise, it did'nt bother me too much but now all the lifting of boxes and lugging of baggage seems to have left me with housemaids knee Ouch it hurts like hell.

Smoking? What's that? No strong cravings today but as always I do think about having one almost daily, I cant call it a craving anymore it's more like a habit I am forgetting to uphold. But I'm still repulsed everytime I smell it off someone else who has just had one. I passed a lady today in the frozen food aisle of the local supermarket and I am not joking when I say I had to hold my breath, she smelled so bad like a human ashtray. I dont ever want to smell like that again!

Almost forgot to boast about my being off the filty rotten fags now for 6 whole weeks let me hear ya say a woohoo! Personally I still cant believe it!

pinnyoshea

Congrats on the 6 wk milestone Poutbutton. That really is amazing. I hope in 5 and a bit weeks Ill be able to say the same.

Didnt smoke last night and didnt notice any bad cravings but I think i may have been a bit more irritable than usual. I hope I dont become an angry bouncer, I hate them.

Today was an absolute nightmare had really bad cravings but got through them. Think it just because was on foul form. Dont worry no side effects... been going thru a breakup recently and finally realised it was definately over we been finished since the start of february but in contact tryn to work it out. realisation was a bit of a relief actually. Better than haging on hoping that it will work out. Also decided gona have to move house. About 2 wks ago landlord let a 2 young lads move into the house and one of their girlfriends also stays. Im a very relaxed person but I draw a line at hearing the couple fight constantly, their scumbag friends stayn over for three days straight drinking and taking pills and their constant agressive behaviour (not towards me, as Im a lot bigger than them). As you can guess they not from the best area of limerick where I in college. As I type this Im listening to arguing from the next room. And they always here, because they dont work. That and the fact that I am so behind in my college work because of things that have been going on really made me want to just light up but I didnt so I am pretty sure Im going to succeed this time around.

Anyway Im sorry for offloading on ye all but when I started typing it felt good to get it off my chest.

Thanks guys

Poutbutton

No worries Pinnyoshea thats what were here for. I never got narky, thank God I was afraid of that, I just seem to go quiet & completely change what I'm doing instead of loosing it. I'm even coping with road rage like a dream, this drug is a miracle I tell ya! There was a day back at the beginning when I felt sad looking at one of those ads on telly for poor kids or something that nearly had me bawling but then I realised it must have been the champix so I snapped out of it! It was like a click of a switch to shake myself out of it. I think everyone goes through a "less tolerant than normal stage" when giving up smoking so if people know they usually give you a little leeway.
Sorry to hear about the breakup, there's no easy way through them. I feel your pain with your houseshare, I've had my fill of houseshare hell and there's nothing worse. You should have house rules as a group though especially if people are studying or getting up early Mon-Fri. The only thing is that now the rents have gone down you might be lucky to get a nice place. 2nd positive is that you are almost finished college so a few more months & college stress will be a thing of the past & you might be able to afford to share with 1 person instead of 2 plus girlfriends :rolleyes: Chin up you're doing great

DonnieL

I don't know what's happening. This will be my third try today trying to respond to your post and it keeps taking me back to the log in page when I'm logged in or not. Before I leave a long winded post:rolleyes: Let me know if this goes through. I don't think boards.ie loves this ole yankee anymore!:(

pinnyoshea

Thanks poutbutton. Just gotta keep the eye on the prize. Anyway got an early morning so sleeptime. Gud night

pinnyoshea

hey DonnieL that went through. Hope all gud with you.

Terry

DonnieL wrote: »

I don't know what's happening. This will be my third try today trying to respond to your post and it keeps taking me back to the log in page when I'm logged in or not. Before I leave a long winded post:rolleyes: Let me know if this goes through. I don't think boards.ie loves this ole yankee anymore!:(

Try deleting cookies and clearing you cache.
Also, run that programme I directed you to a couple of pages back. You may have spyware on your computer.

If the problem persists, then take it up in feedback. This may be happening to others too.

dragona

I am having trouble....bowel wise, and it is definitely the Champix. I have been having terrible nausea, stomach cramps and dreadful, DREADFUL diarrhea..Sorry if it's TMI!

Experimented by not taking a tablet for two days, no cramping and loose ahem, tried taking one in the evening with dinner last night, woke up in the night with bad stomach cramps and the rest...... WHAT TO DO????? :eek:

Poutbutton

I feel your pain Dragona maybe it's time to ring your surgery and ask if the doctor will speak with you over the phone. He/she will advise you on what to do. It's a bit too long now that you've been suffering to think it'll just go away. I had an upset tum th 2nd and 3rd days, I put it down to the toxins leaving my body and any difficulty I had after that was mere indigestion. I'm taking only one tablet a day, I take it in the morning around 10 or 11 & I am not experiencing any more tummy upsets. I hope this can be resolved it would be such a shame if you have to come off it so soon after starting but you cant put up with this for much longer.

No cravings for me today not one.

Donnie, that happened to me a while back, I ran my spyware & virus scanner & it seemed to fix it.

pinnyoshea

Hey All,

Back to myself today. Had an extra productive day today, even if I was kept awake till three in the morning by housemates. Couple of cravings but none too bad.

I really hope you get sorted dragona. Even if you have to come off the champix stick with quitting and try use this thread for motivation. I really think Id be back smoking already champix or no champix if it wasnt for this thread. I never found the taste too bad even after a week on champix and I still dont find the smell disgusting. Maybe you could tell yourself if you start smoking again you'd force yourself to take champix whatever the consequences . Hopefully it wont come to that.

DonnieL hope you fix the problem soon. Miss your posts.

DonnieL

OK, I'm going to try this again!

Pinnyoshea glad to hear your maintaining so well especially after weekend at work and your "lovely neighbors". I've had neighbors like that a few times that's why I swear I'd never live in another Apartment/Flat.

Poutbutton hope you're getting settled so you can set back and enjoy the fruit of your labors!:D Glad to hear that your getting past the cravings. I picked up my last prescription (I hope)yesterday. Still haven't had any problems with the smokes. Of course I can't count Friday and Saturday because after the Colonoscopy/Polypectomy I slept most of the time. Today I went in to have the stitches taken out of my back. Other than that, I'm Great!:rolleyes:

Kahlan, I sure hope you're feeling better by now and I been remembering in my Hail Mary's and Act of Contrition at bedtime. Keep up the good work with your studies.

Dragona, wow, you've been going through hell. You need to sit down with you physican and have a chat.:eek:

celt262

Havent been on in a while but just though id drop in to let you all know that im still smoke free. Started week 8 this morning and im going threw most days without even gettting cravings.

DonnieL

Hey Celt262, good for you. Yes it looks like we're both in week 8. I still haven't had any cravings but as I mentioned in an earlier post that last Thursday I was prepping for a colonoscopy.(no solid food. just clear liquids) It crossed my mind that a cig would be a great crutch right now!:eek: That was the devil on my left shoulder! The Angel on my right should said "What??!! Are you out of you friggin' mind??!!:D The Angel won!!;) Keep up the great work and I'll do the same!

celt262

Fair play DonnieL its getting through things like that, which will make you stronger.

DonnieL

:DSt. Patricks Day !!!!!!!!!!:D

dragona

Righto, spoke to doc yesterday and told him I just can't take the two tablets a day -actually a whole one tablet is giving the same effect.Hours on loo, in pain:mad::(

He said just to stop then, Duh! I have! But I'm afraid I will want to smoke....I haven't as yet, nor have I wanted to, but WHAT IF I DO??????? I thought about cutting one tablet in half, and having that twice a day, or would the effect be so minimal as to not make it worth the hassle?
(as they do not seem to cut in half easily ) Obviously if I end up on the loo again, I have no choice but just to muddle through without the help of drugs.....;)

DonnieL

Dragona, I'm really sorry to hear about your misery:( I did some checking and found a site in the UK for Champix and am sending the link. There is contact information on the first page. Good Luck:)

http://www.buychampixuk.co.uk/

They may be of some help. Good Luck!

DonnieL

DonnieL

Hello again Dragona. I just went into that site to reveiw it. I doesn't say anything about prescription so I'm not sure it's legit or not! Poutbutton? Kahlan? Celt262? Anyone?:o

DonnieL

OK this site is through Phizer the manufacturer of Champix/Chantix. When you open the link there is a contact button at the bottom of the page. Hope this helps. Take care!:)

http://emc.medicines.org.uk/searchresults.aspx?term=Champix&searchtype=AdvancedSearch

pinnyoshea

Hey all,

How are ye keeping? Hope ye all doing good today. I am quite hungover but sweated most of it out in the gym. Was our class party last night. Brilliant fun. Played drinking games and got quite drunk. Were out having snowball fights and building snowmen till 4 in the morning. Alcohol+snow+me= Acting like 12 yr old. Happy to say no slip ups. Was even out in smoking area of the club with my smoking friends for a good while and wasnt tempted. Delighted.

DonnieL hope you all recovered from your very scary sounding procedure and Dragona hang in there with us. You can do it with or without champix.

DonnieL

Sounds like great fun!! Except for the hangover of course! Pinnyoshea you are to be commended for going through all that with no "slip-ups"!! Keep up the great work!!

Poutbutton

Well hello there my non smoking buddies, mid week already yeehooooo, only one more saturday in college & then I've 3 weeks "off" ahem to swot for the big exam on March 28th.........less said about that the better:rolleyes: but I am feeling a new wave of shall we say "lightness" over my little world at last after the move and the snow and my head gasket blowing and all the other little nasties over the past while, roll on the summer.

Pinnyoshea your halo shineth!

DonnieL I'd say that site is ok but I have'nt looked at it long enough to know does it require a prescription or not but the UK works separate to southern Ireland in all things and may well sell champix without prescription. The UK has historically sold drugs "over the counter" that could only be had on prescription in Ireland. Many European countries do as well, I remember Nurse friends buying medicines in Spain while on holidays over the years because they could only be gotten on script here at home...hmmm. Those extra 2 week packs are interesting. I thought it was simply 3 months and thats that.

Horses for Courses. Personally I'd rather see a doctor first, I've never been fond of popping any kind of pill, I've only been on 3 antibiotics in my {ahem} 30 something life & hate the idea of a chemical in my system that is'nt meant to be there. Ha I hear you say but you smoked all those years - Ha I retort That is why I gave them up!!:D

Dragona you poor thing, I was just thinking you could go to your pharmacist and ask if they would'nt mind cutting your drugs in half for you, they have special blades that they can cut any drug in half this is normal practice for many drugs and it's free. If you can stick one or 2 more days of risking an upset tummy I'd give it a go.
If not we'll all still support you, you've passed the physical addiction stage sothe hard part is over, we'll all still be here to support you whatever happens.

No cravings again for me today I'm beginning to think I've cracked this habit!

Paddies Festival looms & I'm looking forward to the entire weekend & hopefully no slips.:)

P.S Loving the green Donnie, we'll let you be an Honorary Irish man for the day Or are you already one?

DonnieL

Yeah Poutbutton, that caught my eye too, regarding the single, double pack options. But as you said I guess things are different in England.

Unforunately no, I'm not Irish I'm "Heinz Variety" like most Yanks!:D A little German, a little Swiss, and a pinch of English.;) But everyone here in the States Celebrates St. Paddy's Day in a Big Way. There are a LOT of Irish Pubs. About 3 miles from me there's a little village in Seal Beach, Ca. And that alone has 3 Irish Pubs which are packed to the rafters on St. Paddy's Day. They close off the streets to block too many outsiders from coming in.

alimo

hi everyone been reading all the posts went today and got champix , I did give up before with zyban but slipped up and ended back on them . reading all the posts really helped me make up my mind on the champix ( thanks everyone ) . when i got my prescription the chemist told me to free text ch 6455 to 50123 on first day of starting champix they send you text messages for support . has anyone used this service ?

DonnieL

Hi Alimo,
Welcome aboard!! Thanks for the input on the support!!:D Here in the States we have 24/7 support from Chantix. They email you daily for the first two weeks plus they call daily to check to see if you've smoked throughout the program.
I know that all my Irish friends, who weren't aware, will be glad to hear about the support program.. Good Luck to ya! Keep checking in..
DonnieL:)

alimo

btw i am from ireland also , so text support is for irish customers :-). I am going to start tommorow woooohooooo . You guys seem to have built up a wee family all of your own here , is great to know that there are people out there who are interested in supporting each other throughout what is a very tough habit to kick , it helps to know that there are people who are going through the same thing as you and who are genuinely interested in what you have to say and who understand where you are comming from as you guys seem to .

DonnieL

Yes, Poutbutton and I stumbled upon each other back in the first week of January. She was just starting out and I was about to start my QUIT day on day #8. As we communicated others joined in. It's been GREAT!!:D
I've been doing the "green" thing in Honor of my Irish Friends with St. Paddy's day approaching!:pac: