Champix aka Chantix/Varenicline

Kahlan

Hey everyone,

DonnieL, that is great news (not the malignant melanoma but the stage 1/2 bit). I have to say the name for that illness - malignant melanoma - is really scary. The dictionary definition of malignant is: Showing great malevolence; disposed to do evil. May I just say that the medical community really do their best to instill fear in our hearts!! Luckily we are made of sterner stuff!

Celt262, I would be delighted to know how your night on the town went as I am going out clubbing this evening and am slightly anxious as to how the non smoking when surrounded by alcohol will go. Maybe I should stick to water!!!!

Poutbutton, I have to say I am very lucky, my best friend smokes and she is avoiding all smoking in my presence. Last night we met up in town and were going back to mine to watch a movie. She pretended that she had to do something for five minutes with her car so that I would not even know that she was sneaking in a smoke!! I only found out because I kept insisting that I would wait with her until she broke down and admitted shamefacedly that she was waiting for me to go before having a cigarrette. There are certain people, very unlike her, who I will definitely avoid being around because they are the ones who will say "aghh go on, it is only the one" etc. The crazy thing is, I really think that they think that the are doing you a favour.

Anyway, I gotta go, have loads of things to do today and this evening I will be preening myself in anticipation of a great night on the town.

Talk soon,

xxxx

tattoo man

used them last year(campix)was a heavy heavy smoker,they were fantastic,was off the smokes for 6 mths,run up to christmas i decided to have a smoke(dont ask why)went back on them of the christmas period,went cold turkey new years day,still off them,but finding it real hard,getting serious mood swings...id love to go back and ask the doctor for another try off campix as there that good,but im on a medical card,and i dont kn ow if he would give them to me for a 2nd time...????

tattoo man

DonnieL wrote: »

I agree with Ms. Poutbutton. is there anyone out there that has completed the Chantix/Champix program and are now living without the medication? Any cravings? urges? fits? :eek:anything? Or is everthing cool??;)

i was perfect when finished the course,that good that i tricked meself into thinking that i could have a smoke:D:D

believe me im doing cold turke as we speak,and im up the wall....ill be lucky to have a wife and kids next mth:D:D

SMK

Well done to everybody for giving up cigarettes. I used Champix as soon as they were released on the Irish market! I was asking my doctor for a prescription for them before he even knew about them!

The cravings did take a few months to go but they eventually became annoying rather than a threat to smoke a cigarette! I've also found over the last few months that if I'm feeling stressed, cigarettes are the last thing I think about! Strangely enough the only times now I think I want a cigarette is when I'm bored or waiting. But to be honest, I really don't think I will smoke again cos I don't want to have to give them up again!!

I haven't smoked in.....

One year, nine months, four weeks, one day, 17 hours, 20 minutes and 47 seconds. 16768 cigarettes not smoked, saving €5,911.11. Life saved: 8 weeks, 2 days, 5 hours, 20 minutes.:)

tattoo man

SMK wrote: »

Well done to everybody for giving up cigarettes. I used Champix as soon as they were released on the Irish market! I was asking my doctor for a prescription for them before he even knew about them!

The cravings did take a few months to go but they eventually became annoying rather than a threat to smoke a cigarette! I've also found over the last few months that if I'm feeling stressed, cigarettes are the last thing I think about! Strangely enough the only times now I think I want a cigarette is when I'm bored or waiting. But to be honest, I really don't think I will smoke again cos I don't want to have to give them up again!!

I haven't smoked in.....

One year, nine months, four weeks, one day, 17 hours, 20 minutes and 47 seconds. 16768 cigarettes not smoked, saving €5,911.11. Life saved: 8 weeks, 2 days, 5 hours, 20 minutes.:)

fantastic stuff,and best of luck..thats great stuff

Poutbutton

Well Donnie I'm glad to hear things are'nt as bad as they could be, best of luck for Monday.
SMK & Tatoo Man, nice to hear more views on Champix, I'm sticking the course but find 2 tablets a day are sometimes too much for me, I've been getting an upset stomach a lot so some days, I'm doing without the second tab. No effects so far.
No major cravings the past 2 days and as already mentioned, I get the worst ones when bored not when under pressure, you would think it'd be the other way round! when I say "worst", these cravings are not even that bad.
Kahlan, you're doing great, lucky you with a patient friend, thankfully, I'm not around my "serious Smoking" friend that much so I'll just be careful at the next gathering. I used to do what your friend does for you to my serious smoker friend when she was off the fags HUH no fair!:mad:

tattoo man

Poutbutton wrote: »

Well Donnie I'm glad to hear things are'nt as bad as they could be, best of luck for Monday.
SMK & Tatoo Man, nice to hear more views on Champix, I'm sticking the course but find 2 tablets a day are sometimes too much for me, I've been getting an upset stomach a lot so some days, I'm doing without the second tab. No effects so far.
No major cravings the past 2 days and as already mentioned, I get the worst ones when bored not when under pressure, you would think it'd be the other way round! when I say "worst", these cravings are not even that bad.
Kahlan, you're doing great, lucky you with a patient friend, thankfully, I'm not around my "serious Smoking" friend that much so I'll just be careful at the next gathering. I used to do what your friend does for you to my serious smoker friend when she was off the fags HUH no fair!:mad:

hey Poutbutton i was the same when on them getting a sick stomach,heres how to avoid this,i got motillium tablets of the chemist,can be got over the counter,took one in the morning and it got rid of that sick feeling,i know off a few that had that sick feeling and motillium worked wonders,i was getting real bad sick feelings but one motillium a day and hey presto,best of luck,

tattoo man

can any one tell me if they failed on there first course of campix and there for done another course ???as i said im finding cold turkey to hard,id love another shot at campix,but i dont know if the doc will give as i already got me first lot on medical card????maybe im wrong....???

SMK

I found if I took the table with a meal my stomach didn't get upset.

Tattoo Man, I don't see why you should not be allowed a second go at Champix just because you have a medical card. I know the tablets are expensive but it would be well worth asking your doctor for another prescription.

tattoo man

SMK wrote: »

I found if I took the table with a meal my stomach didn't get upset.

Tattoo Man, I don't see why you should not be allowed a second go at Champix just because you have a medical card. I know the tablets are expensive but it would be well worth asking your doctor for another prescription.

thats true SMK....,i will head down come monday and see the doc,and this time around ill grab the chance with both hands,and i will not be a fool..

DonnieL

Hey Tatoo Man & SMK! Thanks for the input that's a great help. Now we know what to do and not to do for sure. I agree, I think the Doctor shouldn't hesitate to give you a new prescription just to see that you DO quit. My Doctor was delighted when I asked for my second prescription.
Poutbutton & Kahlan, thanks for the support and good luck this weekend when you're out and about and don't let your defenses down!L.O.L.!!

Kahlan

Hey everyone,

So I went out last night and had a great night, I wasn't tempted to smoke until my friend who was off the cigarrettes started smoking. I ended up taking a puff and then giving it back to her. Does that count as smoking?? I have no desire to be back on the smokes at all now and feel happy that I didn't smoke any more.

Also, I am going to Rome tomorrow and won't be back for a week, so can't wait until I get back so that I can read all your posts for the week. Good luck, and steer clear of temptation!!! ( I really should listen to myself more often - I should have stuck with the water but the club was giving out free champagne and strawberries, and I just couldn't say no, one thing led to another and baby guinnesses were added to the mix along with a couple of bottles of bud - I am really paying for my decadence today!!;))

Talk to you all in a weeks time!!

xxxx

tattoo man

Kahlan wrote: »

Hey everyone,

So I went out last night and had a great night, I wasn't tempted to smoke until my friend who was off the cigarrettes started smoking. I ended up taking a puff and then giving it back to her. Does that count as smoking?? I have no desire to be back on the smokes at all now and feel happy that I didn't smoke any more.

Also, I am going to Rome tomorrow and won't be back for a week, so can't wait until I get back so that I can read all your posts for the week. Good luck, and steer clear of temptation!!! ( I really should listen to myself more often - I should have stuck with the water but the club was giving out free champagne and strawberries, and I just couldn't say no, one thing led to another and baby guinnesses were added to the mix along with a couple of bottles of bud - I am really paying for my decadence today!!;))

Talk to you all in a weeks time!!

xxxx

not at all,we all have blips when giving up smoking,your still on track,fair play,keep up the good work....

Poutbutton

Hi everyone & yes it is day 28 off the smokes. I am so happy. Champix is amazing, yes, I'm having some mild symptoms but not so bad that I'm stopping just yet. I had the worst nightmare ever last night & it seemed to last for ages, I could'nt believe how relieved I felt when I woke & realised it was just a champix dream. My tummy cant handle 2 tabs a day so I'm now taking just one in the mornings as the indigestion & heartburn is too much for me. I am amazed that I only got these symptoms in the last week or so and not at the beginning, maybe it's to do with a build up of the drug in my system. Anyway I'll see how I get on taking just the one tab for this week.
Thanks for the motillium advice, I may buy some if tummy is still upset this week on one tab rather than 2.
Kahlan I'm jealous, hope you have a lovely time in Rome & dont worry I would'nt count one puff as a proper smoke. You can make a wish for all of us to keep off the smokes in the Trevvy Fountain, & a special one for Donnie tio make a speedy recovery after tomorrow.
Tatooman I hope your Doc says yes, tell him you want to give it a serious shot this time. If he says no, ask him for a prescription out of your own money thats how serious you are! He's sure to say yes. It's cheaper than cigarettes in the long run!

tattoo man

Poutbutton wrote: »

Hi everyone & yes it is day 28 off the smokes. I am so happy. Champix is amazing, yes, I'm having some mild symptoms but not so bad that I'm stopping just yet. I had the worst nightmare ever last night & it seemed to last for ages, I could'nt believe how relieved I felt when I woke & realised it was just a champix dream. My tummy cant handle 2 tabs a day so I'm now taking just one in the mornings as the indigestion & heartburn is too much for me. I am amazed that I only got these symptoms in the last week or so and not at the beginning, maybe it's to do with a build up of the drug in my system. Anyway I'll see how I get on taking just the one tab for this week.
Thanks for the motillium advice, I may buy some if tummy is still upset this week on one tab rather than 2.
Kahlan I'm jealous, hope you have a lovely time in Rome & dont worry I would'nt count one puff as a proper smoke. You can make a wish for all of us to keep off the smokes in the Trevvy Fountain, & a special one for Donnie tio make a speedy recovery after tomorrow.
Tatooman I hope your Doc says yes, tell him you want to give it a serious shot this time. If he says no, ask him for a prescription out of your own money thats how serious you are! He's sure to say yes. It's cheaper than cigarettes in the long run!

hey defo get the motillium,28 days is fantastic,isnt it great to acheive that,smokes as we all know is a serious serious habit ti kick,and your kicking it right in the nuts,great stuff poutbutton,way to go....

Poutbutton

Thanks Tatooman the time has really flown since i've been off them. I cant stand them now, it's an odd feeling seeing as I smoked since I was 14 yrs old but it's also a great feeling & the smell is so nasty I can detect it off people who dont smoke but whose partners do YUCK!!
This is my year of kicking all the nasties in the nuts

DonnieL

Hi Everyone, Thanks Poutbutton for the wish at trevvy fountain and Kahlan you sure are a busy young lady. Ahh those were the days to be constantly on the go! Hope you have a great time in Rome! And to all the rest of you, you've all been really supportive and kind. I'm really happy that I stumbled on to this "thread" even though I didn't realize it was based in Ireland. I haven't found anything to equal it here in the U.S. THANKS FOR BEING THERE!! I really enjoy all the posts!

Poutbutton

Hi Donnie & glad to have you on board! I was a new user before I started this thread I never expected to get as many replies from it. I wondered how other nationalities joined in, With it being called boards.ie the .ie signifies Ireland on the net, I assumed we were all connected and that maybe you were on boards.com or something & they all joined up :pac:
I dont question technology as long as it works I'm happy LOL
I guess a google search of Champix maybe shows this thread up....
How are you feeling? You are nearing your 3rd month on the wonder drug now are'nt you?

DonnieL

Hi Poutbutton, L.O.L. I thought the I.E. after Boards meant "for example" like you'd use i.e. in a sentence!:D Oh well live and learn! See I'm really learning something from you Irish.
I'm feeling good. We'll see what tomorrow brings. Shouldn't be to bad except for some discomfort. The physician's assistant mentioned there would be some scarring. I told him "I'm too old to worry about scarring! I'll just call them War Wounds!":cool:

DonnieL

OH, I forgot to mention, I'm on my 36th Day! Whoopee!!!! Next week will be my half way mark!

Poutbutton

Thats good, your positive attitude is admirable. I would'nt be worried about scars either as long as everything was ok. I googled champix and our thread came up first on the list! No wonder there have been so many views. I read through some of the other sites on the subject & there's some amount of negative tales, I'm still wary of it but singing it's praises at the same time. 1 month and I am sickly but not bad enough to go off just yet. It's great you're half way I cant wait to get there!:)

celt262

Another weekend gone past and no problems. Got the odd craving but there was no way that i was going to smoke.

tattoo man

celt262 wrote: »

Another weekend gone past and no problems. Got the odd craving but there was no way that i was going to smoke.

thats it,proper order,and the start of another week,and another week of the smokes....keep it up...fantastic work...

celt262

tattoo man wrote: »

thats it,proper order,and the start of another week,and another week of the smokes....keep it up...fantastic work...

A month off them tomorrow, its still suprising the amount off people who still dont know about this drug though.

DonnieL

celt262 wrote: »

A month off them tomorrow, its still suprising the amount off people who still dont know about this drug though.

Celt262 and Poutbutton, Congratulations again! We can all do it! And just pray they we can maintain once we're off the Meds!! :rolleyes:

Well off to the Clinic, I'll update you when I'm finished.:eek:

DonnieL

Just thought I'd share this because we have been discussing it recently. GETQUIT has cut down their emails to once a week. This is the one for Week 7:

02/16/2009
By now you've learned and used many of the Quit Strategies that work best for you, but staying away from cigarettes can still be a challenge. Here in the next phase of GETQUIT, you’ll continue to get useful information designed to help you stay on track.
Close


Details
Now that you've been quitting for a while, we'll be helping you learn to keep avoiding cigarettes. We'll also be talking about some really interesting health benefits you may not know about. So keep coming back every week, because you don't know what you might be missing.

Do you feel like a nonsmoker now? Perhaps your thoughts about smoking are fading. So maybe you think your quit journey is over.

Well, not quite. You might be feeling confident now. But something could always happen — stressful or unexpected — that could create an urge.

That's the reason we offer GETQUIT for up to a year. No matter what comes up for you in the weeks and months to come, you'll have our support that's designed to help you get through it.

That's also why it's so important for you to take CHANTIX for the full 12 weeks. It can reduce the urge to smoke. And remember, CHANTIX is a non-nicotine pill. CHANTIX targets nicotine receptors in the brain, attaches to them, and blocks nicotine from reaching them.

Sticking with CHANTIX as prescribed by your doctor has been proven to help people quit smoking. Studies show 44% of people who took CHANTIX for a full 12 weeks were quit at the end of those 12 weeks, compared to about 18% of those who took sugar pills."

Poutbutton

I think I just had my first day with no cravings none what so ever even after 90 minutes of intense noise at work {this occurs fortnightly} where after I always used to be dying for a smoke to reward myself for tolerating it! I'm impressed.
I've gotten totally addictied to my ipod better than nicotene eh
I found this yesterday did'nt get through much of it but it's interesting stuff if you're up for the read

http://truthwillout.co.uk/

celt262

That great news donniel

evs

Hi all,

I'm just back from the doctor and she's given me a prescription for Champix. I'm in the process of doing some research online at the moment, but for those of you who have started taking it recently, can you please let me know how much the 2 week starter kit costs please? And also, if you'd be so kind as to tell me how much it is a month thereafter, that would be great too!

I know it will be cheaper than feeding my 20-30 a day habit, but just wanted to check out the costs in advance so I can budget accordingly.

Thanks in advance!

Poutbutton

evs wrote: »

Hi all,

I'm just back from the doctor and she's given me a prescription for Champix. I'm in the process of doing some research online at the moment, but for those of you who have started taking it recently, can you please let me know how much the 2 week starter kit costs please? And also, if you'd be so kind as to tell me how much it is a month thereafter, that would be great too!

I know it will be cheaper than feeding my 20-30 a day habit, but just wanted to check out the costs in advance so I can budget accordingly.

Thanks in advance!

Hi eves if you read through this thread from the beginning {It's Long at this stage!} you will find out anything you wanted to know.
Basically you dont get a 2 week starter pack you get a months worth of pills you smoke for the first week then stop on the 8th day or any day you choose in the 2nd week. I was ready to stop by day 8. I could'nt wait in fact. Some people go on until day 14 but by then fags taste gross & you really are wasting your time! Each pack costs €125 but you will qualify for the drug payment scheme, {bring your PPS number to your chemist} then you will only pay €100 per pack so in all €300 for the 3 months.
Congrats and best of luck as you start the course, pop in here and lt us know how you get along.
we've all found it really supportive being able to talk to others in the same boat.


Donnie glad to hear you are ok and fighting the nicotene still!