Champix aka Chantix/Varenicline

Thanks connewitz for keeping us informed on the passing of DONNIE (so sad), he really helped me and am sure many other people who visited this thread to stop smoking. Thanks DONNIE. R.I.P.

connewitz wrote: »

It is with great sadness to inform the members of this threat about the passing of one of his earliest members, DONNIE aka Don Liddy.
Don was fighting lung cancer for 5 months and sadly lost the battle.
He will be missed and always remembered.
He helped me to get smoke free and I am always grateful for his support.

Ah no way. Rest in peace Mr liddy

I used champix maybe 5 years or more, when this thread started.
I did stop smoking, but only used the tabs for about 3 weeks
and then smoked again. and its been years before i tried again
So here goes, on champix 3 weeks.
stopped smoking , not sure what date.
But im going to take half dose for the next 2 months
and see how it goes.
Am sleepy, no other symptoms, no desire to smoke.

Personally, I followed the course through exactly as prescribed. I took all the help I could get so that's why I finished it. Just passed the 4 years free mark & all I can say is its worth it. Good luck.

This thread was a huge help to me almost 18 months ago when I decided to embark on my Champix journey. I'm so proud to say that I'm still smoke free and looking forward to celebrating my 2 years smoke free in November this year.

I took the starter pack over approx 2 months. Quit on day 19 and never looked back. Found I felt nauseous at the beginning if I didn't take the tablet with food and warned my work colleagues of mood side effects, none of which were reported back as unusual so best of luck to all taking the same route. You really won't know yourself afterwards!

pinkstars wrote: »

Hi all,

If I am on Psychiatric medication will my GP not prescribe Champix to me?
I'm going to the doctor this evening and am eager to give up the cigarettes.

Your doctor is the only person qualified to advise on that. Best of luck with the cigarettes.

terenc wrote: »

Hi DMCC71,
I would do the exact same, cant believe am going into my fifth year off the feckers:), I do believe it would have been R.I.P IF IT HAD NOT BEEN FOR CHAMPIX AND THIS THREAD. I keep telling people about champix and how important it is to get support from other people when trying to stop smoking and this thread did it for me, I still look in but the longer your off cigs the thread goes very much into the back groung which in its own way tells a story of how successful it can work for you in your battle against smokes and gets other people involved and all helping each other.
So to everybody out there thinking of giving up or planning to stop smoking look in on other threads, talk to each other support each other to gave yourself every chance of winning, its not easy but its very doable and if you dont succeed, try again and again and again.
I want to thank everybody in this thread who helped me quite smoking just a fantastic group of people ROCK ON

Hi terenc

Just popped in for a look here and it's great to see this thread being used! I'm glad to say that I will soon be at the 4 year mark and have absolutely no yearning to smoke, which i would have found difficult to believe before I quit!!
The difference that the support this thread gives is huge and I have suggested to my doctor that he should advise people on champix to log on here!
Thank you to everyone who helped me along this journey, to be smoke free so long is brilliant!!!!

pinkstars wrote: »

I have been diagnosed with COPD at 36 years old. I smoke 60-80 rollies a day. I have been in hospital twice in the past week with suspected clots and I have been out of work since December due to not being able to breathe. I'm on anti depressants- would my doc still prescribe Champix? I'm desperate to get off the cigarettes. I have tried everything.

I've had surgery recently and I'm on a cocktail of drugs at the moment and there was no problem staying on the champix I'm on day 60 of them off the cigs now again that was after I think 4 years off the cigs previously thanks to champix just fell off the wagon for a while but champix have done the trick again.

I'm not sure about mixing them with anti depressants, I was on a course recently and it was proven depression can be cured naturally in 80% of cases with no medication in 21 days. You need to go for a 30 minute walk at 7am every day for 21 days 15 minutes one way and 15 minutes back. That's all you need to do.

Get off the smokes and champix will 100% get you off them, if they won't give them to you as your on the anti depressants try the walking trick and you've a pretty good chance of being out of the depression and off the smokes all in the next 6 weeks. It's worth a shot.

The champix will work and the walking will get you into a routine and hopefully out of the depression. Best of look with it.

I posted here in 2009, seems like yesterday.
Anyhoo ive started on champix again.
I never got to the point where I took 2 blue tabs, I stayed
at 1 after dinner and that worked.
Went on holidays and that was that, straight back on them..:mad:
So here we go again ....and Drunk monkey Ill try that walking .tks


oh I gave up again last year i see by my posts
must have not tried very hard, cant even remember.

I only got as far as day 3. I was so nervous about them. But I totally wanna start them again! I had PND after my baby but I pray and hope this doesn't affect me. The patches just don't work for me at all. Nor the electronic fag. I persuaded my doctor to give them to me but I read too many horror stories on the internet! Back to the doctor tomorrow. What should I do? Just being diagnosed with COPD. Smoking 80 a day.

drunkmonkey wrote: »

I think you have to do the 12 weeks just to get the full suffering in to get maximum impact, it's after taking me an age this time to stop, only off them fully now about 9 days and on my last 4 weeks supply.
Buying a decent vaporiser, like the odd toke not often but when I do end up mixing it with tobacco, need to cut that out as it's how ended back on them, well that and had a few cigars at a stag, then started having the odd cigar then back on cigs , complete madness. No tobacco from here on in of any kind.

I do feel for the lads on the nicotine vapes there completely addicted, was trying to convince one of my mates to take back up smoking cigs instead of the vape so he could go on the champix and get off the smokes. Thing is constantly in his mouth can't do anything without it and doesn't see any problem.

Do you think the doctor will prescribe them to me again? I literally had to beg for them cause of my mental health.

drunkmonkey wrote: »

They do effect your mood, that could be coming off the smokes as well, bit of both I'd say.
I'd push him and get them anyway, might as well be depressed with more money in your pocket, smelling good and looking good beats been broke, depressed and smelly.
I think smoking gives
me anxiety, makes me a little depressed even, I know I'm not doing what I should be.
Try the waking trick but stick to the same time every morning, maybe 8 if 7 is a little early but get that routine going, your mood will lift and there'll be no more hiding under the covers.
No such thing as a bad day, just bad moments. Punch them out of your way when they appear. Don't loose the day to them.
Might help to write down each day something that upset you and the next day fix it after your little stroll. You'll soon be golden.

Thank you so much, I appreciate your reply!

On day 12 now thanks to Champix. This is my third attempt using the tablets, the longest I lasted off them was a year, but then stupidly decided Id treat myself to a cigarette after climbing kilimanjaro in 2013 and had been on them since. In the year that I was off them I used to smoke when drinking (bumming other peoples) because I knew if I bought my own pack it was game over because theyd still be in my handbag the day after.

Each time I take champix they affect me differently. First time was vivid dreams and constipation, second time was waking up at 4am every single night, and now Ive halved my dosage for the first time because I didnt sleep at all for 2 nights straight last week and I started to get extremely cranky (increased likeliness of smoking!). So now Im just taking 1 blue tab a day, as early in the day as possible.

Ive never finished a full course of them though, I always take only 1 to 1.5 packs and then stop.. i dont like the side effects, so once I feel mentally strong enough without them i stop taking them

I still think about smoking a lot, even though I dont have a craving, its more the habit, something to do. Im buying the large tubs of extra chewing gum and getting through half a tub a day. Just keep shoving fresh chewing gums into the gob for 'something to do' lol.

I try to make a point of telling myself they smell rotten everytime i get a whiff, or making a mental note of people who have to stand outside doors to smoke at shopping centres etc and how I dont miss that. I can still smell the stink out of my car, although my apartment smells a lot better now.

Think people can have different to reactions to the tablets. At the time I didn't think there were any side effects but looking back I turned into a bit of a psycho. Ah, nothing too bad but I'm glad I don't have to go through it again. Going into the 7th year off the smokes

terenc wrote: »

Great to see this thread still being used by people to give up smoking and as I said before its people sharing their experience and helping each other as they go through the different stages of giving up cigarettes its a very important moment in time but when you succeed its life changing. I give them up Oct 2009. I had tried many times before and failed but the champix was just part of the story, people power was a huge part of the process and helping each other get over each day without a cigarette. Remember some of the above names but as I said it took me several attempts, so wish you all the best and hope you all succeed in kicking this killer.

:eek::eek::eek::eek: I remember you ..well done