Champix aka Chantix/Varenicline

alimo

happy paddys day to all u non-smokers poutbutton i was only joking about the kids , thats the main reason for me quitting , I have 6 children from age 21 to age 3 , though when the 3 and 4 year olds start screaming first thing i want is a ciggarette grrrrrr lol . But seriously i need to get healthy for my childrens sake , i now also have a grandson so need to get all my fitness levels in top form to enter all those glamourous granny competitions :-) Im on day 12 still haven't stopped , when i was on the zyban i had stopped at day 8 as didn't want to smoke and they tasted horrible . with these champix the ciggarettes are still tasting fine to me so am still smoking , i haven't had any effects from the tablets as yet .

DonnieL

Alimo, I was really surprised to read that you're still smoking at day 12. According to the program your quit date is supposed to be day 8. These pills don't "make" you quit. They "help" you quit by deminshing the withdrawls and cravings. Have you tried NOT smoking? Just curious..:cool:

Poutbutton

Hello
I trust you've all had a great day, I celebrated on Sunday night as had family comittments today and mucho gardening on Saturday & Sunday. I just about got all the overgrown grass cut still have so much to do but love that!

Welcome onboard Evs best of luck, google Champix and look at the videos on youtube, there's links all over this thread offereing advice and opinions but always be aware that if you feel weird as Pinny said STOP taking it & see your G.P.

Alimo your a brave & busy lady I hope you have a good quit day. In the Irish instructions for Champix it says you should choose a quit day in the first 14 days, I think perhaps other versions exist saying you have to quit on day 8. I chose day 8 kind of as a spur of the moment thing but also because I was getting sickened by the taste and smell by day 4, perhaps you're a little more tolerant than some. Anyway go with your own instinct, I think the main thing is you really can do it easily with champix, those first 3 days are not difficult at all with this drug. Now see next paragraph for the bit on "Temptation"............

So down to the nitty gritty......I went out with a group of friends on Sunday night we had a crazy & brilliant time having not seen each other in a while, 1 drink led to another, {being Paddies weekend and all} & we ended up partying on into the wee hours here's the confession I had an EPIC FAIL!! I went and BOUGHT a Packet of filthy dirty disgusting cigarettes, then went back to the party and proceeded to smoke {wait for it} 7 smokes! I have the other 13 in the box as a chilling reminder. :eek:

Naturally enough, as Pinnyoshea says, my friends practically encouraged the entire process! I was so disgusted with myself on Monday, I had to work and paid dearly for my bad behaviour the night before with a throbbing head & very sick stomach while enduring 5 wonderful but excruciatingly noisy children for 2 solid hours while one of them had a birthday & burst 25 balloons right beside me. Ah the joys I just had to smile through it & accept my punishment :rolleyes:

Anyway, I'm over it now & back on track, the sniff of a cigarette has me running in the opposite direction

So clearly along way from being "out of the woods" but will soldier on, I have one week of tabs left in my second pack now, will go out tomorrow & buy my 3rd pack & pin them up somewhere ceremoniously to remind myself how far I came & still can go & not let it all go to the wall due to a festival weekend & my weak resolve after a few too many!

DonnieL! Happy Paddies Day! How is it going for you? I think you are the only one of us who has'nt had a slip! Did you celebrate?

pinnyoshea

Ow Ow Ow ny head. Paddys day was great. Cudnt have asked for better weather. Barbeque and outdoor drinking all day. Funny to think 2 weeks ago was havn snowball fights. Paying for the day today, trying to drag myself outa bed and make it into colege an hour late. Doubt ill be the only one late in judging by the amount of people doing the same as me yesterday.

How was st patricks day in CA DonnieL.

alimo

donnieL can give up any time from day 8 to day 14 , with zyban i gave up day 8 as they tasted horrible but im not getting that with the champix . I need to de-stress my life , would go a long way to helping with the smoking as i know i associate stress with smoking ...... any offers of a relaxing holiday lol , if you want to swap places i could go on your cruise for you and you could come to ireland and look after 6 kids , 1 grandson , an irish mammys boy/man ,1 dog an a 24 hour business
poutbutton we are all human , i know people who have been off ciggarettes for 20 years and every once in a while when rat arsed they have a smoke . Im going out sat night and am lucky as most of my friends don't smoke , i will just avoid the few that do . My other half dosen't smoke either but is a pain in the arse as he is an ex smoker and it's lecture lecture lecture , as he reckons u can just stop as he's forgotten how hard it is grrrrrrrrr, calls me puff the magic dragon I don't smoke in the house haven't for many years so should have stopped in winter as i don't go out as much as 2 cold ...... Im going to go back to the gym on my quit day as i stoppped going last year , kept telling myself i hadn't the time , but am going to make the time as it does wonders for the brain and helps with the positive thinking . I just hope i can be as strong as you all have been when quit day comes .....:(

alimo

pinnyoshea u r lucky to have a hangover so stop moaning lol .....not a drop passed my lips yesterday as paddys day on of the busiest in my business and have to entertain the kids make it special day for them . but no fear i will make up for it when i hit the town sat night !!!

DonnieL

Hi Alimo!! I think I'll pass on your invitation! L.O.L.

I'd listen to Poutbutton as she seems like a pretty good mentor. I think the program differs a bit between here and Ireland. I'm listing a few things that the Chantix program calls an "Emergency Kit" it might help a few.

Hope everyone survived St. Paddy's day OK!! It was a quiet one for me.

Here are some things you could pack in your GETQUIT Emergency Kit:

• A small water bottle that you can refill. We recommend drinking 8 cups of water a day in the first few weeks after quitting.

· A pack of sugarless gum.
· Some healthy snacks in a small bag: carrot sticks, celery, or crackers are good choices.
· A small pack of toothpicks or coffee stirrers. Licorice or cinnamon sticks would work, too. You can find any of these at many grocery stores. They're just there to chew on, to keep your mouth occupied.
· A photocopy or picture of your inspiration for quitting. Maybe just somebody's name. Something to remind you why this is important to you.

DonnieL

As I mentioned in one of my earlier posts, there are several Irish Pubs in the area. And on St. Paddy's Day they're pack to the rafters. As I said in my previous post I wasn't able to partake this year. Time just got away from me..

DonnieL

I know, I'm beginning to feel like an outcast!! L.O.L. =^D I think I'll go have a smoke just so I'll have something to talk about!!

alimo

awwwwww donnieL you can talk about anything , have u got the red speedos ready for the cruise , or are you having second thoughts on doing that swap ...:D If you were female you wouln't run outta things to talk about lol .. r any of you finding a difference in your skin , weight etc . I know i won't be nibbling on a lettuce leaf when the cravings come , it will be a great big dirty bar of chocolate or an delicious chinese takeaway .... i can see those glamourous granny contests slipping away from me as i type . actually how do you post pics on this thing , i'd like to post a pic of me every week on this journey to see at the end what changes there are , though might be toooo scarey :eek: lol

pinnyoshea

Hey alimo,

I didnt notice the cigs tasting bad at all either but when i stopped on day 9 I def noticed that the cravings were few and far between, obviously some days you need willpower but overall its grand and except for a couple of drunken "slip-ups" I a happy non smoker. Gym is a brilliant idea. I started back training when i quit aswell and I feel great and more confident than i have in a long time.

DonnieL

Red speedos????? Now that would not be a pretty picture!! L.O.L. Growing up I was the designated baby sitter for my Dad's 11 brothers and sister's kids until I finally moved away from home! =^)

I'm not sure about the posting of pictures. Poutbutton and I exchanged photos during your blizzard over there but I don't remember what I did unless it was a cut and paste thing. I'll try and see what happens.. Nope, that didn't work..

Poutbutton

Well good evening all hope everyone is in fighting form to kick this habit for once and for all! I know I'm renewing my determination, never thought 1 night out would cause so much damage LOL
Donnie you must be near the end of your third pack now are you? or am I just behind in tabs :rolleyes:
spring has really sprung here the weather is just gorgeous at the moment, I got some badly needed pruning done earlier.
I think the fitness idea is a good one and about time for me, I definately put on some weight in the giving up process. I was trying to be restricitve but everyone kept telling me what a good job I was doing giving up the fags & to tackle one thing at a time. But now i'm a bit more settled after my mmove it's time to get fit for the summer.
The photo idea is a good one although I dont think I'd be so brave to do it
I think you need to click "reply" as normal then write what you want and before you post it click "manage attachments" then you can copy & paste a link from a folder of yours, it should show up if we click it. I'm not sure how to "embed" a photo but copying & pasting a link is easy enough.

I did notice a big difference in my skin, it was'nt nearly as dry as normal & my usual dark circles beneath my eyes {a family heirloom} have diminished. So come on Evs quit! You'll be looking great but even better feeling great in no time.

DonnieL

Hey Poutbutton.. Yes, I'm getting down to the end of my last pack. I've been rationing.. started taking one a day.. (kind of a crutch I guess);) I'm still receiving my nightly phone calls from the GETQUIT support to see if I've smoked yet. They discontinued the emails quite awhile ago.. I'm tempted to light up just to see what would happen if I "PRESSED 1"

Poutbutton

Just to break the monotony & check if I can still post photos, Here's a pic of my...well...you can see who or what it is for yourselves it gives me a chuckle I should add tht I got express permission from Ellie to post her photo!

DonnieL

Oh, and yes! I've gained a few pounds myself!!:mad::eek::pac::pac::pac:

Poutbutton

Dont you dare light up donnieL!! I'll ring up your Physician and tell on you :pac: Yea the weight thing is bound to happen we'll all be looking for a diet thread next ha ha

DonnieL

What a great picture.. What's at the other end??:D

Poutbutton

Ha ha She's no oil painting but she's snuggled up here beside me Here's her mush for you we are'nt the usual "dress up the dog" type of people we just could'nt resist this at Christmas to give the kids a laugh.

DonnieL

Aww, what a sweet heart. Is she a jack russell terrier? How did you attach I'm still having a problem. When I click on on the icon "insert image" it asks me for a URL...

DonnieL

Your Ellie reminds me of my Lucky. Hope I figured out what I was doing wrong. See attached.. One morning I was getting ready for work and couldn't find him. I was standing in my bedroom doorway when I called him. When I went to grab my camera he followed me. I said "get back up there" and he did!! He also had his own bed.. until I went to sleep of course..;)

Poutbutton

Ah Donnie Lucky is a beaut! Just showed him to my Mum on the laptop she loves him! Yes Ellie is meant to be a Jack Russell but she was a rescue pup and the vet thinks there's probably a bit of some other breed in her, she has huge ears! We've always had Jack Russells in our family, handy to keep when you dont have a huge garden. They're great fun are'nt they.

So you figured out how to post I think you just upload a file from your own computer by clicking "browse", that's how it works for me. Embedding is a different story which I must learn.

So no cravings today & this next week will be a test in a way as I'm off work now to cram for an exam on the 28th. The test will be not being occupied other than studying but I think I'm over that stage of temptation to be honest. I'm just not counting my chickens too soon after last weekend's fiasco :rolleyes:

DonnieL

Unfortunately I no longer have Lucky. I got him from some friends who were moving to an apartment that didn't allow pets and they wanted some one they knew and trusted to adopt him so I did. He became my "snuggle buddy". The only problem was he was too protective! When ever I took him for a walk and anyone approached he would try and attack them. He did not like other dogs and would try and take them on no matter the size. He once attacked a Rotweiler and I thought he was done with. The kids finally found a place which accepted pets and was able to take him back and I had "visitation rights"!
Sounds like your doing fine off the smokes. Hope your cramming pays off.

I wonder how Kahlan is doing? She's been off for a while now..

DonnieL

Finally got another email from "GETQUIT". Just thought I'd share!! =^)
Your Progress on GETQUIT

By not buying cigarettes you may have saved: $335. Days remaining on CHANTIX 10

DonnieL

Thought you all might get a kick out of this:D:

As a bagpiper, I was asked by a funeral director to play at a graveside service for a homeless man who had no family or friends. The funeral was to be held at a cemetery in the remote countryside and this man would be the first to be laid to rest there.



As I was not familiar with the backwoods area, I became lost and being a typical man, did not stop for directions.
I finally arrived an hour late. I saw the backhoe and the crew who were eating lunch but the hearse was nowhere in sight.



I apologized to the workers for my tardiness and stepped to the side of the open grave where I saw the vault lid already in place.



I assured the workers I would not hold them up for long but this was the proper thing to do. The workers gathered around, still eating their lunch. I played out my heart and soul.



As I played the workers began to weep. I played and I played like I'd never played before, from Going Home and The Lord is My Shepherd to Flowers of the Forest..
I closed the lengthy session with Amazing Grace and walked to my car.



As I was opening the door and taking off my coat, I overheard one of the workers saying to another, "Sweet Jeezuz, Mary' n Joseph, I never seen nothin' like that before and I've been putting in septic tanks for twenty years.."

pinnyoshea

I like that one Donnie, Heres another

Patrick walks into a bar in Dublin, orders three pints of Guinness and sits in the corner of the room, drinking a sip out of each pint in turn.
When he had finished all three, he went back to the bar and ordered three more.

The barman says, "You know a pint goes flat soon after I pull it ... your pint would taste better if you bought one at a time."

Patrick replies, "Well now, I have two brodders, one is in America and de odder in Australia and here I am in Dublin. When we all left home, we promised dat we'd drink dis way to remember de days we all drank togedder."

The barman admits that this is a nice custom and says no more.

Patrick becomes a regular customer and always drinks the same way ... ordering three pints and drinking a sip out of each in turn, until they are finished. One day, he comes in and orders just two pints. All the other regulars in the bar notice and fall silent.

When he goes back to the bar for the second round, the barman says, "I don't want to intrude on your grief but I wanted to offer my condolences on your great loss."

Patrick looks confused for a moment, then the penny drops and he starts to laugh, "Oh no," he says, "Bejesus, everyone is fine! Tis me ... I've quit drinking!"

pinnyoshea

Hope everyone has a good weekend and heres hoping Ireland win tomorrow :D:D.

DonnieL

Hey Pinnyoshea, that was great! Thanks for the good laugh!

Here's wishing all of you a Great Weekend!!:D

Poutbutton

Hi Pout! You quit 2 months, 2 days, 55 minutes & 32 seconds ago. You have *not* smoked 1,220 cigs, saved EUR 519 and added 4.24 days to your life.

Hi folks happy friday great jokes guys i was sent that one in a text Pinny on Paddies day. I woke this morning with either an allergy or a stonking cold I have been smothering all day and feeling lousy so I'm here having a pity party and trying to get myself to go to bed in the hopes I'll sleep it off.

Yes Donnie I think we may have lost Kahlan for the time being perhaps she'll come back to us when the pressure of the exams are off. I've noticed a few names have drifted off the thread over the last while.

So I've a suprise party tomorrow night as long as I'm well enough to go, I'm determined not to smoke.

DonnieL

Hey Poutbutton, sorry to hear you're feeling under the weather. Lot's of fluids and rest hopefully you're sleeping by now! Take care and hope you're well enough tomorrow to make it to the Surprise Party..:D