Champix aka Chantix/Varenicline

Deisenaut

Guys, the Internet can be a horrible thing and some sites like this one can be so positive about champix while you read on others that your heart is going to explode or you'll hang yourself in the shed! Had anyone here had any side effects? I'm sure the numbers are fairly low but just feeling a bit concerned I suppose. Thanks

Hellrazer

Deisenaut wrote: »

Guys, the Internet can be a horrible thing and some sites like this one can be so positive about champix while you read on others that your heart is going to explode or you'll hang yourself in the shed! Had anyone here had any side effects? I'm sure the numbers are fairly low but just feeling a bit concerned I suppose. Thanks

Well I havent hung myself in the shed yet and my heart is still beating fine

That not to say I feel sh*t.The nausea is horrible and lasts all day (worse when I do have a smoke though)
Constantly feel like puking.

The insomnia has me exhausted during the day and I fell asleep last night watching TV at 8.00.

Im constantly in a bad mood for no reason whatsoever.I feel seriously depressed about nothing.Its like I have no "drive" in me.

It was bad yesterday but today is worse.Rang the gp and he suggested I half the dose and see if it gets better.Will keep you updated.

The good point--Ive no cravings whatsoever for a smoke.Not sure if thats outweighing the above yet though.

RangeR

Deisenaut wrote: »

Guys, the Internet can be a horrible thing and some sites like this one can be so positive about champix while you read on others that your heart is going to explode or you'll hang yourself in the shed! Had anyone here had any side effects? I'm sure the numbers are fairly low but just feeling a bit concerned I suppose. Thanks

Pure scare mongering. Yes there are side affects but EVERYTHING has side effects, even every day paracetamol.

Champix doesn't cause you to hang your self. Champix can not be blamed for other peoples mental state.

Tip

Hellrazer wrote: »

Well I havent hung myself in the shed yet and my heart is still beating fine

That not to say I feel sh*t.The nausea is horrible and lasts all day (worse when I do have a smoke though)
Constantly feel like puking.

Hellrazer are you taking your tablets after eating with loads of water ?. Take your night tablet earlier in evening to help with insomnia. I found that until I quit smoking the side effects were worse, then for the next wk or so I was soooooooo tired. After that apart from flatulence I ' ve been grand. Today I will be quit 12 wks

Hellrazer

Tip wrote: »

Hellrazer are you taking your tablets after eating with loads of water ?. Take your night tablet earlier in evening to help with insomnia. I found that until I quit smoking the side effects were worse, then for the next wk or so I was soooooooo tired. After that apart from flatulence I ' ve been grand. Today I will be quit 12 wks

Well done on being off them for 12 weeks.
Yeah Im taking them with loads of water but that usually makes me feel worse--kinda bloated from all the water
Im just hoping that when I quit (Sunday) the side effects will lessen.So Ill persevere with the nausea etc until then.

Deisenaut

Picked up my prescription and got checked over today! - Just have to fill it now. Planning on starting on Monday, thanks for putting my mind at rest.

Poutbutton

Well I bit the bullet today & went to the pharmacy with my 6 month old script. I told them my Champix story & the pharmacist gave me a box of 56 0.5 mg tablets. She advised me to take it like a normal starter pack and then try to increase & give the normal way one last shot. I had such nausea last time it made me cut down the dose, she thinks this is why I may have thrown in the towel when I did. I had blamed exams and a house move & socialising with smokers on my failure to quit. So sick or not THIS time is it, no going back now. I should be off fags on saturday week all going well. Deisenaut! Go get it now then we can do it together! I just popped my first Champix! Very hopeful here

Deisenaut

It won't be today but if I can get them tomorrow then I might be able to come off the smokes on day 8 and aim for Saturday too, but to be honest, if I am going to suffer and be a moody b*llix the first day off the cigarettes, then i'd like to do it on works time and not family time !!! - I'll let ye know if I get them tomorrow. In the mean time, best of luck with the Nausea Poutbutton, remember that this is going to be your LAST EVER first day of Champix!

RangeR

Deisenaut wrote: »

It won't be today but if I can get them tomorrow then I might be able to come off the smokes on day 8 and aim for Saturday too, but to be honest, if I am going to suffer and be a moody b*llix the first day off the cigarettes, then i'd like to do it on works time and not family time !!! - I'll let ye know if I get them tomorrow. In the mean time, best of luck with the Nausea Poutbutton, remember that this is going to be your LAST EVER first day of Champix!

Ah man, you'll probably be surprised. I thought the same thing. I was dreading giving up, thinking the same as you. Within my second week of Champix, I still had cravings but they were manageable. I was not a raging bull at any time, until I stopped taking them for 2 days 3 weeks later. Then promptly back on them for another couple of weeks.

Take it an hour at a time and relax. Don't worry or stress about it.

I got through it by telling myself that I wasn't giving up just yet. Rather, cutting down to about 2 or 3 a day, just to keep the edge off. I ended up totally quitting about a week or so after that as I found I didn't need those 2 or 3 a day but they were my safety buffer to ward off the anti-christ in me. I left those 2 or 3 until after 6pm, when I got home from work.

Really, KNOWING you have 2 or 3 to smoke IF YOU HAVE TO, make all the difference when you feel the cravings coming on. It puts YOU in control rather than "losing it" because you have no cigs close by.

Poutbutton

Thanks Deisenaut. I'm recalling my first 3 days off the fags back in January/February. I never became grumpy I was buzzing I spent 3 days cleaning like Monica Bing on E! I cleaned my home then moved on to work, totally revamped my office sorted years of paperwork and then went on to clean more areas in work. It was hilarious, I was exhausted after the 3 days! Once those 3 crucial days were over things calmed down and the cravings were so short I could manage them, you can actually feel your craving subsiding and then you move back to whatever you were doing. It is amazing what you get done once off them, you spend your life as a smoker doing everything "around" being able to have that next fag. I'm looking forward to hearing your reaction never mind my own when I quit again. Should be fun.
I never got grumpy anytime off them to be honest thats why I think they are so good. I gave up for a few stupid reasons but I'm determined to stick it out this time. The nausea only became "bad" in the 2nd month on the drug, I'm rising above it this time, going to think myself out of feeling sick LOL

DonnieL

It's so great to see everyone so enthusiastic over quitting!

I always took my Meds with breakfast and dinner (between 6&7 PM) and never had a problem with insomnia. I know everyone reacts differently to the medication but the food and water is a major factor.

Poutbutton, so glad you're back. Your experience and advice can really benefit the others!:D

You all hang in there!!:)

Poutbutton

I took my first champix tab around 4pm today, within an hour my digestive system reacted, not too badly. Then I got this throbbing headache and have been drowsy all evening...seems like I'm getting a good slap on the wrist for stopping when I did and now restarting. Hopefully tomorrow will go better...otherwise I'm not going to be able to drive til I get used to it again :eek: Dont remember these symtoms the first time round...

DonnieL

Poutbutton, good to see you back on track.. Sorry to hear that you're getting a rough start. But, I know you have the determination and will to do this. And I do know you want to kick this habit as much or more than anyone else. I'm pullin' for ya!!

Wonder what ever happened to Kahlan?

Deisenaut

Maybe Saturday is a good day to start them then as I drive for my job! Can you take paracetamol with champix? More importantly does anyone know about taking antihistomeans or creatine with it? Hope the initial effects are better today Pout!

DonnieL

Hi Deisenaut, just writing to wish you the best for your start date on Saturday.

When I was on Chantix/Champix I took cold medicine and pain relievers with no ill effects. But to be sure I would definitely contact your physician before you take any over the counter meds.

As I've mentioned before everyone is different so effects differ as far as reactions and side effects. Keep us posted.

Deisenaut

Thanks Donnie. I am hoping for tomorrow but trying to find my drug payment scheme card desperatly! Just want to get started at this stage!

Poutbutton

Day 2 on champix just took the 2nd pill
Today went fine I still felt groggy this morning
but maybe I'm fighting off a cold or something & it's not the Champix at all. We'll see I guess.
I have a request, I did'nt get a leaflet with the Champix I got in the Pharmacy yesterday, I cant find my old one, could someone tell me how many days I'm meant to stay on the 0.5 mg tabs? I know it's all here in the thread somewhere but I just spent the last while trying to find it and cant! I think it's 3 or 4 days on 1 x 0.5mg tab then move on to 2 per day, then what? is that it? or will I need to take 4 x 0.5mg a day to be on the full dose in the second week? I'm going to try to get up to the full dose as long as I can stomach it then reduce when and if I have to.
I'd be grateful if any of you could dig out your instruction leaflet so I know what to take the first week.

Poutbutton

Deisenaut, the pharmacy should'nt need your drug payment card if you have used it before. Mine did'nt ask me for it yesterday the info popped up on their P.C. & they just automatically printed out one of those blue & white receipts. Best of luck if you start at the weekend!

Deisenaut

Day 1-3 .5mg per day
4-7 .5mg twice per day
day 8-14 1 light blue 1mg twice per day

pout - how much did starter pack cost you?

Poutbutton

Great
my tabs are all 0.5mg seeing as I had to reduce before due to nausea
thanks for that
€100 If I was'nt on the drugs payment scheme [which I was'nt they set me up that day]
it would have cost €125 smokes at 20 a day for 28 days would cost €235
All the packs for the 3 months cost me €100 each

gpjordanf1

Hi Guys

5 weeks off the smokes today and one week off champix. So doing great. No cravings, and this is definetly the most managable quit I've been through.

As I said before I wish this was available 10 years ago, anyone thinking about it, just do it. You wont regret it!

DonnieL hope you feeling better, was reading about the clot, that should be a warning to everyone!

Poutbutton

Congrats gpjordanf1 you must be delighted with yourself did you do the full 3 months on Champix?

DonnieL

Hey Poutbutton, it's .5 for 3 days, on the 4th day it's .5 twice a day, then on day 8 (quit date) here in the states anyway, you start the 1 MG dose twice daily. One in the AM and One in the PM. I always took mine with Breakfast and Dinner and never suffered nausea..;)

Again, keep up the fight! I know you can!!:D

gpjordanf1

Poutbutton wrote: »

Congrats gpjordanf1 you must be delighted with yourself did you do the full 3 months on Champix?

Nope,

I've done 7 weeks on champix, was going to do the full 12 but started to forget to take the pills so that to me was my bodys / minds way of saying that it didn't need them anymore. So I decided to listen and stopped, so the first couple of days had cravings but for nothing if ya know what I mean? Wasn't for smokes, food or anything, was weird but got through it.

As DonnieL said I took the pills with breakfast & dinner and had no problems at all! Jump in & go for it! Goodluck!

A little background, was smoking for 18 years roughly and up to 25 per day without drink and alot more when out.

wmpdd3

Hellrazer wrote: »

Well I havent hung myself in the shed yet and my heart is still beating fine

That not to say I feel sh*t.The nausea is horrible and lasts all day (worse when I do have a smoke though)
Constantly feel like puking.

The insomnia has me exhausted during the day and I fell asleep last night watching TV at 8.00.

Im constantly in a bad mood for no reason whatsoever.I feel seriously depressed about nothing.Its like I have no "drive" in me.

It was bad yesterday but today is worse.Rang the gp and he suggested I half the dose and see if it gets better.Will keep you updated.

I was the exact same even reading your words makes me remember the sick feeling I had. I gave up alright but had to pack in the tablets after about 2 weeks.

But this actually workes out well once you give up because I couldn't face taking those tabs again if I relapsed, and the Chamoix is the only way I could every give up.

Same with the depression, I am usually the happiest person you will ever meet but I just wanted to live like Wayenetta Slob!

Deisenaut

Took my first pill at 4pm GMT. Feeling a bit wiped out but fine otherwise

ladd19

Great to see how everyone is being so positive about champix. Very sorry to hear what happened DoinneL hope everything is okay with you now.

I have not smoked for 11 days which is great. I honestly thought it would never be possible but it is and I feel great. I can get very narky tho on my poor girlfriend and family but they understand.

Deisenaut

2nd day now. Its amazing that only 10 minutes after taking the tablet your feeling completely wiped out. Gonna learn to work around though as it's all in the head. I can either let it wipe me out or I can go and mow the lawn! The first night I had really rough sleep. Felt like I was awake every 5 minutes. A little bit of Nasea at the moment but keep telling myself that i'm in really good form and in 3 months time I can look back at it all and laugh. Haven't been to the gym since I started - that's another challenge for tomorrow. Haven't had any cigarette cravings, but at the weekend you can smoke whenever you want and I haven't cut down yet - guess that will happen next week hopefully. Poutbutton - how are you feeling?

Poutbutton

4th day back on champix doing fine so far no major side effects. I was a little tired the 2nd day after taking the tablet but yesterdays one went down fine as did todays. I only took 0.5mg again today as I forgot to bring enough away with me to take extra this morning.
I was in Tipperary for the weekend meeting up with friends had a great time. I was the only smoker so I smoked less than normal, way less and found I was'nt craving them either...Champix shines it's magical light already

Hellrazer

Well thats it--Today is day 2 off the ciggies.Yesterday was great--no cravings whatsoever.As for today--thats a different story.That one first thing in the morning is the one I miss most and Im here chewing gum,picking at chocolate,sweets--anything to get over the initial craving.

The good news--the side effetcs are non-existent.Its like as soon as I stopped smoking the sickness and nausea disappeared.Sleeping like a baby and Im not even irritable anymore--as a matter of fact I feel great except for the cravings for that morning smoke--must resist

To anyone thinking of starting Champix--just go for it.I was probably the one person who never thought Id stop.I tried everything and nothing worked--hypnosis,patches,nicotine replacement tabs,inhaler,accupuncture and next day I was back smoking.

For me to go 2 days is a miracle and even now while it took me 5/6 minutes to type this(between calls here in work) that initial craving is already subsiding.And if thats all it lasts for then Ill get through this(I might weigh 20 stone after all the chocolate and sweets but sure what the hell--I could do with putting on a stone or so)