Champix

[nice1two]

Need/want to give up smoking and have been prescribed champix by the no smoking nurse.

I currently smoke 15 a day and more if I go out,

What are people's experiences with the drug, and is there anything I should be aware of? Also why can I do to make my chances of success greater(I know stop smoking/buying cigarettes)

Thanks in advance

[Ljm5]

There's quite a big issue to be aware of and I really hope whoever prescribed the tablets discussed it with you...

Be prepared for them to affect your mental health. I don't have have any problems in this area but had a really bad bout of depression after a couple of weeks on them. It really was bad, I've never experienced it before and having done some research it seems like quite a common side effect.

So advice wise I'd say be aware that this can happen and if you start feeling a bit down... Stop the tablets!

[oldbanger]

However, giving up smoking can cause depression all by itself - nicotine raises noradrenaline, another chemical like serentonin which improves mood.

I gave up using Zyban, the fore runner to Champix.

I had been giving up for 5 years. Before then the longest I'd managed was 9 weeks using patches.

I took the Zyban, and managed to give up. I was as angry as hell doing it, but I actually managed to quit quite easily. Very few cravings, wheras with nicotine replacement you withdraw the whole time, with these kind of tablets you stop dead and get it over with in one go. Six years on, I don't miss it at all.

[Celtic Dragon]

I went this way, this time last year. Never felt bloody worse in my life!

I felt permanantly sick, even worse if I smelt smoke, and at the same time eurphoric. Took me about a week to get the drug out of my system and feeling normal.

1 of the directors at work descriped feeling exactly the same way, for him it was unbrearble so stopped taking the drug. Yet a lass in my block of flats, not 1 side effect, and quit smoking on this stuff.

[jas xjr]

Worked for me . Made a bit irritable , my wife bore the brunt of that .

Worth a try

[nice1two]

Cheers Guys,

Yeah she did explain the mental side of things and told me to tell friends and other half to keep an eye on me. Took the first pill this morning and aside from feeling Nausea for about an hour or so wasn't too bad. However next week the dosage doubles. so will have too see then what it's really like.

Will keep updating if anyone is interested on how it affects me.

[theshrew]

Ive been stopped 3 weeks today - Gone cold turkey

The first day was really really hard i could of killed someone, the next few days were better but after about 4 days ive not been to bad at all. The last week and a half i hardly think about it at all.

The thing with me was the habbit of having a smoke its not been craving to have one. So ive been ok apart from my normal smmoke break times at work etc. So what i did was just got up and went for a walk down the coridor and back by the time your back the moment is gone - honestly think thats the reason ive been able to stop.

Its weird i thought everything would be better when you stopped smoking

However

My taste is different - Some things i loved dont taste as nice
My smell is different - Things / places tend to smell worse than they did before.
Ive not noticed any health benifits until i went for a run - I noticed a big difference i could breath loads better.
Im short tempered but that seems to be getting better as time passes.

20 years and 20 a day to nothing im proud of mysellf. Never thought it would be so easy to stop. I kinda miss smoking but i will never start again.

[jas xjr]

Wait till you dream that you have smoked . You feel really guilty

I am Ill but I have not noticed any health benefits but I am glad I have stopped

[LordGrover]

Whatever way works for you, just do it.
Coming up to two years for me after 35+ years on 20 a day.

FWIW, The Easy Way to Stop Smoking worked for me.

Never give up giving up.