Deciding on a method(s) - experiences sought
Hi all I have a quit date and have been doing some research on what method might be best for me. Being a smoker for 13 years I am leaning towards Nicotine replacement or Champix or Bupropion to assist (amongst other non-chem methods like increasing my execise, meditation).I have read the research and the outcome statistics of these drug methods and am consulting a GP on Wednesday about these methods but I wanted to hear from people about their experiences on these methods - like did you get any nausea on Champix and how severe was it. Do people feel they worked for them. Another issue is moods, i fear my moods (and temper) will be crazy - so am worried something like Champix may compound this. My partner quite smoking 5 months ago cold turkey with no assistance from these methods i talk of - and I worry my partner wont understand that i feel i need all the help i can get.Anyway, nice to find a social network site dedicated to this and read everybody's stories. I would welcome your experiences on the above (No offence but please no Allen Carr book promotion for me) ;)Cheers
Hi Chimsky, I have been smoke three for 3 days and am using champix. I once gave up for 2 & half years when I used Bupropion but am now allergic to it, so this time I am using Champix. It can cause nausea but I find having a glass of milk with it helps.
I think half the battle to giving up is to b in the fight mindset, which I am at the moment. I still have cravings but I tell myself that I don't need a cigarette, I do something to keep my hands busy and I soon forget about wanting a cigarette.
I haven't had any other side effects, apart from not sleeping but that comes from giving up smoking more than taking Champix.
Good luck with your goal.
Hi Heather. Thanks for your post and story. Wow 2 1/2 years you quit. I guess if you have quit before you KNOW you can do it again. I was worried about the nausea on Champix but forgot about the insomnia (which i have from time to time anyway so will try and be prepared for that then - hopefully meditation at night will help. I tried meditation years ago so might dust off my knowledge and practice there and re-start).
Thanks again Heather and all the best to you and your goals too.
Hi Chimsky, i am currently on day 10 and have used the patches.. I have found the patches to be a fantastic weapon in my arsenal to keep away from the fags! It takes the edge off of the cravings and the moodyness.. You still get them obviously, they just arnt as intense if you were to go cold turkey. The only minor side affects would be that it gets itchy for about half an hour and if you have delicate skin (like me) where the patch was is a little sensitive after you take it off. No serious side affects at all. Personally the patches are fantastic for me!
With regards to Champix, i personally have never tried it as it was recommended that i didn't because i have suffered from severe depression in the past. Depression being one of the possible side effects, it just wasnt worth the risk. However, i have know alot of people to use it and it has been very effective. The feedback i have got is that is does make you feel nauseous, but if you eat with the tablet its not so bad. The other thing people tell me is to make sure you continue until the end of the prescription. Apparently its common to stop using it due to the nausea and not feeling like smoking but then fall back into the old habits..
Anyway hope this has been helpful.. Goodluck on your journey - it will all be worth it in the end!!
Thank you Roseyk, Eric and Bubleytoes53 for your posts and words of support. Good to hear positive stories regarding the use of Chpampix and patches. Last night I came across a facebook page called "Champix should be banned" and it had all these stories about how bad champix is - it was a bit perplexing hearing all the horror stories but arguably these horror stories aren't representative of all who take it as Roseyk and Eric's testimonies prove. Anyway i have a doctor's appointment tomorrow to discuss all this with a GP so will see how it goes. Thanks again everyone.
Personally, the thought of putting bad chemicals in my body to wean me off not as bad chemicals doesn't really make sense. I'm going with will-power, inner strength and determination. We'll at least see how much of that stuff I actually have. Good luck with whatever method you choose. The main thing is to ignore the cravings.
Hi Chimsky, my doctor refuses to prescribe Champix to anyone. She told me if I wanted it I would have to go somewhere else. I have been doing NRT instead and so far so good. I had a bit of insomnia but had some acupunture just specifically for the insomnia and am taking chinese herbs and only lost a couple of nights sleep. To put up a good fight I decided I needed as much sleep as possible and am now sleeping so well and feel great. Look into alternate treatments, they can help in your journey just to stay on the right track. All the best!!
For me I chose inhalers beacuse inhaling the smoke was my favorite part, hense feeling the transition would be easier. Day 11 now and although they suggest 6-12 inhalers per day, 1 per day has been enough. I know they are there if i feel like im going to cave in and yesterday didnt feel like one at all...good luck
Thanks everyone for their comments and experiences. As of tomorrow I am 4 weeks without cigs. I did end up going with Champix, exercise/gym and counseling as a combined approach - so far so good. My experience pretty much mirrors pr's. No explicit side effects but generally feeling more tired, angry and had a couple days feeling depressed (but hey I am sure life and its stressors and cig withdrawal probably contributed to that as well). Feel on top of the cravings though to the point I feel like stopping the Champix but will persevere as I still notice some craving when I'm at a cafe or pub so i still miss a cig with a coffee and a beer. But making the month mark without cigs seemed unimaginable 4-5 weeks ago. Feels good to know i can do it. Thanks everyone again. All the best.