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  • AADD Moderators: swilow | Vagabond696

Varenicline (Champix) - Does it work?

I'm still of the cigs. Smoked weed with tobacco a few times with no problem, slight cravings the next day but nothing I can't handle. Been running and cycling, lifting weights - despite the odd chest pain and aching-lung syndrome, haven't felt this healthy for years. Never thought I'd say it but thank you Pfizer! :D
 
I am bumping this because it seemed to be the most relevant and active thread regarding this topic.

I started Chantix 7 days ago. I am still on the .5mg/twice daily dose which will go up to 1mg/twice daily tomorrow.

While I have had no major side effects yet, I have noticed no difference in my desire, cravings, or actual smoking yet either. I have had some strange dreams. Nothing bad though and they don't even begin (yet) to compare to nicotine patch dreams I've had. I am prone to depression, but have experienced none of that either. I *might* have a shorter fuse than normal, but it's quite possible that's just in my head due to being ultra sensitive about any possible personality changes.

I would have to say the biggest difference I have noticed is being incredibly fatigued. I am not sure if this is a side effect of the drug or because I have not been getting uninterrupted sleep, but I definitely noticed it within the first day or two of starting the Chantix.

Anyway, I am going to continue taking it and hope that it works to help me quit. My main question is how long did you all take the medicine before quitting? I realize the website says to pick a quit date 7 to 10 days into the course, but my Doctor recommended just letting the medicine do it's thing and quit when I didn't want to smoke anymore. For this reason I don't have a planned quit date.

Did everyone slowly taper up to 1mg twice daily? Did you notice a difference when going from .5mg to 1mg?
 
Trust me, you'll notice when cigarettes lose their "taste" and just feel gross. Give it a bit more time, I'm sure you'll notice something more on the 1mg... and I also had issues with anger while on it. You'll get even angrier when you can't smoke. ;)
 
Only had one 1mg dose so far and I'm already gagging on my cigarettes today. I didn't count, but I'm guessing I've smoked about half of what I normally would. I am twice as tired, too. I took a 3 hour nap. I never do that.:|
 
opiaddict said:
So my doc did a PA and got me free Chantix. After about 1.5 weeks I was quit. Even relapsed two days ago, went back on the chantix, and I am fine.
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forgive my ignorance but what's a PA? i went to a doc, but being as i am on a student visa here, the price was going to be something absurd, well into the hundreds.
he said it'd be a whole lot cheaper if i was aussie, but still seemed to be some minimal money involved......

totally thinking of getting my girlfriend to get it and just give it to me, only just for the money factor. any chance of that coming back to bite her in the ass if she wants to get some for herself later on?

this stuff sounds amazing, the success rate is absolutely staggering!
 
bud.lightyear said:
totally thinking of getting my girlfriend to get it and just give it to me, only just for the money factor. any chance of that coming back to bite her in the ass if she wants to get some for herself later on?

this stuff sounds amazing, the success rate is absolutely staggering!
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Technically I believe it is illegal to give another person your prescription. Hypothetically speaking though, I am sure if she wanted to go on it in the future she could easily say that she relapsed and wanted to do it again.;)

I also think the success rate is misleading. From what I read a very high number of people relapse, BUT it is still statistically better than any other method IIRC.

Day 9 and I am still not smoke free but cigarettes taste disgusting and I can not finish an entire one without getting sick. It's very much a psychological thing at this point, I think.
 
*bump*

so how's everyone getting on with quitting smoking?

i always said i would quit when i was 40, so two weeks before my 41st birthday i got some Champix from my doctor (which only cost £3 for the prescription, bargain!)

i don't feel 100% ready to start taking them yet though, maybe after the weekend. this has been an interesting thread, cheers. :)
 
3 years on from using Champix and still smoke free!

Just start taking them mate, it takes a week or so before you'll stop anyways so might as well get the ball rolling!
 
I love smoking, and I have no plans on quitting so maybe I should get out of this thread before I start inducing some cravings in people ha ha...
 
All I can say is it worked for my mum. After 40 years she stopped. I guesss it can work for some and not others. I doubt it would work for me thoo...
 
Might be wrong but isn't it just another anti-depressant? (sorry have'nt read whole thread)
 
^ Not at all. It acts as a partial agonist at the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Which means it reduces cravings, and makes smoking less pleasurable, but does not produce the same full agonist effects that nicotine does.

It's kind of like what buprenorphine is for opioids.
 
Why cant my craving and w/d be helped by my big dose of Clonaz. and my Paroxatine?
 
mrephedrine69 said:
3 years on from using Champix and still smoke free!

Just start taking them mate, it takes a week or so before you'll stop anyways so might as well get the ball rolling!
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great stuff, well done!

i know i should just bite the bullet, but i got the Champix from the doctor almost as an afterthought when i was in to see about something else. it sounds stupid but i don't really want to give up smoking right now. i think i'm gonna wait till i go offshore next week.

how much does a pack of cigarettes cost in Australia anyway? they've just gone up to a shocking £6.00 here in the UK. i'll probably save about 4 grand a year, fucking hell. 8o
 
^ A pack of Marlboro Reds is about $15 now. I've switched from those to pouch tobacco; Champion Ruby is $18 for a 30 gram pouch.

Don't feel like it's stupid to not feel like quitting right now; if you tried to force it on yourself, you probably wouldn't have as good a change of giving it up for good. When you are really ready to throw away the cigarettes, that is the time to get serious. :)

Why cant my craving and w/d be helped by my big dose of Clonaz. and my Paroxatine?
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Nicotine cravings and WD? Maybe because clonazepam is not acting on the right receptors to do so. It may alleviate the anxiety that nicotine WD can give, but won't take away cravings.

Also, pretty much any substance makes me want to smoke more or makes it more enjoyable. So if I were on a dose of something and was trying to quit, I might find myself craving my usual cigarettes. :)
 
aye, that's why i think waiting till i'm offshore is a good idea. it'll remove alcohol and other drugs from the equation, which should give me a good start.

fuck knows what i'll do instead though.
 
I probably could stop fairly easily if i didn't drink all day
 
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Champix DOES work for wanting to quit smoking, chemically and physiologically.

However, psychologically it DOESN'T help one goddamn bit. 2 words = WILL POWER. Will power has to come in effect whenever one wants to truly kick the smoking habit for good.

But, ya know, forever smokers, smoking forever...
 
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