Chantix

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newter
newter Member Posts: 4,330
edited June 2014 in Life After Breast Cancer

My husband will be starting Chantix for tobacco use in a couple of weeks.  He was a smoker and to quit smoking he switched to chewing tobacco (when we met he did both at the same time then just settled with only smoking). Now he needs help quitting the chew.

I was just wondering about anyone's experience with this medicine.

Thanks,

Newter

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  • barbara913
    barbara913 Member Posts: 133
    edited December 2007

    newter,

    i personally have not used it, i don't smoke, but i have a very good friend who was a diehard smoker... she probably smoked for 45 years, and now she doesn't smoke at all. she said the first 2 weeks on chantix was hard, she felt a little weird and was even having some weird (vivid) dreams.  but once she reached the full dose, her desire to smoke was gone... she said even the cigarettes she craved the most, like the one w/ her coffee in the morning of the after dinner one, she had no desire for... i don't know how it works, but it did for her, and i never thought she would quit.

    good luck to your husband.

    barbara

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  • badboob67
    badboob67 Member Posts: 2,780
    edited December 2007

    Hi Newter,

    My husband did take Chantix for a few weeks. While he was on it, he replaced many of his cigarettes with chewing tobacco, but I think that has to do with his work changing locations and him not being able to smoke while putting in long hours.

    I didn't really notice my dh smoking less while on it. He ended up quitting the Chantix instead of the cigarettes! LOL  I think that it was just something he was "trying" rather than being truly committed to quitting. I do know that he didn't have any negative side effects from the Chantix, even though he takes several other meds.

    Wish your hubby good luck for me! It is so very hard to quit! Maybe you could take an old, empty pack of cigarettes and fill it with drinking straws cut to size. I read on another thread here that it helps to use the straws while trying to break the physical/motion part of the habit. My dh's aunt quit a few months ago and still carries around a straw!

    Diane 

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited December 2007

    Newter....I quit smoking way back with the help of this website:  www.quitnet.com It's really awesome and very much like our boards here. Maybe you can encourage your husband to register and check it out. They also have alot of special clubs (including, btw, one for BC survivors who want to quit smoking!) and several of them are dedicated to Chantix users. Tell him to click on "clubs" and then search by keyword "Chantix."

    I wish him alot of luck...quitting smoking was one of the best decisions I have ever made and living smoke-free after being such a slave for so long is an incredibly exhilarating feeling!!!!

    ~Marin

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  • Jorf
    Jorf Member Posts: 498
    edited December 2007

    I've heard a ton of success stories but it really does require the desire to quit (even tho some of the success stories were for people who were saying they didn't want to quit).

    However, there have been some scary reports about Chantix use in people with certain psychiatric problems - common ones like bipolar and, I think depression, as well as schizoid disorders. It may also have some interactions with other meds so, as usual be sure that the person prescribing it knows your DH's whole medical history and medications.

    Mostly it's a Very Good Drug from what I know.

    Jorf 

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  • newter
    newter Member Posts: 4,330
    edited December 2007

    Thanks everyone.  He will be picking up his perscription soon and hopefully it will work well for him.   

    Marin, I totally agree about being a slave to smoking.  I quit 9 years ago but when I was in my 20s, I was a total slave to it.  I never thought I could quit for a month now it has been almost a decade.

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  • LuAnnH
    LuAnnH Member Posts: 8,847
    edited December 2007

    I have a friend who used Chantix and it worked great.  She read the instructions and they tell you to go ahead and smoke the first week on it but the 8th day you just stop.  She said by the 8th day she had no desire for a cigarette.  She did very very well but the pills made her nauseuated.  She also was having very vivid nightmares and extreme exhaustion.  She finally went off of them because of the sick feeling was so bad and the nightmares.  She is back to smoking again but the drug does work if you are one that can take it.

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