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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 3 of 3. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by JayBTV2 on October 14, 2007, at 17:28:02
Wondering if anyone who's tried Chantix to quit smoking could comment on it. (Side effects/effectiveness)
Thanks!
Posted by iamdawn on October 18, 2007, at 1:56:45
In reply to Chantix - Anyone use it to Quit Smoking?, posted by JayBTV2 on October 14, 2007, at 17:28:02
I've been using Chantix for four weeks now and quitting smoking has been easier than I could have imagined. It completely took away the physical withdrawl symptoms, leaving me able to manage the psychological ones. Stress was my biggest trigger, so I've had to look for different coping mechanisms.
The single most important factor to Chantix's working for anyone is you have to be ready to quit. It won't make you not smoke- I've talked with people who took it and continued to smoke, thinking the pill should make them quit. It doesn't. It helps you get through the toughest part of quitting, but the quitting has to come from you.
The worst side effect? The nausea and upset stomach it caused me. I had to eat before taking it, and not just a cracker or a piece of toast, but a meal was best.
Other than my insurance not covering the rx, I have nothing but good things to say about Chantix.
Oh- and, truthfully, the psychological addiction has caused me to fall off "the wagon", and I've had a few cigarettes in the last month. But honestly, not one of them tasted good. In my head I believed a cigarette would be what I needed, that it would calm me down. But each time I tried to smoke, it wasn't physically satifying, and my mouth tasted like I had just licked a dirty ashtray clean. So after a few times, I've recognized that only in my head I wanted to smoke. And after 20 years of smoking, that is a tough thing to break free from.
But Chantix does work to suppress the physical cravings, and that does make the rest maneagable.
Good luck to everyone who wants to quit smoking!!
Posted by NOS Patient on June 26, 2008, at 0:43:45
In reply to Chantix - Anyone use it to Quit Smoking?, posted by JayBTV2 on October 14, 2007, at 17:28:02
Hi.
Never tried Chantix, but I do have a bit of personal info re: the best prescription drug ever IMO for smoking cessation.
STRATTERA!!I have been a pack-a-day smoker for 15 years and have tried 2 or 3 times to quit via the patch and Wellbutrin. These methods didn't work as my anxiety levels were too high and I was still in the "pre-contemplative/contemplative stage".
However, I am ADHD and was prescribed Strattera as an adjuct to Adderall. The Strattera worked amazingly well for my ADD symptoms, but I quickly realized (within 1 1/2 -2 weeks or so) that I COULD NOT smoke ciggies anymore. They became totally disgusting. Unfortunately I wasn't ready to quit, so I just stopped the Strattera.
My pdoc was unaware of this conundrum, but it makes a lot of sense b/c it works on Norepinephrine (just like Wellbutrin).
Just a thought for ya!
This is the end of the thread.
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