alcohol

[nsd_user663_2658]

Hello all

Day 28 for me. Hope all is well with you. I wondered if people (particularly on Champix) feel they are drinking more. I guess this only applies to those who like their drink like me! I am trying not to be too hard on myself, but I wonder if it is the Champix and that the alcohol is being 'blocked' from relaxing me/taking effect?

Thanks!

best

jb

[Cyprien]

hi Julie

Interesting question. From personal experience (and I do like a drink or two), when I first started on Champix I actually went off alcohol, which for a while was a worrying side effect. I think it was probably a combination of feeling sick and horrible taste in my houth. I've also read somewhere that there is a link between reducing alcohol and taking Champix which is deemed worthy of further investigation. I think it was something to do with you not getting the 'kick' from alcohol as usual, so you're theory of drinking more could have some credence there. But I'm just guessing.

After the first few weeks though, it just went back to normal. I don't think I'm drinking any more or less.

Well done on getting this far - nearly the full month done

Sue

[nsd_user663_5401]

Believe this or not I really like my wine (I know you are shocked!!), however my pleasure of wine was combined with smoking so I've cut my drinking down. I've never been a big drinker in the house but I do like a social drink and for the last 4 weeks I have cut my nights out down (we normally go out 3 nights out a week to 1 every two weeks, my hubby thinks I'm becoming dull!!)

We went away a couple of weeks ago and I struggled in pubs in all fairness and I will admit to not enjoy going out the same. Anyway to answer your question I drink less but I'm away in Liverpool this week-end and will give you an update on drinking!

[nsd_user663_2040]

HI Julie

Have to agree....I too like my red wine :eek: but I have a bottle opened at the weekend with a glass out of it that has not been touched since....

However, this forum is tunring me into a virtual alcoholic....

[nsd_user663_5920]

I found this a fascinating question. Julie, I'm not on Champix so can't give any feed back that relates to your question regarding alcohol and wanting more due to champix blocking the 'kick' a drink gives us.

(Please excuse the white wine I'm currently drinking).

My nice is currently 2 weeks into champix and 10 days smoke free (the champix kicked in really quick with her) and is feeling like she never ever wants to smoke again, which is great. I used patches but don't now. My niece also suffers from a condition called trichotillomania (deep rooted compulsion/obsession to pull ones hair out) and has suffered this for 15 years. However since taking the champix, she has felt reduced and controllable urges regarding her hair/eye lashes. If champix (as some medical evidence shows, can help with heroin addition) can help with surpressing the fix from nicotine then why shouldn't it help with dampening the satisfaction from other outside compulsions or satisfaction from alcohol?

It's still a fairly new drug.... and still undergoing a lot of research.

[nsd_user663_5401]

Interesting Pol, however I'm sorry to hear about your niece.

Champix was originally a diet drug but they found it did not work (I bloody know when I started taking it I wanted to eat anything with a pulse!) but they found it put people off smoking.

However I believe it can play with the mind especially the higher dose (I personally suffered from incredible mood swings and terrible emotional behavior which was very out of character).

Lowering the dose sorted the moods (well they have up to now) AND stopped the binge eating. HOWEVER it really does stop you smoking

[nsd_user663_5920]

this forum is turning me into a virtual alcoholic....

When we were little and and our parents told us that we could be virtually anything we wanted to be..... did they realise what they were saying?

[nsd_user663_6165]

Glad to find out I'm not the only potential alkie on this forum. However, to the astonishment of all who know me I've gone off booze in the 3 weeks I've been taking champix. There has even been a half bottle of Sangiovese wasted because I didn't finish it, a criminal act in my book. Am hoping this us just a result of the nausea and metallic taste cos I really can't live without red wine :eek:

[nsd_user663_2253]

Hi Julie

When I took Champix the 1st time round, to begin with I found I felt drunk after a very small amount of booze, then after a few weeks on the Champix I found I could drink MUCH more without feeling drunk!!

This is my 2nd time on Champix and I am down to half a tablet a day and I think my booze reaction is going down again. (Wish my weight was!)

Done 3 months tomorrow folks and feeling pretty good about this quit.

To all those just starting out on your quits - it DOES get easier!!

[nsd_user663_3728]

Hi All

I used champix and founf I didn't and still don't want to drink at all I was never a big drinker [not that I'm suggesting any of you are] but I did enjoys white wine sometimes

Now I have it just sitting in the cupboard untouched I just don't want it anymore on the odd occasion I have fancied one it always ends up going down the sink

Love

Marg xx

[nsd_user663_4754]

i was a very heavy drinker (boardering on alchy but i would have never admitted it) before quitting smoking. I was drinking every night, most nights to get drunk, my drinking did increase with giving up smoking and got pretty messy for a while.

one of the things that everyone has to deal with when quitting is to realise that there are often other issues that come into the light that you have to then also deal with, that were being masked by the smoking habit.

my life has done a complete U turn since quitting. I'm properly trying to sort myself out, and theres a lot to sort!

Getting the drinking under control has been a big task in the last month or so. This months task is diet. My diet is absolutely disgraceful. Mainly because it consisted mostly of alchohol. haha. but im learning to cook, which is a bloody mission as I havent got a cooker! lol

it can be done though. dont worry too much about it. quit smoking first, then worry about the rest.

my philosophy for the first 2 months was "what ever it takes". it really has worked so far.

so dont beat yourself up, your doing great. Keep it going

[nsd_user663_4990]

I love a glass or two of wine to unwind with.. i tend to keep this to a friday or saturday though. Throughout my quit so far i have never abstained from having a drink... its not done my quit any harm either.

Gotta have some vice in your life though, otherwise we'd be monks/nuns

[nsd_user663_2658]

thanks for your thoughts, all. BMAN - good on you with the diet. I did things in reverse -- lost the weight first. Lost 4 stone and then moved onto the smoking. Enjoy losing the weight. Up the good foods and you'll be surprised how much you can eat (in terms of quantity) when you eat the good stuff.

xxjb