Day 21 - CT Recovery

[nsd_user663_13062]

Hi fellow quitters

How is everyone today?

The Cold Turkey trip is much more pleasant for me than the Champix trip thank you very muchly

Had a few days off work whilst I recovered from a mini-mental-breakdown (thank you GP) and my system is now free of Champix, if what my cessation nurse said was accurate 3 to 4 days to leave your system.

I can honestly say the disconnected feeling I had is almost gone, my vision has improved less blurry, my appetite is back good again, I don't feel near as shakey and nervous as I did a few days ago and any dreams I have are just normal ones, the kind you can't really remember in the morning which, don't keep you half awake all night. I went through a couple of days catching up with lost sleep and my sleep pattern is back to it's old "shift worker way" I know so well

Other than headaches caused by "no choice passive smoking" at work I feel pretty good all things considered The odd memory craving causing a wee bit agitation but it's over in a few seconds.

So day 21 not smoked a cigarette (now cold turkey) and I am convinced I will never smoke again. My motivator is "Why would I want to go through all this again"? No thank you! Get to have a ramble and rant at my cessation group tonight that should be interesting.

Champix did switch off my desire to smoke at a price, no doubt about it, but I did the rest myself and so can you. Hang in there.

Andrew

[nsd_user663_7469]

Morning Andrew I hope that you are feeling better after your little relationship with the champ, can’t say I know anything about it other than it seems to effect people in different ways not all bad I’m glad to say, there are many on the forum that have only managed there quits because of it and some like you who sadly had a bad reaction, but the main thing is you are now getting to feel better and not smoking.

With help and support we can all quit and feel good so you rant and rave as much as you want too and so long as you stay quit that’s all that matters, take care and stay strong.

[nsd_user663_11284]

Told ya

Brilliant news that you're feeling better and that you are still firm in your quit. You're doing just fine without the Champ and will continue to do so.

[nsd_user663_4625]

Good for you andrew, glad you have now got rid of the champix nasties.

No matter how we quit it is not nice, some are worse than others just don't ever make the mistake of thinking you can 'cos you can't. Comes from the heart that. Sooooooooooo many times I have been strong & then in a click of the finger lost it. I am me, so different to everyone else (obviously lol) so many will do better than me I know. We all deal with our 'problems' differently and I have yet to find my way past all the c**p without smoking, but I will. n the meantime, as this is YOUR thread, sorry. You keep stron, keep NOT smoking & be free.

G xx

[nsd_user663_1658]

Hey andrew..21 days is cool mate,

I dont know much about champix..suppose its difficult to say for sure whether it was just the early stages of the quit which effected you badly or the champix......whichever way you sound a lot happier.

going into your 4th week tomorrow....good luck mate

[nsd_user663_13062]

Jam, Skip n Never

Thanks for replies and thanks Skip for confident reassurance. Sometimes we all need a "told you so" Don't feel any bloody different just still not smoking and kinda believe I never did lol. Weird stuff.

I am only going to complete my 4 week CO breathalyzer test at cessation group so the NHS can add me to their database success register then I won't be back in person. They can post out the three month and one year feedback form to me.

It's way too product oriented and they do NOT like you saying anything negative about these products believe me. I tested it out tonight at group. In the group setting they did not say: "I can hear you had a really bad experience. How are you coping now Andrew"? "Oh, well done Andrew reaching 3 weeks quit and you are now CT. Well done. So Champix has helped you get over the first huge hurdle but it's just not right for YOU now. Not a problem Andrew. What else do you think you can get from group cessation support? I am sure others would still like to hear your quit experience. We hope to see you next week". Nothing like that, believe me.

Instead, one of the the cessation nurses moves into deflect mode immediately pointing me to another group member who has had no negative experiences on the Champix! It is simply a group where the NHS collect mandatory data which needs to tick boxes, keep bottoms in seats before they will prescribe you any more product with NHS funding. I had already clarified I agreed most people had mild side effects they could tolerate and my father had none and the drug had helped me over the first major hurdle.

It amazes me how defensive people seem to get about a drug which is relatively new and still collecting safety data? The only part I enjoyed of the evening was when a woman who sat next to me started talking to me outwith the group structure/ground rules and we had a real 1 to 1 share. She was beating herself up because she had smoked and was back at day one. I was like don't beat yourself up you haven't done anything illegal sweetheart lol. It takes courage to come back when you relapse, I followed.

She was in two minds about taking Champix as NRT hadn't helped her and now had informed choice whether she would take the drug or not. She will ask questions. Not just hear the pretty success stories. I still recommended she give it a try as it definitely helped me over the first hurdle, that I can confirm and I am happy to report any side effects were pretty much gone in 5 days of ending treatment for me.

To clarify to the world I am not a Champix Hater lol

To everyone; keep an open mind, read lots and find your individual motivation and support you need to reinforce your quit. And, it's not "easy" and "pretty". It's bloody hard work.

But everyone here understands and where others don't listen someone here will

Thank you everyone. Rant over.

Andrew

[nsd_user663_4625]

Good for you andrew. So amny, if not all these cessation groups are about numbers & not much about serious support. They either don't know pr don't care. Not all I know, the chemist I went to was way better than my doctors surgery. The knack is to find one where someone actually, really understand what youa re/ or will be going throu.

Damn well done to you for rising above them all. I see a life time quitter before us

G xx