Positively Pensive

[nsd_user663_17365]

Hi Everyone!

This is my first post.

I am sitting with a box of Champix next to me and have just read up on one or two forums about some very harsh side effects.

I HAVE to quit smoking. I am 42 years old and have smoked since I was 14. From about the age of 20 I have progressed from 20 a day to 30 and sometimes even 40. I feel my health seriously declining and a recent chest x-ray reveals some damage to my left lung, none too serious apparently, but it will naturally decline over time. I HAVE to quit because I have a beautiful 14 month old daughter who loves and needs me. Both of my parents are gone through smoking - my dad died when I was 2 years old (he was 51) of colon cancer and my mum died of a brain aneurysm at age 63 when I was 19, both attributed to smoking. I never knew my dad, and I missed my mum sorely for many years and I do not want to widow my beautiful wife and make my darling little Holly fatherless only for the privilege of damaging my health and those around me.

Here are my reservations : I am in serious denial. There's a huge part of me that thinks I either don't deserve to be free or that I simply cannot endure the process of quitting. My triggers for smoking include waking up and doing everything from driving a car, having a chat, talking on the phone (especially), working, being on a PC, everything.

If anyone has been on Champix and can let me into the truth about the known side effects I'd really appreciate it. At least this time around I know my denial system and how it works. I am going to pop the first one tomorrow after breakfast...

Thanks for listening!

:eek:

Richard

[nsd_user663_16968]

Hi Richard

Welcome to the forum. I too am on Champix and was concerned about the side effects and so far have only experienced one bad day and that was this Friday because i thought i would take my morning tablet with just 2 biscuits which was not enough and i felt rough nearly all day, so i will say make sure you eat and properly when you take them.

I started mine on the 20th Oct and had a quit day of Today, this would have been my last day of ciggies and tomorrow 1st Nov would have been my first day as a NON SMOKER but the tablets cut in quite quickly and on the 5th day of taking the champix i took my last puff in the morning. That was a week ago and i feel great.

I would def say they work, because i quit a week earlier than planned i am still on the 0.5mg x 2 per day and not on the 1mg x 2 per day, for myself i felt upping the dose would be daft as i had already quit and so did not need a higher dose to get me to stop.

Overall they are doing great, they are not a miracle cure you will need willpower too but they certainly help. I do get dreams but not nightmares all that they do is make the dreams, well for me more real and more vivid which is not a problem. I sleep deeper and better now so i dont think the tablets are that bad.

Anyhow, have a read through everyones posts on here and good luck. We are all in the same boat and we are here when you need someone.

Take care

[nsd_user663_16968]

PS Your reasons are the first start of quitting. They should be your goal. You know you dont want to do this anymore so you have to be strong and go for it. You also have to do this for you firstly because if your clear in your mind that its what you want then you have a better chance of succeeding and kicking the Nicodemon in the butt!

Make a list on the Reasons section and then when you feel a little craving or get other urges go back and read why and add in if you have anymore reasons to stop.

I think you can do this, and with the help from here and your will power you will be able to see your daughter grow up and grow old with your beautiful wife.

Good luck my friend

[nsd_user663_9220]

Hello,

Firstly congrats on taking the first steps of quitting the smoke

I have not been on champix but have been on zyban before (last year)

Fortunately i never had any harsh side effects from taking this, the only thing was a strange taste in my mouth that actually stopped me liking the taste of fags.

The thing about side affects written in these boxes, is the fact they have to write down everything to cover their backs as such, it is just a warning of something "that could" occur but in many cases it does not.

In the cases where some of these "harsh" side effects have happened, it could be just one person, but because one person has had them they have to be documented, but that one person could have been the 1/1000 !

I done a refesher meds training course a few months back and the teacher had me in stitches with this example..

1. Someone has really bad diarrhoea and so goes to the chemist and gets some thing for it....

when home they read the side effects and the one that really stands out is

"may cause diarrhoea " I mean come on, what did that person buy them for in the first place lol All i am trying to say is that everyone is different and we wont know until we have tried.

You have probably got these from doctors/nurse and from past experience they wouldnt have given them to you if they thought you couldnt take them.

Sorry to hear about you Dad and your Mum, i lost my brother on Boxing day last year from an aneurysm ( had never been a smoker tho) but because aneurysms are hereditry in my family this is one of the reasons i have chosen to quit. My brother left two young children aged 3 yrs and 9 months old, i have four young boys and i wouldnt want them to go through what my neice and nephew are going through.

I have also been in denial for many years now i have thought about it and tried quittting but had this thought that nothing bad could happen to me because of it!! But enough is enough now for me and i am currently on day 11 using patches and so determined not to go back to it!!

All your triggers sounded the same as mine and all i am doing is avoiding them the best i can and changing my routine.. For instance when i woke i would go to kitchen put kettle on and light up all within 5 minutes... i now get up go to bathroom have a wash etc etc and make my coffee wait and it really does work.

Sorry if all that sounded long winded, i also find that typing helps the cravings and i was having a big one then lol

Good luck with it all, come on here and let us know how it is going!

Everyone here is blooming brilliant and supportive!

Speak soon hopefully

Snowie xx

P,s you have such very good reasons for quitting, write these down and keep them at hand, these will make you stronger xx

[nsd_user663_17365]

Hi Jo and Snowie

Many thanks for your encouragement! I actually put off taking the first one today and will do so tomorrow with breakfast. There is something to be said for Monday the 1st - just seems like a good start. It's funny, I know a lot about some things in life, but about my smoking it's all a bit foggy (!) and if anything this is going to be quite a journey for me. When I consider the great questions of existence, I can't seem to separate myself from cigarettes. I and them seem quite inseparable and I have a lot of work to do on the fears of 'Life after smoking'.

I've read up a lot on this site and see a lot of collective wisdom on the subject and so am feeling confident that the support is here, and for that Thank You!

Richard

[nsd_user663_17388]

Hi Jo and Snowie

Many thanks for your encouragement! I actually put off taking the first one today and will do so tomorrow with breakfast. There is something to be said for Monday the 1st - just seems like a good start. It's funny, I know a lot about some things in life, but about my smoking it's all a bit foggy (!) and if anything this is going to be quite a journey for me. When I consider the great questions of existence, I can't seem to separate myself from cigarettes. I and them seem quite inseparable and I have a lot of work to do on the fears of 'Life after smoking'.

I've read up a lot on this site and see a lot of collective wisdom on the subject and so am feeling confident that the support is here, and for that Thank You!

Richard

I know exactly what you mean. I too have pretty good reasons for quitting but get all fearful at the last hurdle. I can't imagine life without a fag. How do you talk on the phone without one? How do you have a cuppa 'sans ciggie'? But I think that's just the addiction talking. I can do all of those things fine...it's just my delusion and addiction problem that has me convinced I'll never have fun again.

I have appt with docs on Thurday and I'm going to try champix. (I've tried almost everything else), so fingers crossed for you and me both.

[nsd_user663_9220]

Hi Looper,

Welcome with to the boards

Good luck with the nurse on Thursday, look forward to seeing you back on here.

Snowie x