champix, side effects-rash list goes on - No Smoking Day

No Smoking Day

5,213 members32,485 posts

champix, side effects-rash list goes on

nsd_user663_28564 profile image
13 Replies

hi everyone I'm new to the forum, been smoking for 10 years now, tried to quit so many times with nrt but always failed.

so decided to try champix, I'm on day 18

first week was ok, second feeling tired, but 3rd have the following

little rashes popping up

deppression

aching limbs

tiredness

short of breath

sometimes spaced out dizziness,

nausea but only for half do no big deal

I've cut my dose in half from today, as my gp said at the start most people who go on it have trouble with the full dose., what I'm concerned about is the rashes, limb stiffness, are these serious side effects?i didn't want to come of them as its my last chance as nothing else works.btw a stopped smoking 9 days ago

thanks

Written by
nsd_user663_28564 profile image
nsd_user663_28564
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Read more about...
13 Replies
nsd_user663_26699 profile image
nsd_user663_26699

I would recommend that for anything medical such as what you describe, you visit a qualified doctor.

Alex.

nsd_user663_28564 profile image
nsd_user663_28564

sorry for late reply,,im going to see the GP next weds (earlyest appointment)

Really not happy i feel like this as it like my last resort of giving up!

What ive done is cut down to just 1 a day,split into half,so half in the morning and half after tea.

it has improved slightly,not really getting the little rashes,but the deppression,tirdness is really bad,,i have suffered with deppression in the past,infact for years,and i only have a relaps once maybe twice a year,,but i was bad in 2005,i really lost the plot,and i feel like im going back to that.

So ill obviously have to come of them,and looking on the net i have read a lot of people with similar side effects,,but i dont know what else to try to stop smoking

Dannyboy55 profile image
Dannyboy55

do quick research

I also tried to stop using champix and suffered severe depression (never suffered dpression before) and my wife did some quick reserch on line for Champix and she read the instruction leaflet in the champix packet.I am sure that if you do the same you will never put this tablet in your mouth. I have read and meet many people who had no side effects from champix but as you have experienced the depressiion I would advise you stop taking them. Do what I did and stop smoking cold turkey, burt best of luck.

Dannyboy

hi everyone I'm new to the forum, been smoking for 10 years now, tried to quit so many times with nrt but always failed.

so decided to try champix, I'm on day 18

first week was ok, second feeling tired, but 3rd have the following

little rashes popping up

deppression

aching limbs

tiredness

short of breath

sometimes spaced out dizziness,

nausea but only for half do no big deal

I've cut my dose in half from today, as my gp said at the start most people who go on it have trouble with the full dose., what I'm concerned about is the rashes, limb stiffness, are these serious side effects?i didn't want to come of them as its my last chance as nothing else works.btw a stopped smoking 9 days ago

thanks

nsd_user663_10013 profile image
nsd_user663_10013

sorry for late reply,,im going to see the GP next weds (earlyest appointment)

Really not happy i feel like this as it like my last resort of giving up!

What ive done is cut down to just 1 a day,split into half,so half in the morning and half after tea.

it has improved slightly,not really getting the little rashes,but the deppression,tirdness is really bad,,i have suffered with deppression in the past,infact for years,and i only have a relaps once maybe twice a year,,but i was bad in 2005,i really lost the plot,and i feel like im going back to that.

So ill obviously have to come of them,and looking on the net i have read a lot of people with similar side effects,,but i dont know what else to try to stop smoking

Hi Champix

Sorry you're having a bad time.

By my calculations you've been quit for about 2 weeks so you've been nicotine free for about 11 days :)

To be honest the champix isn't keeping you quit - you are :D

Personally I'd say you need to stop taking them ASAP if you feel that your depression is coming back. If you can't see your GP til next week then maybe give the NHS quit line a ring for some advice :) really does irritate me that they seem to be handing out champix with no support system these days!

Whatever you decide let us know how you get on and congrats on your 2 weeks :)

Pooks x

bbbreezy profile image
bbbreezy

Hello,

My biggest concern would be the aching limbs; have never heard that as a side effect from a quit before. Has anyone else?? The rest of the symptoms could be from the Champix, but may very well be just from the quit. I suffered from those symptoms and more. In fear, I cut my dose in half and discontinued pills entirely by six weeks. I took O/H off too. My quit got harder and my symptoms did not disappear. It made it much, much harder for O/H. O/H had no real symptoms (other than sleep problems and waking dreams). I really do think my quirks were and are attributed to my quit and not the medication.

Do you have any walk in clinics that you can go to for immediate advice?

Hope it goes well

Jen

nsd_user663_28564 profile image
nsd_user663_28564

Hello guys and thank you for your reponses.

That night of my last reply on here june 1st i took the last quarter as I know it sounds stupid but i would rather smoke than have them feelings.

Anyway yesterday was still a bit hard to get through,today my leg pains have almost gone,,ive no idea why this happened on champix,and i feel a bit better in myself,still depressed though but not as spaced out.

Ive still not had a smoke though,but every now and then im getting a little urge but ive just eaten,and this sounds awfull but last night I was getting an urges and i went to my tesco express to get a packet,but ended up buying a pack of 4 cream cakes and ate 3 hahaha.

Now today,im feeling a little headachey,and a little snappy because i know id like one maybe but ive still not give in!

Ive only read a few cases on the internet regarding champix and joint pain,i just hope it completely goes now.

Thanks for replying everyone,im going to try and do what dannyboy55 said and cold turkey it

Dannyboy55 profile image
Dannyboy55

well done

Right Mr Champix it's great to hear that you are going to try CT. When I quit Champix I had been on them for 6 weeks and when I stopped it took quite a long time for them to leave my system. If you are still suffering from depression eat a couple of bannana's each day as they produce endorphins in the brain(if you don't beleive me "google it" but they did help me. Also as you go through the stages of your quit try and change your routine, for example the worst time for me wanting a cigarette was first thing in the morning so I told my family not to wash any dishes, and this was my job each morning while I was drinking my morning tea. The point is to change your routine. Drink lots of water as it help to clear your system and when you get the urge to smoke get out for a 20 minute walk. As for aches and pains, well I experienced many strange aches and as I reserched this I am now convinced it is your body starting to repair the damage that cigarettes have done. But you are now on the best help group for support so keep posting and reading and the best of luck.

Dannyboy

Hello guys and thank you for your reponses.

That night of my last reply on here june 1st i took the last quarter as I know it sounds stupid but i would rather smoke than have them feelings.

Anyway yesterday was still a bit hard to get through,today my leg pains have almost gone,,ive no idea why this happened on champix,and i feel a bit better in myself,still depressed though but not as spaced out.

Ive still not had a smoke though,but every now and then im getting a little urge but ive just eaten,and this sounds awfull but last night I was getting an urges and i went to my tesco express to get a packet,but ended up buying a pack of 4 cream cakes and ate 3 hahaha.

Now today,im feeling a little headachey,and a little snappy because i know id like one maybe but ive still not give in!

Ive only read a few cases on the internet regarding champix and joint pain,i just hope it completely goes now.

Thanks for replying everyone,im going to try and do what dannyboy55 said and cold turkey it

nsd_user663_28564 profile image
nsd_user663_28564

Right Mr Champix it's great to hear that you are going to try CT. When I quit Champix I had been on them for 6 weeks and when I stopped it took quite a long time for them to leave my system. If you are still suffering from depression eat a couple of bannana's each day as they produce endorphins in the brain(if you don't beleive me "google it" but they did help me. Also as you go through the stages of your quit try and change your routine, for example the worst time for me wanting a cigarette was first thing in the morning so I told my family not to wash any dishes, and this was my job each morning while I was drinking my morning tea. The point is to change your routine. Drink lots of water as it help to clear your system and when you get the urge to smoke get out for a 20 minute walk. As for aches and pains, well I experienced many strange aches and as I reserched this I am now convinced it is your body starting to repair the damage that cigarettes have done. But you are now on the best help group for support so keep posting and reading and the best of luck.

Dannyboy

Thanks for that,i totaly believe you with the bananas,i always have them in and vitamin b,as ive been of medication for deppression for over 5 years and the reason for that was towards the end of them (been taking them on & off for 10yrs) i developed siezures,so it was decided the anti depresants was causing this.

so i have had CBT since then instead,about 4 3 months sessions and have topups when needed,so i have researched the non medical way to help with it,and bananas come up,long winded way round to explain but whilst im typing this im not thinking about a cig :D

worst time for me is morning,but just last few days ive woke with no urges,they come on around dinner.my main culpret is having a drink then i want one.

but the last 2 nights ive had 3 bottles of bud each night and not smoked,this is a huge achievment for me,i think at the min,im angry at them,because if it wasnt for them,i wouldnt of taken champix and if i hadnt taken champix,it wouldn't of almost reeped back my manic depressive state of 2005,i remember nothing of that year,only i was in cuckoo land and spent a lot of money :o LOL! ! still paying it back now.

man i sound really bad on here,thats enough of boring people with my life storys.im keeping strong,im going to do this,i really dont want anymore of the little death sticks again

nsd_user663_28564 profile image
nsd_user663_28564

Just thought id update this thread.

Ive been officialy of the cigs now since 28th of may,(had one outside the pub with a mate),as you know i stopped the champix the following week to go cold turkey.

Its now been 2 1/2 weeks without a cig,and finding im getting the odd craving,,what I did was go to my gp last week and told him I wanted something to have when I get a bad urge,so he gave me nicotine mouth spray,,it ok it takes the urge away,but i think it made it slightly worse as I kind of craved the spray after a couple of days of use.

Stopped the spray last friday,so been 5 days,and im still having cravings but determind not to have one,how long does it take for them to go away?I expect im over the worst,,but a wise old man once told me he smoked in the army for years then stopped for life,he is now 70,he said the cravings never fully go away,and he feels like one still now every now and then.

nsd_user663_36080 profile image
nsd_user663_36080

sorry for late reply,,im going to see the GP next weds (earlyest appointment)

Really not happy i feel like this as it like my last resort of giving up!

What ive done is cut down to just 1 a day,split into half,so half in the morning and half after tea.

it has improved slightly,not really getting the little rashes,but the deppression,tirdness is really bad,,i have suffered with deppression in the past,infact for years,and i only have a relaps once maybe twice a year,,but i was bad in 2005,i really lost the plot,and i feel like im going back to that.

So ill obviously have to come of them,and looking on the net i have read a lot of people with similar side effects,,but i dont know what else to try to stop smoking

I'm really sorry you are feeling that way, I too have tried several times to stop smoking using NRT but each time I failed, I have also managed to quit for a few months at a time using champix, I am now on day 16 of my latest attempt using champix, I suffer with really bad dreams and sickness so have also lowered my dose to 1 tablet a day.

I suffer with the mood swings too, I sometimes say and do things that I know really arn't reasonable but am unable to stop myself, I have found myself in such a state my partner has nearly called for an ambulance. When i discussed this with my stop smoking nurse she informed me that stopping smoking can lead to depressed mood but if my mood to so extream I should stop taking the champix but again this is the only way I can stop smoking, So I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place.

I've found that writting down how I am feeling helps to calm me.

Good luck x

nsd_user663_34721 profile image
nsd_user663_34721

Champix

Why once you have overcome "Nicotine" withdrawls would you go and spray the VERY substance you addicted to into your mouth ?

IMO all you doing is creating a viscious circle, as you become "Nicotine" free your body says it want's, soo wether it's patch, spray or smoke you supply it "Nicotine" all you doing is replacing the "Nicotine" and guess what a couple of days later you gonna have to go through the WHOLE process AGAIN!

You are addicted to "Nicotine" dont EVER let it into your mouth by ANY form or factor!

Sorry to sound blunt but it's the truth there isnt no easy way out :(

Read this if you have time :) it's what you doing to your self

Stay Strong

nsd_user663_33441 profile image
nsd_user663_33441

Hi Gary I agree with you. I sometimes feel like a nicotine hit but for what:eek:???? I still have old NRT products around but I don't use them as I know it would be straight back to real cigs and I don't want them, quitting is nice:D Had few bad hours yesterday, but it was easier to kick it into touch:D And today is a good day again, I am getting a lot of those now, ain't it great:D

Zoe

nsd_user663_33894 profile image
nsd_user663_33894

I don't want to start an 'Nrt vs cold turkey' argument, but I think it's different for different people, and it's been said by people in the medical profession that it's better to use NRT if you think there is a real danger of starting smoking again, even if you haven't had nicotine for a long time.

For me personally, I don't have an issue being addicted to - and using - nicotine if it's neccessary to keep me from a major depressive episode. That's why I'm cutting down on NRT gradually - I need to monitor my moods. Nicotine itself is no more dangerous than the anti-depression medication I'm on (which is not to say it's without risks).

That's just my opinion anyway. :)

You may also like...

Champix side effects

started taking champix on the 21st feb and stopped smoking officially on the 6th March which I'm...

Champix great side effects!

I upped my dose of Champix on the weekend, as I think I come down off them to early, and was...

Side Effects of Champix

what, two weeks off starting the third month of champix. My face, on both cheeks is just peeling...

Champix Day 2 & No Side Effects

Hey guys, I'm on day 2 of Champix, no side effects whatsoever and also no change in the smoking!...

Pro Quitter - First time on Champix with some side effects...

needed more help this time so got a prescription of Champix and am on my 8th day! I have been now...