17 Days now (Champix)

[nsd_user663_31713]

I thought I'd briefly tell others my Champix experience so far as it might be useful.

I'm 36 and I've smoked approx 15 a day since I was 13, so 23 years give or take. This is the first time I've ever attempted to quit and I the last.

I started Champix on June 27th, 2011 and had my last cigarette at 6pm on July 9th, 2011. I didn't bother setting a quit date as I didn't want the added pressure! On the last day I smoked 2 whole ones and 3 drags of the 3rd which tasted so bad it made me want to throw up.

The first week I was fine on the white 0.5mg tablets but on the second week with the 'evil' blue tablets I felt like I was losing my mind and had constant nausea plus I couldn't keep my eyes open, but I was so adamant I wasn't going smoke again I kept taking them until I was able to see the NHS advisor again. She reduced my dosage to 2 x 0.5mg a day (White Tablets) and explained how the blue tablets were simply too strong for some people.

I started taking the 0.5mg twice a day on the 2nd week and that literally fixed all my previous side effects but it added a new one, I was unable to sleep at night now lol, they made me kind of euphoric and enthusiastic about life in general (Which felt great!), but sleep is kind of important right? So I popped back to see the NHS advisor and she recommended I start skipping the evening pill and just take a 0.5mg tablet when I wake up or even in the afternoon with my lunch.

I've been taking the 0.5mg with my toast when I wake up since July 22nd, 2011 and I'm now able to sleep and I almost feel like not bothering taking them any more but something is telling me I should continue until I've been quit 1 month which is only another 11 days.

The things that have helped motivate me during this process are....

- I've bought an expensive Hybrid bike to burn off the extra calories I've been eating. (I figured the money I save on fags will pay for it!)

- I put £5 in a pot every day (my average spend on fags) £90 in there already!

- I've downloaded a Quit counter from whyquit.com

- I still have the last half empty pack of cigarettes sat on the side, I thought it would personally help me as I always hated that feeling that I would run out. I haven't been tempted to touch them once, and I thought I'd have the satisfaction of breaking them up when I'm done with my journey.

Good luck to all

Cheers

Tony

[nsd_user663_31024]

Hey Tony

Good to hear from someone on the same dose as me - I'm on 0.5mg twice a day and smoke free for 20 days today. Can't say the last week has been easy as the cravings have been kicking me about a bit but I'm still smoke free YAY. Only just though...I know if I had had fags to hand I would have smoked them so you're a brave man! And OMG good stuff with the exercise...that's awesome. I can't be bothered to do anything, far too busy sitting around eating cheese and chocolate!

Anyway glad you are getting on so well on the lower dose too. Keep it up!

[nsd_user663_31713]

Cheers Nikkiki! You know if you smoked a cigarette right now it would taste so disgusting and you would probably throw up. That is how the last few fags made me feel, so having them sat there isn't tempting at all. I'm only riding the bike to burn off all the bloody custard creams I'm eating instead of a fag with my 10+ cups of coffee a day.

I can't see me ever smoking again, I might even skip my daily 0.5mg pill in the next week or so and do the rest cold turkey...see how I feel I guess.

[nsd_user663_1658]

Well done on your 17 days Katatonik...looks like youve got everything in place to give you the positivity.saving the money and keeping fit too! .....nice to hear, enjoyed reading your post

[nsd_user663_31156]

Champix

Youve come very far, Id stay on the pill intil its safe to come off. Congratulations to you for staying clean and rewarding yourself!

[nsd_user663_31024]

Hey Tony

Awesome stuff with the positivity there Congrats. I'm with ya there on the custard creams too - in fact anything with a grain of sugar is a target right now LOL. I am going to get off coffee as well but not yet, that's the next task after I crack this one.

I agree with This2shallpass - be careful not taking the Champix - I got complacent and took myself off too soon on two previous attempts which is why I am quitting yet again. I know it doesn't feel like they are actually doing anything much and that you feel like you don't need them but investigate that first so it doesn't become your downfall....that would suck after the work you have put in. Make a really good informed decision to protect yourself from yourself. Don't forget us ex-smokers/smokers are very good at fooling ourselves.

[nsd_user663_31713]

Thanks for all positive feedback! It's surprising how a few nice replies can give you that extra motivation needed to push past the next obstacle.

I rolled today's pill between my thumb and finger for what seemed an eternity...Then I finally decided to take all your advice and continue taking them at least until I've met with my NHS advisor next Wednesday. I really don't want to mess up the work I've done so far.

Nik - I quit the one sugar in every cup a few months back, I was going through a bag of sugar every fortnight just on coffee lol. So I will be joining you on the 'reduce' coffee intake after the smoking adventure is over.

Thanks again for the sound advice.

[nsd_user663_31024]

Hey Tony

There must be another forum somewhere called the No Coffee forum with addicts just like this one LOL. I'm still on 2 sugars in the coffee although I am down to around 5 mugs a day. Addictive personalities - don't ya just love em? Still at least coffee is easier to get off of although the caffeine headache is just plain nasty!

Anyway so glad to hear you are still taking the Champix. The nurse lectures me every week on what they are actually doing in my brain as it is so easy to lose sight of that, especially when you're feeling sick or crappy. She said to me last week that she often see's people struggle a little more at around 7/8 weeks and likened it to the nicotine receptors in the brain (that Champix are shutting down) having one last push before they shut down completely. That sounded a bit far-fetched to me and I'm no doctor but I do know that for me it was very easy to go back to smoking without taking those pills. It's interesting that you are down to one 0.5mg per day and coping well with that. I do still get some of the bazillion side effects even on the low dose so I might try on one 0.5mg per day and see how I go. If the craves get bad I can always take it back up, I think I am over the worst of them now.

Keep going! You're doing SO well.