Taking Champix and still desperate to smoke!

[ncfc1993]

I am on day 17 of Champix and day 4 of not smoking, and I am still absolutely desperate to smoke, particularly today and yesterday. The feeling just wont go away! Does anyone have any tips? Feel like its getting harder!

[KathieO 100 Days Smoke Free]

My tip to you would be to let the process take itself to where you don’t want to smoke anymore. A quit date was always hard for me. I would be in total panic. It took an entire month or a little more before I was ready to put them down. The day I knew was when I got up in the morning and said I think today might be the day. If not then it wasn’t. I could tell I didn’t need a cigarette. Hope this helps

[ncfc1993 in reply to KathieO]

I've done 5 days and its horrendous! I feel like I would be letting everyone down if I started smoking again now, but I do think you're right - I think I didnt leave it long enough x

[Hidden]

Hi ncfc first of all remember to read the pinned post at the top of the pages you will find lots of tips and stories to help you on your journey to quit .

Mi guess is that you have to create more distraction tools .

Think of a minimum of 5 things or activities for those times when you get urges .the more you practice distraction the more you train your brain to calm down .

Deep breathing exercises ,eat some frozen fruit , Chew gum or just eat something you love .try and exercise that’s going to help detox too .

Those urges are temporary . Don’t let them ruin your quitting plan .

It’s going to get much better very soon .

Keep it up 👍

[2217 100 Days Smoke Free]

Just hang on in there. They are not a wonder pill you really have to work with it. I stopped on the 8th day, not because they tasted horrible but you have to start somewhere. It will get easier, promise!

[AngryBear]

Hi I didn't use Champix,but I had the same urges, day 30 was it for me, they just went. It WILL pass, give it time though, 17 days is great but it takes time!

[Crackling]

I kept setting quit dates from the recommended 14 days onwards, and kept not quite managing it. However they kept tasting worse, i kept feeling more guilty about not meeting the promises I'd made to myself and family, I kept smoking less because I felt less like smoking and they just didn't "do it" for me as much. I think eventually I lit up and stubbed out immediately, cos I really wasn't enjoying it ... maybe day 28 was the last time.

Sure Champix isn't a wonder pill, in that it needs your commitment for it to work, but for me I think it's amazing. After that, counting the days smoke free gave me a bit of a high for a while. Then distractions had to come into play. For me it was both exercise and eating. the eating was not weight conscious eating, it was eating for pleasure and I gained 10kg despite the quite regular exercise. I didn't worry too much about that until recently. Coming up to eight months quit at the end of this month. The exercise is paying off and I'm now watching the diet too. Halfway back to previous weight. Figure I'll be back there by the time a year is up.

I don't know if my doctor is strange, but he kept me on Champix for the full 6 months, and still makes sure I have some and says to use it, even a half tablet, if I feel myself falling into temptation or having the kind of day that might weaken resolve. Maybe its just a psychological approach, but he's seen too many fall back into the old habit after months and years.

Anyway, I think Champix was the key, I just waited for the day that seemed like the right one. And, so far, so good. (Those urges though - they do come back and back - 6 moths was especially hard for some reason.)