Anyone tried Champix?

itsamac · 14-08-2007, 9:09 PM

The new smoking cessation drug. Got a prescription for it today and just wondering if anyone here has tried and how much success they had with it?

sore napper · 14-08-2007, 9:26 PM

No, but interested to hear what you think about it.

I've quit a few times with the patches which aren't bad. Was off cigs for a year each time, but ended up starting again.

Good Luck

itsamac · 14-08-2007, 9:36 PM

Thanks sore napper.

I am trying Champix as I had an allergic reaction to the patches and my skin wasn't really sinking into my skin. The patches were causing me to have excruiating pain in my arms (felt like someone was shoving a screwdriver in my arm and turning it).

This will be my third attempt. First attempt I lasted three weeks (wife threatened to annul the wedding if I smoked on the big day) but got to Italy where ciggies are cheap and everyone smokes (back in the day where you could go into burger king, grab a burger a beer and a ciggie) and last week, I went a whole week but the cravings got too much and so did the pain.

Apparently with Champix you can smoke for the first ten days while you ween yourself off naturally.

Pat_C · 14-08-2007, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by itsamac

Apparently with Champix you can smoke for the first ten days while you ween yourself off naturally.

I found that the only way to give up was (a) to be absolutely determined to do so, (b) to convince yourself that you are a non-smoker from the day you stop, and (c) to use NiQuitin lozenges.

Of course you can vary (c) but not (a) or (b).

sore napper · 14-08-2007, 10:25 PM

[QUOTE=itsamac;5326125]I am trying Champix as I had an allergic reaction to the patches and my skin wasn't really sinking into my skin. The patches were causing me to have excruiating pain in my arms (felt like someone was shoving a screwdriver in my arm and turning it). [QUOTE]

Patches can sometimes cause pain to the area where its worn. Someone made a bet with me while I was quiting. It was to wear the patch on my heart.

Of course me being me I accepted the bet. Well, never again, I thought that I was going to have a heart attack.

The pain and the heart palpitations, well, served me right. Worse thing was, I needed a bloody smoke afterwards.

**IronGiant** · 14-08-2007, 11:22 PM

Nicotine v Heart

glad you are still with us SoreNapper

Jenn · 15-08-2007, 8:36 AM

My parents tried Champix earlier this year and unfortunately it didn't work very well: my mum was quite sick the first few days and had to give up, my dad was less sick but the pills didn't seem to work very well for him.

In my opinion what my parents need is a true will to stop rather than hoping a miracle pill will work but I understand it's hard after 30-35 years of smoking and stressful jobs.

mrtbag · 15-08-2007, 9:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jenn

In my opinion what my parents need is a true will to stop rather than hoping a miracle pill will work but I understand it's hard after 30-35 years of smoking and stressful jobs.

Yep. Pills like Champix and Zyban are in no way miracle pills. Without an underlying wish to give up they are useless. I took Zyban, and I haven't felt so rough in my whole life. It did however stop my cravings for long enough that I could consentrate on stopping my habit.

I have 14 weeks of non-smoking under the belt now.

Anybody that wishes to give up smoking has to find out what type of addict they are. All smokers fall into one of 2 catagories. You are either addicted to the nicotine (in which case patches or other forms of NRT should help) or you are addicted to the actual habot and ritual of smoking (these people are better trying Zyban or Champix). Many people who smoke roll ups are addicted to the ritual/habit, and not the actual nicotine.

Mr_Wistles · 15-08-2007, 9:30 AM

The patches absolutely killed me also.

I did it through good old fashioned will power but it almost killed me, without a doubt the hardest thing I have had to do in my life.

Good luck.

Pat_C · 15-08-2007, 9:41 AM

I gave up at the beginning of March after smoking for around 30 years, and a few failed previous attempts. One other thing that helped me in the early days was to push myself close to death (or so it felt) on the exercise bike. After half an hour of that I could hardly breathe or walk in a straight line, never mind smoke.

There are any number of things that could be done, during which smoking would be difficult or impossible. Not quite so easy when you're at work of course.

adam4478 · 15-08-2007, 10:31 AM

we all know that london taxi drivers know everything

my cabbie this morning said he'd given up for 6 weeks and that champix were the only thing that had helped him stop.

Of course i believed every word he said and have since bought a villa in spain, a years supply of champix and a new black taxi as they're the best vehicles for driving in london

Seriously though interested in the feedback as i've alergic to the glue on the patches and it itches like hell with swelling too - i can give up with willpower until i have a pint (about 5 hours these days

)

Pat_C · 15-08-2007, 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by adam4478

i can give up with willpower until i have a pint (about 5 hours these days

)

That's easy to fix - just give up drinking too

sore napper · 15-08-2007, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pat_C

That's easy to fix - just give up drinking too

Funny that, because it was mainly to do with alcohol that got be back on them. I hadn't had a drink in the first 9 months of quiting. Once I started drinking again the craving intensified. Not only could I not enjoy a smoke, but it was so bad that I couldn't enjoy a drink. The fact that the pubs are now smoke free may help fight that demon of smoking and drinking.

Pat_C · 15-08-2007, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sore napper

The fact that the pubs are now smoke free may help fight that demon of smoking and drinking.

I very much doubt it - people would just be tempted to go outside and smoke. I suspect pubs work against you on two levels: the association between drinking and smoking, and the effect of alcohol on your determination/willpower.

Anyone really determined to give up smoking would do well to at least consider removing these temptations.

You can always fill the additional spare time with more sex

Mr_Wistles · 15-08-2007, 12:49 PM

I went to the pub more when I was quitting.

I treated it as "if I can not have a fag in here then elsewhere will be easy"

adam4478 · 15-08-2007, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pat_C

You can always fill the additional spare time with more sex

but what about the heavy smoking afterwards

sore napper · 15-08-2007, 1:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pat_C

I very much doubt it - people would just be tempted to go outside and smoke. I suspect pubs work against you on two levels: the association between drinking and smoking, and the effect of alcohol on your determination/willpower.

Anyone really determined to give up smoking would do well to at least consider removing these temptations.

You can always fill the additional spare time with more sex

You could always go outside and have a smoke, but the fact that the pubs are no longer a cloud of smoke should benefit people to some degree.

The effect of alcohol on your determination/willpower is something to seriously consider when giving up. Somepeople may not find it a problem, but for me it was my breaking point.

Pat_C · 15-08-2007, 4:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by adam4478

but what about the heavy smoking afterwards

Try not going quite so fast

Pat_C · 15-08-2007, 4:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Russell_Piper

I went to the pub more when I was quitting.

I treated it as "if I can not have a fag in here then elsewhere will be easy"

Fine if you have the willpower to pull that off, but I know a lot of people don't have. I don't think I could have done it if I went to pubs as often as I used to.

johntheexpat · 15-08-2007, 6:25 PM

For what its worth, the mrs and I gave up together and the only way we got through was sheer pig-headedness. We gave up at the same time with the agreement that if she started smoking then I could too and every day for the rest of our lives, she would be to blame for every ciggie I smoked. And vice-versa, if I started smoking, then she too could blame me for every ciggie she smoked for the rest of her natural. Now no matter what the pressure, there was no way I was going to be the one who broke. No way was I going to be blamed for her enjoying a fag for the next who knows how many years. She can be as pig headed as me. So that was it. Let no-one tell you otherwise, it's not easy. We ended up have a screaming match over a game of Scrabble, because I had a great word for the top central triple pointer (blazer) and she put at 2 letter word in the way to block me.

I used to deliberately stand near smokers, so I could indulge in a bit of surreptitious secondary smoking. To the extent I once ended up perhaps a little too close to a little old 80+ lady standing in a bus queue. I was on the way home from work and the bus stop was just outside the house. Then the wife walks past and realises instantly what was going on, laughs, the little old lady looks around, and well you can guess the rest.

So, my advice? devise a penalty that is unbreakable and just too awful too contemplate. How about something along the lines of:
If I start smoking again, I will drive the wife and any old flames of her choice to a restaurant, sit outside for the duration, pay for the meal and drive them both (to their respective) homes. That should do it. Oh and you will post on GC to tell everyone you have failed and how well the meal went for them both.

That should do it.

itsamac · 15-08-2007, 7:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrtbag

Anybody that wishes to give up smoking has to find out what type of addict they are. All smokers fall into one of 2 catagories. You are either addicted to the nicotine (in which case patches or other forms of NRT should help) or you are addicted to the actual habot and ritual of smoking (these people are better trying Zyban or Champix). Many people who smoke roll ups are addicted to the ritual/habit, and not the actual nicotine.

I am in the latter category. I rarely need a cigarette, it's more the habit of rewarding myself (i.e. been on the phone for an hour with a recruiter) or just came off a long haul flight so I should have one (like I should have my 5 a day).

For me, I really want to give up for both my wife and my newborn daughter. Don't want to kick the bucket before she has grown up.

I fully agree that these drugs are not miracle cures. The reason I went for Champix is that it's a non-nicotine drug unlike Zyban. It is meant to block the receptors in your brain that thrive on nicotine.

Today, I started my course of Champix and thankfully so far so good. Have not had any of the side effects as yet (nausea and insomnia). I am not going out as often for a smoke, don't have the urges that I did when I was on the patches and I am as calm as a whistle.

The thing to note with Champix is that they will only prescribe the 12 week course once. If you fail, they wont do it again. I think it has something to do with the £375 price tag for the 12 week dosage.