Here is the scoop - I’ve been smoking for 23 years, about 10/day. I want to quit smoking and have tried (and failed) numerous other times with the patch, lozenges, etc. My (new) dr recently prescribed me Chantix. I’ve heard great success stories using this medication, so I’ve been eager to start it.
But wait… now I’m reading horror stories about the anxiety, irritation, etc that is causes (especially in people with pre-existing anxiety/depression disorders) which I do have. So guess what, now I’m anxious about the additional anxiety! Some reviews even stated it made them feel “crazy”.
So I’m sitting here with the box of Chantix, almost having a panic attack about the anxiety this will aggravate. Any first hand experiences with this?
Kind of second-hand: My sister-in-law took it and had no problems and successfully quit smoking. My husband took it and his personality changed for the worse: he became angry, pessimistic, and generally unpleasant and sort of depressed. Normally he’s perfectly optimistic and not at all depressed. He finally stopped taking it as even he recognized it was not working very well. And, he did not quit smoking. So: definitely mixed reviews. I would say, if you do decide to take it, get someone who knows you to tell you if it’s negatively affecting you. Because my husband definitely did not recognize that it was making him a different person.
I took a different drug before Chantix and I can’t remember its name…but it fucked me up and gave me a seriously bad panic attack that was quite dangerous.
Years later I took Chantix and for me it totally mellowed me the hell out. Kind of almost too much, where I probably wouldn’t want to take it if i had any responsibilities beyond myself and my dog. It definitely changed my mood and made me feel weird but it in no way made me more anxious.
I quit smoking quite easily on it, after several failed methods previously.
I agree with kayT and have someone help you along with it. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. But from what I hear it works differently for everyone. Or rather, affects everyone differently.
From what (little) I’ve read, people’s reactions to Chantix have been idiosyncratic. Some people with preexisting issues have had bad experiences, while others with those same issues have tolerated it well.
I took one pill. I had terrible nightmares that night, and experienced a hellish reawakening of my PTSD. My reaction to Chantix was immediate and clear. It was very easy for me to decide to discontinue taking it, and I was back to normal within a day. If my experience is anything to go on, you should be able to tell pretty quickly whether or not Chantix will be tolerable.
Later, I managed to quit smoking with the help of the Mayo’s Nicotine Dependency Center. It was one of the best things I’ve ever done. I never even realized just how much smoking was decreasing my immediate quality of life (on top of, obviously, the well-known detriment to long-term health). I gained more energy, rarely get sick, and found that my anxiety levels decreased by more than a little. I’m sure that getting off the nicotine roller-coaster was no small part of that, but I was struck by how much freedom and relief I felt when I realized I had gotten rid of that persistent, pervasive worry over where my cigarettes were and whether I had enough on me at any given time.
It is absolutely worth it to quit smoking. If you’re lucky, you’ll be like my father-in-law - a week or two on Chantix (with no discernible side effects) and you’ll never think about cigarettes again.
Orr, G - you have stated EXACTLY why I want to quit smoking, thank you for wording it in a way that I haven’t been able to articulate. The anxiety that smoking causes me is outrageous, and it’s a terrible cycle. My desire to be free of it is HUGE, and at the same time I’m terrified.
Ok, I will start it tomorrow then. My mind is made up. If it is too jarring I can always stop. It’s worth the try.
I was a smoker from when I was about 16 years old (in 1984), and kept smoking 'till I was in my 40s. Until I tried Chantix.
Chantix worked for me.
On next January 26th, I’ll be one year clean.
What Chantix does is it mimics the nicotine receptor that gives you pleasure, so it prevents the real nicotine from binding in your brain. So you can keep smoking while you take Chantix and it doesn’t matter. After a few days you will find that you don’t really feel like smoking anymore, because all of your pleasure centers have been filled.
Chantix chills you out, it doesn’t give you panic attacks or make you feel suicidal. That is, I think, big tobacco bullshit. But you should judge for yourself.
I was an insomniac to begin with, and Chantix made it worse. Before Chantix, I could usually get a couple of hours of light, restless sleep per night. With Chantix I got none. Zero. For three days.