I did it! If you do the math you’ll realize I wasn’t successful with my attempt during the last post. I was going through some pretty stressful times in my life and only made it through about 25 days before I gave in to the nicotine again. While ‘The Patch’ does work in its own way, it was just too easy to tear off and give up on. It certainly wasn’t my miracle quitting system. That award goes to Chantix.
The Chantix pill was amazing! By the end of my second month I didn’t even want to smoke anymore. The desire had completely vanished! I can be around smokers and not feel the urge at all. I can consume alcohol without needing its smoky companion. And most importantly, I can face extremely stressful situations (like planning my wedding) without even thinking about my old crutches. I would recommend trying Chantix to anyone plagued by nicotine addiction.
With all that being said, there is certainly a disclaimer to the previous paragraph (and long list of side effects). Starting first with the nausea I felt every time I took a pill. I took it right after breakfast each morning as directed. About 15 minutes afterward I would feel a wave come over me that I would compare to a mild case of morning sickness for pregnant women. It never made me actually vomit and only lasted about 5 minutes, so I felt it was worth it considering it was supposed to help save my life. I always took the second pill right before bed so that I would just fall asleep right away and not feel the discomfort. That leads me to the next side effect. My dreams were crazy! Not nightmares, I would never call them that. They were just extremely vivid and realistic dreams. I almost enjoyed it because it was as if a new movie (starring everyone I’ve ever known in my whole life) played in my head every night.
I became very irritable after I stopped taking Chantix (and that might be the understatement of the year…I was crazy!). I’m not sure if it was because I stopped taking the pills, or if I would have become like that anyway because I quit smoking. So I can’t say whether or not this was a Chantix side effect. Either way, there were a lot of days that I felt like a basket case and had the compelling urge to check my self into a mental institution. I cried a lot and my emotions were completely out of control. I thank my dear, sweet husband for standing by me and supporting me through that time. Without him I may have honestly had a nervous breakdown. So as a warning, if you are going to take Chantix, I would recommend being sure you have a strong support system around you and that you warn them that this might happen. Tell them to be strong for you and assure you every day that you are normal and that you will get over it, because you will. It took about 2 months for me to get through that part and even during that time I didn’t feel like going back to smoking would make me feel better either. To me, the short period of insanity was well worth spending the rest of my life as a healthier woman. No more waking up in the morning and coughing to the point of throwing up and no more being out of breath when I run up a flight of stairs. I am in control now, not my cigarettes. Yes, it was definitely worth it.
