So today I swallowed my first morning Champix tablet., I got them from my GP 3 days ago,. but had a real mind battle before making that 1st move.,I have smoked for 50 years,. this as taken a big toll on my Health & pocket,..hopefully now I have come to my senses to quit this awful habit,,my life can take on more meaning..
Hi. I can totally relate to everything you say....how can you live without your ciggies! Well I stopped with Champix over a year ago after smoking for 30 years. You have taken the most important step in starting to take Champix. My advice is take each day at a time, dont look too far ahead. Take your tablets as prescribed. There are side effects, but deal with them as they arise, we will support you and advise as necessary. Keep smoking as normal, and just relax! I kept thinking the tabs werent working, but believe me they did. It took a little willpower, but honestly, I think these tabs are amazing. Im not going to say much more for now, but keep in touch, and we will support you each step of the way.
Hi, good luck with the tablets, I would suggest keeping a diary to document how you feel, there are some side effect (not everyone will get them) I used them years ago and stopped for 3 months only. I'm on the e-cigs now and think i've finaly kicked the habit. As Debbie03785 says take it a day at a time.
Hi Doglover,
I took Champix back in March and here are my thoughts.
The first week you start Champix, cigarettes will taste different. Not bad, not good, just off. Then comes the higher dose. The first few weeks on the higher dose were rough, I was so sleepy all the time. I could hardly keep my eyes open at work. I slept all weekend. I thought about stopping the tablets, but I percevered. Stay with it, as your body does adjust.
After I got used to the higher dose, cigarettes started to be a turn off, I had no pleasure from smoking anymore. That nicotine hit straight after dinner was no longer pleasurable. It was a very nothing experience. That coupled with the change in taste just meant that naturally one day I had my last cigarette. I don't remember what day it was, or the exact date. I just remember that cigarettes no longer did it for me.
I didn't quite finish the pack, nearly, but not quite. I know that I am a few bad decisions away from being a smoker again, and this is the thought that stops me from lighting up when I am feeling weak. I have to say that honestly I do not think aout smoking on a daily basis. The only time I have a hankering to smoke is perhaps when I am having a glass of wine. It is just a thought at the back of my mind, rather than a compulsion to light up. I find it leaves my mind really quickly, as I know as soon as I do light up again, I am back to the start, and thats somewhere I don't want to be.
I forgot to add that I developed strep throat three weeks after stopping smoking. I was on antibiotics for a week and it cleared up. I hear that this is quite a common side effect of stopping smoking, as all the bacteria and toxins are leaving your body.
Thanks for your reply Debbie,.Good to know that Support is just a mouse click away., I have a feeling that I am going to need lots of Support & encouragment to Win this battle. But I am Arming myself with these Tablets,so let the battle begin,,,
TY for your good wishes,.the diary is deffo a good idea.,I did try the ecig route,but did not care for them,so this was short lived,,,Hope the Meds are the way to go.,,good luck with your abstinence,..It does not matter how we achieve the result as long as we reach the goal.,,,
TY for taking me on your journey with Champix,. this was really helpful,. gives me a little insight into how they work & courage to deal with any nasty side effects,. Good to hear you have been succesful in breaking the habit,..
Loads of support here, every day. Try to relax and just go with the flow. As issues arise, post them and we will help. Most folk have some problems, but also the experience of how to overcome them.
Hello again Debbie, well today was my 5th day on Champix.,& although I am finding it easy not to crave a Cig throughout the day,. I find my craving quite strong first thing in the morning,..I have not stopped altogether yet, but am only smoking 5-6 cigs a day now,thats from a 20 aday habit,.my quit day will be this Friday,, no noticable side effects yet.,
Hi Doglover. Its early days yet, dont rush things. Youre not even on the full dose yet. I didnt set my stop day until day 15, and stopped effortlessly on day 14. Any earlier would have been too hard for me. What I would say is that on Friday, if you get stressed and feel you cant stop, then just reset your stop day to the following Friday. Does that make sense? now is the time to try to break habits. If you smoked in the house, make it a smoke free zone and smoke outside. If you had a cig with your coffee, have one after your coffee. I asked my friends who smoked to help me by not smoking around me for a few weeks. Etc, etc. But it does sound like the pills are working their magic with you in that you have cut down so much already. You are halfway there! Feel proud of yourself. Keep in touch.
Thank you Debbie, what you said does make sense.,I don't want to cause myself more stress in my eagerness to stop..
I will adopt your advice & make my home a smoke free
zone,,standing outside will not feel to comfortable in rain
or gale force winds.,if that dont do it nothing will lol..
thankfully I do not have family or friends who smoke,so thats
a great help.,Can I ask,, once you stopped on Day 14 did your
cravings stop? or did you still go cold turkey?.ty again for being
their for me,..
Hi! I had naturally stopped on day 14, just couldnt be bothered to light up. Honestly, I was stunned. I would say 90% of me didnt want to smoke, but there was still a bit of craving....habit, I think. But thats where the alternatives come in handy....breaking the cycle, dont have that coffee if thats when you smoke, sit somewhere different, do a puzzle, walk round the house taking deep breaths.....i kept saying to myself.....why am I paying money to poison myself? That really helped. I was like you in that my fag consumption went down, until I was only smoking two half fags on day 13. Yes, there were times when I could have happily lit up after that, but I had a list of alternative things to do and I didnt put myself in social situations where I might be tempted. I do think Champix is a miracle drug. Trust it. I know from your commitment that you will stop. Just relax, trust the pills, change your habits, treat yourself whith the money you would have spent on fags. Get your home smelling nice, start washing your clothes so they dont smell of fags. I can now smell a cig from quite a distance, and cant believe how I and my house must have smelled!! Just think, this time next month, no more fags, chest starting to recover, more money in your purse, fresh breath I could go on. YOU WILL DO IT! Relax.
I was giving advice to a friends hubby who couldnt stop on his chosen day. Told hime to go and buy more fags, and carry on smoking for another week. He did this, then stopped and hasnt smoked for 10 months now.
Hi Debbie,. yesterday was my first day of not Smoking(Quit Day).Today I am having a little struggle with myself,. But am Determined to stay smoke free,.. making sure When craving becomes difficult to do Deep breathing Excercises,this is helping,.Just recovering from a bad Salivary Gland Infection still taking Pennicilin,.so this is not helping,..good news is that no visable side effects from Champix,.When does your body become free of the Nicotine do you know?
Hi Doglover, good for you. Keep doing diversional things and start saying to yourself...I am now a non smoker. Just think, today is the first day of a healthier, wealthier life. Wash clothes that smell of smoke, treat yourself to nice candles etc. Technically I think the nicotine leaves your blood within a few days? Every hour you are cig free, your body can work on ridding itself of nicotine for good. The side effects kicked in for me on about week three, but we will help you address them if they arise. Any time you have a craving, brush your teeth or take chewing gum...not nicotine gum. This next few days are the hardest, but I promise you will get past them and never look back! Keep in touch! X
Thanks Debbie for your continued support,. I really need this.,& yes I will certainly adopt the methods you mentioned when I get the cravings., never realised what a strong hold Mr Nicotine had.,,good reason to stop & never go back to it again,,
Look upon it as a week of feeling deprived compared to the rest of your life. You CAN do it!
Hi, was thinking about you and wondering how you are...?
Hi,Debbie, nice to know you have been keeping me in your thoughts,.ty,.Well I am happy to tell you that today I completed my first week of Smokefree,.It has not been so easy, my thoughts have turned to (just one more smoke) but I have resisted,.Have changed my daily routine also this as helped.,My only gripe is that I joined the FB Smokefree support group & was given a link to the online Chat support,. I completed all the Info & was told an adviser would prompt my Question,. this never happened,. I really needed the support at the time,. felt very let down,..Moan over,.. Happy though for your support,..