Craig Posted December 29, 2006 Share Posted December 29, 2006 I'm not a smoker but as some LS posters say they want to quit smoking and have tried various things like gum, patches, lozenges, Zyban, etc. I thought I'd ask if anyone has tried Chantix by Pfizer? Apparently Chantix works in a completely different way than any other stop smoking aids and I'm curious to know if anyone has used it and what their experience is/was. Link to post Share on other sites
wanda1974 Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 I have been smoking a pack to a pack-and-a-half for 16 years now. I got the script for Chantix from my doctor Wed., Jan. 31. I started it that day, and I have gone down to only 3 cigarettes a day in less than a week. I have tried quitting so many times before, and the only thing that worked was when I got pregnant. I knew I couldn't just pop out 12 more kids just to say "I'm smoke free!"....lol. But, yes, I highly recommend this drug to quit smoking. I should be smoke free in about a week.. :bunny: Link to post Share on other sites
Madeamistake Posted February 6, 2007 Share Posted February 6, 2007 Nice! I will look for it then! Link to post Share on other sites
RocketMan2 Posted February 6, 2007 Share Posted February 6, 2007 I have been smoking a pack to a pack-and-a-half for 16 years now. Youve been making them last then!! Rocket Link to post Share on other sites
bab Posted February 6, 2007 Share Posted February 6, 2007 I'm not a smoker but as some LS posters say they want to quit smoking and have tried various things like gum, patches, lozenges, Zyban, etc. I thought I'd ask if anyone has tried Chantix by Pfizer? Apparently Chantix works in a completely different way than any other stop smoking aids and I'm curious to know if anyone has used it and what their experience is/was. My Dad is on it. When I talked to him on Sunday he hadn't had a cigarette in 17 days. That's a best of over 40 years. If it can help him, it can help anybody. Of course now he wants to be an idiot and stop taking the medicine before he finishes the program because it's so expensive. If he relapses I'm going to hit him upside the head with a brick. The pay for it myself. Link to post Share on other sites
DyingHeart Posted February 7, 2007 Share Posted February 7, 2007 I too have been a non stop smoke stack. Those who have tried it, what kind of side effects did you experience? And I wonder, since it is new, if medicare will pay for it... When I was picking up some prescriptions, I heard the pharmacists talking about it and they say it really works. So I am very interested in this Link to post Share on other sites
wanda1974 Posted February 8, 2007 Share Posted February 8, 2007 The only side effect I have experienced, and it's not a bad one, is extremely vivid dreams at night. I dream ALL NIGHT LONG on this pill. Also, I don't know much about medicare coverage, but I have Blue Cross/Blue Shield PPO, and it was covered under my insurance. Link to post Share on other sites
Author Craig Posted February 9, 2007 Author Share Posted February 9, 2007 Thanks everyone for all the replies so far...keep them coming... Wanda1974 are you consciously trying to reduce the amount you smoke or are you finding that you just don't have the desire to smoke anymore? Bab, I've read accounts of people using Chantix for about a month or even less to get themselves off of the nicotine addiction and then stopping but it's probably best to follow the Dr.'s directions. Cost was brought up so I checked on prices and the prices I found vary from $115.00 to $165.00 per month depending on which pharmacy one goes to. I think Pfizer was aiming at a cost of about $3.50 per day. Link to post Share on other sites
wanda1974 Posted February 9, 2007 Share Posted February 9, 2007 Thanks everyone for all the replies so far...keep them coming... Wanda1974 are you consciously trying to reduce the amount you smoke or are you finding that you just don't have the desire to smoke anymore? Bab, I've read accounts of people using Chantix for about a month or even less to get themselves off of the nicotine addiction and then stopping but it's probably best to follow the Dr.'s directions. Cost was brought up so I checked on prices and the prices I found vary from $115.00 to $165.00 per month depending on which pharmacy one goes to. I think Pfizer was aiming at a cost of about $3.50 per day. Craig, I had started the drug following it's instructions of still smoking that first week. I had about a 3/4 of a pack left, and planned on just finishing those off, and then never buying a pack again. Well, two days bofore the full week was up, I just really didn't have the urge to smoke, so I threw the pack out. I have noticed that the smell of smoke now makes me sick, which is crazy, because I smoked for 16 years. I am going to stay on this for another month after this months pills are done, just to make sure I'm not tempted to light one up. Link to post Share on other sites
whichwayisup Posted March 1, 2007 Share Posted March 1, 2007 Are there any side effects to this drug? I know one person has mentioned vivid dreams all night long, but anything else? See I don't let taking meds at all, so if I consider taking this drug to help me quit smoking I like to know ahead of time of OPs experiences. Link to post Share on other sites
alphamale Posted March 1, 2007 Share Posted March 1, 2007 I'm not a smoker but as some LS posters say they want to quit smoking and have tried various things like gum, patches, lozenges, Zyban, etc. I thought I'd ask if anyone has tried Chantix by Pfizer? Apparently Chantix works in a completely different way than any other stop smoking aids and I'm curious to know if anyone has used it and what their experience is/was. These drugs are all frauds and have about a 2% effectiveness rate. Nicotine is an extremely addicting substance, more so than Heroin and other opium-based drugs. These quit smoking aids you've mentioned above are just another way for the drug companies to mint money. Have you seen how much they cost? Link to post Share on other sites
wanda1974 Posted March 1, 2007 Share Posted March 1, 2007 Are there any side effects to this drug? I know one person has mentioned vivid dreams all night long, but anything else? See I don't let taking meds at all, so if I consider taking this drug to help me quit smoking I like to know ahead of time of OPs experiences. The only side effects that I've noticed are the vivid dreams...which I love, I can't wait to go to bed, they're that good! And the other is constipation. Nothing a couple of laxatives won't take care of. Other than that, I don't feel different in anyway, except I am not coughing all the time, and I smell good all day long. I can smell smoke on people real strong now, and honestly, I can't believe I ever got laid smelling like that..... Link to post Share on other sites
pink_butter2003 Posted March 3, 2007 Share Posted March 3, 2007 I'm not a smoker but as some LS posters say they want to quit smoking and have tried various things like gum, patches, lozenges, Zyban, etc. I thought I'd ask if anyone has tried Chantix by Pfizer? Apparently Chantix works in a completely different way than any other stop smoking aids and I'm curious to know if anyone has used it and what their experience is/was. My fiance, Rog, a smoker for 23 years, started taking Chantix a month ago. He had tried Nicorette and other things in the past, none of which worked for him, so I really was starting to lose hope that he would ever quit. Well, he went on Chantix and guess what, in less than one week, he went from smoking a pack a day to about half a pack. In the next 3 weeks, his daily number of smokes decreased more and more until this week (his fourth week on Chantix), he just gave away all his smokes on Tuesday and said that was it for him. Chantix is so potent that he couldn't feel the effects of Nicotine anymore after just taking it a month! Well, it is now Friday night here and he is still going strong and has not smoked a single cigarette since early Tuesday morning. Right now, he is sitting in the living room watching TV and drinking Jose Cuervo. He was told to avoid drinking alcohol while trying to quit smoking coz that's like a trigger; it makes most smokers want to smoke again. Well, he says it doesn't make him want to smoke and he's not grouchy or stressed out or hateful like some people get when they try to quit smoking. Needless to say, I am so amazed! We went to pick up another month's supply of Chantix from the drugstore today. yup, the price is a bit steep- $100 for a month's supply (we are in west virginia). but you know what, it will be worth it in the long run; i really believe it will!!! already, i can see some good changes in him. he smells a lot better!!!! doesnt' smell like yucky smoke all the time now. and me, being a non-smoker since april 30, 2006- am so thrilled coz now our house smells so much better!!! i mean, he used to stand near the door and blow the smoke out, but somehow, it still blew back in!!! now, it smells so fresh in here. also, he coughs less now. go to http://www.com to read about the way chantix works. it is not nicotine-replacement; it works in a totally different way and they explain that on there. i wish pfizer had come up with this drug earlier. it is soooooo amazing!!! i highly recommend it for anyone who wants to quit smoking. only problem i can see is the price. not all insurances cover this drug. rog's insurance did not, so we had to pay the whole $100 (actually, that was a discount price; it was $115). ok, some side effects i noticed that rog is experiencing are- gas, nausea (about an hour after taking the pill; you take one pill every 12 hours; two pills a day), ocasional vomiting (if you drink too much water after taking the pill; this only happened to him once); vivid dreams (he said the other night he dreamed he was in a threesome with me and a pretty blonde, hehehehe. he didn't even want to get up; he said his dream seemed so real. now i think that is a cool side effect, hahaha! he usually never remembers his dreams and they used to be not as real and interesting as they are now that he is on chantix) . that's about it. other than that, he can work while taking chantix. he is the night shift foreman at a steelworking company; he welds. he is able to concentrate on his work even while on chantix. he called in sick one day last week but that was because of nicotine withdrawal symptoms. even if you are on chantix, when you finally quit smoking for good, you WILL still feel nicotine withdrawal symptoms. but if you hang in there for about 3-5 days, the worst of those symptoms will pass and you will feel better. another good thing about chantix is that you can still smoke while taking it. but you will see that after a few days, when you smoke, the nicotine rush won't hit you anymore, so then after a while, you will start thinking, why even smoke if i don't get that nicotine high anymore? it's like eating food that tastes like paper. i highly recommend chantix. if it works for roger, who smoked for 23 years, it should work for anyone! Link to post Share on other sites
riobikini Posted March 3, 2007 Share Posted March 3, 2007 Thanks, Craig, for beginning this thread -and thanks to all the people who respond with the results of their real experiences (theirs and others). This is the most positively encouraging thread (and feedback on a new prescription medication) I have watched unfold in LS in a long time. Here's to those who believe in the "impossible". Here's to "quitting". (Smile) -Rio Link to post Share on other sites
westernxer Posted March 3, 2007 Share Posted March 3, 2007 Taking a drug to quit another drug is very expensive. Cold turkey is what I would do, just to make life more interesting. Link to post Share on other sites
Peg Sluus Posted March 26, 2007 Share Posted March 26, 2007 I've been smoking a pack every day since I was 13 (that's 44 years) tried to quit sooo many times through so many methods, I've lost count. I've been using Chantix for 3 & 1/2 weeks now, my doctor gave me the 1st month starter pak. I was hesitant because I have a weak stomach and he said nasuea was a side effect - I didn't want to go there, so I put off taking it until I had some time off of work. I didn't hold much hope for this miracle drug since I've tried all the others too. My biggest road block is that I live alone, so I'm not accountable to anyone but me and it's easy to lie to yourself and hide from everyone else. Now however, I'm ready to go get my script filled (much to my surprise). It will cost $112.00 (insurance doesn't cover) but I've been putting away the $5 a day I spend on smokes, so I actually have $28 left over (to add to my christmas savings account). My Chantix experience - 2 pills a day, I take one pill shortly after breakfast and one after dinner, I simply don't even think about smoking any more, the first week I tried to smoke but the cigs tasted stale and I only had a few puffs and put them out. Since then I've tried a puff here and there with the same results, they really taste nasty. Side effects for me have been the dreams, like one of the other replies, most of my dreams are pleasant, but very vivid, some however are nightmares and again very vivid, so they wake me up. I've also had some insomnia so I have had some nights that have taken me hours to fall asleep only to be awakened by a nightmare couple that with waking up to hot flashes and not being able to get back to sleep, needless to say I've had some pretty cranky days. But I find that if I take a sleep aid (Tylenol PM for me) it helps me fall asleep and stay asleep, even through the flashes =-) On the up side - I don't have any increase in appetite, but I am eating better and enjoying my meals a lot more. I've put my new found energy into exercise and family time and I'm loving it. I don't have to take that cigarette break at parties or work and I don't smell like smoke, which is great, because now I can smell it on others and may I just say "yuck" I'm glad I'm past that and I'm looking forward to being a non smoker after so many years. Recommending it to anyone who will listen - I've tried patches, gum, herbal remedies and cold turkey. If you really want to be smoke free give it a try, you're worth the effort. Link to post Share on other sites
alphamale Posted March 26, 2007 Share Posted March 26, 2007 Taking a drug to quit another drug is very expensive. few yrs back I tried the nicorette gum. it was worthless. For about 2 months I used the gum and it was more expensive than buying smokes. So to keep my budget intact I reverted back to smoking, it was cheaper. Link to post Share on other sites
knaveman Posted March 27, 2007 Share Posted March 27, 2007 Sounds like this whole thread is one big ad for a quit smoking aid. Alphamale was right. However smoking it a hard thing to quit. I used drugs too and it worked but the drugs only took the edge off. I still had to want to quit and then fight the urge to smoke. It all boils down to how bad you want to quit. Most Americans want a pill to do all the work for them: quitting smoking, losing weight, happiness, etc. In the end you don't get anything without working for it, drugs or not. Link to post Share on other sites
Erik Posted March 27, 2007 Share Posted March 27, 2007 These drugs are all frauds and have about a 2% effectiveness rate. Nicotine is an extremely addicting substance, more so than Heroin and other opium-based drugs. These quit smoking aids you've mentioned above are just another way for the drug companies to mint money. Have you seen how much they cost? And the instructions: for the gum, it says to keep taking them for three to six MONTHS, just to make 100% sure you become addicted. Link to post Share on other sites
Author Craig Posted March 27, 2007 Author Share Posted March 27, 2007 These drugs are all frauds and have about a 2% effectiveness rate. Nicotine is an extremely addicting substance, more so than Heroin and other opium-based drugs. These quit smoking aids you've mentioned above are just another way for the drug companies to mint money. Have you seen how much they cost? Alpha, get yourself a script for Chantix take it as directed and see what happens. If you don't quit I'll send you a check for your out of pocket expense for the script. But seeing as your dad is a Doc you can probably get samples for free... Link to post Share on other sites
alphamale Posted March 27, 2007 Share Posted March 27, 2007 But seeing as your dad is a Doc you can probably get samples for free... he said they generally don't give samples of stop-smoking aids. the one that is available is wellbutrin which is same exact drug as zyban. Link to post Share on other sites
Author Craig Posted March 27, 2007 Author Share Posted March 27, 2007 he said they generally don't give samples of stop-smoking aids. the one that is available is wellbutrin which is same exact drug as zyban. So take a risk and pay for the first month of Chantix. It costs less than a pack a day habit and you don't quit until after the first week. Some of the posters above stopped smoking before the first week was up and others took longer but all seemed to have no withdrawal symptoms...what are you waiting for? My offer still stands if you don't quit in that first month I'll pay for your script. Link to post Share on other sites
alphamale Posted March 27, 2007 Share Posted March 27, 2007 So take a risk and pay for the first month of Chantix. It costs less than a pack a day habit and you don't quit until after the first week. Some of the posters above stopped smoking before the first week was up and others took longer but all seemed to have no withdrawal symptoms...what are you waiting for? My offer still stands if you don't quit in that first month I'll pay for your script. but I like smoking....it gives me that bad boys image. And I only smoke half a pack a day. Link to post Share on other sites
burning 4 revenge Posted March 27, 2007 Share Posted March 27, 2007 but I like smoking....it gives me that bad boys image. And I only smoke half a pack a day.How does smoking give you a bad boy image? You just turned 42. It can only make you look older and reckless and I say that as a smoker (about a half pack too). I imagine most women are aware that smoking hurts sexual performance by middle age. I don't think they find it sexy. Link to post Share on other sites
alphamale Posted March 27, 2007 Share Posted March 27, 2007 How does smoking give you a bad boy image? Soon as woman sees man smoke there is no way he's put in "nice guy" category. Nice guy does not smoke and never offends anyone. Smoker is taking risks and going against the grain, he is unconventional and different and exciting.... I don't think they find it sexy. many femles say they don't like smoker....but this is usually bull****.....woman also says she like "nice guy" but she ends up with jerk. of all the womens I've dated only 2 or 3 were smokers themselves. Link to post Share on other sites
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