Chantix and depression on stopping smoking.

31 Comments:

• At Wed Feb 27, 07:45:00 PM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  I just learned of this site while searching for info on Chantix and seizures after my Dr. warned me of this newly heightened side effect. Thank you. It has been very interesting and informative. I began taking Chantix on 12/23/07 (my birthday) and continued to smoke as usual (10-15 per day). Within 10 days I found I was taking 2 or 3 drags of a cigarette, not enjoying it and putting it out. I continued to do this 3 times a day for about 2 weeks (amazing what an addiction will keep you doing, huh?!) until I came down with the flu (1/18/08). After 4 days in bed without smoking it seemed silly to go back to smoking. I have remained smoke free. I have experienced some of the posted side effects: mild to moderate nausea (water definitely helps!), headaches, fatigue and malaise. To answer your post about depression, I would definitely say that I could have easily confused my malaise with depression. When you don't feel like yourself it's easy to start a downward spiral of negative thinking. And quitting smoking for me has been both a physical and emotional withdrawal...kind of like losing a "best" friend. In the past 2 weeks my energy has returned and my mood has improved tremendously. And while I still have those habitual desires to have a cigarette I have no desire to smoke. This pill has been as close to a miracle drug as I could have expected! However,I do have a few questions I was hoping you could answer: 1. In addition to losing the pleasure derived from smoking, I have found that I do not enjoy or desire alcohol (wine, beer, etc.) Is there a link? Common receptor perhaps?
  2. Along the same lines, in the beginning weeks of taking Chantix I found myself not enjoying food as much (I have always LOVED food!) 3. I have recently had some disturbing dreams that I did not experience in the first 7 weeks of taking Chantix. Is that unusual to suddenly start getting a side effect after being on the med for a while? Does that mean it is "building up" in my system? 4. Last one, upon stopping Chantix, should I expect my desire to smoke to increase? Sorry for the long post and again, thanks for this site.

   

• At Fri Feb 29, 01:17:00 PM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  I stopped smoking 3 weeks and 1 day ago gone cold turkey been hard but coped, only thing i am struggling with is mood swings and depression i feel so low i could cry, but dont want a cigarette Danny Leeds U.K.

   

• At Tue Mar 04, 09:40:00 PM 2008,  Jonathan Foulds, MA, MAppSci, PhD said…

  Danny of Leeds,
  Great that you are succeeding in quitting smoking. Well done. If you are feeling depressed you should go back to your doctor and tell him/her how you are feeling. This sometimes happens on stopping smoking, and is sometimes temporary, but best to talk to your doctor and try to sort it out, rather than put up with it.

   

• At Tue Mar 04, 09:47:00 PM 2008,  Jonathan Foulds, MA, MAppSci, PhD said…

  Dear Anonymous,
  1. There has been one rat study that hinted at the possibility that varenicline (Chantix) may affect alcohol consumption, but it remains unproven. 2.Chantix actually appears to have less of an effect on appetite than most other medicines for smoking cessation, and so people more commonly notice increased appetite. 3. Chantix should not "build up" in your system after 7 weeks. 4. Most people do not notice an increase in desire to smoke when they stop taking Chantix. This may be partly because it has a half-life of almost one day, and so takes a while to entirely leave the system.

   

• At Thu Mar 06, 05:35:00 PM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  i have been taking chantix for almost 2 weeks exactly and the first week i felt very mellow and relaxed. As soon as i increased the dosage the next day i was extremely irrated. Two days later i felt like a black cloud was following me around for 2 days straight and hated being alone. i have never experienced anything like the way i felt for that 2 days. i've been much better the last 2 days. i don't know if it's when your brain is getting used to the higher dosage or what but i know for sure that i have never felt that way in my life. And then you have all these people and companies denying that chantix has anything to do with making people depressed and it makes you feel like you must be losing your mind. I don't see how you can take a bunch of perfectly normal people and give them medicine which makes them feel nuts and then act like they are simply getting depressed over something else. You actually can tell it's the medicine too because alot of the time you can't even think straight and you feel like you have no control over your mind. it's very scary. you really don't feel like smoking though. i'm hoping that after the first month of the medicine i can stop taking it and i won't smoke anymore because i don't want to take it for 3 whole months if it could make me feel that way at any given moment. people should definitely be taking this situation more seriously. and if the medicine is made to block the receptors in your brain that make you happy when you smoke a cigarette then it really doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that apparently it's blocking most of your happiness all together and the rest of the time you feel sedated so you don't know any better.

   

• At Fri Mar 07, 01:28:00 PM 2008,  Jonathan Foulds, MA, MAppSci, PhD said…

  Dear Anonymous of March 6th,
  Thanks for posting on your experience. One thing thats useful to know is at what point in the sequence did you quit smoking? You mentioned that your depression came on when you increaed the dose. There are normally 2 dose increases on Chantix:
  1. On day 4 people start taking two 0.5mg tablets per day (only one on days 1-3) and
  2.On day 8 (normally the target quit smoking day) people move up to two 1mg tablets per day.
  
  If your depression coincided with the move to 1mg tablets it may also have coincided with stopping smoking. And this is where it gets difficult to untabgle the effects of the drug with the effects of stopping smoking.
  
  But it sounds like you felt that it was the drug that caused these emotional changes and that it felt different from anything you'd previously experienced. I agree that this needs to be taken seriously, and congratulate you for staying off the cigarettes. Don't hesitate to contact your doctor if those feelings return. Best of luck.

   

• At Tue Mar 11, 05:49:00 AM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  Started taking Chantix Feb 12--took for 2 weeks instead of 1 before quitting as by that time the smell and taste were disgusting to me. Very irritable and short tempered the 1st week and since then the only side affects are nausea and bloated feeling. The habitual desire is still there (I'll catch myself going to reach for one)Do you have any ideas when that recedes? Also--I'm afraid at the end of the 3 months on Chantix the desire(both physical and emotional) will come back full force--any feedback?

   

• At Sat Mar 15, 09:23:00 AM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  I started the Chantix program on January 3rd and quit smoking on the 14th, so it's been over 2 months now. I'm 53 and have smoked 2-3 packs per day for the last 30 years.
  
  The first 2 weeks of not smoking left me edgy and short tempered but not nearly as bad as other times when I've attempted to quit by other means. On week 3 I was extremely nasty and also dispairing of quitting. Weeks 4 and 5 had me quite "down" with negative thoughts that were almost all associated with life and not smoking.
  
  Week 6 was a bit of a letdown, with a pack of cigs being consumed over a weeks time. A pittance for me and I didn't enjoy them so it was easy to get in the saddle again. No smoking since. However, I haven't been ornery or down since week 5.
  
  Weeks 7-8 have been normal. I get a few "jabs" during the course of the day - my mind saying I NEED a cigarette. Then it passes after 30 seconds and it's not a prob.
  
  A couple extra thoughts on things that I think are Chantix-related:
  
  1 - I found that the busier I was at work and home, the more apt I was not to even think about cigarettes. Maybe I would unconciously reach for a cigarette by habit but I wasn't thinking about smoking.
  
  2 - For me, bizarre dreams are the biggest side effect I've had with Chantix. Normally, I dream but never remember my dreams. Now I remember my dreams IN DETAIL and they are bizarre but with threads of normal life mixed in. Nothing gory or violent - just strange stuff. Sometimes I wake up feeling tired from dreaming all night.
  
  Greg

   

• At Tue Mar 18, 07:10:00 PM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  I just wanted to write my experience with taking chantix. I have been smoke free for 53 days now. I took the chantix for about a month straight then it really started to make me sick really bad nausea so I stop taking the chantix and decided to take it when I felt I needed it! I have complete stopped taking it. I didn't like the way the chantix made me feel. Another thing I have noticed with taking the chantix I have very bad depression and plan on going to the doctors to be put on a antidepression to help me out! I have had depression before years ago! I still have cravings to smoke but do not want one! Smoke now really gets to me and don't like being around it at all! I can't even go into a bar or a restaurant that is smoking it makes me sick to my stomach now! But that is my experience with CHANTIX!!

   

• At Wed Mar 19, 04:41:00 PM 2008,  Careca, Sao Paulo, Brazil said…

  I am 35, been smoking about 20 cigs a day for the last 18 years +-.
  
  I m in the 9th day of Chantix treatment. Today is my third day completely without nicotine.
  
  Strangely, since I started taking Chantix, seems that my mood have changed - in a good way! Normally I am kind of short-tempered, complaining guy. After started taking it, things that usually would make me crazy doesn't matter no longer...
  
  I have had almost no side-effects at all... Nausea one day (but could have been caused by something I ate). I never remember my dreams either and lately I had a couple in my mind after waking up.
  
  One curious fact is that I am a marijuana smoker (usually half a cig every day - more on weekends) . I've been smoking weed for about 14 years.
  
  As soon as I started the treatment, I didn't feel like smoking weed. It seems that it affects not only the addiction on nicotine and alcohol, but might be proven in future that it is effective against other addictions as well.
  
  I almost do not drink alcohol at all, and many of my non-smoker friends do smoke weed.
  
  I would like to guess if I will be able to enjoy some marijuana after stop taking Chantix.
  
  Also, I would like to interrupt the treatment before 3 months... Maybe after one month taking it.
  
  Anyone heard of cases where people stopped the treatment earlier than the usual and did not smoke after that?
  
  For real, I don't feel like having a cigarette at all. I am still smoking my weed (less than ever), but smoking tobacco no longer seduce me.
  
  Thanks.

   

• At Fri Mar 21, 11:10:00 AM 2008,  Jonathan Foulds, MA, MAppSci, PhD said…

  Thanks to those who have shared their experiences. More than one person commented on losing their enjoyment for other substances while using Chantix. I'm not aware of a direct mechanism that would explain this but it is certainly interesting. I'm sure the manufacturer will be exploring the possibility that there may be a wider effect. Note that it is not a great idea to continue smoking other substances when you are trying to quit smoking. Marijuana smoke is also carcinogenic and causes respiratory diseases. It also perpetuates the smoking habit and may increase your risk of relapsing back to cigarette smoking.

   

• At Thu Mar 27, 08:30:00 AM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  My wife and I began Chantix in late January and have not smoked since. Although I successfully stopped taking Chantix only a week or two into the program, my wife is continuing with her three-month Chantix program. I am 57 and had been smoking since I was 13 or 14, smoking about two packs a day when I quit. The only side affects we've noticed is a bit of nausea after taking the pill. I have also picked up a little weight but am trying to cover my habit with Tic Tacs. They seem to do well as a substitute whenever I have "that" feeling.

   

• At Mon Mar 31, 08:44:00 AM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  Hi there! I used chantix for about 3 months to stop smoking. I quit for about 9 months before, for no reason I started smoking again. the only negative side effects I experienced were nausea and some sleep issues, absolutely no depression! In fact, I felt great! I felt empowered and healthy, I felt alive again! I'm not sure but I would venture to guess that a persons out look on the whole situation may directly effect the outcome. I was ecstatic about quiting, so when I did I was just beside my self with feelings of accomplishment, strength and will power. Quiting smoking is a great thing, its a hurdle most never overcome so that alone made me feel wonderful. I know that physical exercise has been proven to help with depression so I guess that may have been a good reason for me never feeling a sense a depression. I can't wait to start chantix again!

   

• At Thu Apr 10, 06:38:00 PM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  I used chantix for 3 months and I have not smoked since 12/10/06!! I had smoked off and on since I was 16 and I am now 53. The only side affect I had was increased hot flashes (as I am menopausal). I also decreased the dosage the 3rd week and only took 1 1mg tab daily. This seemed to be sufficient for me and decreased my SE. I am a RN and I recommend Chantix to all of my pt's. FYI to people who are having extreme on uncomfortable SE they may try decreasing their dose if OK with their MD. I also used occassional alcohol and still had no major SE. I am so glad that I used Chantix. 16 months smoke free, and not even wanting to smoke!!

   

• At Mon Apr 21, 09:31:00 PM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  Thought I would post along as the inquiring minds may want to know. I have been taking chantix since Feb. 7, 08~ My cravings are minimal to zero, except for when I drink, I still need a smoke. After about 1/4 way through I am sick of it. I had been smoking for 15 years, around a pack sometimes more a day. I tried quitting once before and stayed smoke free for 4 years, but did that through the aid of nicorette. After addicting myself to nicorette, times hit me hard after 4 years and I began smoking again- only I already had an influx and an addiction to nicotine through the nicorette gum. For 7 months I smoked cigerretes and I chewed nicorette gum to make it through the day. Starting chantix in Feb has allowed me to completely quit the gum, 98% free from smoking, and I am 98% free from coffee (a major morning routine). I do feel that I have gained about 7 pounds (and I started off on the heavier than what I would like to be side), and most recently down on myself. Usually you will find me trying to make you laugh, ease the situation, giving you a calming demeanor, however, that is simply the exact opposite lately. I just don't feel that I am 100% even when I am giving 150%! This alone makes me down on myself as I give myself higher standards to live up to, and I come down on myself when I can't reach them. Kinda of like my own worst critic. Depressed? Not quite yet, however I may be heading there soon- even though I really have nothing to be sad or depressed about. I am hoping that the sun shines a little brighter as I don't like to be such a grump, or a miss crybaby, especially around my co-workers. I decided to checkup on Chantix online to see if the way I am feeling has anything to do with the chantix I am taking. Apparently it (might)- noone really knows but I am sure if I try to talk to my doc about it he will simply pass someother med off on me making the uncertainty of taking chantix even more unclear to its affects of depression or not. So I thought I would share my story- not sure if it will help or not, or if anyone has any helpful advice- inquiring minds wants to know...

   

• At Tue Apr 22, 10:22:00 AM 2008,  Jonathan Foulds, MA, MAppSci, PhD said…

  Unfortunately there is no clear answer. However, some of these articles and the comments by readers that follow them, may be of interest to you.
  
  Some questions I have for you are …”On the occasions when you smoked while taking Chantix”..
  (a) did smoking improve your mood?
  (b) how satisfying were those cigarettes as compared with prior to Chantix? And
  (c) did alcohol seem any more or less satisfying as compared with pre-Chantix?
  
  4. What is nicotine withdrawal syndrome? 3/6/07
  http://www.healthline.com/blogs/smoking_cessation/2007/03/what-is-nicotine-withdrawal-syndrome.html
  
  5. Ten tips for coping with nicotine withdrawal. 3/7/07
  http://www.healthline.com/blogs/smoking_cessation/2007/03/ten-tips-on-coping-with-tobacco.html
  
  6. Chantix: how does this new stop smoking medicine work? 4/15/07
  http://www.healthline.com/blogs/smoking_cessation/2007/04/chantix-how-does-this-new-quit-smoking.html
  
  Can quitting smoking trigger depression? 6/16/07
  http://www.healthline.com/blogs/smoking_cessation/2007/06/can-quitting-smoking-trigger-depression.html
  
  61. Chantix and mental illness. 08/12/07
  http://www.healthline.com/blogs/smoking_cessation/2007/08/chantix-and-mental-illness.html
  
  62. Two new studies of Chantix (varenicline). 08/19/07
  http://www.healthline.com/blogs/smoking_cessation/2007/08/two-new-studies-of-chantix-varenicline.html
  
  Does Chantix cause mental health problems? 9/20/07
  http://www.healthline.com/blogs/smoking_cessation/2007/09/does-chantix-cause-mental-health.html
  
  75. Chantix (varenicline) safety being reviewed by FDA. 11/21/07
  http://www.healthline.com/blogs/smoking_cessation/2007/11/chantix-varenicline-safety-being.html
  
  76. New study of Chantix in comparison with NRT. 11/28/07
  http://www.healthline.com/blogs/smoking_cessation/2007/11/new-study-of-chantix-in-comparison-with.html

   

• At Fri Apr 25, 01:34:00 PM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  I started taking Chantix in October 2007. By the end of week one on the drug I had stopped smoking. I continued to take the rest of the month's pills and then quit (still smoke free). Everything was great until the depression kicked in a few weeks after I stopped taking the medicine. I tried to hide the depression and the confusion in hopes that it would just go away. Of course it did not and continued to worsen until all I could think about was wanting to die.
  
  I finally broke down and told my doctor who prescribed Effexor. It has not helped at all; he has since increased the dosage but it is still not helping. I can not think straight or remember things that I know I knew a couple of months ago.
  
  I was completely fine before taking Chantix and now I am a complete mess. It boggles my mind to think that this drug could make me feel this way for so long after stopping it.
  
  I have had to quit my job because of this depression. I couldn't force myself to do the work I was given. I would go hide in the rest room and just cry for no reason. I have never been more embarrassed and scared in my life. I scare myself with the crazy thoughts that are going thru my mind.
  
  My family doesn't understand and I don't know how to explain it. I honestly feel like a crazy person.

   

• At Sat Apr 26, 02:38:00 PM 2008,  Jonathan Foulds, MA, MAppSci, PhD said…

  Dear Anonymous of April 25th,
  This is not the first time I've heard of people becoming depressed after they have quit smoking successfully and stopped using Chantix. In situations like that one wonders whether it was really the Chantix causing the problem, when it sounds like the problem really occurred after the Chantix was stopped.
  
  Either way, in a situation like this it is important to get help, immediately, and to explain to the doctor how you are feeling, and that so far there has been no improvement. It is worthwhile arranging to see a psychologist or counselor who is trained to help people fight their way out of depression, in addition to taking medication as prescribed by the doctor.

   

• At Tue May 13, 07:30:00 AM 2008,  Kristine said…

  I have known my husband going on ten years. As long as I have know him, my husband has always been a high energy, focused, dedicated individual with a kind, easy going personality. Naturally, being human and alive, he would have bad days like anyone else but never had difficulty moving forward and getting back into a happy mode again. His "bad" day consisted of him being quieter than normal and in a seeming “thinking” mood and this “down” mode was always short lived. This was the pattern for him even though we have been experiencing a significant amount of life changes i.e. job, family, and housing concerns since 2004 and he was finishing up an M.B.A., lost his job in August 2005, and went back to pursue a teaching certification. I was the one who had crying boughts and anxiety but he was able to maintain a really positive outlook. Needless to say, he and I have had our life "plate" full BUT he kept plugging forward and maintained his wonderful outlook and personality 95% of the time. He said he smoked from the time he was a teenager and wanted to quit but none of the over the counter products worked for him. He got a prescription for Chantix at the end of August 2007 and started taking the drug. He quit smoking approximately by the second week of September. By October I noticed that he seemed "edgy". He seemed to be experiencing mild anxiety but I attributed this to stopping smoking. I noticed a garlicky smell to his breath and he began experiencing heartburn. By the end of his twelve weeks, he was experiencing difficulty sleeping. By the time his twelve weeks were done, he had gained at least 25 pounds. He was off the Chantixx for 2 to 3 weeks and was once again experiencing the desire to go back to smoking so he contacted the doctor and got a prescription for another twelve weeks. During the second round, his anxiety increased, he began experiencing insomnia, mood swings, a general change in personality. Depressed, negative, lethargic, not motivated, not able to focus similar to someone with ADHD. His patience level is significantly decreased, he seems to forget things much more easily, at times he is very anxious in an illogical way. His second twelve week round was up by the middle to end of March yet he is not coming out of this. I contacted the doctor yesterday and am waiting for a reply. This IS NOT my husband's normal personality. He has even broken down and cried a couple of times in the past two weeks. I thought once he ended the Chantix, he would go back to being himself but that has not happened.

   

• At Tue May 13, 01:35:00 PM 2008,  Jonathan Foulds, MA, MAppSci, PhD said…

  Kristine,
  Thanks for sharing this detailed description. You are absolutely right that he should see his doctor. Might be useful to go with him, to give your account, though its also important that he has time alone with the doctor as well. if you can't go it may be worth printing your description for him to show to the doc. (men sometimes minimize the seriousness of their mood disturbances/problems). Your husband and the doctor will need to figure out what might be causing this, and even if thats unclear, get him some help to pull out of it. Often the cause is not very clear, but I can understand why you might suspect a role for the Chantix. This does seem like a pattern similar to what others have described. I wish you and your husband all the best.

   

• At Wed May 21, 09:24:00 AM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  This is my 11th day on Chantix and I feel horrible but still very determined. I have not smoked a cigarette for 3 1/2 days and have been walking daily and working out 3x's a week for 1 1/2hrs at my fitness center. I feel lightheaded and have the chills very often but I am fighting it. The nausea feeling was vey bad the first few days but seems to be less today and water does help. My dreams are so crazy and I am very restless.
  I have been smoking since I am 16 and I am 67 (u do the math). Gave up smoking in the past and gained alot of weight. I am determined this time to keep it under control.
  I do not have a craving for alcohol nor food but just want to start feeling better. No one appeared to have the chills so I am puzzeled. I do not feel that having a cigarette at this time will make me feel better so I am not and will tough it out.
  Thank all of you for sharing your experiences and perhaps I too can stop after a month and be a NON-SMOKER!!!!!!!!!!

   

• At Mon May 26, 08:56:00 AM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  This is an update since my May 21 comments. I took myself off of Chantix because of the strange things I was doing. I went on an appointment for 1hr, 5/22, and LEFT MY KEYS IN THE IGNITION WITH THE CAR RUNNING!!!!!!!!That was the turning point in my decision to call the hot line of Chantix, get a refund (just the principal of it not the money)& then my doctor!!! OH MY GOD--what else could I possible do & not be aware that I did it and then I read that the pilots were forbidden in taking this drug. This is a very DANGEROUS DRUG & I am glad that I sopped taking it after 12 days and no accidents. (There were other weird happenings but this was the most significant. I have not smoked for 1 week now & will continue without CHANTIX!!!!!!!!!!

   

• At Tue May 27, 06:51:00 AM 2008,  J said…

  I was not addicted to smoking, I was addicted to nicotine gum, badly.
  
  I took Chanitx as prescribed for the first week while still chewing the gum.
  
  Then at the start of the 2nd week of treatment I quit the gum completely. I was not mentally ready for the 2 weeks that came after. It was hard, very hard, and harder than when I quit with the patch many years ago.
  
  Never having been depressed before, I didn't know that I was. A previous poster described a feeling of malaise, which is what I felt as well. Not enough to make me lay in bed all day, but enough so that doing anything took some extra mental effort. It seemed like time slowed down for me.
  
  I thought it was the chantix, but it was likely the nicotine withdrawal because at the end of week 3, I broke out of it and was in a better mood overall though still kind of tamped down by the chantix.
  
  I had to stop at the end of week 5 because I was diagnosed with diabetes. What is unclear is whether the chantix either caused or contributed to the diabetes. When I stopped taking it, my glucose levels went down. I've read posts elsewhere from insulin-dependent diabetics that they could not control their glucose levels while on chantix.
  
  Adverse Events Experienced:
  Diabetes?/High glucose blood levels
  Diabetic-related Weight Loss
  Blurred Vision - related to the Diabetes?
  Short-term Depression?
  Weird Dreams - not nightmares
  Very Quick Temper
  Change in Sleep Pattern - didn't really feel rested
  Little to No Desire for Alcohol
  Decreased Libido
  
  Adverse Events Not Experienced:
  Nausea
  Constipation
  Suicidal/Homicidal Ideation
  Insomnia
  
  Note - I was 300 lbs when I started Chantix so its effects may have been less in me than in someone half my size.
  
  It worked for me but I would not use chantix again. If I relapse, I would try cold turkey first.

   

• At Wed May 28, 10:49:00 AM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  I took Chantix for a week and experienced the lack of desire to smoke. Then I stopped smoking and haven't smoked since. I stopped taking Chantix after 3 weeks because it turned up the volume on my tinnitus to almost unbearable levels, causing great depression and some panic attack symptoms. It took more than a week after stopping Chantix for my tinnitus to return to normal noise levels. K

   

• At Thu May 29, 07:55:00 AM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  I took Chantix for approximately 3 months starting in September, 2007 and as of November, 2007 had my last cigarette. It is now May 29th and I have managed to kick this bad habit. Every now and then sure I would like to have a cigarette but the good points outweigh the bad. I am now on a diet because naturally I picked up quite a few pounds. I have lost 18 pounds and still working at sheding more. I experienced some light mood swings but since I had been smoking for about 45 years of couse my body was going through withdrawals. Smoking is like any other addiction. It takes time and yes there are probably going to be some mood changes. I tried other ways to quit but Chantix was the only thing that worked for me. I have abundants of energy that I did not have before and feel great at 62. Chantix has given me hopefully a few more years of retirement to enjoy. It has been almost 7 months now and I take it one day at a time. HATS OFF TO CHANTIX. Paulette from Ohio

   

• At Mon Jun 23, 09:26:00 PM 2008,  aef said…

  I started the Australian version, Champix 8 days ago. Initially I had no symptoms but by day 5 was not getting 'a hit' from cigarettes. They gave me no pleasure at all. This caused me to feel frustrated, teary, angry and aggressive. I have been unable to give up the habit of smoking, despite getting no enjoyment from it. I dont know how to break this. I think I fear I will feel even more miserable if I lose the habit.

   

• At Sun Jul 06, 05:20:00 PM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  My mother took 2mg of Chantix for 12 weeks. She has been off of Chantix for two weeks and the last two weeks she has been EXTREMELY depressed. She cries all of the time, mid-sentence, prefers to be alone, and has feelings that everyone hates her. She also has intense hip pain that makes it so she can barely walk sometimes. She has an appointment with her doctor this coming week, but she can't do anything right now - she can't even go to work. How long is Chantix in the blood stream?How long will these symptoms last?

   

• At Wed Jul 09, 02:54:00 PM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  I started taking Chantix on March 16 2008. At first, I didn't think it was going to work, but as soon as I upped the dosage to two pills a day, I started being disgusted by the smell and the taste of cigarettes.
  
  An interesting side note - My husband wanted to know who "taught me to smoke" and I told him no one - that I just picked one up back in 1976 (do the math - YIKES what a long time!) and started puffing. He claimed I did not inhale, and I told him he was nuts! He showed me how to inhale, and by golly, he was right! I coughed for 10 minutes! So hopefully, most of the damage done by cigarettes was to my bank account over the years, and not to my lungs.
  
  My addiction to cigarettes was mostly habit. I'm sure I got some nicotine through my tongue and mouth, though. All I can say is that Chantix is a miracle drug! I went through 4... yes 4 packs a day! Quitting was nowhere near as hard as I thought it would be. The only side effects I had were mild nausea. NO DREAMS! That was a little disappointing.
  
  My mother died in January at the age of 86 with lung and brain cancer, and smoked until the end. So, I had quite a bit of motivation to quit.

   

• At Thu Jul 10, 04:36:00 PM 2008,  Jonathan Foulds, MA, MAppSci, PhD said…

  Dear Anonymous of July 06,
  It sounds like your mother only became depressed after she had completed the first 12 week course of Chantix and then stopped taking it. Of course its impossible for me to say with any confidence what could be causing the depression in your mother's case, but when someone did well while on the med, and became depressed after stopping it, it makes me think that nicotine withdrawal may be part of the problem. Remember that Chantix is a partial nicotine agonist, which means it stimulates the nicotinic receptor (and hence releases dopamine, the "reward" neurotransmitter) much like nicotine from NRT or tobacco. When the person stops taking Chantix they no longer have that dopamine release and so may develop some withdrawal symptoms. Also remember that the doctor can prescribe another 12 weeks, and in the single study that compared 12 weeks with 24 weeks, those who had Chantix for 24 weeks were less likely to relapse to smoking. But the main thing is that your mother see her doctor for an assessment. Let us know how it goes.

   

• At Thu Jul 10, 06:21:00 PM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  I am vey worried about my fiance. He took Chantix for 4 weeks and did not once feel like quiting smoking. He actually started drinking more and smoking more then he did before he started the med. He has been off the Chantix for 2 weeks now. He has always had an incrediable memory, not anymore. He forgets things frequently at work also. He asks a question then asks the same question again a couple of minutes later and people at work are noticing. He feels "blue" frequently and small things really have a big effect on his mood. He says he doesn't feel right. He has a great sence of humor and we haven't seen it for weeks now. He can't focus either. I would like to know if antidepressants would actually help and also if these symptoms will improve? Will he be himself again???

   

• At Fri Jul 11, 01:11:00 PM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  I started taking chantix 6 weeks ago. Am not smoking and have no desire to. Hopefully am done with that chapter of my life. The last couple of days I have been very depressed. Am gonna quit taking Chantix. I had smoked for about 35 years. Reading some of these messages are real scary. I feel like a lot of them. Will they stop and when.I do not feel like myself at all. So this depression will it go away or do you have to go on antidepressants? I am really scared. I hope and pray that I don't go back to smoking but if I had read this stuff before I started the chantix I wouldn't of taken it. So if there is anyone out there reading this thinking about taking it I would think twice. I just hope I go back to being myself. How long before it is out of a persons system? Can yu just quit it or should you weene yourself off of it? Thank You

   

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