RE: Minimizing Chantix side effects

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RE: Minimizing Chantix side effects - 12/26/2011 10:35:33 AM

barelynangel

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I've known 5 people who used this to stop smoking and none of them speak about what others in this thread are and all of them gained success at quiting smoking. But also, the doctors who prescribed them checked in with them and made sure all was going good every week i believe.

To me, i always compare quitting smoking with weight loss, it's many times a revolving cycle that you do it and then something triggers you to start up again and then you quit and start again, until one day you find the secret that keeps you from picking up another cigarette for good.

As far as people who say that the drug shouldn't be used because of its side-effects, i disagree. To me, all the side effects means is people need to be aware of them, they should be frequently monitored while on them and if they get the bad side effects then they stop taking it. If the drugs is working for a lot of people, why should it be taken off the market because some people get side effects from it. With monitoring, there shouldn't be any problem. The problem is people don't want to be monitored because if it is working, they won't want to be taken off the drug.

To me, if a person is aware of such horrendous side effects, why wouldn't they also be sure to monitor themselves and stop taking the drug if they start occuring or they can request their doctor monitor them?

angel

< Message edited by barelynangel -- 12/26/2011 11:02:52 AM >

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RE: Minimizing Chantix side effects - 12/26/2011 10:48:51 AM

marie2

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I don't have any personal experience with Chantix, but a co-worker of mine used it. She didn't have much in the way of side-effects, though I do remember her being concerned about it before she made the decision to use it.

She's close to a year now smoke-free, and said that it substantially minimized her urge to smoke. Her mother used it with success as well.

I've also known some people who had success using Wellbutrin combined with the patch.

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RE: Minimizing Chantix side effects - 12/26/2011 4:44:07 PM

LafayetteLady

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quote:

ORIGINAL: sheisreeds

Chantix made me suicidal too. I quit smoking for a whole 6 months, but it really wasn't worth the Chantix.

I'm actually amazed it is still on the market, since this very dangerous side effect is SO common.

We won't prescribe it and advise our clients against getting it elsewhere, and watch any who report being on it very closely.

Everything has side effects. Some people have issues with them, some don't. I don't know about now, but for years, more depressed people on Prozac committed suicide than depressed people not on Prozac. That's pretty significant.

The first medication I took for my fibromyalgia had a side effect of "nausea." I threw up for a week straight, called my doctor and said we needed to try something else. The next one caused hallucinations, and I found out that hallucinations were not an uncommon side effect with that particular drug. Everyone has heard of it, it was Cymbalta.

There are schizophrenia drugs that are well known for causing liver damage and people who take it need monthly blood work to check their liver.

Yep, EVERY drug has side effects. Based on what you have said and what you say you do, I would say that Chantix is contraindicated for smoking cessation in anyone who is already suffering from some form of mental illness. I would also say that there is a strong likelihood the severity was caused by conflicts with their other medications.

I've never tried Chantix, but have heard of people who had horrible experiences, and others who were fine.

If the OP already has experienced very unpleasant side effects with Chantix, it's surprising he would want to take it again. If I remember correctly, Zyban came out after Chantix and there have been other things that have since been found to be helpful in quitting. The key with all of them is the person has to really want to quit.

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RE: Minimizing Chantix side effects - 12/26/2011 6:07:59 PM

sheisreeds

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Zyban came out before, Zyban is Welbutrin.

The OP referenced mood swings and emotional side effects, which is why my experience is relevant. Nothing can mitigate that, no doctor is going to put someone on a round of heavy duty psychotropics to stop smoking.

The Prozac black box warning applies to all anti-depressants, and it isn't really a side effect of the drug. Some people are so depressed when they start an anti-depressant that they are essentially too low to feel suicidal. Suicidal ideation starts after their emotions and energy levels begin to go back online. All anti-depressants can have erratic results with teenagers, thus that warning. It's not the same thing as with chantix at all.

Schizophrenia drugs really don't cause liver damage. Depakote can, that's more for epilepsy and bipolar disorder. Anti-psychotics can cause weight gain, and diabetes. The first and best of the atypical anti-psychotics can cause a rare blood eating disorder and has a rigorous round of labs that does with it. The older anti-psychotics can cause permanent movement disorders.

For any drug a good doctor does a risk assessment.

Some shit just ain't worth it.

I put Chantix in that category for anyone who has ever had a history of mental illness, or mood disturbances while on the drug in the past.

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RE: Minimizing Chantix side effects - 12/26/2011 10:48:46 PM

LafayetteLady

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quote:

ORIGINAL: sheisreeds

Zyban came out before, Zyban is Welbutrin.

I knew it was a "reboot" of another drug, but wasn't going to take the time to look it up.

quote:

The OP referenced mood swings and emotional side effects, which is why my experience is relevant. Nothing can mitigate that, no doctor is going to put someone on a round of heavy duty psychotropics to stop smoking.

No where did I suggest they should. They also aren't likely to get them from a therapist either. My point is that while the OP's partner had success in quiting smoking with Chantix in the past, the side effects were obviously severe enough to bother him, so it would seem only logical to look for something else.

quote:

The Prozac black box warning applies to all anti-depressants, and it isn't really a side effect of the drug. Some people are so depressed when they start an anti-depressant that they are essentially too low to feel suicidal. Suicidal ideation starts after their emotions and energy levels begin to go back online. All anti-depressants can have erratic results with teenagers, thus that warning. It's not the same thing as with chantix at all.

Many anti-depressants and anti-psychotics are used "off label" for minors, albeit successfully. Many of the "warnings" have nothing to do with the drug itself, as you pointed out. However, it doesn't stop the requirement for the need to list it. No matter how stringent clinical trials are, there will always be mitigating circumstances that may have attributed to a side effect. I'm not saying that is the case with Chantix's well know side effects, but in general. Much like the well known side effects of Ambien (zolpidem) of people "sleep driving," "sleep eating," etc.

quote:

Schizophrenia drugs really don't cause liver damage. Depakote can, that's more for epilepsy and bipolar disorder. Anti-psychotics can cause weight gain, and diabetes. The first and best of the atypical anti-psychotics can cause a rare blood eating disorder and has a rigorous round of labs that does with it. The older anti-psychotics can cause permanent movement disorders.

Actually, they can cause liver toxicity.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2749837/

Clozeril potentially has very serious side effects that need to be monitored by regular blood work. Perhaps why it is one of the drugs of "last resort."

quote:

For any drug a good doctor does a risk assessment.

Again, most people looking for a smoking cessation drug get it from their primary, and the risk assessment is only as good as the patient gives.

The point remains that while nearly every drug potentially can have serious side effects, only the patient and the M.D. can determine whether or not the benefits outweigh the risks.

quote:

Some shit just ain't worth it.

I put Chantix in that category for anyone who has ever had a history of mental illness, or mood disturbances while on the drug in the past.

I agree totally and basically said so. However, apparently the OP's partner is willing to take the risk, and likely doesn't have the co-existing conditions that would make it a truly dangerous choice. After what happened to me with the Cymbalta, I'm pretty wary of any mood altering type medications.

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RE: Minimizing Chantix side effects - 1/8/2012 8:16:28 AM

kalikshama

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M started the Chantix this AM and already cigarettes taste bad. (You're supposed continue smoking for 1-2 weeks after starting Chantix.)

I want to be able to do massage exchange so have brushed off the cobwebs on my instructional Thai Yoga Massage DVD and am going to practice on him. I'm hoping this will give him some physiological benefits during this time, but if nothing else, he'll get massaged while I learn the flow.

The doctor gave him Ambien. We have an herbal anti-anxiety formula, which, while less effective than something like Xanax, also carries less side effects and addictive potential.

M says the nausea is considerably decreased when Chantix is taken with a meal.

I will also encourage him to eat better, drink water, and exercise.

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RE: Minimizing Chantix side effects - 1/8/2012 8:30:37 AM

xxblushesxx

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Stock up on ginger ale, peppermints and whatever other anti-anxiety relief you may find. Children's Benadryl is a great sleep aid for me. (although I would prefer Ambien!)

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RE: Minimizing Chantix side effects - 1/22/2012 10:02:38 AM

kalikshama

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M has been nicotine free for a week now :)

He says the side effects are less with this round of Chantix, perhaps because he knew what to expect. He's had mild nausea and vivid dreams, but less psychological effects, perhaps because he has a supportive subbie this time around :)

I didn't notice any personality changes but did note that it's been harder for him to get up in the AM.

He thinks he may have gained a pound or two but I am confident that he can keep weight gain under control with a few easy changes.

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RE: Minimizing Chantix side effects - 2/13/2012 5:34:05 PM

kalikshama

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M's been nicotine-free for a month. I was especially proud that he didn't pick back up after the Pats lost the Super Bowl.

He's been down to one pill a day for a while now. The only side effect I'm noticing is that it's hard for him to get up in the AM.

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RE: Minimizing Chantix side effects - 2/21/2012 12:41:49 PM

fucktoyprincess

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I was just recently speaking to someone who used Chantix. They said it caused them to have incredibly vivid dreams at night (dreams that to me sounded actually quite scary) but they said the dreams didn't bother them. But they were able to quit - and have not gone back (this is within the year). I think, as with any medication, the side effects could range in severity quite a bit. I am not sure, other than consulting a physician, what to suggest to minimize the impact of the side effects. The side effects sound quite "uncontrollable" so to speak, so I'm not sure. And I would be careful about adding anything in the way of homeopathic or diet related things to counter side-effects, because they could also interfere with the Chantix. I think you would want to be careful all the way around on this.

If he used it before and managed his way through the side effects, hopefully that is what will happen this time too. Although, batten down the hatches....

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RE: Minimizing Chantix side effects - 3/2/2012 9:54:13 PM

becca782

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I took chantix for one week.. I literally had every side effect that they listed on the commercial. i had been a non drinker, but literally became an alcoholic in a week just to get over the feeling/side effects.. I know I would have been homicidal/suicidal if I could have stayed awake/quit scratching/stayed out of the bathroom etc etc etc long enough to do it lol...

needless to say.. I had to quit taking it..

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