has anyone had side effects from stopping chantix

I just started my second month (day 31) on Chantix. On my original quit day (day 7 of Chantix), I did not feel the effects of the drug enough, so I did not quit. I smoked for another eight days. I then started to feel the effects (less craving for a cigarette and not the need to smoke the complete cigarette). I cut down on smoking over two days (normal smoking was about 30 cig's a day, cut down to about 10, then to 4 the next morning and stopped mid-day). Now at 10 day without smoking. The only Chantix side effect I would get at times was an abdominal pain. If I ate more before taking Chantix and drank lots of water I do not get the pain. None of the other possible Chantix side-effects. I still have mild cravings throughout the day for a cig, but gum and eating stops the cravings quickly and easily. My only question is will the mild cravings for a cigarette (nicotine) ever cease? Cease while on Chantix or after I stop taking it?

I just started taking Chantix, and all these posts were making me nervous. Until I remembered about the time when my sister tried to quit smoking. She began to have very bad panic attacks and other psychological problems. This was before Chantix existed. This prompted me to do a search on "nicotine withdrawal symptoms." Every single negative side effect generally attributed to Chantix, except for lucid/strange dreams, can be associated with plain old nicotine withdrawal.

As I understand it, Chantix not only blocks the nicotine receptors in the brain, but also stimulates these receptors slightly. Thus allowing for a slight release of dopamine (not as much as nicotine would trigger). This mechanism helps ease urges and withdrawal symptoms - but not completely. It's very understandable why a lot of the negative effects of nicotine withdrawal would manifest themselves after stopping Chantix. There's nothing there to "ease" the transition.

I know Chantix has a bad wrap - but I am going to have to be the skeptic here. I feel that many of these effects are experienced by individuals who try to quit nicotine. If you don't believe me, do a search for nicotine withdrawal symptoms: metallic taste in mouth, gum sensitivity, irritability, fatigue, mood changes, insomnia, gastric problems, nausea, gas, constipation, dizziness, panic attacks/anxiety, etc.

i agree with what Ann26 said way back on page 1. if you have not completed the ENTIRE 3 month regimen and followed the instructions to a T, then you should not "bash" chantix. you are not supposed to smoke AND take chantix - it says right in the information that if you do this, it could exacerbate a lot of the side effects. and you should NEVER drink alcohol while taking chantix. if you do, then realize anything could happen and it would not be anyone's fault but your own.

i have not actually begun my chantix yet, but my quit date is set for tuesday 8/18/09. i have tried zyban a couple times in the past and failed. i currently have a blood clot in my leg and have suffered 2 heart attacks in the past 2 years so i'm ready to get serious now and quit. i am too young for this c**p (30s) and decided i am willing to suffer a couple months so that i can possibly live better and hopefully longer. my husband and everybody i know has warned me to stay away from chantix. all but 1 person - my daughter's kindergarten teacher from a few years ago. she confided in me her smoking was so out of control she was actually waking up in the middle of the night and lighting up. she also suffered from asthma. then one day when i saw her after summer vacation she informed me she had quit smoking with the aid of chantix. she said it was WONDERFUL and she never could have quit otherwise. i saw her a few months after that and she was still smoke free and said i should give it a try. i wasnt ready then but have thought of her ever since. i have read everything i could get my hands on and continue to read about others experiences - mostly horror stories and failures. but if a kindergarten teacher can do it, somebody who needs to remain calm and in control at all times, then i think there's hope for me and many others. i have timed it so i will be able to stay in bed if i need to and by the time the kids go back to school, i will be through the worst withdrawal period. i'm going to the store today and buying the coke syrup i read about for the nausea and pick up my RX. i'm also going to get a sleeping pill from the doc to help with the insomnia i know is coming.

i will post again after i have started my RX.

i have been taking chantix for 3mths or so. i stopped smoking but i don't feel right. i am constantly having headaches and nauseau and if i get up 2 fast i get dizzy. also i forget the littlest things. i feel like i'm going crazy. i'm suppose 2 be off of it in 3mths. i'm just wondering what kind of side effects can i look forward 2 when i am suppose 2 get completely off it.

check with your doctor there is a pill i take for nauseau. Idon't know if it can be taken with chantix because i havn't started taking it yet. But i wish you the best of luck.

Can you tell me what the name of the pill? I don't know what that is, and I would like to hear what you you're taking Thanks! :)

I want to say the best thing in my life in 2008 was Chantix. After repeated failed attempts over many years, using many other stop smoking aids, my Dr. wrote me a Rx for Chantix. I took the medicine for a month, and was smoke free. I was amazed how EASY it was. There was work I had to do, take the medicine, and have the resolve to quit and all that, but Chantix worked the way it said it would.

I did experience strange vivid dreams for a while, and there was a feeling of increased nervousness. Since these side effects were listed in the Chantix profile as something that could occur I didn't get concerned. In fact knowing beforehand these symptoms could occur and were temporary allowed me to continue to focus on my goal. Instead of worrying about how I was feeling, and maybe stop Chantix before I could fully benefit from the medicine, I was able to make an informed decision to tolerate the side effects and allow the Chantix to work for me.

Like I said, after just a month of taking Chantix, I was completely smoke free, and have been smoke free for 1 year, 4 months, 2 weeks, and 13 days. I was then, and am still astounded by how my cravings to smoke were reduced to the point of indifference to needing a cigarette. I understand, like with all medicines, effectiveness is unique to all who take it. I, however, am truly greatful. It was the last-ditch-effort that worked.

I will be forever greatful to you and your company for all the work you do in the efforts to enhance the health of people. My Dr. just recently changed my patient status from smoker to ex-smoker. Hopefully with my no longer smoking I can look forward to more years of love and happiness with my family that I might not have had. Not to mention the savings with tobacco prices soaring the way they are.

To you and your staff, I again thank you. To you and your staff I send all the luck and best wishes for your endeavors to unlocking the mysteries you seek to find answers to.

Sincerely,
Dorianne E. Colvin

I am getting ready to start Chantix for the second go round. I took it a year ago, and was smoke free within 2 weeks. I had only minor side affects. Wild dreams, and some changes in, shall we say, the morning constitutuion. (; I have never been good at sleeping, so I can't say I noticed any more, or less insomnia than I usually do.

On occaision, while still on Chantix, I would lite one up while having a beer. Sort of missed that. I still enjoyed it, but did not really care if I smoked or not. Goes to show a lot of it is all in your mind. It also goes to show how affective Chantix is at stopping the urge. I have smoked for over thirty years, and it knocked the nicotine part of the addiction right out of me.

After 3 months, I quit i quit taking Chantix, and I went through a depression of sorts. hated everyone and everthing. After 2 weeks of that, I lit up. It seemed to help, or at least I told myself it did. A few days later, I lit another, and so on. It got me again! argh!!!! I spoke with my doctor, and he told me if I would have called him, he could have helped those symptoms.

Anyway, I am going to try it again. This time, I will ease off the drug. If that doesn't stop the withdrawals, I am calling my doctor. Hopefully, Chantix, I will beat it this time.

Stopped taking Chantix 2 weeks ago. Had mild depression while taking it. Didn't want to leave home. Insomnia, spaced out. been off for two weeks and started having what I believe must be withdrawal from chantix. Took the chantix for two months taking half pill twice daily during last 10 days. Stopped smoking. But post chamtix has been like mental confusion at times and anxiety. I hope this passes soon.

I have been on Chantix for almost 3 weeks now. I have had all the same problems with nausea and strange dreams and insomnia. I had a friend who had some success overcoming the symptoms and her advice worked for me too! The trick is to take the pill on a full stomach as stated in the directions. Then instead of taking it with a full glass of water, I take it with a full glass of milk about 20 minutes after I eat and the food has reached your stomach. This cuts down the nausea by 85% (but there is a tiny bit of residual nausea, especially if I move around a lot within an hour of taking it, but it's tolerable). For insomnia and strange dreams I take the pill right before I go to bed. This means that I have to adjust my eating schedule so I'm eating about an hour before bed (which is terrible for weight gain, but oh well). I have found that I no longer sit up at night for hours staring at the ceiling and I have quit taking sleep aids. I also cut the second pill in half instead of taking the whole thing. I will use the halves later on to wean myself off chantix so I can hopefully avoid some of those withdrawal symptoms others are talking about. As far as the strange dreams go, I have not been able to stop having those, but I do find that if I don't watch or read any type of violence before bed I can avoid the horrifying psycho dreams (but they are still very very strange!)

I have quit smoking 3 times before (once cold turkey, once with commit lozenges, and now with Chantix) I have to say that the Chantix program, side effects aside, is the best way I have ever tried! I don't feel depressed or angry at all, and I only ever think of cigarettes out of habit.

Good luck to everyone!

I took Chantix for 3 mth, starting in April 2009. I have to say that I stopped smoking. I have only brief moments of wanting to smoke and even then I really don't want to. It is not something I would recomend to everyone! My side effects mostley started after I stopped taking it. I had the vived dreams and nuasea(the first week was awful!!). The dreams were not that big a deal and eventually the nausea eased up. Of course you go through the nicotine withdraw and comfort withdraw, I call it the loss of my best friend, when I needed it it was always there no matter what, it made me feel better, whatever the situation it was needed for. Anyway I just wanted to say that I am in a depression that I have never had before, I constantley feel like someone I love has just died and life will not get any better. Nothing makes me happy, I could not even tell you what would make me happy.I feel like a robot. Things that made me happy at one time, does not do anything for me now. I have no apathy or empathy for anyone. people always said I had too much!!! Now I have none! Even when I am laughing I just want to cry. Utter despair most of the time . So please think twice, before you take this. And if you have depression think a whole lot about it!!!!! PS as with most people I gained about 25 lbs in 8 mths(not bad) also I have smoked for 25 yrs up to 3 pks a day at times

As far as I understand, Chantix causes release of low levels of dopamine to help us deal with the absence of nicotine hits that used to release dopamine while we smoked. This is not the only thing it does, but it does supplement dopamine, without which one may experience depression. So it may be quite logical that many people report depression as an effect of stopping Chantix. It would be good to hear from the manufacturers or from some smart doctors about suggested Chantix-withdrawal remedies. I can only speculate:
-a very slow gradual weaning-off regimen?
-a low dose of anti-depressant to follow Chantix treatment?
-getting dopamine elsewhere, eg from food, coffee, etc?

One idea that has occurred to me is that stressful exercise often produces dopamine hits, and could probably be used to fight depression. However, I don't know if it is likely that anyone depressed will find enough energy and willpower to work up a sweat jogging in the park.

I don't doubt that Chantix has some negative side effects. But I would recommend a reading of some other threads here, for example accounts of withdrawal symptoms experienced by cold-turkey quitters. Funny how similar they sound to the symptoms reported here, although Chantix was not involved! For example, one of the typical nicotine withdrawal symptoms are panic attacks. Heart palpitations, shortness of breath, sweaty hands, insomnia, feeling depressed are all manifestations of panic attacks, which you may experience while quitting with Chantix or without.

Let me just say that quitting is not for the faint of heart, and remember that we are all trying to quit not only nicotine, but also the hundreds of mind-altering chemicals that tobacco industry puts in cigarettes.

Good luck to all!

Barb (40 years of smoking two packs/day, 6 weeks on Chantix, 24 days smoke-free, feeling hopeful...)

:-D Taking Chantix for 4 weeks now and will finish my prescription as prescribed a couple months from now
no smoking for 3 weeks either, dont desire a cig either
no nausea for me either and I dont take with food or anything, just grab a pill and swallow it

the dreams are way cool, I think of them as a reward for quitting smoking after 25 years

as far as the anxiety and depression and mood swings and what not, I noticed the majority of those reporting that did not take it as prescribed............are you sure these aren't the same symptoms cold turkey quitters feel?
just speculating

glad to be quit at any price
maybe we will see when my prescription ends that its different, but I dont think i will care

be honest with your doc about your mental health when you ask for the prescription

my 2 cents keep the change

Well i agree it's not easy, but killing your self slowly is? My husband is a Chantix success he was a heavy smoker for about 25 years and quiet with the help of chantix last year. I on the other hand I increased my habit for some reason, don't get me wrong I started with him at the same time and I had all the same symptoms that everyone is talking about and quiet chantix after 3 weeks and he had only the dreams. Now this time I am mentally set up so what ever it takes I have to be strong, after one week I reduced my smoking from one pack to 2-3 cigarettes a day and with each time I don't understand the urge, so when I am outside and holding the death stick in my hand I don't understand why i am smoking it tasted so terrible. Having food in my belly helps the sick felling ( on wheat bread ham and cheese hold over that sickness, find your ballnce)I guess I just didn't follow the directions close enough 1st time around, being a mom and always on the go is not easy either but i do it day in and day out. Stay strong it is possible if you follow directions exactly you can do it too, find your self a support person!;-)

I believe that Chantix in some way screws up the bodies ability to regulate dopamine, either in the production of it or the ability to absorb it. It seems for those with the extreme psychological effects what we are going through is dopamine withdrawal similar to a meth addict coming down. Here is an excellent article explaining what happens to someone's brain while on meth. I think the chantix is in some way hindering our ability to use/regulate the dopamine until it is all gone and we are always irritable and full of anxiety. What we need to do is exercise to force our bodies to use the dopamine we have in our bodies and to PRODUCE MORE. Also, eating certain foods helps in the production of dopamine. For meth users, this is an 18 month process to bring the dopamine levels back to normal. It is a long struggle but their is a light at the end of the tunnel. Good luck to all, and may we pick up two positives, no more smoking and a healthy exercise full life.