weight gain while on chantix

I feel for you. I have known people to use Chantix and had no problems. Myself I quit cold turkey 1 year ago an it was hard and still is. Honestly if I was able to look into the future and see how hard it would have been I may have still been smoking. Quitting caused my body and mind to go into shock. At this point I will not go back because of the cray road to recovery from quitting. Hang in there and see if you can handle it w/o the drugs you will grow stronger for doing so.

I have been taking Chantix 2 weeks and put on 10 lbs already,my pants don't fit anymore,thinking its cheaper to smoke than get a new wardrobe

I just finished my 11 month stretch of taking Chantix. I now have roommates that smoke and when I smell it or see them outside, I only have a small urge to go outside and join. But the side affects of my vivid dreams (nightmares), and the immense weight gain are a constant reminder of what I went through to stop smoking and also how it's really not worth it.  I grew up btwn 120-140lbs no matter what I did, but turning 30 and having an ex was a chef along with an injury causing me to be couch bound, I was very shortly 240lbs in a year. Before starting Chantix, I was engaged and overweight for the first time in my life. I was able to lose 70 lbs in a year just by doing light exercize and being more active. After getting married, I got on Chantix and in just 3 month I gained back 40lbs. A year later I'm 220lbs and can't lose it. I finished on the 20th, so I hope to lose weight the way I used to since I'm finished. My only fear is hearing that people are experiencing side affects after stopping Chantix. But whatever happens, I am so grateful not to be ruled by something that makes me smell, isolates me from warmth and conversations, and doesn't allow me to sing, dance or do anything without losing my breath

Elizabeth I have been on chantix for 4 weeks and have gained 10# and my sense of taste is gone! O work out everyday and don't over eat and eat healthy! I have not taken chantix in 4 days hoping to get my taste back and the weight off. I haven't had a cigarette in 2 weeks. At the rate I'm going with this crazy weight gain I will be obese in no time...any suggestions?

So did you notice when stopping Chantix if the weight gain halted too?

I've been on Chantix for 6 months. I've been searching the internet for other's who've had the same side effect that I have. The weight gain. I gained almost 25 lbs since starting it. My doctor insisted that diet and exercise would aid in losing it. She was wrong I've been exercising and eating healthy to no avail.

I'm going to stop the Chantix in the next week or so. I'm also on Celexa which has the side effect of weight gain it seems like the two drugs combined made me gain a total of 35 lbs. I've never weighed this much, not even when I was pregnant. I hope stopping both drugs helps me get back to my normal weight. 

I just wanted to put this out there so anyone else with the same thing going on knows they're not alone. 

You're probably not eating enough calories for your activity level.

I took Chantix for 2 weeks back in 2007. Gained 15lbs in 2 weeks, and another 10lbs in the next 2 months. I had started a calorie counting diet 2 months before my quit date because I didn't want to gain. Both my mother, my boyfriend and myself all gained weight, and right on our abdomin. My stick of a boyfriend looked 7 months pregnant. I eat right, exercise at least 3x a week, and still can't get rid of the extra fat on my abdomin. My mother has recently lost 20lbs, and was showing my how she is losing everywhere, but still has a bulge in her stomach. She literally went from a size 16 to a size 10, and now her stomach is bigger than her hips. The makers of Chantix said how they weren't really sure how the drug worked, and apparently it affects more than the nicotine receptors in the brain. ....I even started smoking again in hopes it would help counteract whatever the Chantix did. I didn't :-/

Thank you for posting this as I am sitting here with a box of chantix in front of me and worrying about taking it because I am already 15 lbs overweight. But what you said makes perfect sense. I know that smokers burn up to 200 more calories a day than non smokers and nicotine is also an appetite suppressant, so it is likely that the weight gainers here are either eating the same amount and except using the same but no smoking so weight gain is occurring. One of the main reasons I want to quit is because I cannot workout as hard as I would like to because the smoking has taking a toll on my lung capacity. It is basic math calories in versus calories out, but isn't there drugs out there that do legitimately cause weight gain? Steroids for example? Or certain anti depressants?

I started chantix in march 2015 and took about 1/2 the dosage and stopped smoking and chantix.within 2 weeks. I then relapsed amd started chantix again thinking i might of stopped to quick. Took about two wks 1/2 dosage again. I agree to disagree. I have been 114-118 consistently For over 20 yrs. I have always gained weight around belly, never in my but or legs. I have been very aware of what i eat and yet cant seem to stop gaining weight. I look at food i gain weight. I went from sedentary to walking 5 mile a day 5 days a week. I have never had a fat ass. My lower half of my body has changed dramatically and yesi think chantix is the culprit. It feels like water retention but it not. I expexted to gain 10 pds from not smoking merabolism and eating more. I just didnt expect to gain it in one month. I use to be able to srop 3-5 pds in a month easily by changing eating.no i cant lose a ounce. I dont regret quitting, but if i had a redo i probably would of tried anotjer way

Hi All ,
First I want to thank you all so much for writing about your experience with Chantix.
I thought I was losing my mind about my weight gain in just about 2 weeks.
I am afraid to get on the scale because I know I've gained a lot of weight because I cannot even pull up pants I was wearing!
My Mom used Chantix to quit smoking several years ago so I thought I would try it now but I'm having a lot of side effects from taking it.
I am a very active person and have always had to watch my weight but this is insane.
Also I've been so tired I can barely move. It seems to be effecting my body very badly.
Yes quitting smoking is very important but feeling suicidal is a deal breaker for me.
I'm sure many people have used it with great success but sadly I'm not one of them.
Thank you all again for posting.

I do not agree with you at all.
There is something going on with weight gain and Chantix.
It may not affect everyone but it has affected me and most of these people here that have posted!
It's unknown what all the side effects are but weight gain and depression are certainly 2 of them. Normally it is calories in, calories out but there is something in Chantix that is making a percentage of us gain weight.
I walk up to 4 -5 miles a day and have been watching what I eat very carefully because I have battled weight all my life.
After less than 2 weeks I have stopped Chantix praying I can lose the weight I gained whole taking it.
Thank you all for posting!

I started taking it a week ago Sunday. Mind you, I workout out and watch what I eat on regular basis. My job is to help people lose weight. I haven't stopped smoking yet either since the first week I could smoke. I stepped on the scale today and I am up 5.5 lbs! Say what?!? Throwing it in the garbage. Not only that, I have been on edge this week: So now I'll be overweight and a b$&:&? No thank you. I'll buy nicotine losenges instead.

I have gained 30 lbs in 3 months while on Chantix. Diet nor exercise has helped. I also experienced a terrible rash I blew off for a couple of months until my scalp began swelling causing excessive itching, and when the swelling went down after a few episodes of this I am left is very painful sores from scratching so hard. My legs and arms are scarred from the itching. I quit taking it and within a week my itching was gone and no more swelling.

What are your qualifications for these sweeping statements?