Quitting Smoking on Champix/Chantix???

Canada
January 18, 2011 8:07pm CST
Hello everyone, I wanted to ask people about their experiences with the pill Chantix/Champix to quit smoking. I have just quit smoking 9 days ago with the help of this medication, but not without some side effects and quite a lot of willpower. Some of the side effects I have/had you ask? Nausea would be at the top of the list, also headaches (could be quitting causing that), mental fog or feeling out of it, difficulty staying asleep for more than 1 hour strait, and irritability. The nausea started when I started the Champix, as it is called in Canada, but the mental fog, one episode of vomiting, and extreme irritability didn't start until the dose was at the 2mg a day at day 8. I quit at day 8 as well, because of the extreme nausea and feeling that I wasn't getting "anything out of it". Generally, I would say it works very well, but is not for everyone, and should be used with caution. There have been warnings related to "mood" problems, including anger, uncontrollable temper, depression and even suicide. It is not recommended for people diagnosed with a mental illness, but I would say use extreme caution and have someone monitor you for an increase of symptoms. I had to decrease my dosage to 0.5mg three times a day to deal with the side effects, and the action of the medication did not change, as I was able to stay away from smoking. I am not a doctor, so I would also advice speaking with your physician as this medication can interact with others as well. I am, however, a nurse, and also have a diagnosis of Bi-Polar Disorder, although controlled with Epival for years. So, if I have not had a reemergence of symptoms, this medication is likely safe for some people with a previous diagnosis at least. Has anyone else had experience with this medication? How well did it work for you? Any interactions?
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