I haven't seen this mentioned around here. Maybe I haven't been here long enough. Anyway, I have a lot of background in medicine, both work experience and education. I've seen chantix and bupropion used for cessation.
What is the general consensus of this forum when these two drugs are used for cessation? In particular chantix. I am quite familiar with varenicline (chantix), though I have never taken it. I'm going to withhold some of my knowledge because I feel I may sway the conversation one way or another.
I can't speak from experience as I didn't use either during my quit.
I know there are several here who used Chantix with some success.
Candily, I've always sort of looked down on them based on the limited research I've done and some of the horror stories I've read. That said, I spose a good candid chat with a doctor would be in order prior to using either.
Chewie
One of the many ways I tried that didn't work. I didn't like the way I felt a few days in, so stopped the pills. Truth be told, as I have done more research, it seems the Grizzly may have been safer than the Chantix.
I was on it for the first 30 days. I hated it. I had horrible, HORRIBLE nighmares. My wife found me sleepwalking all the time.
I can't attest as to how it helped with the withdrawl symptoms, either. I think it may have actually prolonged my Fog, but I don't know.
Here's what I do know. Eventually, everyone has to let go and just Quit. I used fake dip for the first couple hundred days, but eventually, you gotta fly solo. I encourage you to get to that point best you can. Don't worry about making it happen sooner. Just make it happen the best you can.
Hope that helps.
I put this blog post together years ago - http://blog.killthecan.org/2009/07/the- ... and-zyban/
Would love for you guys to add your comments / experiences there too if possible.
Two weeks PRIOR to my 8/4/14 quit date I actually weaned by taking Smokey Mountain and mixing it with Grizzly in proportions starting at 50/50 then gradually reducing the percentage of the real deal until it was down to 100% herbal snuff. I know many folks on here frown on weaning but all the other times I stopped I did strict cold turkey and failed...this time I was successful and here I am at day 234 QLFEDD. As far as the drugs go, I say no. Just wean like I did or quit cold turkey, sign up to a quit group, post roll every day, and get engaged with entire KTC website (ie, don't restrict yourself to your quit group).
I've never tried Chantix or Wellbutrin, but I've been generally aware of them for the past 14 years or so. As Q said, at some point you're going to have to let go regardless of what your quit plan ultimately is.
I've never understood the mindset of people that are "afraid" to quit. Even when I was using, I was never afraid to quit. Maybe that's because I had so much practice at stopping. I knew it was going to suck for a good long while, but fear was never part of the equation. I think the pharma companies drum up this sense of fear in order to drum up sales.
I also don't think there's anything inherently wrong with Bazooka's weaning plan, either. It takes the same level of self-discipline as quitting cold turkey does. The only part I would tend to question is the overall efficacy. I'm not sure if any studies have been done with dip, but I do know that smokers that switch to lighter cigarettes and try to quit via the taper method don't stand any better chance at being nic-free 6 months out. If anything, you're merely prolonging the withdrawals since you are forcing yourself to go for progressively longer intervals between fixes.
Ultimately, as long as you aren't using nicotine to fix your nicotine addiction, I say go with whatever plan inspires the most confidence to quit and stay quit. I'm up in this place all day every day, so that colors my view of what a successful plan looks like.
