QUIT SMOKING
Trying to quit smoking is one of the toughest things I have ever done. In fact I had to do it three times. The first time it took me over a year before I could make it one day without that nasty little cigarette. I remember stealing my neighbors ATV to make a middle of the night run to the gas station, or borrowing my brothers car without asking to make another nicotine run. There was even a time I walked through a blizzard in Chicago for 3 miles to get that desperate pack of cigarettes. I tried everything. From nicotine gum to candies to patches. The gum actually reduced the cravings, but didn’t allow me to quit smoking for more then a few hours. Then I found Chantix. A way to quit smoking with no effort, discipline or change.
QUIT SMOKING CHANTIX
After moving from Alaska to Washington in the fall of 2008 to work at Crystal Mountain Ski resort I stumbled onto Chantix. I had been smoking since I was 16, and started because of a girl. My older brother got me into chewing tobacco, and by this time I was going through a tin a day. As well as a pack a day. Spending close to $500 a month I was ready to try anything to quit. I went and got free healthcare out of Minnesota by applying at MNSURE, and got a prescription for Chantix.
QUIT SMOKING CHANTIX
Chantix allows a user to continue using nicotine while taking the medication to quit smoking. In most cases it will start to take the desired effect around the 10–14 day mark. Chantix attaches itself to the nicotine particles in your body. Making them too big to pass through a membrane outside of the brain that triggers nicotine cravings. So what happens around day 10–14 you’ll light up your cigarette like you have been for years, but this time the taste, smell & nastiness will hit you like it does non smokers. You won’t even finish the cigarette because its that bad. You finally did it. Quit smoking, but you can’t celebrate just yet.
Experts say it takes 18 days to create or break a habit. In this case if you do what I did you will only gain a temporary victory. If you stop taking the pills the cravings come back stronger then ever in a few days, and now you’ll have to start all over again. I did this 4 times, and the longest stretch lasted 13 days. I had 1 1/2 packs left, and vowed to take every pill until they were gone. Forty-two days later I was out of pills, and a month without lighting up. I had finally quit smoking!!!
QUIT SMOKING CHANTIX SIDE EFFECTS
While you don’t need to do anything to quit smoking, but take a little pill twice a day there are some side effects. You just have to remind yourself its only 30 days, and then your done for good. The first one that deters most people is nausea. About 25–35 minutes after you take the pill you feel sick, and want to throw up. This only lasts for about 15–20 minutes, and gets more intense over time. Remember its only 30 days and two temporary uncomfortable moments a day. How bad do you want to quit smoking? One way to lessen the severity is to have a full stomach. Its still annoying, but drastically more manageable.
QUIT SMOKING CHANTIX SIDE EFFECTS
No one said it would be easy to quit smoking. Some even say its harder to quit smoking than it is to quit heroin. Hope I never have to validate that comparison. Another side effect to using Chantix to quit smoking is crazy dreams. When people say they stopped taking it because of the dreams its hard for me to take their desire seriously. Yes, the dreams are crazy, but they are only dreams. Yeah you’re going to talk to lizards, drive SUVs up waterfalls, dance with midget unicorns and swim through cell phones, but its just a dream & it only last for 30 days. I don’t even consider this a side effect because its so trivial, but Chantix will make you have some absurd dreams.
QUIT SMOKING CHANTIX SIDE EFFECTS
The biggest hurdle your going to have to overcome to quit smoking is the worst side effect of Chantix. Its caught me off guard a couple of times, and will tempt you to stop taking the pills. Especially if you have quit smoking. Remember its only 30 days. Don’t quit on quitting. If you have made it this far your so close to reaching your goal push on. Quitters never win & winners never quit.
The worst side effect of Chantix is mental. It enhances rage & depression. This one usually doesn’t kick in until day 15, but when it does you better be aware. You’ll find yourself completely enraged over the smallest things. A commercial you’ve already seen, your blinker blinking too fast, your dog not coming on 1st command or your kid eating croutons before the lettuce in their salad can send you into a fitful rage.
The wrong personality should not even consider Chantix. Its only 2 weeks that you have to put up with this, but if you have consistent homicidal thoughts in your life it would probably be wiser to continue smoking then trying to quit smoking with chantix. Its quite intense. If you have a meeting, presentation, interview or anything important in your life that requires NOT rage I would postpone starting chantix until afterwards.
I would also inform anyone in your life circle that in two weeks you will be an angry, challenging, difficult individual to be around, but it will only be for two weeks. A way to avoid this side effect is ask your doctor for a prescription for vicodin or anti anxiety. Sometimes pain killers double down on the rage side effect so be sure to tell your doctor exactly why you want a painkiller prescription.
QUIT SMOKING CHANTIX SIDE EFFECTS
If you’ve made it past the nausea, dreams & rage you only have one left. Unfortunately its worse then the rage, and can start on day 1.
Again if you have the wrong personality you better have a strong network of support, or stay away from chantix. Chantix will trigger a serious episode of depression. Hundreds of Chantix users have committed suicide. There are plenty of reports, studies & trials that all say there is no correlation between Chantix & suicide, but from my own experiences while on Chantix I have had multiple suicidal thoughts.
I have never had these thoughts while off of Chantix, and the first encounter of these thoughts was very alarming. The depression it triggers is intense, and sometimes hard to manage. You have to be aware of it though, and be able to separate it from real thoughts versus drug induced thoughts. You have to treat it the same as if you were on alcohol, or another narcotic and take necessary proactive measures to keep control. Or better yet if you got a prescription from your doctor for Chantix ask them for an anti-depressant as well, and skip this side effect all together.
QUIT SMOKING CHANTIX PRICE
If you want my opinion I think Chantix should be an over the counter option because it makes people healthier. Unfortunately I don’t make the rules, and Chantix is expensive. When I first got Chantix it was around $100. Its now over $400, and nothing has changed. Same ingredients. Same package. Its even the same process. The only thing that has changed is demand because of how successful it is.
To get Chantix you need a prescription from a doctor. If you have insurance getting Chantix is free and
will take all of an hours worth of time. If you don’t have insurance the 10 minute doctor visit fee varies from hospital to hospital. Ranging from $100-$250. Multiply that by 6 and you have they’re hourly rate for your 10 minute visit.
The pharmacies prices are just as varied. If you go to pharmacy in nowheresville South Dakota Chantix costs $278. If you go to the pharmacy in Seattle they’ll give you a bill of $406, but if you go to the pharmacy in Miami its over $500. Minneapolis is around $300, and Phoenix is closer to $375. Its expensive. Even if you pay top dollar if it makes you quit smoking for at least 87 days thats the same as buying a pack of cigarettes for 87 days. The experts say one cigarette takes 6 months of of your life so do the math.
QUIT SMOKING CHANTIX DISCOUNT
Obviously there are knockoffs brands, and Canadian pharmacies that drastically undercut our American prices but I have never gone this route. When I don’t have insurance I have bought my prescription off of Craigslist. Yes I said Craigslist. Pick the Craigslist city nearest you and type in Chantix.
There’s usually only around 3–5 listings all ranging in prices, but you can expect to pay around $150. Anything less is obviously a deal, and anything more …..well put on your negotiating hat.
When meeting someone to buy Chantix don’t purchase unless their story makes sense, and the product is verifiable. Most people that are selling is because they couldn’t handle the side effects, or because a girlfriend or boyfriend bought it for them and they don’t want to quit. Or it’s a methhead that stole it out of someones house.
Three things you need to make sure before buying:
- Package is factory sealed
- Pfizer stamp on one side of pill
- CHX 1.0 on side of pill
Some refills are delivered in a standard orange with white cap pill bottle. Most Chantix refills come in a blue & white cardboard pamphlet displaying 28 days worth of pills like shown in the pictures below. I would not buy chantix in a pill bottle. Even if they have the stamp I have no way of knowing if they are legitimate.
QUIT SMOKING CHANTIX LEARN FROM MY MISTAKES
I bought Chantix off of a tweeker in Arizona the other day. He wanted $250 I gave him $90. He needed a fix more than I did I guess. I have taken chantix to quit smoking 7 times. I’ve only quit smoking 3 times. The longest lasting three years. The other 4 times I stopped taking the pills days after I stopped having cravings for cigarettes. Thinking I was good to go. Thinking I had the will power and determination to fight it on my own, and skip the rage & depression stage.
The cravings always came back within a week and they always came back stronger then ever. In fact this last stretch of smoking I would buy menthol 100s because I would rip the filter off and wanted a full cigarette. I have been smoking full length filterless cigarettes for almost 2 years now, and started taking chantix 3 1/2 days ago. No cigarettes in a day. I have 26 days left to go, and no matter what…….. yesterday will be the last cigarette I ever smoke. I know the depression & rage stage are ahead. Crazy dreams are going to haunt me at night. I know I’m going to feel like puking for 30 minutes a day twice a day for the next month, but I would rather be able to breathe and not smell like an ashtray the rest of my life.
QUIT SMOKING REFLECTIONS
I started smoking because of a girl. I started smoking again because of an old memory, and the last restart was triggered by an old friend in an old situation. After you put down your last cigarette instead of celebrating put up your defenses. When you take your last pill do a victory dance, but don’t forget the war. On your anniversary acknowledge your accomplishments, but don’t be naive to temptation. One leads to two. Two leads to three. Before you know it your back at the gas station once a day. Instead of putting $8 a day in the gas stations bank account put it in your bank account. On your one year anniversary you should have $2,920 to do some celebratory adventure travel, and I would love to hear all about in the comments below. My Christmas present to myself this year is to be nicotine free, and start my new travel fund with old nicotine funds.
Choosing stop smoking is easy. Accomplishing that is not easy. Don’t do it alone, and don’t set yourself up for failure. Your only going to quit if you truly want to. Surround yourself with support, and set reasonable expectations. Remember if you choose Chantix its only 30 days to conquer.
