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• Reputation: 77 Q&A: 1 0 1 37 0 0 Classifieds: 0 0 what's this? Expert: 5 topics Get Fit! Aches, Pains & Illness Drugs & Supplements Doctors & Providers Alternative Medicine Follow Following 0 Barak Gaster, MD

  5 0 There are two main prescription drugs out there that have been shown to help people quit: bupropion (now available as a generic drug, previously known by the brand names Zyban and Wellbutin) and Chantix (not available as a generic). A small amount of research does suggest that Chantix might have a somewhat higher chance of working than bupropion, but it's also a lot more expensive (but then, so are cigs). Chantix is a "designer drug" in that scientists very carefully came up with its molecular structure to block the nicotine receptors in the brain to take the "high" out of smoking. So if you're really dedicated and motivated then it can absolutely help - especially if you use it together with another strategy such as the Alan Carr book and/or quitting together with a friend or starting an exercise program at the same time. The main side effect of Chantix is that it can cause some brief nausea in some people for a short bit after you take each dose. There are a few other mild side effects that can happen too - but a lot of those "side effects" might just be the effects of going through nicotine withdrawl - so it can be hard to say. So bottom line: Chantix is a drug that absolutely can help and that's worth considering. Although it's expensive, it's safe. And you'll save buttloads of money on cigarettes and feel great about yourself for kicking. Barak Gaster, MD answered in Get Fit! about 1 year ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question New comments are not being accepted at this time.

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• Reputation: 2675 Q&A: 45 2 29 1204 139 18 Classifieds: 0 0 what's this? Follow Following 2 soundslikepuget

  4 0 It works by blocking the pleasure receptors in your brain that are stimulated by nicotine. I'm not a neurologist, so I don't know the scientific names for this stuff, but that's basically how it works. For the first two weeks you continue to smoke while taking the drug. Normally, a smoker is receiving so much pleasure from the nicotine that you don't notice the bad smell, dry mouth, garbage taste and queasy feeling that a cigarette causes. With the pleasure receptors blocked, smoking becomes awful. You don't want to smoke anymore, and you quit. I used Chantix and it worked like a charm. I had my last cig 3 1/2 years ago. I was a pack a day smoker and my first go-round with Chantix was my 8th serious quit attempts. I failed at quitting 7 times with other methods (gum, patch, etc). Watch your alcohol intake on this stuff though. I noticed that the normal beer buzz I got from a few cold ones was muted, so I foolishly drank more in an attempt to get the normal pleasurable feeling. Very unwise. Fortunately I figured out to moderate the booze after only a few stupid nights of bad behavior, but yeah, watch your alcohol intake. Also, I found myself being more aggressive - not an uncommon side effect when quitting smoking. Something to bear in mind though. Good luck, Chantix worked great for me. Hope you are able to quit successfully. soundslikepuget answered in Get Fit! about 1 year ago | Report 1 comment by Wearing my pain one pound at a time… 0 0 This is almost the exact experience that I had with Chantix. The only thing I would add is to be mindful of the mental effects the drug can have. In my case, it started with very vivid dreams and spiraled into a pretty bad depression that I had to seek additional treatment for. I wish I had known how bad it could get when it was prescribed to me because I would have caught it and dealt with it much earlier. Oh, and the queasy is not to be taken lightly either. I found that I got very sick to my stomach every time I took it even after I had stopped smoking unless I took it with an enzyme supplement. Good luck Misty! I hope you are able to kick it which ever method you choose. Wearing my pain one pound at a time commented about 1 year ago | Report Enter your comment or ask a new question New comments are not being accepted at this time.

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• Reputation: 66 Q&A: 0 0 2 29 8 1 Classifieds: 0 0 what's this? Follow Following 0 Matthew Richter

  3 0 i third that emotion. i've been a 25-year smoker, up to 2 packs a day, and had been trying seriously for a year to quit. 5 attempts, including hypnosis (if i got to hypnosis, we can assume i got to everything else). it's a miracle drug. it basically says to you, "fine, go ahead and smoke, i don't care. you can have everything but the nicotine." have you tried herbal cigarettes? they're disgusting, right? it's not because tobacco tastes so good. it's because the herbals don't have nicotine in them. i'd recommend pairing the chantix with alan carr's book, The Easy Way (which is all about how smoking is about nothing but the nicontine addiction. coincidentally, he also recommends you keep smoking while reading the book.) anyway, i never even picked a quit date, i just realized i wasn't getting what i needed and slowly stopped trying. if you've got the will power to take two pills a day (and the money, it's about $150 a month and insurance doesn't cover it) you don't need the will power to deny yourself each cigarette. anyway, it's amazing. good luck. Matthew Richter answered in Get Fit! about 1 year ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question New comments are not being accepted at this time.

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  3 0 I have tried it, and it works, it works really well. However, after a few weeks I had to stop taking it because it was making me depressed. ashley.leigh answered in Get Fit! about 1 year ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question New comments are not being accepted at this time.

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  1 1 I had to discontinue Chantix due to the aggression and depression issues. I tend to tilt to both of those naturally & unfortunately, but Chantix really put me in a dark place to the point where I was asked to stop by close friends due to my behavior changing. I would NOT advocate it if you feel those are issues for you normally. the dud(e) answered in Get Fit! about 1 year ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question New comments are not being accepted at this time.

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  0 0 I took Chantix and so far it's working. 4 weeks w/o a cigarette. What others say is true, smoke while you're on Chantix and you really don't get the nicotine rush. Don't smoke while on the drug, and you don't really miss the nicotine (although I do miss smoking). The downside in my personal experience: Intensified my standard issue seasonal depression Brought my "last nerve" a lot closer to the surface--I wasn't more aggressive, but I was less patient I didn't have nightmares, but I did have weird, vivid dreams. I also had night sweats. Ultimately, I quit taking it because the depression thing was getting pretty unpleasant but it did seem to work in helping me put down the smokes. Westside forever answered in Get Fit! about 1 year ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question New comments are not being accepted at this time.

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  1 1 Chantix did a wonderful job of blocking the nicotine, but that just made me more irritated and depressed, which made me want to smoke more. I was a 10+ year smoker (pack a day) and I quit (going on 2 years now) using Alan Carr's book along with Wellbutrin. If you find yourself going through terrible mood swings and depression, I recommend going this route. UNPAID COMMENTER answered in Get Fit! about 1 year ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question New comments are not being accepted at this time.

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