Three Months!

[LoadMasterC141]

15 years, with no more than a few days worth of willpower trying to stop here and there......

Today, I am happy to report, it has been THREE MONTHS since I had one of these!

[Nick]

Nice job. I remember my dad said it was one of the hardest things he's ever done. Woke up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, can't go back to sleep, all jittery for a few weeks, got to have something like a lollipop or pencil in you mouth as a crutch all the time, the list goes on.

Experience any of that?

[SeanD]

No one likes a quitter.



I kid, good job man. I wish I had that will power. Someday. Soon.

[LoadMasterC141]

I wish I had the willpower too! I used the new drug Chantix. I only took it for 6 weeks and quit completely at the end of week 4. The side effects of the drug can be pretty fierce, but it really helped get me through the initial quit stage. Still took all my willpower, but I believe it would not have worked without the extra help of the drug.

I have a thought about smoking from time to time, but I KNOW that just ONE smoke means you are back at square one instantly. I'll never go back. There has only been one occasion where I drank enough to feel a buzz since I quit. The desire to smoke was so overwhelming, I went to sleep to try and forget it. Have not had more than a beer in one sitting since! I'll have to give that a while I guess.

[SeanD]

What are the side effects? I was going to look into that. Is it an expensive treatment? I dont think my health plan covers it.

[LoadMasterC141]

Just about every side effect you can think of has been reported at some point. Personally, I think alot of people are blaming the drug for the normal withdrawal feelings that happen when ending a nicotine addiction.

The first week is a gradual build-up to full strength. During that week I felt a bit queasy in the stomach from time to time. My mood was hard to control. One minute I was happier than a pig in, well you know. The next moment I needed a gun. I had a few bad dreams. I continued to smoke, but it just felt like nothing. You always say smoking does nothing for you, but now it is truly doing nothing. It also tasted like crap and I could smell it too.

The second to fourth week, it seemed like there were no real side effects. A bad dream or two, but I don't remember dreaming at all really when smoking.

Week 5 - I quit completely. Nausea. Insomnia. Nightmares when I did sleep. Horribly bad mood. Still had bad cravings once or twice a day, but I fought them off.

Week 6 - Less cravings same side effects. I quit the drug at the end of week six. You are supposed to wein(sp?) off it at 12-18 weeks. I quit it cold turkey. Just did not see a need for it anymore and the nightmares and bad mood sucked. Cravings came back a little more frequently for a few days, then subsided. Side effects were gone almost immediately.

At 3 months, I feel confident I won't ever smoke again. I have a thought of smoking from time to time, maybe every couple of days, but I can consciously think about something else and it is gone.

I believe the drug costs $150/month. My insurance handled all but a $50/mth copay. I would think most insurers would cover some of this cost. Even crappy helth insurers want you to quit smoking.

[SeanD]

Thanks for the info. I think the side effects are worth quiting. I did the patch and fell asleep with it on and WOW those dreams were very vivid and terrifying sometimes. It helped a bit but as soon as a beer came in front of my face I was lighting up. There are some things I would truly miss about smoking as stupid as that may sound.

My insurance sucks so I know it will be 100% out of my pocket but worth looking into. Shoot $150 a month is what is spent on cigarettes for a month.

[SoCalAprch]

How does it affect your medical? I used wellbutrin a while ago and I stoped for a couple months but started back up when the AME told me I didn't qualify for my medical cert because wellbutrin is also classified as an anti-depressant. (researching that is what made me stumble upon good ol Jetcareers) Stress and beer are my weaknesses, if it weren't for those I think I could quit pretty easily. When Im flying I could go a whole day without even thinking of smoking but as soon as I get outside the terminal and I am waiting for the hotel van I have to light one up...

[LoadMasterC141]

I tried the patch...that helped a little, but the problem is you are still getting Nicotine.

Chantix is like Wellbutrin in that it does not supply any Nicotine. I tried Wellbutrin once. It was horrible. This is nothing like that.

I have no idea what it does to one's medical.

[killbilly]

Originally Posted by LoadMasterC141

I tried the patch...that helped a little, but the problem is you are still getting Nicotine.

Chantix is like Wellbutrin in that it does not supply any Nicotine. I tried Wellbutrin once. It was horrible. This is nothing like that.

I have no idea what it does to one's medical.

Doc Forred will weigh in, I'm sure, but I'm 99% certain that you cannot fly at all while taking Wellbutrin. Although it's prescribed as Zyban for quitting smoking, it's an anti-depressant and the FAA doesn't like those. At all.

I did take Chantix for a while, and Jeremy's nailed down the side effects pretty well, although my symptoms were not as extreme. I didn't have nightmares, but I did dream more intensely - it's hard to describe.

You need to up your fiber and water intake considerably if you're on Chantix, I have decided. Exercise also helped me when I was taking it - seemed to help level out the evil moods.

[ALSF2]

I used Chantix to quit smoking. Since July 2007 I have been smoke free. I still think about it sometimes, how, when driving down the road, that it would be nice to be smoking. But it's 30 degrees out. So maybe not.

Congrats!
7 months coming up!

[KodiakFlyer]

Congrats, I quit 14 years ago, used the patch back then and worked great for me.

After the first year smoke free you will be pretty much through with the cravings, and probably won't even think about smoking anymore.

I was FE on C-130 and Uncle Sam said we could no longer smoke in the planes. Started dipping for the long patrols, one day landed jumped out of the plane and lit up a cig, about halfway through relalized I still had the dip in from the 11 hour flight.

Figured it was time to quit if I was doing both at the same time, haven't looked back.

It will get easier, even when drinking at the bar you won't crave them anymore!

[AP2B]

I would crave initially, but that's all in the past now. What kept me from actually lighting up was imagining that taste. Then I'd start to think about paying some corporate giant LOTS of money to slowly remove time from my life and make me stink in the process.

I'm pretty fervent about not smoking, but that's for my own good and the others around me. I sort of love to hate it now.

[SmoothLanderJ]

Congrats............

[BenWlson]

Originally Posted by KodiakFlyer

Congrats, I quit 14 years ago, used the patch back then and worked great for me.

I tried the patch, but they were a pain in the ass to roll and damn near impossible to light.