Chantix - Drug Information And Side Effects (Page 2)

How long does chantix stay in your system? Could it still be affecting me after 9 months?

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I pray God will help us all. We should be saying prayers for healing from the Chantix. Doctors and other drugs cannot cure us of the long lasting side effects of Chantix. Like I said before, I haven't taken it for 2 1/2 years and have had chronic pain and on pain pills since then. The only help is God and prayer.

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Ditto to the above. I want to get back to me. I could handle some depression and anxiety before taking Chantix. I took Chantix for three weeks February 2012 and was forced to stop due to excessive gas, stomach discomfort and overall nasty feeling. Stopped smoking, but overall panic attacks and anxiety have made my life miserable to this day. Making simple decisions seems overwhelming and I now get very little joy out of life. During this period, my therapist has prescribed various psch meds, but due to my sensitivity to medications, I am unable to take anything to alleviate these demons. Prozac does nothing for the panic attacks. It breaks my heart to read about all the people who feel like I do.
Anyone out there have any suggestions?

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Taking wellbutran now. Within 1 week I could be around people without panic attacks. I could think more clearly and my memory improved. Most of all the dark depression and hopelessness disappeared. I still have a little trouble finding words or memory problems but not like before. Getting the dopamine back up helped a lot. I prayed a lot too. I thank God the wellbuutran worked. I plan to be on it for at least 6 months. I pray for you all to be saved from chantix.

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paxil was only put on the market in 1992

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Paxil is the MOST indicated SSRI for panic attacks. It gave me my life back.

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I took Chantix for almost 2 weeks, then my panic/anxiety level shot through the roof. 2 years later and I still have a hard time leaving my home. I lost my job, have no medical insurance and now have to take 3 other medications to counteract the way Chantix affected my system. I am fighting now for SSDI, because I can't leave my house without tricking myself out the door and if for any reason I have to go back into the house, I can't go back out. I live my life in fear that something/anything bad is going to happen. Chantix did affect my brain chemistry. Notice how the ad has changed on TV after all these side effects presented themselves. No lawyer wants to touch my case because I didn't try to kill myself, although I thought about it daily. But because I didn't try to kill myself I have no case. I don't have a life either.... CHANTIX SUCKED the life right out of me.

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same here..no lawyer is interested unlessyou try suicide!! total bs!!

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The half life may be 9 months, the permanent alteration of the pleasure receptors continues maybe forever. The side effects of losing a livelihood, a wife and friends due to aggressive behavior is permanent.Your brain has been rewired. Anxiety, though treatable is a long term condition of lack of endorphin response of dopamine. Sex will never be the same. It take years to learn to do fine motor tasks without abnormal reflex interruption.

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I stopped taking it in April of 2010 and only for 2 weeks and it isn't my system anymore it just screwed up my mind enough to make a complete mess of my life... I thank God everyday for my boyfriend. I have a very hard time leaving my house even to just go out in the yard. I have to psych myself up and sometimes that doesn't even work. It doesn't stay in your system long but for some of us who took it, even if for a short time, mentally unstable, for lack of better terminology.

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I am a professional, 35-year old woman who had to quit smoking because my doctor would no longer prescribe the birth control pill if I smoked. I realize there are alternative birth control methods for smokers but I've been on the pill since I was 13 and knew a medical trigger would ultimately be the reason for me to quit a 24-year, pack-a-day habit anyway....

I had seriously considered Chantix for a few years but never filled the script until about 2 months ago. I had never taken anti-depressant or anti-anxiety medication until my 30s and even then it was only temporary. I had a bad reaction with Lexapro and Paxil and left those cold turkey and never looked back long before I decided to try Chantix.

Within 2 weeks of starting it, I had to halve the dose because of the extreme side effects. After I stopped smoking the first week I started smelling & tasting things differently....I wasn't hungry at all....I didn't want to smoke....all really positive things in my book especially because I was worried about known lower metabolism & weight gain not smokng. My side effects ran the entire range of what's been reported; severe nausea, headaches, insomnia, vivid/dark/crazy dreams, anxiety attacks, etc. but I didn't trust myself to not smoke without "better living through chemistry" and I REALLY didn't want to give up. I was not going to start over after making the commitment to stop after so many years.

The lesser dose was more tolerable but the cravings were more noticeable. I tried to go back to the full dose and literally felt like I was losing my mind. I was seeing things out of my peripheral vision...I was hearing music that wasn't there....I couldn't calm down if I got worked up....I had the worst panic attacks of my entire life without provocation...Now let's be honest, I've been around the block when it comes to recreational chemical "enhancements" but the fact that I could handle those and not Chantix is one of the reasons I'm writing this entry.

My doctor (who's treated me since I was 9 yrs old) didn't tell me ANYTHING about these side effects. I work in the medical device industry and know better than to just trust what's on the label so I did a little homework beforehand, but honestly was so ready & willing to stop smoking permanently for the first time that I was excited to have some help and ignored what I read.

The half-life of Chantix is 24 hrs according to my pharmacist - it should be out of your system within 5 days of your last full dose. Everyone's metabolism is different but I have been suffering through the same or worse side effects that nearly drove my husband to take me to the hospital to be sedated on more than one occassion since I stopped taking it.

I'm on week 2.5 off the meds and I'm starting to feel more like myself but my short-term memory is terrible. Adult beverages make things even worse - don't drink too much while you're on this medication! I can't emphasize that enough. I felt like I was a pretty educated consumer before I started this drug but in hindsight, I would NEVER recommend this to anyone who has ANY history of anxiety or adverse reactions to medications that impact seratonin or dopamine levels like anti-depressants or anti-anxiety medications.

I'll say that I have not had a smoke in almost 7 weeks. I am proud of that but let's be honest...it's not 7 months or 7 years and frankly, if I had them in the house I would be tempted. All of the things I've seen online re: long term effects and potential permanent brain chemistry changes has to mean something - even my education tells me otherwise.

If you choose to take this drug, please educate yourself and prepare your spouse/family/roommates/co-workers. I may not have made the same choice if I had known how my body chemistry and predispositions were going to react. It did get me past the first step of not smoking but there are some days after night terrors and confusing what's real and what's not real that I seriously believe smoking is less damaging that taking Chantix (although I think I know better).

It's your responsibility to make the best choice for you - own that. Do your research, ask questions, do what is right for your situation. If you take it, I wish you all the best....good luck....reach out to someone if you need help, even just to vent.

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I stopped chantix 4 days ago, I had taken only 1 pill for the week prior, but 2 times a day since my quit date 6/5/12. You can see I was only on this drug for about 6 weeks. I am a miserable person. I wonder if I will ever be happy again. Besides the depression and feelings of helplessness, all I want to do is sleep. I could smoke easily if I had a cigarette. It's amazing how this works, but sad at who you become. I don't feel better, actually have walked several 5k's while being a smoker, now I'm winded on a short walk?? It makes no sense. My friend has also quite doing Wellbutrin and patches...she's has happy as can be, feels better and sticking to not smoking. I never dreamed this would happen. I have considered some Wellbutrin to see if it would help with the left over side effects but not sure if that's what I need to do. And yes, I'm a retired professional working a few hours a week...but having trouble doing that..was late for work yesterday after just talking to the secretary about what time to be there!??? It just totally left me after 30 minutes. I have word finding difficulties and I talk to my husband like he's a dog. My anxiety is out the roof. This is one miserable way to live....so being a non smoker via chantix is healthy? I think not. This drug should really not be prescribed at all...it's right up there with Effexor. Good luck folks!

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your husband was healthier smoking?

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I take Effexor now, because of the Chantix, only anti-depressant that helped, and I have been through quite a few of them. I take amitryptilene, also an anti-depressant at night so I can sleep

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I tried Chantix twice. The first time I got off it fast - like within a week - because of the psychological side effects. Silly me.. I tried it again a year later because it did, indeed, decrease my desire to smoke. But the next time I took it I decided I was really going to give it time and just 'fight' the side effects. It was disastrous. I stayed on Chantix for nearly 3 weeks, and that was in May of 2012. My personality completely changed. First, I was hostile, aggressive, and I noticed that at times I had nearly uncontrollable 'road rage.' One day I followed a young man who had cut someone else off in a lane and nearly caused an accident. I followed him until he stopped and I jumped out of my Jeep and gave him a verbal thrashing that I could not believe I was capable of. Fortunately for me he did nothing more than stare at me as if I were a crazy woman, which, in retrospect, I was. Here I was, a 5'3" woman of about 120 pounds screaming at a dude who was 20 years younger and well over 6 foot and probably 220 pounds. I got control of myself somehow, and apologized for my over-reaction. I stupidly (keep in mind I hold a PhD in research) continued this awful drug for another week. I stopped when I hit a depressive/suicidal/anxiety level that I knew was beyond my control. I withdrew from everything I enjoyed. My family, children... life. I wanted nothing more than to lie down and not wake up. I planned ways to kill myself because somehow the world just looked 'ugly' to me. I did finally get some anti-depressants (lexapro) and anti-anxiety (klonopin) after a few episodes where my heart rate soared to 175 during the panic attacks. Now it is late August, and I am no longer often suicidal, but the world is not the same. Certainly my world is not the same. I struggle to get out of bed, I do my work minimally (I am fortunate to have a remote job), I have had to beg off the travel for my work that I formerly loved to do (not sure how long my employer will tolerate that), I have been to many doctors and specialists, I see a psychiatrist, I go to bed fearful of the upcoming day, I wake up fearful of the day, I rarely drive any longer. I was an avid exerciser, but stopped that. I smoke again. I was an outgoing person who really loved life, and just a few weeks on Chantix changed me. If anyone believes this drug leaves your system in a matter of hours or days, beware. I understand now that Chantix is to blame, but intellectual knowledge does not replace the primacy of emotional response or, in the worst case, a permanent alteration of my brain chemistry. I occasionally now have a rare good day; but that good day is followed by many bad ones. I think I have reached the point where I have to accept my 'new normal' and my limitations and try to live with them as best as I possibly can. It's sad to have loved life and then to become so deeply in despair that what once looked beautiful now has no beauty at all. Shame on you, Pfizer, manufacturer of Chantix.

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I just wanted to give an update. There really aren't many sources for "after" chantix.. I finally gave up the drug...I was so nauseated last week. I posted a few weeks ago, I did quit the drug in July, smoked for 3 days...started back on chantix. It's been 5 weeks now. I am smoke free for the time being. I don't want a cig but today is the 1st day I've kind of felt normal. I've gained 6 lbs...had no energy and cranky does not describe me. I feel better today. I hope each day gets better. I hope my life can get back to normal. I less than a year I've gotten off Effexor which might be as hard as quitting cigs and I've quit smoking. I will try to give updates just so those taking the drug can have hope...OR run scared. Good luck all.

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This forum helped me back in May. My quit date was Feb 29 of 2012. By April I thought I lost it. Could not even finish sentences or remember why I got in the car. The depression and anxiety was unbelievable. Did not realize that it could be "a bottomless pit". I thank the good Lord that Wellbuterin has helped me and I am back to enjoying being alive again. Do not give up hope and keep trying new remedies until you find a way out of the chantix hell. the people on the other non smoking support site could not relate and I did not find help because their heads had not been turned inside out from chantix. It almost seemed like a lot of people on soberdotcom were like" don't bash chantix just bcuz you had a bad trip." And then having to hear the cliches like "hang in there...oh it will pass once you get past the cravings" while I was slowly but surely losing my mind only helped me feel more isolated on the island of chantix. I have to say I am grateful for stumbling across this site after searching for links on chantix survivors and life after chantix. Just want to thank all of the survivors on this site for sharing their experience and strength And hope.

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Still smoke free. Still feel down and out. Happy this thread is helping others =) One day I will talk to a doctor and get on an anti anxiety. I have started yoga and meditation to deal with the anxiety that I now have after taking chantix. I DO NOT want to take any drugs that have side effects. You should understand from the side effects of chantix. I have seen people post about wellbutin.. Does it really work? Do you get side effects?

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I was also very leary of another drug but for me wellbuterin works. The side effects are I am dependant on another med now. I got off smokes so I would not be dependant on a drug. Now I need wellbuterin to balance it out after chantix. I will notice I am a little wired at bedtime once in awhile but that's all. Keep trying until you find what works for you. Honestly my doctor said that when chantix goes bad on someone it would not be likely that counseling or diet or wellness lifestyle could fix it becuz the chantix causes a chemical imbalance. Good luck!

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my husband is on Chantix for the second time -he stopped taking it the first time because it made his heart race & he had mood swings.This time he has been on it for roughly a week and he is out of control -BAD mood swings,temper,hatred and deprssion what can be done and how long before he is back to normal-he has stopped taking chantix but when will it be out of his system

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I would be more concerned with the possible long lasting effects once it gets out of his system (depression, memory loss, etc). I think for some people chantix is like bad LSD and can have effects even after. I would get to a doctor that can treat him for depression and monitor his psychiatric status. People can die on this. Please seek help until you find it. The best article I ever read on chantix was called This Is My Brain On Chantix. Described the effects perfectly. Don't give up!

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