Julie's Journal

I haven’t tried Chantix yet but have friends who have. They said they had nightmares so bad while taking it, they would wake up screaming in the middle of the night thinking someone was trying to kill them. Other friends have said nightmares, depression, suicidal thoughts, no energy, loss of appetite, lack of motivation etc.

I need to quit smoking too, but my nightmares are already scary, I don’t need or want to make them worse.

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Kat – I have had the lucid dreams side effect also, but mine so far have been very pleasurable dreams.

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That definitely sounds scary, Jules. Didn’t Marcus use it to quit? I don’t know, being prone to depression, myself, I definitely wouldn’t want to be taking it. If you don’t have problems, though, maybe it’s ok. I don’t know – sounds scary to me.

But then – there is scary stuff online probably about Kleenex bath tissue – you know?

I guess it would be good if you weren’t both on it – then the one could monitor the other closely.

I hope you figure it out!

Lisa Marie Mary’s last blog post..11 boys trying out for 10 spots on the tennis team

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Lisa – Marcus did use it and quit. I will email him, thanks for the reminder

I told my close coworkers, and my blogging friends here, so if you notice me going crazy, call for help! HA!

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I don’t get it. Why don’t you just quit? Just quit without any artificial aid. Just don’t ever smoke again. Period. Have some inner strength.

Idenity Theft’s last blog post..Idenity Theft – Basic Steps To Protect Yourself

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Idenity [sic] Theft – If it were only that easy. I take it you don’t smoke. Can you just stop spamming people’s blogs cold turkey?

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As long as you are aware that these things CAN happen, you won’t freak out if they do. You can then overcome them. Being aware is the key. I hope you have success with this.

Karen’s last blog post..By: TorAa

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Karen – very true! Thanks for the comment.

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Hey. I did use it and quit. Actually I quit on about the 13th or 14th day. Never had the crazy dreams or nausea. I took it for 11 out of the 12 weeks and will hit my 7 month quit anniversary in a few days.

marcus’s last blog post..First Checkoff today

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Marcus – Congratulations!!! Did you stop taking the Chantix after the 11 weeks abruptly, or did you slowly wean off the dosage?

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Just wanted to say congrats on deciding to quit smoking. That is awesome and I imagine very difficult.

I haven’t even heard of Chantix before, so I can’t say. When I went off Celexa (antidepressants) though, the withdrawal symptoms were very scary and very real and my doctor never warned me about them before putting me on the med. I didn’t consult my doctor before going off – perhaps she would have told me then, but it would have been nice to know before I even got involved with the drug.

Anyway, you’ve got a good support system with your husband having gone through it. I wish you good luck.

Tee’s last blog post..Finding Happiness Within

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Tee – How scary, I’m glad you are okay now Thanks for the support!

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Congrats to you and Michael for making a start. That’s the hardest part – making up your mind to quit and then doing it. Congrats to Marcus, too. You’re an inspiration to all of us who need to believe that it’s possible to quit.

I don’t have any peresonal experience with Chantix. I have a lot of experience with anti-despressants. Any drug will cause side effects in a certain percentage of users. That wouldn’t be so bad if you knew exactly what the risks are and could make your decision based on that. There are too many variable from one user to the next for you to be able to do that, though. Drugs designed to alter the way we think and behave are especially sneaky that way. Your best course now is to watch yourself and have others watch you (you’re doing those things!) and get back in touch with your doctor immediately if things don’t feel right.

I hope this works for you and that you and Michael are both successful quitters. Good luck!

skeet’s last blog post..The Postie Carnival is coming!

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I have no experience with this, but I did help a few people quit smoking on my mission. However, we didn’t use any drugs.

However, more to the point. You ask “I am going to turn into a raging homicidal and suicidal crazy person in a few weeks, or after I stop taking the Chantix.” I’m not sure why you think you becoming a crazy person would be a change. Are you trying to say you’re not crazy now? I don’t think you can blame the drugs on your craziness.

Hahahaha!! I’m so funny.

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Exercise really has helped many people I know get through the hard times.

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Skeet – Thanks for your words of encouragement!

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Techie – Oh HAHAHA! You are teasing a woman who may go crazy, and knows where you live, and can drive there in 5 minutes.

Hmmm…..

Who’s the crazy one here?

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You should blog about your lucid dreams. It might be great for search engine traffic.

Don’t give up on quitting

martin’s last blog post..Who Killed The The Meat Powered Car?

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Good for you for taking the steps to quit. My mom smoked for over 25 years, tried to quit multiple times by weening herself and trying different programs, and the only way she finally kicked the habit was by quitting cold turkey.

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I’ve never heard of Chantrix before but I have had a very similar bad experience with Zybam – suicidal, angry, depressed and god knows what else. it cost me a few friends and if I’d kept on taking it I don’t think I’d be writing this now. I’m afraid I don’t ever think I will worry about giving up smoking again. If the government’s/NHS’s way to get me to give up smoking is to kill me off quickly, then I’m quite happy to blow smoke in their faces from here on in.

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i have heard lot about chantix , idont think it works well , mentally u get upset

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I’m going to sound like such a woman right now… LOL

So, I was watching Oprah the other day and Dr. Oz was on and the entire program was about quitting smoking. I felt so inspired. The number one “drug” he recommended was Chantix. He was all about it. I made a doctor’s appt. for early next week to get on it. And this may sound naive but this is exactly why I don’t research meds online. Everything effects people differently. Pay close attention to how you’re feeling and if anything is “different” go back to the doctor. You also have the support of Michael who will give you that “outside looking in” prospective to make sure you’re doing OK.

At any rate, there’s all kinds of information on Oprah about quitting smoking if you want to take a look. After visiting her site I only feel more inspired and it may help ease some of your concerns as well. > Oprah’s Site.

Good luck and let us know how it works out for you!

Katy’s last blog post..Google Might Offer Sponsored Reviews

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Martin! I would if I had an X-rated blog! They have been really erotic! HA!

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Corrin – Your mother is a strong woman!

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Chris – that sounds scary! I’m glad you are here to comment on my post {{HUGS}}

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Katy! I wish you all the luck in the world! Did they mention any of these side effects?

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Thanks! No mention of side effects other than “minimal.”

Katy’s last blog post..Google Might Offer Sponsored Reviews

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You keep telling me you’re going to stop by my house, but never do. Plus, I’ve moved. Do you even have my new address?

techie’s last blog post..Business Intelligence Textbooks for My Class

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Yes I do. Be afraid.

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I’m shaking in my boots.

techie’s last blog post..WidgetBox to Create a Facebook App

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Apparently you were right: http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2008/NEW01788.html

Don’t know if you’ve seen that yet.

dew’s last blog post..The toaster’s got my Mountain Dew!

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very enlightening.

I am still looking for a aversion drug for smokers/nicotice.

Antabuse is a drug to prevent drinking anything alcohol.makes you nasuea

ed’s last blog post..I chose not to use Chantix

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[...] Julie while quiting smoking found that some of medications can cause depression: I had spoken to my doctor about the side effects of [...]

I have a number of friends who have successfully quit using Chantix, and a few others who have failed but are about to try again (and they are going to use Chantix to try again).

I myself managed to quit 2 and half years ago without using Chantix, but I’m excited for others who are using it to quit.

I haven’t heard of anyone personally who had ill effects from the drug.

I do know that the parent company recommends that you do not combine Chantix with the Nicotine patch, and a lot of people wonder about that.

Patrick’s last blog post..Nicotine Patch, Nicotine Gum, Lozenges, and other Replacement Therapies

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Hi, I am just wandering if you and michael are still not smoking. I just started chantix a week ago but still smoking. I feel a little confused and just not wanting to do anything..but somedays are just normally like this. Please let me know how you are doing with this…did you become crazy

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i don’t think anyone should take chantix, seriousley. it’s so scary. it changed my father in the way that he became very lazy and even thought of suicide. pleaseee don’t take chantix, i cried for a long time after hearing my father was thinking suicidaly.

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The superb working mechanism of _Pfizer’s anti-smoking medicine chantix makes it a highly sought after drug in the market and further Chantix information available in the website http://www.chantixmagic.com/ make it apparent that the drug acts as a better quit smoking medication that Zyban and other smoking cessation treatments. So, get hold of Chantix right now and trigger off smoking cessation!

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I had spoken to my doctor about the side effects of course, and he did mention a couple cases of depression that went along with the Chantix, but he assured me that their symptoms were more from the nicotine withdraw, than the Chantix. I believed him completely until I started acting like Dr. Julie and Webmd’d my mind into full blown fear yesterday! http://www.levitraportal.com

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I ask my doctor for the Chantix so it could help me quit smoking. I also take an antidepressant. After the 5th day on the chantix I felt like I was having a full blown meltdown with severe sadness. I even questioned life which is NOTHING like me. It was horrible along with the all night dark dreams which I never had before. So, please be aware that chantix stops pleasure receptors in the brain and it stopped ALL pleasures for me. I am going to stop smoking without the chantix. I have heard some great success stories but “Buyer Beware”. Its not for everyone.

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I have just about quit smoking using chantix. I have been taking it about 3 months now. I am not able to smoke more than one puff, so I believe I am ready. As for chantix, it worked great, until recently. I am just now feeling drepressed for no reason. So I am going to stop taking them and pray I don’t pick up a smoke.

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I’ve been on Chantix for a week. It has made me anxious, lightly suicidal, unable to sleep for more than 3 or 4 hours at at time and unable to concentrate but it has killed my urge to smoke. I have developed emphysema so I hope it works in the end. Just hope nothing crazy happens in the meantime.

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I can’t believe that intelligent human being would risk their health using a product that admits to having potentially dangerous side-effects when there is a natural and completely safe method of quitting using hypnosis.

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Today there are a lot of stop smoking drugs on the market. I use Chantix .
So far I didn’t feel any side effects. But I heard that there are some reports about suicide in result of Chantix consumption.
.-= Masha Coin´s last blog ..Risk of suicide because of stop smoking drugs is overestimated =-.

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Congrats on quitting. I took Chantix for 24 days and I stopped b/c of chest pains and it caused me to have gingivitis (which I have never had in my life.). Now I am experiencing the blues and even homocidal thoughts. I am a believer in Jesus Christ and I at least have him to help me through this tough time. I feel bad for those that don’t have the faith that I have and experience these symptoms it is very dangerous. I do not act on these urges but am scared sometimes. I stopped Chantix cold turkey (now 3 days) I have been smoke free for 30 days. I had quit cold turkey 4 days prior to starting Chantix. My point is your not crazy. Ask God to help you. As long as you don’t act on these symptoms I think they will eventually go away ( I hope). May God’s blessings be with you on your journey to being a non smoker.

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My doctor told me that people who experience undiagnosed or untreated depression while taking Chantix are the people experience the problems many of you have described, because they are not medicated correctly. Since high school I was afraid to admit to myself that I was suffering from depression and suffered with it for many years and I have ended up wasting over a decade thinking there was just something wrong/broken inside of me that makes it impossible to truly trust or allow anyone into my life that I have not known since childhood, even making it hard to trust the few friends I kept. Not only that but I would have paranoid thoughts that people wanted to hurt me or were talking negatively about me who did not know me at all when I went to social events or just walked around in public or that people disliked me even though I had just or never met them. This resulted in self medicating myself with everything from Marijuana and Alcohol to Cocaine. It got worse when I was unable to participate in team sports anymore in high school due to various leg injuries including multiple ankle dislocations that lead to me using various pain pills such as Vicotin, Perkaset and eventually OxyContin to get through the daily pain. Which mixed with alcohol cost me the rest of my high school sports career due to the trouble I got in legally from drinking smoking budd and taking pills and getting arrested three times before I was fifteen making me ineligible. Later, in my early twenties I started coke but quit that and went back to Oxy-Contin which lead to Smoking Black Tar Heroine as a result of the pills not working and the huge price increase in illegally purchased O.C. around 2005.

I have had success with dealing with depression by taking a drug called welbutrin and have 9 months of sobriety. I am also taking a drug called suboxone that blocks the opiate receptors in my brain stoping with drawl symptoms and cut all the negative people out of my life. I am lucky to have a very strong support system and parents who are helping me through this and have allowed me to keep my embarrassing drug use secret from the rest of my family including my little sister.

My same doctor who has helped me regain my sobriety tells me Chantix works the same as Suboxone by blocking the nicotine receptors in your brain. She say’s that when these symptoms happen to people, it means they have some sort of depression and the symptoms are elevated and aggravated when you take away the nicotine from your brain which helps suppress those feelings.

There is a very negative stigma regarding depression and depression medication, but the new drugs that they have recently developed to treat depression have few to no side effects. I have experienced no negative side effects since I have gotten my medication balanced correctly and even have seen improvements in my energy, desire to socialize and ability to focus and retain information. My short term memory is still recovering from my drug use but has been rapidly improving the past two months. I have never put all this out there at once, but I feel like my story may help some of the people on this thread. Especially the last person…religion is good for some people and I am glad your beliefs help you deal with your troubles, but the symptoms and feelings you are describing sound very similar to the ones I had to deal with during the rare times I stopped using any drugs over the last fifteen years. I dont know you but urge anyone who has the feelings many of you expressed on this thread to at least talk to your physician, usually they can help you without seeing a “shrink” if you don’t want to see one or do not believe in therapy. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain, I know that sounds cheesy but it is how I truly feel now that I have taken these steps in my life.

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I just started chantix about 7 days ago. i bagan to have some weird suicidal thoughts (not planning on doing it just weird thoughts) but i have not freaked out. the feeling began yesterday and that’s actually why i am googling the side effects. i’m only 17 and i fear that’s a danger since the site says not to even take it till you’re 18. my doctor did prescribe it though so i do not feel it is that dangerous. i recently started getting shakey but i do not have weird nightmares or such. i’m worried what the future may bring and it’s only day three without cigarettes. i understand my reaction may be withdrawls and tomorrow i am going to call and discuss it all with my doctor. good luck on quitting and i hope things go well. i’m sure the drug effects everyone differently just like every drug out there. good luck again and keep us updated on how it goes.

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I’m on week 2 day 2 right now, and it’s been 3 days since I had a smoke. I am kinda depressed actually. I keep thinking about all my friends I don’t talk to and my ex who refuses to speak to me. I’ve stayed inside all day and haven’t done a thing. Very sad, but hey! I’m smoke free so far, lol. I can’t say it doesn’t help you quit, but damn today has been tough. I think if you get depressed on chantix you just need to tough it out for a couple weeks and things will get better (I hope lol)

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I started this medication 5 days ago. I am so depressed right now I can’t hardly stand it. Yesterday my husband and I had a huge argument due to me acting insane. It was way out of character, we NEVER argue. I have decided to quit the medication. I already have been diagnosed as being ‘manic depressive’ and this is beginning to worry me. I would hate to actually hurt myself or someone else, I would rather smoke. The patch helps, maybe I will just slap one of those on my arms.

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I took Chantix a few years ago. My brother did as well. We both quit smoking, i after about 6 wks. I started Chantix in May,by April I had joint pain but thought it was due to the numerous crossword puzzles I was doing to keep myself occupied. I did experience strange, however, enjoyable dreams. I actually looked forward to going to sleep. Fun, vivid, laughable dreams. Cool, right? By August I was calling suicide hotline and seeing a psychiatrist weekly. Depressed with suicidal thoughts. Worse yet, I’m a single mom. I couldn’t do this to my children, but i could take them with me. That thought alone sent me to seek help. Through my crazy thoughts, I knew, this thought alone, was over the top. Every time i saw the shrink he threw another handful of pills my way to combat the depression and anxiety. I needed to reset my computer (my brain). By November I started smoking again. I just wanted to go back to when I felt normal. Reconnect the blocked receptors. After a bit I did feel much better. No longer suffering from severe depression or suicidal thoughts. Althought I am still left with severe anxiety. My brother. While on Chantix suffered mainly from anxiety. Travels a lot for business. It made travel very difficult. He too has “reset” and resumed smoking. He has resently been diagnosed with PAD and is considering going back on Chantix…..as am I. But before i do I plan on talking to my Dr about my past experience and seeing if there is anything I can do or take to prevent the severe side effects. God help us all. Use with caution

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I just finished my 3rd month on Chantix. My brother used it and was successful and this was the second time I looked to Chantix to quit.

The first time was highly unsuccessful: I went from a pack a day to 2-3 cigs but didn’t continue my subscription past the first month.

This time I was committed and stopped all cigs after day 12 or 13. The dr wrote off the depression/suicidal side effects after I explained that my bro didn’t have them. I didn’t experience any negative side effects beyond nausea for most of the time. The nausea was wretched: it got to the point where I would dry heave and want to vomit but felt that I’d rather vomit for a few months then smoke for the rest of my life. I had no depression side effects and thought I was safe until the last 2-3 weeks.

I started having extremely lucid dreams, nightmares and daymares (like daydreams but horrid). Then I found myself thinking about suicide and a number of ways to do it. At first, I associated the depression with the problems I’ve been having with my girlfriend. In the last 3 days, I realized it was Chantix. I didn’t pick up my month 4 prescription (they say 40% chance of quitting if 3-month and 60% if 6-month) and the thoughts declined significantly. It took me awhile to associate the thoughts with Chantix because the depression/suicidal thoughts had such a late onset (2+ months).

Now that I’m aware of it, I’m debating whether or not to continue. I’ve never gone this long without smoking a cig in the last 11 years and never want to go back (some of my nightmares were about me smoking again!). I don’t like the horrible thoughts and need to decide whether I can handle them or not. I’m seeing the dr later this week for her advice. I’ll keep you posted.

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Took Chantix, had some disturbing side effects, constant nightmares, found myself afraid to sleep. Normally you wake up before you die in a dream, not on chantix – you keep dreaming right on thru grueling deaths, I died in over 300 plane crashes, all the way to the ground, broken body on fire, grizzly bears tearing off my limbs and gnawing on my skull (lovely). I used to dream about normal happy stuff, on Chantix every dream was a death sentence…

So I spoke with my Dr. about cutting the pills in half (if that was safe – he didn’t know…), called the Chantix line, took 50 minutes to get to the right person, had to listen to their “Chantix may make you crazy” message on each transfer. When the clinical rep on the phone could not tell me if it was safe to cut the pill in half or not and that I should “talk to my Dr.” when I just wanted to know if it was time release or not and that my Dr. said to call you… (you get the picture – no one there even knows the physical properties of the pill itself – there’s no way they know all the various mental side effects).

Stopped taking Chantix over a year ago due to several, frankly “crazy” episodes and then suicidal thoughts (I never had a mental health issue before).

Most involved hostility to people in public, basically what people would let pass and not say anything to outright “rude” people – I’d let em have it’ (verbally), it was not pretty (excessive profanity / threats to kick their ass; men bigger than me, women, little old lady’s, teen’s, groups of people – didin’t matter). – this usually ended when I “snapped out if it” to find lot’s of people just staring at me “drop jawed” and then I’d have to run out of the: grocery store, ballgame, party, wherever… Thankfully I never hit anyone (I was about to several times), people really don’t want to fight a “crazy” person apparently… It was kind of fun to tell em’ off but that is completely out of character for me…

So then after experiencing the horrible dreams and “lost time rages” the suicidal thoughts and actions started, I’d find myself preparing to do it and then just like the grocery store I’d “snap out of it”.

I immediately stopped Chantix – told my Dr. and started smoking again to replace whatever that crap started in my brain. The thoughts and hostility dwindled for the most part, but I’m still holding them back best I can… (maybe 40% as intense as when I was on it).

Problem is it’s been over a year since I quit and I’m stuck with this crap playing in my mind.

Anyhow, I only hope someone reads this and stays away from the stuff.

Apparently this whole “snap out of it” deal is what leads to the suicides, some people just “wake up” with a gun to their head – the others that did not “snap out” died, this is pretty much my story too… (fortunately I got rid of all my ammo when it started – glad there’s no big bridges around)

It was made originally for schizophrenics and the side effect was “they quit smoking”. I was (am) a respected professional, wonderful family, children, lots of friends, not crazy at all – now I am crazy, freaking nutso (but I play it sane), it’s becoming unbearable, I used to be a happy, optimistic person… Cant believe I opened up on the internet, typing this makes me want to seek professional help. Problem is, that’s what got me here in the first place…

NEVER take this drug, you’re better off smoking…

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