Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Second try at quitting smoking. First Week.

Well, six months after quitting smoking in 2012, I couldn't stick to my regiment of Champix.  The side-effects, specifically the upset stomach, really got to me.  I stopped taking champix after about 2 months.  I kept a strong non-smoker attitude for about six months and gave into the temptation to smoke again.  I blamed it on stress in my life, but blame is a way of justifying.

Under my insurance, I am able to take Champix for up to six months continuously, and my out of pocket is only 20%.  After that time I must wait one year from the last time I started taking Champix.  It has now been a year, and I am taking Champix again to try to quit smoking. So here is my new story.

First week.  I took the small doses and only had stomach problems twice, but I am sure that was because I hadn't eaten before taking the pill.  I started out smoking 18 cigarettes the first day, dropping steadily to 5 cigarettes on the last day.  Today is my first day taking the big pill. I want to smoke, but I am pushing the feeling down... somehow. 

During my first week, I immediately noticed an increase in dreams.  Though I quickly forgot the contents of those dreams.  Today being the first day on the full dose of Champix, I am expecting some vivid dreams tonight.

For anyone thinking about quitting smoking, I have only one piece of advise.  Don't give up!  Keep trying.  Smoking is a habit that requires tremendous willpower to unlearn.  If you don't succeed on your first attempt, then you are normal.  If you don't succeed on your 5th attempt, you are still normal.  Just keep trying.

Side effects I have noticed so far: Stomach ache and queasiness, and more vivid dreams.

I'm feeling pretty good today that I have not smoked all day.  But I hunger for a cigarette.  It is an actual hunger, like I want food.  I feel hungry, even though I just ate.  It is very annoying and makes it difficult to concentrate.  I only hope the hunger isn't so strong tomorrow. It is easy for me to understand why so many people gain weight after quitting smoking.  I just want to crawl up into a ball and eat Ben and Jerry's Chunky Monkey all day. 

I've been drinking a lot more coffee and Redbull lately.  I feel tired today, but my 4 month old kept me up most of the night, so I don't blame Champix for my sleepiness.

If you are taking champix, or trying to quit smoking, please let me know in the comments.  How are you doing?