Champix?????

I did post in the quitting smoking thread, but I think that more people would view this if posted seperately, as well as I can post my experiences with this med and how I do with quitting smoking.

I took my first Champix pill this morning.

One of the reasons I wanted to try it is because many people/studies have shown alot less side effects than with zyban.

I would like to hear from others who have used champix, or know people who have, and whether you/they had side effects, if so, what? And anything else you care to share.

I felt fine, nothing out of the ordinary, up untill a couple hours ago.... approx. 12hrs or so after taking it, my anxiety level rose dramatically.

Now, I have severe panic disorder, which is 95% controlled by meds... meaning I only have panic attacks 1-2 times a month, sometimes less.... generally when I'm very stressed out or going into a new situation.

I'm not highly stressed, and no new situations today.... I have taken all my meds, so its not a case of forgetting my pills. I have not cut back on smoking either. Which all leads me to believe the increased anxiety is due to the champix.

I've had 2 full blown panic attacks in the last 2hrs

I'm not giving up on it though....but I am slightly concerned about the first week-10days where the dose changes.... Day 1-3 are the same 0.5mg, Day 4 increases to 1 in am and 1 in pm 0.5mg...Day 8 increases to 1mg in am and pm. 3 days at 0.5mg, then 4 days at 0.5mg x 2/day, then 1mg 2x/day for the rest of the time.

So i'm wonderring if anyone else who has taken it, also had increased anxiety?

My pharmacist, a few local people and several MD's. As well as when reading product info there's alot less side effects listed. We started researching it a couple months ago, I was trying the patch first. I've read all the stuff online, the articles from health canada about neuropsychiatric adverse events.

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/medef...pc-cps-eng.php

I was on Zyban/Wellbutrin, had to stop because the side effects were HORRIBLE, just downright horrible....I was on Effexor for many years and it was great for me.

I do give meds time to stabalise in my system, and may have to go slower with this one than what is normally prescribed..... my dr. has no issues with that.
He also said that I may need to increase my anxiety meds

Thanks for the responses....I guess anxiety issues are fairly common with this med I won't give up on it though....like any new med for me, I usually have a couple bad days then once it stabalises in my system I'm ok....this one will be difficult tho because of the increases in dosage.... just when i'm getting used to it, i'll have to increase

ETA: nothing in my life is simple LOL....narcotic meds/pain meds I have a high tolerance for.... look at how much they had to give me after surgery

and now i'm on the other end..... uggggggggggggggggg

PS: I have to drive my hubby out at 2:15 am tonight, and I guess that would be my stressor for today....so perhaps I am more stressed than normal... once he lands in CA I'll be less stressed.

Just updating because I know there's some people here that would like to hear about the experience of taking it.

I laid down after last posting, and when I got up to drive hubby to his shuttle to the airport, I talked to him about it....(and I felt not too bad, pretty close to normal when I woke up....then a little more anxious bout 15mins later...then fine about 20mins after that)

Some history, my husband knows me quite well, and has been there with me when I withdrew from taking Effexor after taking a high dose for many yrs.... he knows how I act when I'm having psycotic side effects (sidenote: if anyone wants to hear about the effexor withdrawl I went thru, I'd be happy to talk about it either in pm or email or a different thread).

He also was with me when I first started having panic attacks, prior to diagnoses and successful treatment.

That said, we know this med is a risk for a person like me. But while we were talking, he said that today was probally not a good day to judge whether it was related to the champix or stress because even though I don't feel stressed, I probally am due to his going out of country. Which he is probally right... I'm very used to him gone, but now he's really gone... he can't just be home in 2hrs... he's out of the picture till Thurs. So even tho I don't think I'm stressing about it, I probally am.

I'm feeling fine now, it was just for a couple hours there that my anxiety skyrocketed.

I plan on updating this thread as I continue the journey, and post if I do have more side effects or continue to have anxiety issues. I'm going to be submitting myself to
from Health Canada because according to their site,

Thanks guys I do appreciate your concern

I assure you I have a great support system, and trust me, if I start having depression issues I will go off of it for sure. My family knows what signs to watch for

We'll see how it goes. Today has been good so far, considerring I've had way too much coffee, am tired as heck from dropping Mark off this morning in the wee hours and of course I'm still awaiting his txt to let me know he got there safely.

All things considerred about today, I would think that I would experience some problems today, but I have not I will definately keep updating this thread as well, you guys are my extended support system too.

If I have more issues, I will be calling my pharmacist first.... Honestly, my dr. is pretty useless He is good for writing prescriptions, that's bout it. My pharmacist however is great, and has known me for many yrs, thru drug addictions, drug withdrawls, many different meds, etc. I trust her completely.

me too...I was a little scared about last night.

That aside:

Day 2 Champix treatment: 0.5mg

- very dry mouth (had that yesterday too)

It could be purely pyschological but.... I'm not feeling as much of an urge to smoke.. I didn't last night either. (but last night I would say was due to the panic attacks, as that is when I quit the one time for 2yrs, when I was hit with PA's right after another, smoking was NOT on my mind...ended up quitting, no withdrawl because I was dealing with the PA)

even though I don't feel the urge to smoke as much, I am still smoking because I know the withdrawl of nicotine can lead to anxiety issues and I really don't want to possibily be dealing with increased anxiety from the meds AND increased anxiety from withdrawl.

SIDENOTE: hubby is on the ground in CA, safe and sound

Ok, now I can say that yes I was worried about him. Getting his txt just now, I felt my whole body relax..... so that could very well account for my issues last night.

I'll keep updating because I know the potential is there for this med to mess me up. Hubby is not home, my kids I plan on talking with tonight to tell them warning signs, but I need to lean on the people here as well.

Please please, if you notice my posts being incredibly short tempered, change in what you know of my personality (there's a few of you that I think would know enough that ex. "that's not something Chris would usually write") Please let me know, pm the heck out of me

I would appreciate it very much for the time being..... my greatest days of concern are when I increase, which will be Wed and Sunday.

No worries if you don't, I do have the support here too, I just figured I'd ask since I spend alot of time on here.



I'm hoping someone benefits from hearing about how I do with this med, and smoking/quitting.

Thanks for posting Paulena. I've been reading that nausea is a fairly common side effect and people prevent it by eating, then taking their dose.

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End of Day 2 for me

I'm about to head to bed.

I decided to start writing everything down, ex. when I take my meds and if I've needed to take extra anxiety meds, if I've had increased anxiety, etc.

Today has been good, all things considerred.

- a couple times I've had increased anxiety.... both were at the tail end of my anxiety med...as in, when I normally take another one.

- dry mouth (I am, and usually do drink LOTS of water).

- some slight nausea tonight.... just a kind of yuck feeling... Not a vomit feeling, just a icky taste and feeling in my tummy. It could very well be from smoking...I'm not sure how much I've smoked today.

I'm off to bed shortly, and am quite curious as to whether I have some vivid dreams or not. That's the most common side effect that I've read....most people have weird vivid dreams, some have nightmares...so we'll see. Last night I didn't sleep much so i didn't dream that I know of LOL.

Day 3

not bad.... some increased anxiety but no actual panic attacks.
no weird dreams, I actally slept well.
Nauseous for most of the day, just a yucky feeling.
Increased gas issues. (could be from the med, or that I've increased my fibre because constipation can be a side effect) But no matter, I'll finally be able to outdo my hubby
headache: again, not one I can pinpoint directly on this med.

Day 4: today

headache
nausea when I woke, but it is going away. I took Michele's advice about drinking alot of water with my pill, as well as I took it with food.

I have to increase so we'll see how that goes. I take my second pill at about 4 the pharmacist recommended because it can interfer with sleep.

I'm not sure when to take it though. My thoughts being if I take it later, say 10-12hrs after the first one, then I'll be in bed....so if I have side effects, I can sleep through them

So the timing is debatable right now. My main concern is timing of my anxiety pill. I normally take one right when I get up, then another around 1. Previous days this week I've been taking a 3rd pill at about 5. Yesterday I took half of one and it was good.

I think I may try taking it at 8. I'm not too worried about the sleeping because I take sleeping pills, plus narcotics at bedtime anyways.

I do know I have to get over being nervous about the increase....if I'm already a little anxious, it will only make things worse.

I did have a good talk with my pharmacist, and she gave me some good advice and wants me to keep trying them, because the panic attacks only occured the first day, she thinks that it will either not happen again now that my body is getting used to the drug, or it will happen on days I increase...which is today and on Monday. She of course said that if I get any worse in regards to the panic attacks, as in having one everyday, then I should try a lower dosage or go off of them.

Honestly, if I have to deal with panic attacks on the day I increase, I am fine with that.... it stinks, yes... but the end result, quitting smoking, is worth it IMO.

I'll report back later, couple hours after I take my second dose.

Did it intefer with your sleep at all?

I'm thinking taking it at about 8 or 9 (I take the morning one in between 8-9am)

Thanks for all the replies

It is so much more informative when it comes from someone you "know" rather than just reading joe blows experience online.

I'm having a pretty good day....I definately learned not to take it on an empty stomach

I haven't had any weird dreams that I know of...in fact I seem to be sleeping better...as in not waking up at night, and sleeping from 11 till 7:30 or so, and waking up feeling pretty good instead of groggy.

Although the start was rough, I'm feeling better about it for now...

Thanks but I do know what interacts with my current med regiment, tho I appreciate the concern. I learned a long time ago due to an adverse drug interaction to research my meds well and talk with my pharmacist.

I'm fairly confident in saying that the increase in anxiety isn't due to withdrawl considering I am not smoking substantially less..... if I were, then yes I could see it, although Champix is also supposed to help block the receptors that trigger nicotine withdrawl symptoms

thanks, but I will leave the pharmaceutical advice to a trained professional who knows exactly what meds I'm on and has been well schooled in the pharmatology(sp) of the meds I take.

Thank you I too cannot take wellbutrin/zyban....not for allergic reaction, but horrendous side effects. I'm sorry you had to go through that....