For Me? Chantix and Lifestyle ChangesJan 26 '08 Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line Chantix! Cinnamon sticks! Keeping Busy! Lists! Supportive friends! WANTING to quit!
I can't say I am a seasoned veteran in the world of "reformed smokers." And I really feel like I wouldn't be where I am this minute without Chantix; I'll get to that later. But I have put together 7-months of smokeless time before. I will tell you immediately where I went wrong the last time. In 12-Step Programs (and they are often made fun of, but bear with me!), the first step is "We admitted we were powerless over __________ and that our lives had become unmanageable." (Here in the blank, insert "nicotine.") My understanding of this step is that nicotine is bigger and mightier than we smokers. IT does the thinking. After I had 7 months experience as a nonsmoker, I went out to a bar with some friends. I had some beer in me. I had loosened inhibitions. Everything seemed a-okay. I bummed a smoke off a friend. It smelled like a good idea and it felt right. What I had forgotten was the power of nicotine. I thought I could be a social smoker, one who has a drink in one hand and a cig' in the other. It felt right. I would just quit again "tomorrow." Well, "tomorrow" was fifteen years later. Here I am. I had no control over that. I didn't want to stop again. We smokers quit when we're ready, obviously. We know it's bad for us! But first we need that gift of willingness. I had that gift, but sent it back. This time, there was an invention I had heard a lot about: Chantix. (They have a website if you want to read more in depth about them - it is www.chantix.com). Basically how they work is this: you take a pill every morning WITH FOOD and a FULL GLASS OF WATER. If you don't already eat breakfast when you embark on Chatix, then start! You are guaranteed nausea if you take it on an empty stomach! This first week of taking the pill, you are supposed to smoke. Yes. You are supposed to. What Chantix does is this: it ruins your smoking. It literally blocks nicotine from getting to your brain. You lose that "rewarded" feeling. How ever you would describe it: satisfied, charged up, pepped up, refreshed, rewarded, recharged, gratified ... it is taken away. The habit is reduced to its most basest of definitions - breathing smoke. How gross is that? At the end of my week, I no longer looked forward to smoking. I didn't dread it, per se. I simply did it because I was used to lighting up at certain times of day. Sometimes it tasted so bad, I would shiver. Chantix also has a support group which I didn't take advantage of, but wish I did. They recommend writing down each time you smoke and how you felt and the circumstances. Later, you will know what triggers you. I already know that my triggers are simply waking up. Oh, I love that first one! Coffee triggers me. Getting out of work triggers me. Eating a meal triggers me. So these are the times I watch out for. You know what has gotten me through these times when I don't know what to do with myself? A stick of cinnamon, the kind you'll find in the baking aisle at the grocery store. It's like wood with a hint of the cinnamon flavor. It is hollow so you can breathe through it. The size is about right, but it's obviously weightier. You can gnaw on it. You can suck on it. Breathe through it. Oh, it's better than nothing and it's the best substitute I can find! These restless moments with Chantix are really just that. The physical component of the addiction is gone. I have not had that antsy feeling since I started the pills. It really is just the psychological half of the problem. There are side effects. They say nausea is the most reported (30%). I know seven people who have taken Chantix. One went off of it because he didn't really want to quit - his doctor told him to. Another went off of it because of the nausea, but she plans to get back on it because she acknowledges that she took it on an empty stomach and insists it works. The other five? They are success stories with months of being smokeless. They all insisted I start eating breakfast and to take it on a full stomach. I did that. I felt queasy here and there but it was worth it. I also have constipation (is that more than you wanted to know? Ha, ha), but again ... I'll take it. The other side effect I have - which I enjoy - is the technicolor dreams. Every one I know has had this. Dreaming at night is FAR more vivid and memorable. Dreams are dreams: they are weird if you can remember them. Here they are no different. I will actually miss them when I get off of it. Accompanying my initial pack of medication is a piece of paper with the list of side effects. I recommend to read them if you are thinking of taking Chantix. Of course, because they are by prescription only, you will have to see your doctor anyway. They list side effects as "frequent," "infrequent" and "rare." It is worth it to read all of them and consider whether you are already predisposed to the listed condition. Listed under "infrequent" was something like "thyroid dysfunction," and I forget the precise terminology. I am being treated for hypothyroid. I have been on Chantix for three weeks now and my initial symptoms of hypothyroid are back in full swing. Again. I think it's worth it. I'm sure I'll have to go off of Chantix. I'm calling my doctor on Monday; if I simply go right off of them then my synthetic hormones might kick in too hard and cause me harm? I don't know. But no matter what, I think it was worth it. Being fatigued and feeling exceptionally weak for a while sure beats lung cancer, heart disease, emphysema, chronic bronchitis ... what else? It got me through the first two weeks, certainly the toughest. And for that I am grateful. Quitting is never, never easy, but I can't imagine it being easier. There is no nicotine alternative to kick - like the patch or lozenges. Chantix also has another relatively common side effect: depression. My doctor told me it tends to impact people who are already predisposed. This doesn't effect me, but I noticed a new warning on their site (updated January 17, 2008) that suggests patients have a friend or family member keep an eye on them and note changes in attitudes, mood, agitation, etc. I totally think people who are predisposed might be better off steering clear. It's not taken off the market and they don't discourage depressed people or people with mental health issues from taking it. But with mental health issues, there is such a stigma - and this is a deterant from seeking help. And people think they can "snap out of it." Depression, when not situational, is a physical problem! It's like trying to "snap out of" a heart condition - and they would if they could, right? I just think it's so dangerous to risk feeling hopelessness or despairing. But back to my experience with smoking cessation: The best thing, in terms of the psychological addiction, is finding a positive replacement. Exercise is a good one. Go for a walk. Do some stretches. Get your body moving. It's a nice break. Another thing I try to do is to take some deep breaths. We smokers think we are "relaxing" when we inhale deeply on those smoky stimulant sticks. The reason we think it's relaxing is we are sitting still and breathing deeply. After a few days without cigarettes, the deep breathing feels even more gratifying and soul-soothing. I imagine it only gets better. Take your money you're not spending on cigarettes and save it in a cup and buy yourself a present. Some people save it for a "trip." I think at first, it's better to have some relatively instant gratification. Here in Massachusetts, packs of cigarettes average $5. That's $35/week! I always found specials and two-fer's, but ... I bought myself some new duds. It feels good. THEN save and take a trip or do something bigger. I've saved $70 so far. I hope to save more! But I'm humble and know I haven't single handedly beaten the demon. Keeping busy helps. Give yourself things to do. Start reading. A friend of mine took up knitting; that's something to do with your hands! Do you paint or draw? I don't, but doodling helps! I just won't frame them and hang them on the walls. Think about what matters. This past week, I've thought even less about smoking. And I've realized there is less time being spent, consumed with thinking about when I'll have one. I would look at my son and wonder if he was busy enough with his train set or if he was interested enough in the TV show so I could sneak out on the back porch without being interrupted. I would visit my dad's and be so excited to pawn him off on someone so I could sneak outside for a few puffs. At work, I would start peeping at the clock at 11:30, wondering if it was almost lunchtime (and slowing my workload and distracting myself.) I am aware of feeling freer. I simply walk to work from the parking garage. I am not frantically lighting another cigarette off of a smoldering butt to "tide me over." There is no panic about whether or not I can sit through a whole movie without pausing it or asking someone to catch me up to speed. I don't strap my son into his booster seat and urgently light a cigarette so I can load the groceries in the trunk. Thinking about what new freedoms you've found HELPS. Again. We need instant gratification! Sometimes it helps to even feel superior or to run with an ego trip about how it's day 2 or whatever. ANY means possible! Think about the benefits! Again, Chantix helped me enormously, but I still had to deal with the psychological side of it. You know what helped me just as much? Friends who have already quit. They are the most supportive of all, and they all give their own tips. Call them when you're in a pinch and they can talk you out of it. In 12-step programs, they say "one day at a time." Forget the whole day. Get through five minutes at a time. Look at the clock and lock in. You'll be surprised how the urge passes, when you recommit yourself to your cause again and again and again. You can endure quitting "just for today." But only if you want to!  |
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