If you’ve tried cold turkey, if you’ve tried the patches and the gum and the suckers and the online support groups, AND you’ve really decided that you want to be a non-smoker, maybe it’s time to talk to your doctor and try a stop smoking pill.  There are actually several different ones on the market now, that each work in different ways.  Your doctor, who is familiar with your lifestyle and health already, will be able to suggest one to you.  If you have the drive already, you might just need that last little push into becoming a non-smoker!

A success story:

I quit smoking with the stop smoking pill Chantix b and have to admit that I cried a lot, and then I gained a lot of weight (30 lbs) which made me cry some more.  :)  Fortunately, now that I’m a non-smoker I’m finding I have the energy and stamina to actually exercise, and I’ve been jogging or at least walking every day.  I feel great and have already lost half of the weight!  (It’s been about two months.)  I’m finding, also, that food tastes better, and have been eating much healthier as a result.  I can’t believe the changes my body has gone through.  What I’m saying is:  It’s Worth It!  A few weeks of crying and getting chubby were totally worth how amazing I feel now.

Claims about how well the stop smoking pill, Chantix, really work, are varied.  I’ve heard from people who swear by it and are thrilled with the results, but then you hear from people who can’t even take it long enough to find out if it really works, because of the side effects.

Leave a comment if you have any thoughts about this!

I looked on Google and saw this thing about Final Smoke system that sounds really good. It uses a pill. It says that you can quit smoking in 7 days. It is as seen on TV. Here are all of the things it says that it does:

• Eliminates all desire to smoke
• Keeps you relaxed and confident
• Stops the mental and physical feelings of addiciton
• Cigarettes simply begin to taste awful

It says that when using this, you can’t cheat because if you try to cheat yourself by smoking you can’t because the cigarettes will taste awful. It is also supposed to be safe. It’s proven to be very effective.  It might be worth checking into a little more.

I’ve had a lot of people write hoping to find a place where they can purchase a stop smoking pill like Chantix without having to see a doctor.  Unfortunately, these types of medications all require a prescription, and so they require a trip to the physician.  However, if might be worth it, as a doctor who knows your medical history can help you find the best method of treatment, taking into account your past reactions to medications and your physical and mental health.

Unfortunately, Medicaid does not cover the cost of any type of quit smoking pill or aid.  Apparently, they’d rather just deal with the medical costs of dealing with lung cancer!

There are many benefits to taking a stop smoking pill.  For one thing, you only have to take a pill once a day, as opposed to chewing gums throughout the day or wearing a patch around.  Also, at least with the pills I know about, you wean yourself off of smoking slowly over the course of a week or two, so the technique is less scary than quitting cold turkey.  Whatever works for you!  The important thing is that you’re trying to quit.

A doctor wrote in and had this to say about the stop smoking pill Chantix:

The biggest complaint I get from patients pertains to odd dreams, not always bad, but vivid. There are others as with any pill, but this seems to be the most discussed. It is 20% more effective after 6 months than Wellbutrin, so the hoped for side effect is cessation.

This was a list of other side effects I found:

• Nausea
• Sleep disorder
• Gas
• Sleeplessness
• Constipation
• Headache
• Loss of taste

Someone recently asked me about a new type of potential stop smoking pill using the drug mecamylamine.  I hadn’t heard of it, but this is what I found on Wikipedia:

Mecamylamine is also sometimes used as an anti-addictive drug to help people stop smoking tobacco, and is now more widely used for this application than it is for lowering blood pressure. This effect is thought to be due to it blocking α3β4 nicotinic receptors in the brain.

Has anyone tried the stop smoking pill Chantix to stop smoking? And if so, did it work? Any crazy side effects? Any comments, suggestions, or anything that you could give me would be great. I have so many people writing me to tell me about the side effect of having crazy dreams.

Most people think it’s good to at least try it, as a lot of people say the dreams are actually pleasant, just very vivid.

The side effects I have read  of so far include: headaches, nausea, stomach pains, mood swings, bad temper, feelings of depression and often people say they suffer from nightmares. Most people suffer from one or more of these side effects.

I truly believe that to quit smoking you need to deal with your psychological addiction before your physical one.  When you’re emotionally ready, an aid like this is bound to be more effective.