Someone wrote into me with this question the other day:

“A friend of mine’s husband recently started smoking cessation with Chantix. He’s had horrible nightmares since starting the drug. EXAMPLE: he told his wife that he dreamed that he had gone to the gun cabinet & got a shotgun & shot his wife & two kids while they were asleep. The next morning when he told his wife this dream, the key to the gun cabinet was in the lock (which is always hidden otherwise). Needless to say, he quit taking Chantix. Is this a normal side effect?”

These are the listed side effect for Chantix:
Suicide
Suicidal Thoughts
Depression
Violent Behavior
Nausea
sleep disturbance (trouble sleeping, changes in dreaming) Vivid Dreams
Constipation
Gas
Vomitting

Chantix Side Effects
Chantix is a smoking cessation medication marketed by Pfizer, Inc. that was approved by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in 2006, Chantix side effects may include suicidal thoughts, depression and even violent behavior. In September 2007, Chantix side effects were implicated in the bizarre death of a Dallas, Texas man.

Nausea, headache, vomiting, drowsiness, gas, constipation, trouble sleeping, unusual dreams, or changes in taste may occur. If any of these effects persist or worsen, tell your doctor or pharmacist promptly.

Someone recently told me how their father’s father taught him to never smoke.  I thought this was a pretty disgusting quit smoking aid, but apparently this guy’s dad never touched another cigarette after his old man caught him sneaking a Marlborough behind their house:  he brought him inside and made him lick a dirty ashtray.  He then told him that was what kissing a smoker was like.  Ack!  Sounds like child abuse to me.

This shot is still not out on the market yet, so it is unavailable at this point. It is still in testing, so there is no disclosed date as of yet when it will be out on the market. Here’s the manufacturer’s web page about it

http://www.nabi.com/pipeline/pipeline.php?id=3

There are so many different quit smoking products out on the market today, from pills to shots, but more than anything you’re going to need a serious desire to kick the habit.  Without the want to be smoke free, your struggle will be fruitless!

Chantix is the most popular of the stop smoking pills, but without insurance it’s going to run you $300-500 for a 12 week supply. The patch is probably going to cost you slightly under $150 for a six week supply depending on where you live, so it’s a cheaper alternative.  Also, Chantix has gotten mixed reviews. One study shows that there is only a 1/5 success rate…but I know of quite a few people who have used it and quit successfully.

Paying a good sum of money for an aid of this sort is almost a type of motivation.  Who wants to fail after sinking that much money into success?

There have been a lot of commercials for the “stop smoking clinic” with an 86% success rate.   They use the shot there, among other techniques to help people kick the habit.

Here is a newspaper article that claims a stop smoking shot is successful:
The drugs do make you drowsy, so you’ll need a ride home – but the shot claims to have a 70 percent success rate after six months. http://www.wkyc.com/news/news_fullstory.asp?id=36129

I heard about some kind of shot given as a quit smoking aid, but when I did some digging it looks like whatever product this is, it’s still in the research phase.  Does anyone know anything more?

I’d really love to hear from anyone who knows anything about this ’stop smoking shot.’  Has anyone had success with it?  Tried it to not have it work?  Leave some comments!

If you’re ready to try any quit smoking product, including this new shot, you have to ask yourself “am I ready to get this monkey off my back”? If you are at point in your life were your sick and tired of smoking and need a little health to get over the physical withdrawal process, then yes the SMART Shot maybe helpful in quitting smoking. The SMART Shot is a tool to help you quit smoking just like Zyban or Chantix. It will not make you quit smoking if you’re not ready.

The thing is that these medicines help you get over the acute physical withdrawal (yes, irritability is a sign of that acute physical withdrawal). However, there is no medication which is in acute you from doing something stupid six weeks, six months or six years down the road.

For most people who have problems quitting smoking “cold Turkey”, this is an addiction and needs to be respected as one. Just like an alcoholic can never pick up “wondering” you must realize that you can never pick up “one cigarette”. In other words “you will always be one puff away from a pack a day”.

There’s so many quit smoking products, but I’ve never heard of a shot, unless you’re talking about accupuncture.  Most medications designed to alleviate the symptoms of withdrawal are oral, or of course there’s the patch!