How My Quest to Quit Smoking Can Help You

I have been a smoker for many years and during these years have said over and over again that "I am going to quit". Well today I am still a smoker. I have tried things like the patch that are supposed to gradually decrease the amount of nicotine a person takes in to no avail. These products made me feel very edgy, irritable and very jittery, wearing the patch even left a mark on my arm that resembled a burn.
I had been doing some research online for quit smoking products and found a product called Chantix. Chantix is a non nicotine containing product and I really like that fact. When using the patch to quit smoking it can be very harmful if a person smokes a cigarette while wearing it, with Chantix even though a person desires to not have any slip ups and smoke a cigarette, it is ok if they do, this was another thing that I like about this product because although I hope to just quit, I am not perfect and expect I will still have some difficulty with this. After much research on this product I discussed it with my physician, who said this would be a good product for me. I have just started taking it and I am hoping I will finally get back to being a non smoker. I have included some information about Chantix for others that may still be looking for a way to quit smoking.

Chantix (varenicline) is a product by Pfizer designed to help people quit smoking. This product is available by prescription and is paid for by some insurance companies, including medicaid.

How Chantix works:

There are receptors for nicotine in our brains. When we smokers inhale the smoke from the cigarette, the nicotine attaches itself to the receptors in our brain. In turn this sends a message to another part of our brain to release a chemical that is called Dopamine. Dopamine gives us a feeling of pleasure. This feeling of pleasure only lasts for a short time. In turn the body wants to repeat this feeling of pleasure that it experienced. This is where Chantix is supposed to help a person. Chantix is supposed to attach itself to the receptors in the brain and block the nicotine from attaching to the receptors. The brain then gets no pleasure from the cigarette.

How to get started:

The first step is to choose a day that will be the day you plan to quit smoking. A person taking Chantix to quit smoking needs to start taking it one week before their quit date. This is supposed to allow Chantix to build up in the body prior to the person trying to quit smoking. During this one week time period the person continues to smoke, but the person should try to quit on the date that they set for themselves. Chantix is a twelve week program, but it is possible to continue treatment longer than that if needed.

Side effects of Chantix:

The most common side effects that people experienced when they were taking Chantix were nausea, changes in their dreams, constipation, gas and vomiting. With nausea being the most common side effect that was experienced.

To help increase the person's chances of quitting Chantix also offers a support program that can be combined with taking the medication.

I have had a bad headache the last couple of days and I am not sure yet if it has anything to do with taking this product, I am hoping it doesn't as I have had very high hopes that this product is going to help me. I did notice also that my dreams have been really weird, which is something I can live with if it means I will be a non smoker.