Sunday, June 01, 2008

Chantix: Day 1

I started the non-smoking pill Chantix today. Today is the first day of the last week that I will be smoking. Hopefully. This stuff supposedly works on some part of your brain that blocks the addiction, yada, yada, yada, and in six months I should be cured. Or something.

Next Saturday is my official "quit day." I'm supposed to smoke for the first week (up to a pack a day if I can, but I doubt I'll be able to) and then quit officially on a specific day. Since I'll be on the drug for six months I doubt I'll update every day but I thought I'd give it a go for a little while, anyway.

Today was mostly good except that I've felt kind of jittery and like the world's in slow motion and I'm moving at regular speed. Usually it's the other way around for me so today has been interesting.

The last time I "officially" quit smoking was while I was still in the Navy and I used the patch. It worked to help me quit but it gave me TMJ because I started gritting and grinding my teeth instead. I still do that to this day. Guess I'll have to start chewing gum or something. Or get one of those mouth guard thingies again.

My sister-in-law said this drug made her really grumpy but I figure I'm already grumpy so how much worse can it get?

I've had this prescription for almost two months now without filling it. Last week a cardiologist called me to tell me that I have a narrowing of my right carotid artery. The time to quit smoking is right now.

Tomorrow I go visit the cardiologist to figure out what all of this means. I'm scared and nervous and am pretty sure that's why I had my mental breakdown last week.

I asked the doctor if it was because I'm fat and he said that he's seen people smaller than me with this and people bigger than me without it, so weight isn't the number one issue. But I'm pretty sure weight plus the smoking plus the other health issues that have been plaguing me are what's causing the problem...oh and the fact that I don't eat the healthiest diet ever.

So today is Chantix: Day 1. Hopefully it'll work. Hopefully I won't have to have surgery. Hopefully my heart isn't completely broken. Hopefully I won't die. Hopefully I can finally and completely quit smoking forever.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I wish you all the very, very best! I quit smoking with Chantix, and I am approaching the year mark this month. I've been blogging my way through it and have met lots of others doing the same. It wasn't a miracle drug for me, but with my cooperation and participation in staying quit, it was far easier than any other method I'd tried. Even now, it's one day at a time, but I'm feeling like it really might stick. If you feel like reading about my experience or links to some others blogging about it, just drop by. Good luck!

fictionfiend said...

Good luck.
And may the Force (drugs) be with you.