Chantix and insurance

on aug. 11, 2007 i quit smoking after 35 years. i had a massive heart attack. was on patch in hospital. dr. put me on chantix on aug. 14. for some reason i needed only half a dose. at 3 weeks i asked cardiologist if i could stop taking since i felt i didn't need it. said no 2 more weeks cause he was concerned about the stress on my heart. so i stopped using 2 weeks later which made me on the drug 5 weeks. was great! the strangest thing i got from it is ever since taking it, smoke smells horrible. i mean worse than anything i have ever smelled! it continues to this day. great side effect! no way i would start smoking again. i can't stand being around anyone that has been smoking. lost some friends over it. drug was great for me. only problem-- i have very good insurance and chantix for 1 month was $100. a little pricey but worth it. others have told me if you stay on it 2 months full dosage is when you develop dreams and etc.

I have been a smoker for 15 years. I am the type of person who loves to smoke however I get real annoyed by the smell of smoke on my own body so I carry body spray and hand sanitizer with me to wash out the odor. I also always have gum so my breath doesn't smell like an ashtray. Although I did not like smelling like it, I still smoked. I associated everything with smoking. Any chance I got, I smoked. With today's economy, smoking just got too expensive for me. I also turned 30 this year and I noticed how much my skin has changed. I'd figured smoking is not going to make me look any younger so I had my OBGYN write me a script for Chantix and followed the enclosed directions. I took Chantix for a total of 2 1/2 weeks. The first 7 days I continued to smoke. On the 8th day, I STILL continued to smoke. I was hoping I would wake up and the craving to smoke had disappeared as if I never was a smoker. Well it was not... I had my usual morning smoke and I spent the rest of the day violently vomiting to the point where I did not even want to smoke. The smell of a cigarette made me sick again and again. I felt this way for at least the remainder 1 1/2 i continued to take chantix. Honestly, it felt like I was knocked up with morning sickness or a very bad hang over. I don't remember reading those side effects... :P Anyhow, so I had to make a decision, to either waste the $127 bucks it costs me to buy this ( no my insurance did not cover it) or to continue to smoke and smell all the time. I did the logically thing and quit smoking. The thing that helped my cravings was the nausea. If it was not for that then I would definitely say I would have started smoking again. I feel so great that I do not smoke and I still get cravings every now then. They pass and once they do I am so proud I did not give in. My skin looks 100 times better and I get compliments on how good I smell now! It could have either been mind over matter that made me quit or Chantix. Either way I am smoke free!!! :)

I took Chantix 2 separate times. The first time I took it and had to stop because my insurance wouldn't cover it and I couldn't afford it. I cut down a huge amount and OMG the dreams I had were amazing. Nothing like the dreams my aunt had of animals ripping her apart and her family walking away. Mine were pastel and spiritual, totally real. Looked forward to going to sleep. The second time I had horrible stomach problems accompanied by lots of gas...not the smelly kind just air. Loose stools. Now I have been off the drug for almost a year. Unfortunately the dreams ceased.. I still have loose stools and the gas just finally stopped. thank god. started to think that there was a real problem. I have no health insurance so really couldn't go get it checked. I eat well so it wasn't stuff like that. But....chantix the first time worked well...no side effects. For me the second time wrecked me. I would take it again just for the dreams! Curious to know if the dream factor plays a part of the current state of mind of the person before it is taken. Meaning if you are stressed and unhappy does it enhance it in the dreams...would love to hear the type of dreams people are having...mine were very spiritual and enlightening. But I am a new age type person anyway....just curious...email me would love to know.