This is the second attempt I have made to stop smoking using Champix. The first time I never finished the 3 month course as I thought I had conquered the nicotine demons. Unfortunately after 4 months of being stopped I found myself back on the fags so this is the first tip I can strongly give you. FINISH THE COURSE- even if you think you have beaten the craven for a puff- you probably have not. This is the whole reason the course is conducted over a 3 month period.
The side effects I had were pretty much what is said in the leaflet for the 1 in 100 - drowsiness and slight nausea. But if I had read the leaflet further I would have discovered i was more unique than first thought- I could not stop passing wind( my girlfriend says the smell of cigarettes was better but i think she's pulling my leg). I have also had indegestion which i only recently discovered is a side effect.
On the whole though I have stopped smoking(only slipped up the last time i was out drinking-I thought this was acceptable because i was quite drunk but I feel that if you are to think that smoking is OK when having a drink then you will be on the slippery slope to going back on the cigs). The whole idea of the Champix is that it removes any craven for nicotine and this is not like replacement nicotine methods where a patch or something which contains nicotine replaces the cigarette. So end result is that you are no longer addicted to the weed. There has also been some hype connected with suicide and depression related to Champix. My feelings on this are that if someone has suffered or is suffering from depression then they probably will not get it from the docs anyway as they are not taking any chances with it. There is no smoke without fire sort of speak. I am in a normal state of mind(I personally think although some folk may have varied opinions) so I am on my second course and have done about 2 months. Some GP's are less willing than others to give this drug out as i think it is expensive( but i feel that's what i pay National Insurance for) but I relapsed first time round and thought i might struggle to get a second course. I was glad to be given the second course as my doctor quite unreluctantly said " most people do fail first time round". The side effects, as i have mentioned above , still remain but it is a small price to pay if and when I do stop without the use of Champix. I give this treatment a 9/10 as it definately works but do be prepared to have a couple minor side effects. Here is a list of the side effects which may affect 1 in 100:
Increased Appetite( That's also me- I have put on a stone)
Dry Mouth
Drowsiness
Tiredness
Vomiting
Constipation
Diarrhoea
Feeling bloated
Stomach Discomfort
Indegestion
Flatulence( Can't wait until this effect stops )