Easing Chantix side effects?!

Easing Chantix side effects?

My hubby is trying Chantix to quit smoking. This is his first week. It is already helping him, but the side effects are dampening the positive. I was wondering if anyone had any tips on how to lessen some of the side effects (nausea, fatigue, sleeplessness, vivid dreams). Thanks in advance.
P.S. he does take it with a meal and a full glass of water, as per instructions

3 weeks ago
Thanks so much Cern_Annwn. The dreams are what bother me the most as he's an Iraq war vet and the dreams are ALWAYS war related. He only has them when he's on medications to quit smoking. Perhaps some sort of stressor. Thanks again!

Hi there,

Sorry to hear that your husband is having a hard time with the Chantix. Unfortunately we all experience medications differently: some people get hit really hard and need to come off the drug; some people get mild side effects, more annoying than anything; some people don't get any side effects whatsoever. Further, it generally takes up to 8 weeks for the body to become accustomed to medications that are newly coursing though the veins. People who do experience initial side effects often find that they have diminished to the point where they are more manageable or tollerable or gone altogether by the end of their second month. Luckily, with a twelve week program, hopefully he can hang in there long enough for his addiction to nicotine to stop and he can then be rid of the medications once and for all. I assume that he is following orders but it is very important that he does follow his doctor's directions carefully.

Ok, regarding side effects, with nausea, he can always try gravol. He should check with his pharmacist but gravol is generally safe to take with meds as it is not known to cause any severe interactions. Peppermint tea or lavender tea are great for calming the stomach. Further, he might want to try some of these tips for managing nausea; they have helped me even though my meds are different. For starters, he could try eating small meals frequently instead of two or three large ones. Large amounts of food in the stomach may make feelings of nausea worse. Another thing could be to cut a lemon and smell the slices to lessen nausea. Bland foods are easier to digest. Stick to foods low in fat but high in starches and carbohydrates to fuel the body's energy needs.
Relax before meals and chew slowly. Breathe deeply and slowly when you first feel nauseated. Also, avoid odors such as smoke, perfume, and cooking odors. The use of Sea Bands (placed between the two tendons on the inside of the forearm about two inches up from the wrist) has antiemetic effects. These are available at many pharmacies and stores that specialize in travel products. Regarding antiemetics – medicines that prevent or control nausea and vomiting – there are many available by prescription. These drugs work by blocking receptors in the brain's vomiting center. Unfortunately, antiemetics are not without side effects of their own: they have a tendency to make people feel drowsy or feel mildly sedated.

Fatigue is a hard one as many drugs just suck the life out of you. Diet, exercise and sleep really do help with fatigue. In order for the body to perform normal functions, energy is required. The source of fuel to create this energy is the diet or, more technically, nutritional intake. One of the body's responses to poor nutrition (i.e., an inadequate fuel supply) is to conserve energy. The brain gets a biochemical message to reduce activity, and attempts to expend energy can cause increased weakness and fatigue. He could always have his vitamin levels checked out but again, with a 12 week program there really should not be a need.

With sleeplessness, he will want to really cut back the caffeine; likewise, alcohol can cause sleep disturbances so cutting back there can help too. Other herbal remedies he might want to try are Valarien and or Passion Flower. Vlaerian is a muscle relaxant but when taken just before bed time it can help ease a person to sleep. Passion Flower is mild herbal anti-anxiety/tranquilzer. The two can also be safely taken together. Further, he could try to change the timing of when he takes his medication: for insomnia, consider taking it in the morning, and for drowsiness, try taking it earlier in the evening. Do not drink or eat anything with caffeine or sugar five to seven hours before bedtime. Also try relaxing before bedtime using techniques like yoga, breathing exercises, a soothing bath, or drink a non-caffeinated tea, such as chamomile.

With respect to vivid dreams and nightmares, there have been some reports of people "controlling" the contents of their dreams by doing something relaxing or pleasant immediately before going to sleep. Now, I am familiar with this issue with the drug Sustiva. Whether the vivid dreams are the same, or a result of the same affect to the central nervous system I don't know but trying to control your dreams does seem to help many. For example, falling asleep while watching a funny TV show may produce humorous dreams, whereas reading or watching erotica before dozing off has been said to produce sexually charged dreams (not sure how much you'll appreciate that but it can be quite the experience!)

Worse comes to worse, if the side effects are just too much to handle your husband could sit down with his doctor and discuss other options. He could either drop Chantix altogether and try some other quit-smoking product or his doctor could prescribe other medications to help with the side effects. Again, the major problem with medications is that even the ones to "help" ease side effects can come with their own set to deal with.

Hope this helps.

Cheers.

P.S. Me pleasure duckygrl! If your husband is only having the issue with the dreams as a result of the meds; hopefully they will stop once he's finished with them. There may be some residual affects as it can take a bit before any medications are truly flushed out of the system. If they continue however, or become worse, he might want to discuss with his doctor about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). I only just thought of it when you mentioned in your additional information that he is a war vet. That kind of environmental shock can very easily change the brain and can set up patterns where the brain is in a state in which you "can't stop remembering."

Cheers.