Experiences using varenicline/Champix to quit vaping

[Vapeaddict]

TL;DR: tried Allen Carr. Tried patches. Tried cold turkey. Still hooked! Shall I try varenicline?

I'm really really struggling with vaping addiction. I have another thread going in chat but hoped to get some opinions/experiences specifically on using varenicline to quit, if anyone has any?

I managed to stop for about 5wks using patches then the mood dip/cravings got the better of me and I got hooked again. I thought I could have 'just a bit', 'just this evening' but I can't and now I'm on day 5 again and absolutely climbing the walls, cold turkey this time. I've lapsed today and had 1 puff- there are vapes in the house that don't belong to me so I can't throw them all away which doesn't help.

I don't have a plan for if the mood dip sets in again and overall I feel hopeless. The varenicline sounds like it could help- I'm aware there's some negative side effects but the course of tablets isn't that long? But would love to hear any stories.

Yabu- stick with cold turkey
Yanbu- try varenicline

I wouldn’t use varenicline as it has some well documented adverse mental health effects in some people. I gave up smoking three years ago using nicotine lozenges - might be worth a try.

It’s hard OP. I have no experience of the medication but the only way I’ve been able to stop is taper down the amount of nicotine I put in my vape until I no longer had any nicotine. Still not easy kicking the habit but no physical addiction to contend with!

Thank you both for replying!
@km21 I tried the lozenges too- realise I missed this in my OP- they made me feel really sick but didn't kick the craving (maybe that's the point?!) so I swapped them out for mints. The mental health angle is exactly what's putting me off.. I can cope with physical symptoms but mental stuff scares me a bit.

@Worried8263839 I agree, it is just bloody hard. I'm just trying to find the least hard way, for me! Tapering and this medication are the only two things that I haven't tried. When I first quit, I missed the habit horribly- the hand to mouth action- but I got over that and am still fine. I just crave the hit and the mood boost. I feel so much happier when I can vape and that's awful and pathetic. Maybe there isn't an answer to that?

I hear you, I love vaping! The craving and the mood boost is the nicotine addiction. Slowly tapering each time and you don’t even notice it. I still have the hand to mouth want/habit but it doesn’t make me moody/snappy like it used to when I was on 10 or 20mg of nicotine

I gave up using champix after many, many attempts of cold turkey/Allen Carr/patches etc. It was amazing for me though I did worry about the mental health side affects. Worse for me was the self loathing of not being able to quit and though I felt grim on champix the course wasn't very long and I don't think I actually finished it - 15 years ago now so can't remember - but it was incredibly effective. The hand/mouth want was something I massively struggled with every time I gave up but with champix it even got rid of that, possibly because it made me feel sick.

Yes me too unfortunately @Worried8263839 . Well I don't love IT but it chills me out. Yes I know that's because I'm satisfying a craving that I'm causing. But there comes a time when the nicotine must surely be out of my body, yet I still want to do it! This makes a lot of sense to me: "The craving and the mood boost is the nicotine addiction. Slowly tapering each time and you don’t even notice it." But I'm not sure if that's just because I'm trying to find an excuse to vape again 😞 the drop in my mood at around week 4/5 was awful, I cried so much for no real reason. I think I felt a bit hopeless that I still wanted to vape so much but wasn't "allowed".

Thank you for sharing @Entangledlife I completely relate to the self loathing. I've given myself such a hard time for failing and hate myself for wanting to go back to it. So glad it worked well for you- I've terrified myself with reading side effects and some people saying it's lasted for years. I've had a short-ish course of antidepressants before- around 3 years I think- but wouldn't say I'm prone to depression. The hand/mouth was really hard to break but I can confidently say I'm not bothered about that anymore.

Thanks for posting this OP. I'm also trying! Suspect it is very much the ritual hands to mouth for me

Best of luck @ByLimeAnt it's the hardest thing to break! I've lapsed a couple of times today but will power on tomorrow and try not to feel too bad. I've got another thread in Chat called "I'm going to quit vaping" that's got some really great advice in if it helps you!

I've been reading about an alternative to varenicline this eve call cytisine- very similar but a bit less wild side effects from what I've gathered so far. Will keep reading 🙃

I’m on week 7 (got to 5 weeks and relapsed exactly like you.

I’ve managed it using the nhs service; they’ve started me on the strongest patches with the spray and lozenge for support. 4 weeks on level 1 patches, almost finished the 4 weeks in level 2 and I’m making sure I do the 4 weeks on the lowest level.

Ive realised it’s absolutely all or nothing; so came to the conclusion I’ll never vape again. And finally, I’m all right with that.

defo consider the patches and a supplementary NRY product. And use the nhs service as the checkin calls are great for accountability

I tried the pills and nhs stop smoking service. Ironically I wanted to vape more. I used gum. I had gone on holiday to place where vaping was practically illegal so that helped.

I am now addicted to gum 2 years later. But cutting down

I used Champix. I felt no sickness or negative side effects. I felt quite relaxed from day one. I didn’t stop smoking for nearly 2 weeks but it was so easy. I stopped after 6 weeks because I wanted to give the other 6 weeks worth to my sister (she stopped as well with no problems). I had amazing vivid dreams every night while I was taking Champix. I miss the dreams! I have never even wanted to start again. My mother also succeeded in quitting with Champix.

Good luck whichever route you take getting off the vapes.

Amazing @glasshalfsomething well done on getting to week 7! That's incredible. I hadn't even considered approaching NHS for any help- I'll look into this today. I think I messed up because I did the 5wk quit using patches but got cocky and stopped using them too soon, thought i could go it alone. Evidently not 🙄 I'll see what's available in my area. I know someone who works in the stop smoking service but he's not someone I'd like to ask for help unfortunately!

@Confusedhormonal that's the worry isn't it, getting addicted to the thing that's supposed to help you quit! The lozenges were really rough on my throat and make me feel sick- are the gums any different?

Thank you @Calyx72 Champix seems to either work really well or give you horrible side effects and life long mental health problems, if Reddit is to be believed! I read about cytisine last night and it seems it's the "natural" thing that Champix is based on and side effects are less. It's expensive but it sounds promising- not sure if a 0% vape would do a similar thing though (make you not want to vape because it's not satisfying).

Sorry I know I'm way overthinking this. It's plaguing me!

If it’s plaguing you; that’s your willpower talking. It’s time to start now. Give the nhs a call today. Drop your nicotine level in your vape down as low as you can cope with. Write your list of WHY you want to do this.

you’ve got this! 💪🏼

To successfully quit , your family and friends need to support you - not have vapes in your home and not vape around you. It is far easier to stop when you don’t see the thing you crave or have access to it.

You need to give yourself some rewards too to reinforce how well you are doing . Can you put the money you would normally spend on vapes in a jar for treats?

What strength were the patches you got?
I've been trying to quit with 25mg patches i got, but realised on the first day when I had bad withdrawls that I'm probably vaping 40-60mg per day 😬 I'm now using patched with nicotine pouches for a nicotine boost when I need it.. I love vaping but been having stomach issues the last year, tried everything so now trying to stop the vaping as I've read a lot of people having stomach issues from vaping 🫣

Thanks @glasshalfsomething I think you're right, it's the willpower that's fading fast. I picked up a bottle of very low (3mg) liquid so I'm not hitting 18mg any more if/when I lapse. It's in a disgusting flavour as well so I'm hoping that's off putting in itself. I can't make any calls today as I have DC and the disappointment if they found out would be another level.. I can definitely do a list after bedtime though!

I agree @olympicsrock but I can't actually do anything about that. It's not in front of me I just know they're there! An addicts desperate brain will do anything to find a way.
I haven't done anything reward based actually, just beat myself for lapsing 🙈 I'll have a think. My vape set up was always quite cheap so financial incentives didn't work like it would with cigarettes.

I started on the strongest ones (stage 1 whatever they are?!) and did 2 weeks before moving down to stage 2. I think I only did 3 days on those before going it alone, idiotic really.
I have awful stomach issues, it's been nice to think coming off will help! I'm sure it hasn't helped my reflux.

DPs friend tried to use Champix. He then stupidly drank with it too. He had a really bad reaction with the alcohol mixed with the champix. He beat up his girlfriend (he had never shown any type of aggression to a woman before this). He went to prison. He plead guilty and genuinely felt massive guilt over it too (as he should!!). But I would never go near the stuff now because of that and I am also trying (and failing) to quit.

Good grief that's awful @Wilkarotin and exactly the kind of thing that scares me. I've read about an increase in aggression, depression and suicidal thoughts and worryingly they don't always go away when you stop the medication.

I've also read about sleep disturbance, and whilst I could probably cope with a bit of temporary insomnia, I'd hate to start sleepwalking or something, my house layout would mean it would be really dangerous and DH works away for weeks at a time so couldn't "supervise" me for want of a better word.

The cytisine doesn't seem to have as severe side effects but obviously it's all still a risk. On the other hand, I'm desperate to quit 😭

@Vapeaddict I find thr gum ok. But now I need to stop it.

25mg - first week was hard but I also had the spray - prob used it 10+ times a day and now down to 2-3. Some times not at all after 4pm.

my biggest craving time is 9pm for TV or driving home. But it’s definitely waning

I'm currently quitting again for the 3rd time 🫣 using Verenicline and my experience is exactly the same as yours - no weird side affects, amazing, sometimes hilarious dreams and I hated smoking by day 8.
I am however feeling extremely relaxed and floaty , which I don't remember feeling with Champix and I'm concerned that once that I have finished the 4 weeks, I'm going to crash. But I'll be a nonsmoker and I'm buzzing at being free 🤗.

Hope it's going well @Doingtheboxerbeat! Relaxed and floaty sounds lovely to be honest 😅 im glad the medication is working well for you, I'll try it if this attempt fails.. I decided to try tapering and have been using 3mg liquid in various hideous flavours. It was hard at first! But has genuinely got easier and I don't do it so much- mostly because it tastes like soap and is a secret. I'm moving down to 0 nicotine next week, wish me luck 🫣

Thank you 😊 and same to you.
The pills were essential as I have zero willpower and zero money to just keep burning it away - but honestly it's been a life changer already and I am absolutely not going back ever .