Chantix / Smoking / Looking forward to living

So I think this is my first post. I have been a member of tudiabetes for over 6 years and during that time I have been less than a role model for diabetics. My wife and I have recently decided that we wanted to have a family. This is over 10 years of us saying no to kids because our lives seemed so much more important. With success professionally I started to ask why I was working so hard to make money if ultimately there would be not one other than my wife to share it with. After long discussions we decided to start a family.

Ok, that is the short version of the back story. So I have decided that if I am going to have a family I would like to live to see them. So I went from no diabetes management to lets actually try. With that I thought that I would hit the big ones first... Smoking really is not a good habit to have and I have tried to stop before but with no help. So I decided to get a doctor again (yep went a few years without one) and get my prescriptions filled. With that I requested a prescription for Chantix.

At first I was AMAZED at the results. During week one I went to a bar with a co-worker and while he was smoking away I really didn't care. So I continue down the path with no real side effects. Then we hit week two...

Week two: I start to get agitated with my employee's when I typically would be able to work through the aggravation. I really didn't notice it as I was realizing that their behavior was loosing the company thousands of dollars. So I didn't think much of it... Then we hit week three...

Week three: So it doesn't take much to aggravate me now. My best friend and I went to a convention to do some work. I became so frustrated with him that I blew up on him on the convention floor. I justified my response as I have an obligation to my company to make sure our time is spent well but it was a bit out of character for me. I have worked hard to not have an explosive personality as I grew up with that and it was just unacceptable to me. Then we hit week four...

Week four: So I am just now finishing week four and have some concerns... I am very blessed that my wife is willing to work with me as wee own a small company. That being said I came unglued on her a few days ago... Again I want to point out that my Wife and I are trying to have a child and that I have worked very hard my whole life to not be aggressive as I grew up with that. Now at the time I justified my actions as her behavior was loosing the company customers and money... :( Yep important but... Not what I want to do to my wife. There are better ways...

So at the tail end of week four I am realizing that I have some serious road rage. Almost to the point of me stopping on the road and getting out of my vehicle for a confrontation... Yep was seriously thinking of getting into a fight over someone passing me on the freeway... Forced ahead of them and then slowed down to 20 MPH to taunt them.

Now here is the responsible action I should take... Call my Dr. get off the drugs and think about other methods to quit smoking. Responsible but not sure I want to do it as I am uncomfortable with the potential outcome.

I am afraid if I do that I may not be able to quit. Right now my wife is out of town on some family business and will not be back for a few weeks. I am thinking that maybe I can get this anger thing under-control while I work through my cravings for smoking...

Anyone else out there that is pushing the edge to be healthy and is not sure what the right decision is? I want to be healthy for my family but I really don't want to get arrested for fighting on the street or mess up my family by yelling at my wife... Confused and not sure what I should do... Does the anger pass because I know the chantix is working for me to stop smoking...

I am on Chantix right now to quit, so far though i have not had any side effects like you. but i am also only on week to.

Hi Jeffrey!

That's Great that you want to quit smoking and I know that it is harder than heck to quit.

I was wondering if you checked your blood sugar level when you had these angry episodes? Lows can cause irritation and angry reactions to what another person may say or do.

Otherwise, although you probably know the possible side effects of Chantix here
is a review from the FDA which sounds similar to what you are going through.

http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm088569.pdf

Sometimes a person who is quitting smoking needs to do things different like chew gum when they get the urge for a cigarette, drink water daily, stay away from friends who smoke(for a while, not forever), change situations where/when they used to smoke even taking a different route to work, drinking a different coffee, having a glass of wine instead of beer, going to non-smoking lounge,get into a new hobby or a sport where smoking isn't included, hypnosis,get to know new friends who don't smoke, volunteer a couple hours a week to get away from the usual, also and so on.

I wish you much luck and best wishes with your new and important goal. If you start again then try over and over til you hit the right time that will be your success. It's well worth your time, pain and effort!!

Wow that some more rage you have going on. I would wonder if the Chantix is worth it. I don't wish to discourage you from quitting smoking. Quitting was the best and hardest thing I have ever done but it was well worth it.

I quit 25 years ago. I did it cold turkey which I think is the best way. I tried the nicotine gum but as soon as I stopped it I was back to smoking.

Most people that successfully stop smoking start and restart numerous times before they are successful. The important thing is to not give up.

Motivation is a key element. I was never able to quit until I wanted to. Quitting to please someone else didn't work for me. I managed to quit when I finally decided to quit for me. I was motived to quit because I was having terrible breathing problems. After quitting every time I wanted a smoke my mantra became "Do you want to breath or do you want to smoke". Breathing won out every time. My question to you is, Do you want to smoke or do you wish to have children and see them grown?

If you choose to continue with the Chantix I do suggest that you talk with your doctor about the side effects you are having. The kind of rage you describe can ruin relationships both personal and business.

I smoked for 14 years about a pack a day. Couldn't breathe, was diagnosed with bronchitis. Took antibiotics, still sick(even though antibiotics have always started clearing me up within 2 days)went back to Dr. got more antibiotics. Ended up at the emergency room, my lungs were full of water. I was only 30 years old. After some testing found out I was in heart failure. So, because of smoking, and diabetes at the age of 30 I have heart disease. That year I had a triple bypass. Smoked all the way up to the hospital doors. It was about a year that I didn't smoke, then I started again. This time I could not quit. My Dr. prescribed Chantix. Had absolutely no side affects. My husband was still smoking. 2 packs a day for 20 years, he got on Chantix and had no problems either. We call it the miracle drug. I stopped smoking again in 2006. My point to this long tale is it's so important to quit smoking. I never heard of rage being a side affect, but it's probably best to talk to your Dr. Don't give up on trying to quit. good luck to you!