I have lived with pretty crippling anxiety my entire life. I have tried some anti-depressants and never liked the side effects, especially if I missed a dose. I have been taking Chantix for 2 1/2 weeks now. I can't recall a time in my life where I have seen this clear. I see a bigger picture, and I can communicate. Has anyone else with an anxiety issue see big changes like this? I can explain in more detail if needed(for the first time in my life!).
Chantix - Fixed my anxiety?
Question posted by buddy_jesus on 9 Feb 2014
Last updated on 4 October 2020
The information on this page reflects personal experiences shared by our community members. It is not reviewed for medical accuracy and should not replace professional medical advice.
56 Answers
Inactive
30 Sep 2020
What is it with you people? This is not a miracle drug! Everyone wants a quick fix! There are side effects with every medication. The only way to quit cigarettes, permanently, is to finally put them down. No patches, no pills, no tapering down. Chantix is a powerful medication which can eventually spiral you down into a deep depression when taken long term. Doctors know this, and they prescribe short term. Discuss this with your doctor. Don't risk it. Been there...
WildcatVet
30 Sep 2020
@GMc,
Agreed! Well said and to the point.
BTW, it's good to see you, old friend.
Inactive
4 Oct 2020
Good to see you too, WCV! Hope this finds you well and staying safe.
Inactive
4 Oct 2020
@ WildCatVet: Good to see you too. Stay safe. Take care.
wwwBob
30 Sep 2020
This is an update to my Feb 24/20 post: After unsuccessfully trying other ssri’s I have come to the conclusion they make me worse. So August 30th I dumped ssri’s and switched back to .5mg chantix in the morning, and this time also added .5mg Rexulti at night. It’s my 1st time trying Rexulti, I liked the mechanism by which it is thought to work and it was doing positive things for a friend. Rexulti affects dopamine apparently, as I believe Chantix does, and I believe that is my key, not seratonin.
In short, I have never been better, and both the drugs I am taking are in tiny doses. It is like the clouds cleared. I have energy, feel fine when I wake in the morning, and am back to enjoying the things in life that historically made me happy before depression. Not saying this will work for everyone, but I thought I’d post because I have found something that works for my treatment resistant depression - so far anyways. It’s early, but I hope it lasts. I will update in a few months because we Chantix believers need to stick together! I hope this helps somebody because I know what it is like to live in hell. Hang in there if you are suffering, you will find something.
Inactive
30 Sep 2020
Stay on Chantix on an indefinite amount of time, and, if you think you know now what hell is like, then just wait! Chantix will take you to a place you have never been before! Why do you think that Chantix is only prescribed for a short period of time? Over a long period of time, it will make your anxiety and depression significantly worse than you ever had initially. Talk to your doctor before deciding to medicate yourself with this medication.
Laurieo
6 May 2020
The enjoyable side effects stop after about a month.
Tolerance.
I had to switch to a near cousin pharmaceutical and I no longer enjoy feeling better than normal. Now I’m back to myself only more able to function like other people.
There are serious reasons to why Chantix is not prescribed long term. I’m not convinced, but I started getting crap about my “smoking” again, too.
Zyban has been practically identical. But. Don’t step down from Chantix and THEN try antidepressants. The Chantix at max dose is helpful for switching meds that were too strong for me on past tries. The switch from full dose Chantix to normal dose of zyban was unremarkable and I did much better tolerating an antidepressant for the first time in my life at age 50 plus!
Skylark9999
5 May 2020
I used Champix 7 years ago to quit smoking. It worked- no major side effects. In fact it seemed to help me with PTSD and OCD symptoms. I was already taking a cocktail of antidepressants and was well stabilized. Fast forward to three months ago. I was experiencing some mild depression and some intense binge eating. I did some research and found out that this can be a manifest of OCD. The intense, intrusive thoughts of food cravings that dont go away even if given into. In desperation I acquired some Champix under the guise of wanting to quit smoking. It is working. I t is helping with general anxiety, much fewer intrusive thoughts in general including food and sugar cravings. It feels like it is blunting the dopamine response to food. It isnt acting like an appetite suppressent... it is just blunting the emotional response so I can actually choose what to eat.
I am wondering if it has something to with the fact that I also take low dose ADHD meds and antidepressants. I started with just 0.5 mg per day of the Chantix in the morning and Im going to stay on this dose. The only side effects I have had are a little bit of tiredness and a bit of a headache, but it is worth it. I did try to take it before bed once and I will never do that again. My only problem now is trying to figure out how to get it prescribed long term. My doctor is great, but asking her to prescribe something that has no researched evidence for this off-label use could be tricky. I am very grateful to have found this forum. Champix gets such a bad rap and I feel my experience has been validated.
Laurieo
24 Feb 2020
This topic is fascinating. Unfortunately, we all really are trying to exist without as much difficulty.
I also wanted to stay on Chantix and my dr insisted on only the 4 months. I waited until the following year and tried the Chantix again and it was a miracle again. It stopped helping and began causing me problems at that 4th month. That’s why I made the lateral switch from Chantix to a “safe” antidepressant. I can tell that I’m doing better, but I still have signs of depression that are as if I am not taking anything for my depression. I suspect that I suffered more than I realized because even with my bad days, I am able to do more life than before. Chantix really inspired me to TRY AGAIN with meds. That was a miracle! The Chantix absolutely does have a “safe window” of time where it’s a great time! I never knew life could be like that EVER.
But I’m glad y’all are respecting the possible side effects of long term use.
Less IS more with all of these medications. Congratulations on your hard work trying to overcome a very debilitating health condition. It’s invisible and invalidated often and we ARE SURVIVORS.
hev548
24 Feb 2020
I really would like you to exsplain in more detail , as that’s very interesting to me , until u have just said , I never actually noticed myself and my clarity from my anxious episodes. I take propranolol . Beta blockers for my panic attacks but yep . Since I started champix to stop smoking I have chilled out . But I guess the doctors would say that’s because cigarettes make ur heart beat faster giving u anxiety? So ?? But interesting to see how others are on it too
J1998
24 Feb 2020
I hear you. You give me hope with your story. I am currently having an anxiety attack and it is crippling. The pins and needles feeling and overwhelming fear. I Just took a klonopin, the dissolvable kind and I’m still anxious. I am also on trazodone at night time. Have you ever tried these? I’m nervous about taking my trazodone because I just took a klonopin. Any suggestions?
Ghostgirl2
24 Feb 2020
Today is rough. I took a klonopin too. And a chantix. I can't take trazodone. No clue of interference.
I just off of tramadol for a back and neck injury (was assaulted), and even though I'm in a lot of physical pain, I'm not as depressed.
We can't mess around with these drugs. They do influence how we feel.
wwwBob
24 Feb 2020
I developed morning depression approximately two years ago out of the blue. I was not on any drugs at the time and rarely drink alcohol or had any significant negative events in my life. It just started. It gradually became worse until it was effectively all day depression coupled with anxiety. I tried SSRIs and bupropion, neither worked.
In desperation, I asked my doctor to prescribe Chantix based on a memory from all the way back in 2011 when I used it to quit a nicotine habit. I recall how well I felt during the time I was on the Chantix and I have never taken nicotine again since quitting with Chantix in 2011. My doctor prescribed it for me and it was a miracle. Within 24 hours my depression and anxiety disappeared. It stayed that way for 4 to 5 months and then I noticed the effects started to wear off and I begin to notice the depression creeping back in the mornings.
I stopped the Chantix and the depression did slowly return over time just like the first time when I was on no medications. I again tried other types of drugs, SSRIs mainly and an SNRI. Neither worked, In fact they made me worse. After struggling to find something else for about 3 to 4 months, I tried Chantix again, and again it worked immediately and I got another 4 to 5 months of feeling absolutely great and on top of the world. This past winter the positive effects began to wear off again, so I stopped the Chantix again. That was in December, it is now the end of February and I am still struggling trying to find another medication that will work. Failing that, I plan to start Chantix one more time and hope it works the same miracle, even if it is short term, as it appears to be the only thing I can find that does work.
This is a slight variation to the experiences I have read in this thread with respect to it working twice for me. I have not had any serious side effects from stopping and starting, vivid dreams being the most noticeable when I am taking Chantix, and in fact it is quite easy to stop and the positive effects are immediate upon starting for me. I find this thread very interesting and look forward to others perspectives so I can try get a better understanding of it. It is still is my best miracle worker for both depression and anxiety and I cannot find a long term replacement to date.
wwwBob
29 Sep 2020
Update: after unsuccessfully trying other ssri’s I have come to the conclusion they make me worse. August 30th I switched to .5mg chantix in the morning, .5mg Rexulti at night. 1st time trying Rexulti, I liked the mechanism by which it is thought to work and it was doing positive things for a friend. It affects dopamine apparently, as I believe Chantix does, and I believe that is my key, not seratonin.
I have never been better. It is like the clouds cleared. I have energy, feel fine when I wake in the morning, and am back to enjoying the things in life that historically made me happy before depression. Not saying this will work for everyone, but thought I’d post because I have found something that works for my treatment resistant depression - so far anyways. It s early, I hope it lasts. I will update in a few months because we Chantix believers need to stick together! Hang in there if you are suffering, you will find something.
Ghostgirl2
23 Feb 2020
I think it's not prescribed for depression because it works for smoking, and that brings in more financial return.
I go on and off chantix all the time. Usually just take one pill a day when I'm on it, for maintenance. I think it does work as an antidepressant, but I haven't had any side effects coming off of it, except for wanting to smoke.
Laurieo
23 Feb 2020
Unfortunately. In my experience - the weight gain is from quitting the nicotine and unrelated to the Chantix. I’ve put on about 20 lbs and that’s more than I ever have gained in my 55 years on earth. I got put on a similar antidepressant to the Chantix and it’s still helping my anxiety, depression but not helping me get the weight off and the cravings are awful!
I’m in YEAR 2 of quitting vaping and I’m still glad to have that behind me. Best of luck with your journey!
Scout247
23 Feb 2020
Yes! My anxiety completely disappeared. I found that I wasn't needing to drink more than a glass or two of wine because I was using alcohol to self medicate for the anxiety. I was able to sleep without it! I loved the crazy dreams. However, after staying on Chantix way longer than the prescribed time (my doctor saw no harm in it), I noticed I was really starting to gain weight, so I came off of it. The anxiety came roaring back with a vengeance, way worse than ever before. And of course, I started to smoke again. I am now considering taking Chantix again to quit smoking. But I am worried about the anxiety getting bad like before. I'm thinking if I just stay on it for the prescribed time, it won't be so bad.
twogingers
5 Jan 2020
To update everyone. I was on Chantix for about 3 years for my anxiety. I'm now convinced that there are good reasons why this drug is intended only for short term use. Its list of side effects is long and scary and I was unfortunate enough to suffer many of them when it seemed to "go bad" somehow as far as how it affected my brain, including many cognitive and memory issues, and am following up with a neurologist to make sure I don't have any permanent damage. I strongly recommend staying away from this as a long term treatment for anxiety.
Laurieo
5 Jan 2020
I just explained my results earlier today and over the past year or so.
The feeling you are enjoying is temporary - enjoy! And read posts from earlier today please
cookie2026
5 Jan 2020
Yes I had the same thing happen. My head is clear. Anxiety level is diminished. I was amazed. I don't get stuck in my head nearly as much. I just wish they knew more about effects of long term use on the body and brain. I could stay on it forever.
ElenaP
5 Jan 2020
I have never taken antidepressants before. But I was abusing alcohol and from what I understand now I was depressed and ungry. Since I started Chantix I feel exactly as you have described. You could not have put it in better words. I have never felt better in my skin.
Laurieo
5 Jan 2020
I found that the Chantix really helped my clinical depression. So instead of weaning off Chantix, while I was at the largest dose, I switched to zyban and am having much better results tolerating the zyban AND IT’S for DEPRESSION and it’s safe for Long Term Use. That clarity and feeling “happy” and “high but not” wears off whether you switch or not. I was unable to tolerate zyban when I weaned off Chantix first. Make the jump from full dose Chantix to a depression medication for better results in the long term. I’m finally living a “normal” life after 50 years of misery. Good luck!
Related topics
chantix, anxiety, generalized anxiety disorder, side effect, dosage, antidepressant
Further information
- Chantix uses and safety info
- Chantix prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Chantix (detailed)
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