Varenicline and Insomnia: What Users Say (Page 3)

• LTh...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 11, 2013

Varenicline for Smoking Cessation "I went on Chantix, and I have been smoke-free for 8 months. I have not even cheated, nor do I have any desire to smoke now or ever again. I have tried many times to quit, but this is truly the best product out there to quit. You must want to quit. I dealt with a bit of insomnia and some nausea. However, if you truly want to quit, you will deal with your 'side effects' for the 3 months. I did and am so glad and proud. Thank you, Chantix."

• jsj...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 1, 2018

Varenicline for Smoking Cessation "I've been on Champix since November 6, 2016, and not had a cigarette since the beginning of December-not a full one either, as I had to put it out halfway due to the awful taste and felt sick. Yes, they are fantastic at stopping you from smoking, which I did for 37 years on and off, as nothing worked as well as these do. But the sickness, headaches, itchy eyes, and skin, and sleepless nights are really a big problem for me and have been since Day 1. I have asked my nurse if I can reduce my dose from 1 mg twice daily to 0.5 mg twice daily due to the side effects, but she wants me to persevere a few weeks longer. I also have raised blood sugars, being diabetic, and although struggling with the Champix severely, I have cut down to 1 mg once daily, and it's worked."

• Anonymous
• March 22, 2010

Varenicline for Smoking Cessation "I have just started week 3 and still continue to smoke. I have no real desire to quit other than to be healthier for my children. During week one, I noticed my smoking decreased from around a pack a day to a half pack a day. Week two, I still had some urge to smoke but could not stand more than 3 cigarettes per day. I just started week three and so far have not had a desire to smoke. This drug really works, and I think if there is some willpower and want to succeed in place, it works very well. Another plus to this medication is it reduces my desire to eat as well, so far I have lost 6 pounds. The negatives... trouble sleeping, nausea, constipation, fatigue."

• Som...
• October 4, 2017

Varenicline for Smoking Cessation "I used Chantix for about 2 weeks, and the side effects were horrible: depression, insomnia, anxiety, etc. But it did get me to quit smoking. You could attribute those symptoms to quitting, since they are common symptoms of stopping smoking, but I will nip that argument in the bud. I was an emotional wreck, barely able to function at all. Cold turkey wouldn't be as intense as what I experienced on Chantix. I would recommend Chantix as a last resort for anyone wanting to quit smoking."

• ang...
• June 23, 2010

Varenicline for Smoking Cessation "Started smoking when I was 18 and have smoked a pack a day for 17 years. NEVER thought I would be able to stop. Well, I have with Chantix. I quit on my quit day and haven't looked back. Started running to fill the downtime. I am on the second week, which is 2 blue pills a day, but only did that for 2 days. Currently on 1 pill as I did have trouble falling asleep. That has been my only side effect. No nausea and no nightmares, but I do have VERY vivid dreams, which I actually enjoy. This is a miracle drug for me. I wish it could work for everyone like it is working for me."

• Geo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 2, 2021

Varenicline for Smoking Cessation "I was on a 3-month course, after 35 years of smoking. Followed instructions and dosage, didn't want another ciggie after 12 days. The only side effect I experienced was a few restless nights. I'm now 7 years a non-smoker. It's weird, I love the smell of a cigarette but am not tempted in the slightest."

• Sie...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 7, 2015

Varenicline for Smoking Cessation "To start off with, I'm 22 and have been a smoker since I was about 13. Started off at about half a pack a day, then throughout the years ended up smoking a pack a day. I watched my grandma, who was really close to me, die of emphysema and COPD, she had quit on Chantix at least three times and swore by it. I started taking this medicine on May 10th, 2015, and started out okay. A week into it, I started having horrible dreams, couldn't sleep, and got sick to my stomach every time I ate, and it gave me diarrhea. This did nothing for me except give my cigarettes a bad taste. They also had the same effect on my husband. This isn't for everyone, and my experience was awful. I still smoke today. I will look into other options eventually. But not this!"

• rya...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 25, 2022

For Smoking Cessation "I took it and it worked great, but I didn't sleep for nine days. On the ninth day, I thought I was having a heart attack and started feeling suicidal. Please, if you're thinking about taking this, don't. The people making this don't care about you. They're just after that money."

• jes...
• August 23, 2009

Varenicline for Smoking Cessation "I, like many others, did not do my research on Chantix before beginning my prescription. The first week was easy. By day 10, I had a series of major health concerns. I am diagnosed bipolar and was not notified of the increased side effects of anyone with a mental illness. I experienced rapid heartbeat, low blood pressure, fainting, blackouts, nausea, dizziness, shaking, major anxiety attacks, loss of sleep, etc. I must add, I've quit smoking cold turkey before for long lengths of time and NEVER felt these effects!"

• ORE...
• November 8, 2008

Varenicline for Smoking Cessation "I have smoked cigarettes off and on for over 40 years. I started taking Chantix on September 28, 2008. Haven't had a cigarette since October 1. I was hesitant about quitting, as last time I gained 20 pounds. This time I have had no weight gain, however, I have been walking a couple of miles each day and using an exercise bike for about an hour each day. I have experienced vivid dreams, but nothing disturbing. Have had no trouble falling asleep, but I do get up during the night to urinate, which is something new. I even went to a casino and sat next to smokers with absolutely no urge to smoke. I think Chantix is a lifesaver for me."

• Cak...
• November 9, 2017

Varenicline for Smoking Cessation "On day 6. So far, so good. The only side effect that I seem to be having is disturbed sleep. This is relative to other factors, as I've had a few ridiculously early starts for work. My weekly average is about 10% less sleep than normal (Fitbit). My dreams are slightly more vivid, but not nightmarish. Grumpiness seems to be underlying most days, but I work with the general public, so that could just be normal, and I'm suddenly more aware of it due to keeping an eye on my mood because of the tablets. I cut down from 20 a day to 10 after 3 days. Yesterday, I smoked 7. Today, the smell of cigarettes and smoke is noxious. I'm at the point of washing everything I own just to get rid of the smell. Luckily, I never smoked inside my home."

• Anonymous
• November 14, 2009

Varenicline for Smoking Cessation "I am a 25-year-old female, smoked for about 7 years, up to about a pack a day. I'm nearing the end of my third week on Chantix and smoking about one a day. Only the physical addiction still tempts me, the actual act of lighting, holding, and inhaling a cigarette. The chemical dependency/cravings are completely gone. If I don't see cigarettes, I don't think about them and haven't bought a pack in over 2 weeks. When I do give in and smoke, the experience is hardly pleasant, and I rarely make it through a whole cigarette. I highly recommend this drug if you are serious about quitting and don't intend my list of side effects to deter anyone from trying: restless sleep/vivid dreams, cases of 'the blues', extreme nausea. All very much worth it."

• Kiw...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 5, 2016

Varenicline for Smoking Cessation "Now onto Week 5 of non-smoking with Champix. Have tried many cessation tools (patches, etc.), but this has been the best for controlling urges to smoke easier. However, side effects for me have been crazy, so will be stopping the course early. The side effects include insomnia, tiredness, lucid dreams, lethargy, swollen legs and ankles, sore feet, constipation, nausea, and mood swings that feel more in line with bipolar depression/quick to anger/anxiety/frustration. More than the usual nicotine withdrawal-associated symptoms."

• Ark...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 18, 2023

Varenicline for Smoking Cessation "I took a different route than recommended. I stopped with NRT (patches, lozenges, inhaler) but was still craving really bad. I called my doctor and asked for a Chantix Rx and started taking it at the end of week 6-OMG, what a difference. Within 2 days, I was off NRT and my cravings have become much easier to manage. I've had a little trouble sleeping, but it far outweighs the risks of smoking, and I've also had unusual dreams (maybe 6 in total I can remember)-they are all of me in smoking situations, BUT I never light up, and in the latest one, I was actually people were smoking. I call that progress! While it may not be for everyone-it's working for me."

• Anonymous
• February 24, 2010

Varenicline for Smoking Cessation "Four weeks on Chantix worked. I stopped taking the drug a week ago and still don't have the desire to smoke. I definitely experienced nausea and have had the worst sleep of my life over the last month. I had a hard time falling asleep and an even harder time staying asleep. Another side effect has been weight gain. Over the course of the last 18 years, I've gained 25 pounds, and 15 of that 25 has been in the last 4 weeks! Lastly, I (and those around me) have noticed that I'm extremely irritable and aggressive. In my first couple of days off the meds, I felt depression like I never have and was even more irritable. The weight gain still continues."

• lad...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 19, 2015

Varenicline for Smoking Cessation "It's amazing what this medicine does! I have been a smoker for 15-16 years. I was up to a pack a day easily. I'm on week 3 and have already quit smoking! I don't get the dreams others talk about, mine are just normal. I was kind of wanting the dreams as I don't dream much, lol. My only side effect to report is I do wake up in the middle of the night only once, though, and I'm able to go right back to sleep. I quit in 2007 with the patch, and let me tell you, Chantix is way easier! My insurance paid my RX 100%, which was a wonderful surprise at checkout. If you have tried it all and weren't able to quit, you really should try Chantix! Why? Because it works! Get your life back, get your money back too. Happy quitting!"

• Jes...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 27, 2016

Varenicline for Smoking Cessation "Horrible! I have been a smoker for 14 years. I tried Chantix, and the dreams are so bad I didn't sleep but an hour or so a day for 21 days before going crazy from sleep deprivation. I attempted to harm myself multiple times, lost my job and boyfriend, I had to send my kids off because I feared what I might do. I trusted nobody because I feared they were all out to get me. I couldn't breathe, my whole left side went numb for a week. This medication ruined my life, and I'm still a smoker (which I feel safer doing)."

• Anonymous
• February 21, 2010

Varenicline for Smoking Cessation "Although I have tried nearly every quit-smoking method out there, Chantix was the only thing that has actually worked for me. I took it for one month and then decided there was no need to renew the prescription. The biggest negatives for me were increased urination, difficulty falling asleep, waking up during the night, anxiety, irritability, and weight gain of about 6 pounds. The weight gain was very sudden at the start of taking the prescription and was very odd because I am a distance runner and am very conscious of calories in vs. calories out. Now that I've stopped taking the drug, I'm still struggling to get off these last few pounds, but I'm much less irritable, am sleeping better, and still have no desire to smoke. :)"

• Anonymous
• February 21, 2010

Varenicline for Smoking Cessation "Although I have tried nearly every quit-smoking method out there, Chantix was the only thing that has actually worked for me. I took it for one month and then decided there was no need to renew the prescription. The biggest negatives for me were increased urination, difficulty falling asleep, waking up during the night, anxiety, irritability, and weight gain of about 6 pounds. The weight gain was very sudden at the start of taking the prescription and was very odd because I am a distance runner and am very conscious of calories in vs. calories out. Now that I've stopped taking the drug, I'm still struggling to get off these last few pounds, but I'm much less irritable, am sleeping better, and still have no desire to smoke. :)"

• Ell...
• January 18, 2019

Varenicline for Smoking Cessation "Don't play Russian roulette with your brain. I took this thinking it was a miracle and experienced throwing up with no warning, even while driving a car. Really dark, horrific dreams that were very vivid. Deep depression, anxiety, feelings of dread that were so bad I couldn't face another day, insomnia that lasted for 8 weeks before being put on Xanax, Trazodone, and Citalopram, all prescribed the same day as my doctor didn't recognize me. I couldn't perform the simplest tasks at my job and having panic attacks that would put me over the edge. This medication should not be for sale. It ruins your brain. Don't let this drug take away all the good things in life just to get rid of one bad habit."

• Anonymous
• October 12, 2009

Varenicline for Smoking Cessation "I am on my second try with Chantix. The first time I was doing great, although I had some nausea, but when I switched to the 1 mg, I felt like I was taking a placebo, and I started smoking more than I had before. This time my doctor is only giving me the 0.5 mg. The nausea seems worse this time, and I can't sleep. My eye starts to twitch out of nowhere. I am clenching my jaw all day, and I feel 'fuzzy.' This has got to get better."

• Ker...
• November 16, 2010

Varenicline for Smoking Cessation "Chantix was a 'miracle drug' for me. I smoked one pack a day for 15 years. With Chantix, I was able to quit after many previous attempts. There were some side effects, but nothing that was too bad, you do get nauseous if you don't take it with food, but it passes in about a half hour, and I did have some trouble sleeping while taking it. I would absolutely recommend it to everyone that wants to quit. Don't let the bad things you hear about it discourage you from taking it. Trust me, I have watched too many loved ones suffer through the side effects of chemo, radiation, and knowing you have caused yourself to get terminal cancer. You will have bad dreams for sure when you think about having to tell your children that you are going to die. Try it."

• ex ...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 12, 2016

Varenicline for Smoking Cessation "I started Champix mid-November 2015 and have been smoke-free for over 3 weeks now. I was a regular smoker for 40 years, and now this is the end of my smoking career. While the product works very well for me, I do find no energy, bloated, gassy, and no sleep at night. Also, my appetite has changed a lot, and my eating habits have improved as well, no sugars or fatty foods as cravings have dropped. A good way to lose weight. Dropped 6 kg in 1 month. Will now see how it will be once I stop the medication in mid-February. Best choice ever made."

• Son...
• December 3, 2009

Varenicline for Smoking Cessation "Smoker of 35 years. 2 packs a day the past 2 years. This product definitely curbed the urge enough to help get me off of them. Did experience nausea and diarrhea the first 2 days. Then trouble sleeping. LOTS of trouble sleeping, still on the pill (1 month now) and averaging 3-3.5 hours a day at most, but WORTH losing the habit. Rated this drug a 9 only because of the sleeping side effect. It WORKS."

• Anonymous
• October 10, 2010

Varenicline for Smoking Cessation "I am on day 7. My husband and I are on it together. He smokes two packs a day, I smoke just under one. We are having trouble falling and staying asleep at night, hope this will stop. Thinking about maybe taking the second pill earlier, maybe around dinner. The nausea is bad for the both of us, but it's worth every side effect if it means we will be non-smokers. The phentermine helps me with the energy in the morning, and hopefully, I won't gain weight. The only odd thing I am finding is that I have to eat good because when I try to eat junk food or fast food, I get sick. Hoping it gets better."