New Side Effect

Day 20
Cigarettes Today (or since my last post): 0
Chantix Side Effects (on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the worst): 10
Mood: Determined at work, tired at home
Cigarettes NOT Smoked Since Quit Date: 400

What I did today instead of smoking:

1. Joined co-worker in back while he had a cigarette. I realized that he and I hadn't really talked since I quit. Good news: he is quitting March 1! Woohoo... smoker revolution!
2. Called my Auntie Aye!
3. Listened to my old boss tell a story about back in the day when my high school was a drug dealing mecca. He was there during that time.
4. Wore a Snuggie to the Taco Bell drive thru (I never said I was proud of any of these things).
5. Laughed at my cat Peanut playing dead.

I've found certain joys in quitting smoking that I never really noticed before. For instance, warm feels cozier and food tastes better (that's a given). Laughing feels funnier. Maybe it's the Chantix, but I like it. I like being a non-smoker.

What I do not like about Chantix (read this past blog post if you're curious how Chantix works to help you quit smoking), is a new side effect that I experienced last night. Normally, Chantix makes you feel sleepy, so taking it right before bed is no big deal. And, by the time you would normally start to feel nauseous, you're already asleep. It's really a win/win!

But last night, when paired with a Large Diet Coke in the afternoon and a Diet Mountain Dew with dinner, my Chantix got angry. I fell asleep as usual, and then was awakened shortly thereafter burning up and with the worst stomach ache! My mind was racing and I could not get comfortable or fall back asleep for what seemed like eternity. I'm not positive it was the caffeine, but I don't normally have a problem falling asleep or staying asleep, so I think that might be it!