Chantix while undergoing chemo???PLEASE HELP

[kathiconway]

Please help. I had URL removed due to adenocarcinoma in May, continued on Chantix stopped smoking. I was lucky as my stage was !B. If there is a such thing as a lucky cancer pateint. Although, when I go for my weekly treaments, I sometimes feel guilty, as so many are so fighting just to stya alive..... Then there is me.....But since both of my parents had the same operation for the same thing, same lung, My ONC and I decided to do chemo as a trial, as they could not find any information for someone my age, type and all. Somedays I really regret choosing this option. As somedays I know I will surely not make it through the day. I am a single woman 50 now. I have chemo of Platinol which I think is Cisplatin) and Navelbine every week. This is the horrible part......I started smoking after going off the Chantix. I am well aware of the fact that I am playing with fire. I also truely believe I would not be as sick from the chemo if I didn't smoke. I have asked my ONC if I can take Chantix again during chemo....he doesn't have that information. Pfiser who makes chantix also does not have that information. Can ANYONE tell me...........have you taken Chantix during Chemo??? I need help. Everyone says that I am the strongest woman that they have ever known......HA....then why am I smoking.. I need help, if anyone has anything they can tell me.

[Calintay]

Well first just cause you smoke does not mean you are not strong. It is an addicition. I have no advice for you but I will pray for you that you are able to quit!

[jstdzy]

Kathy,

I would ask Dr. West over at gracecancer.org. I too am one of the very lucky and I don't fall in to any set of particular patients. I smoked for 37 years and quit the day of my ULL. I was taking Chantix at the time, but I quit taking it before chemo. I quit, you can quit. It is an addiction and it soothes your nerves. You are NOT a loser and you are NOT weak and you do NOT have anything to be ashamed of! You need to talk to a pharmacist, try calling the pharmacist where you get your chemo done. See if they know, they will if anybody does. Half the battle of not smoking is wanting to quit and it sounds to me like you really want to quit! Keep us posted!

Dana

[kathiconway]

Thank you for the support. I did talk to pharmist where I do chemo. He gave me the dame answers. I am just going to TRY to lay them down... Wish me luck.

[Barb73]

Hi Kathi,

You are more than halfway there to THE QUIT when you express the desire. That's how I finally did it. It has no relation to whether or not you are strong. The damned things are an addiction - plain and not-so-simple.

I am a powerhouse, but had the darndest time trying to get off the cigarettes. Took me many tries over the years.

What did it for me was NOT advised for those going through chemo - nicotine gum. Nicotine can have a negative effect on the chemo.

Sorry not to have the answers on the Chantix, but according to anything I have read about chemo effects, not having nicotine helps with quelling side effects.

Wishing you much good luck on your QUIT. My sister did it cold turkey after seeing her Xrays 12 years ago. She hasn't had lung cancer, but had a collapsed lung and has had very weak lungs with quite a bit of scarring.

Her breathing improved greatly after the quit.

Barbara

[Patti B]

Hi Kathi-

I agree with Dana - go over to www.cancergrace.com and ask Dr. West. If anyone knows, he will.

You are certainly not a loser or weak at all!!! Its hard enough to quit but when we are diagnosed by lung cancer, the anxieties involved make it even harder to quit. If I had not become pregnant with my son 18 years ago, I would probably still be smoking.

I am wishing you luck both with the quitting of smoking and with your chemo.

Please keep us updated.

Hugs - Patti B.