Life Spugs because...

WhitBloke · 30 August, 2012, 08:48:32 PM

Jeuzius! Awful indeed, and such a distressing frustration for you on top, I'm sure. Such a damnable thing to experience or discover precisely when you should have been able to concentrate on the prospective good news of an MRI result for your pains.
Still, I am relieved to hear they responded to your pressing of the emergency button in what I hope was (but am pretty sure can't have felt like) short order.
You should certainly be proud of yourself for not falling back on the fags, I know I would have and I don't even have the strength (or wit) to give up anyway. Good to hear, that part of it, so I hope from that you're now feeling the flashbacks to earlier receding into a far less uncomfortable distance.

Very best of luck arranging that open MRI (superb insider intel from Dandontdare there!) to get those sodding pains and aches sorted out with the least delay, discomfort or fussery.

Dandontdare · 30 August, 2012, 08:49:16 PM

another option is to request sedation. I should say that my professional experience is with private healthcare, so I don't know if you can get all that easilly on the NHS or if there'd be a long wait involved - worth asking though.

And I feel for you on the fags - I was 6 years clean (after 20 blissful smokey years) and had a 3 month lapse last summer, and 4 months this summer - 4 days clean again now and it's just as hard as first time. Idiot. Where's mi patches?

I'd not heard of Chantix, but I'd take care - from wiki:

Adverse effects

Nausea occurs commonly in people taking varenicline. Other less common side effects include headache, difficulty sleeping, and abnormal dreams. Rare side effects reported by people taking varenicline compared to placebo include change in taste, vomiting, abdominal pain, flatulence, and constipation. In a recent meta-analysis paper by Leung et al, it has been estimated that for every 5 subjects taking varenicline at maintenance doses (1mg twice daily), there will be an event of nausea, and for every 24 and 35 treated subjects, there will be an event of constipation and flatulence respectively. Gastrointestinal side-effects are important factors compromising the compliance of varenicline.[5][6]

Depression and suicide

In November 2007, the FDA announced it had received post-marketing reports that patients using varenicline for smoking cessation had experienced several serious side-effects, including suicidal ideation and occasional suicidal behavior, erratic behavior, and drowsiness. On February 1, 2008 the FDA issued an alert to further clarify its findings, noting that "it appears increasingly likely that there is an association between Chantix and serious neuropsychiatric symptoms." It is unknown whether the psychiatric symptoms are related to the drug or to nicotine withdrawal symptoms, although not all patients had stopped smoking. The FDA also recommended that health care professionals and patients watch for behavioral and mood changes.[7] In May 2008, Pfizer updated the safety information associated with varenicline, noting that "some patients have reported changes in behavior, agitation, depressed mood, suicidal thoughts or actions."[8]

SmallBlueThing · 30 August, 2012, 09:03:11 PM

Yes, there's quite a kerfuff going on with regard to Champix- which is the brand name of the one the NHS pushes through its stop smoking service. However, I have to say that I had no problems whatsoever with them and once the twelve week course was up, had no difficulty stopping them. They also killed my dependance on nicotine stone dead within two days- seriously, just like that. I've spoken to professionals within the NHS (their smoking advisor and my GP) about the exact thing you raise, DDD, and their response was that it's largely scaremongering and there are NO links between the drug and an increased suicide rate.

Personally, after years of smoking, and of trying every nicotine replacement aid on the market- and the last five years spent smoking 10-15 a day AND chewing 15-20 nicotine chewing gum pieces every day AS WELL (yes, I chewed gum between fags), I did not expect to take a pill that would completely remove my desire for both cigarettes and gum in two days- but that's what Champix did. Twelve weeks later, I dropped Champix (after dropping from 2 daily to 1 from week 4 onwards) and that was that. Hope it continues- but after today, I'm fairly sure it will.

SBT

Definitely Not Mister Pops · 30 August, 2012, 09:16:32 PM

I tried nicotine gum once. Couldn't get it to light.

BAH - DUM - TISH

Dandontdare · 30 August, 2012, 09:24:09 PM

it's true that drug companies have to err massively on the side of caution w.r.t. side effects. Hence the list of possible effects in many meds seems to include just about everything from constipation and/or diarrhea, high blood pressure, low blood pressure; or my favourite (from Lanzaperole) - "growing breasts in men"

. They could basically just say "if it can go wrong it might, but don't sue us 'cos we warned ya!"

you say no problems whatsoever - but I do recall some graphically described liquid evacuations!

as for the gum - I couldn't touch that vile stuff, it was like ashtray flavoured putty. Though I have a friend who hasn't smoked for years but is properly addicted to the gum. For me it's patches'n'pipes that works (didn't say I was giving up everything..)

SmallBlueThing · 30 August, 2012, 09:32:57 PM

The diarrhoea was many weeks after my final champix ddd- that was last week- if anything it was picked up from my dad who also went down with it at the same time (and who, oddly, had an MRI yesterday and found it a deeply unpleasant but tolerable experience).

When i say i had no problems with champix, i meant from a psychological perspective. Physically it gave me fairly unpleasant nausea for five minutes after taking it, if i hadnt had enough breakfast beforehand. But physical side effects dont worry me- mental ones do, and i had none.

SBT

The Legendary Shark · 27 November, 2012, 07:49:59 PM

Patch, the terrier I rescued from an abusive home and thought was getting better, snapped today. He went for my other dog while I was walking them both and when I went to split them up he had a good chew of my hand, too. Poor little bugger was always terrified on the lead but over the last month had calmed down immensely and was even beginning to enjoy his walks. I've tried so hard today to find an alternative but there was none. I had to have him put to sleep by the vet.

I feel so shitty now. The people who had him before I got him really did a number on the poor little bugger and I couldn't fix it. I tried so very hard to bring him through it but I failed and let him down so terribly. I've just got in from burying him in the garden.

My other dog's fine and my hand will heal - but all in all an utterly shitty day.

SmallBlueThing · 27 November, 2012, 08:07:23 PM

That's shit Shark, my condolences. At least you tried your best.

SBT

vzzbux · 27 November, 2012, 08:12:35 PM

Don't beat yourself up Sharkey. You haven't failed, its the scum that mistreated the poor blighter that failed, in life.

V

The Legendary Shark · 27 November, 2012, 08:25:14 PM

Thanks, guys.

Days such as this are difficult for depressive optimists like me but then a couple of people take the time to reach out with comfort and understanding and I'm reminded that the world isn't such a bad place after all. Thank you, from the heart of my soul.

TordelBack · 27 November, 2012, 11:10:58 PM

Bloody awful situation, Mark, but as said very far from any failure of yours, and you did the responsible and most difficult thing in the end. We have a procession of foster animals through our place (some of whom we forget to return), as the wife works in animal welfare, and it is very, very hard to know which ones are going to make it and which have been abused beyond help.

Hope your other dog is okay, and your hand is on the mend.

Dark Jimbo · 27 November, 2012, 11:25:41 PM

Absolutely crushed on your behalf, Sharky. As you say, the damage had already been done long before you got him - try not to beat yourself up.

The Legendary Shark · 27 November, 2012, 11:43:14 PM

I just checked my messages - one of the animal rescue centres rang me back at 16:47. I left the house for the vet's at 16:45.

Two frikkin' minutes.

...

TordelBack · 27 November, 2012, 11:58:58 PM

Quote from: The Legendary Shark on 27 November, 2012, 11:43:14 PM
I just checked my messages - one of the animal rescue centres rang me back at 16:47.

Sharky, I know it's no comfort, buy it's extremely unlikely that any rescue centre would have rehomed a dog that was known to bite, even after the time you put into him. Even if they could, the poor sod would almost certainly have ended up back there again in short order and been put to sleep, or would have been put down by its new owner after some other dog or person was savaged. You did the only responsible thing for your animal, it's the shites that had him before you that are to blame.

Cyberleader2000 · 28 November, 2012, 12:05:47 AM

first off my condonlonsises to you Legendary Shark its allways sad when a pet dies espechily in thros ceremctanses.

LIFE SPUGS BECAUSE my wounderfule ISP talktalk not content with shiting me round with internet speeds or forsing me to reboot my computer 3 times a days sometimes to get a fresh internet conachion have decided to block a sight I like to go one when I'm bord they way they have blocked it is with a bs page that jumps up instinily saying they can not find the page I'm looking for its really strange that a friend down the road who has a dirfent ISP can go on it. any body got a good safe bypass sight I can uses I had one back when I was at school but that was years ago and I have fogot it now.