There is no question that quitting smoking is one of the most important steps a person can take to improve her health. There are now a number of medications that can help people become non-smokers. The most popular one, Chantix, has some dangerous side effects, such as psychiatric reactions, severe depression and suicidal thoughts. A few readers have experienced another side effect that is not serious but is seriously annoying.
Choosing Between Chantix and a Dry Bed:
Q. I’m a 44 year-old woman on my third week of Chantix to quit smoking. This drug made me wet the bed two nights in a row!
I’ve never had this issue before. Looking online, I found quite a few people with the same problem while taking Chantix. It’s helping me to stop smoking but now I’ll have to give up on it. Wetting the bed is just too disruptive and embarrassing.
The Downside of a Stop-Smoking Drug:
A. Many people report vivid dreams as a side effect of varenicline (Chantix). At least one wrote to tell us about wetting the bed while dreaming of a restroom visit.
We didn’t find bedwetting in the official prescribing information, but it’s not altogether surprising. According to the manufacturer, insomnia and abnormal dreams are both fairly common reactions to this stop-smoking drug. People also reported frequent urination and excess nighttime urination in response to the medication during the clinical trials.
You Can Still Stop Smoking:
You don’t have to give up on quitting. Even before Chantix, many people were able to stop smoking with nicotine gum or the prescription bupropion, and some people quit by avoiding the cues that trigger their habit of lighting up. You may have to try a number of times, though, and it helps to have a plan. Having good social support is also crucial, and that may mean hanging out with nonsmoking friends and staying away from the ones who smoke, at least until you become a nonsmoker yourself.
