Chantix

Does anyone know if it is safe to take Chantix to quit smoking when you have a cerebral AVM? I see the commercials about Chantix and it says something about not to take it if you have blood vessel problem's but i'm not sure of what kind of vessel problem's they are talking about. I need to quit smoking and I am having a really hard time quiting so I would like to try Chantix. Any info would be great!

That is definitely a question for your neuro, grammy. Any new medications or supplements should be approved by your neuro. Please let us know what he says. I hope you have success quitting smoking -- it is a very good idea for avmers to quit.

Hi grammy,

As far as I know it is. I was on it for a while to help me quit and it had no effect on my AVM or thinning my blood. It was prescribed to me by my Internal med. Dr.

Ben

I would like to offer you an alternative suggestion for quitting and won't mess with your brain in a possible bad way. Have you tried the E-Cigarette? It worked for me 2 years ago and you can step down like the patch. They may not be a perfect solution, but are much safer then cigarettes. I would suggest the V-2 brand. I found this worked better then the drug store brands. I certainly would discuss this option with your DR. Best of luck!

I mentioned Bupropion to my neuro and he said NO! due to risk of seizures. He suggested Chantix. Still, I think each individual should consult their own neuro.

Thank you all for the good advice, I will be going to the Cleveland Clinic for HHT and I will ask them if I can take Chantix. D&D I did try the electric cigs but it didn't really work for me so I think Chantix is the best thing for me if I can take it. I will let you all know what they say when I go to Cleveland.

Not only that but I think e-cigs still have nicotine which is the greatest danger for the AVM (not to mention all that other stuff going in your lungs)

You really should do the research before making condescending comments about something you obviously know nothing about.

D&D, you are welcome to add links here to help all of us with the research on E-Cigs, but please remain respectful to our members. I am not certain that enough studies have been done to clarify E-Cigs' affect on AVMs one way or the other, so doctors may be using suppositions instead of evidence on this topic.

I didn't mean to be condescending. I did check an E-cig pack and they DO contain nicotine which is not good for anyone with an AVM as nicotine crosses the blood/brain barrier. I agree they are a useful tool for those who would like to quit smoking. I'm considering them myself because I know I have both a habit and an addiction to cigarettes.