Varenicline (Chantix) for quitting smoking
October 1st, 2008 | by admin |Brand Name: Chantix
Chemical Name: varenicline
How It Works
Varenicline is a pill you take that acts on sites in the brain affected by nicotine. Like nicotine medicines, varenicline helps with craving and withdrawal symptoms. But it also blocks the effects of nicotine from tobacco. If you start smoking again while taking varenicline, the medicine lowers the sense of satisfaction you get from smoking, improving the chances that you will quit.
Varenicline does not contain nicotine and does not help you quit smoking in the same way that nicotine replacement therapy does.
You start taking varenicline about a week before you quit smoking, and you take it for a total of 12 to 24 weeks.
Why It Is Used
Doctors prescribe varenicline to help adults quit smoking. It is not available as an over-the-counter medicine.
Varenicline has not been studied in children under age 18 and is not recommended to help them quit smoking.
How Well It Works
Varenicline doubles or triples the chances of quitting smoking compared to a placebo. And it may work better than other treatments for quitting smoking.
Side Effects
Some of the common side effects include:
- Nausea and, in rare cases, vomiting.
- Changes in dreaming.
- Constipation.
Call your doctor if you feel extra sleepy or if you have depressed mood, suicidal thoughts, or changes in emotion and behavior while you are taking this medicine.
Varenicline is not addictive. Tell your doctor about side effects that bother you or that do not go away.
What To Think About
You start taking varenicline about a week before you plan to stop smoking. You may notice that you do not get the same satisfaction from cigarettes during that week. Try not to increase your smoking to overcome this.
You take varenicline 2 times a day, after meals.
Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
When you stop smoking, there may be a change in how these medicines work for you.
Tell your doctor if you:
- Have kidney problems.
- Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.
- Are breast-feeding.
Some studies show that varenicline helped more people quit smoking than bupropion hydrochloride (Zyban), another medicine that does not contain nicotine and helps people quit smoking. No studies have tested if varenicline works better than nicotine replacement medicines.
One Response to “Varenicline (Chantix) for quitting smoking”
By Tracy on Nov 12, 2008 | Reply
Hi, I’m off the ciggies 68 days I’m using champix, I’ve lost count how many times I’ve given up before this doing good so far, though there have been tears and tantrums along the way!!!! If I feel low I will buy new shoes or something nice for me and use the excuse that it was from my cigarette savings! I smoked over 20 a day, until my 9 year old son spoke up that he was scared of me smoking as it can make you die! So driven by guilt I’m still free from smoking and feeling great..in my new shoes!!!