Champix

varenicline

The pharmaceutical industry is making constant efforts to come up with drugs, which can cure the habit of smoking. Many drugs have surfaced the market from time to time that has helped smokers to quit smoking. However, one drug that has broken all records of popularity is Champix Varenicline. One of the pharmaceutical giants, Pfizer, manufactured this drug, which contains Varenicline as its active ingredient.

Varenicline (the active ingredient in Champix) binds to the nicotine receptors in the brain. As a result of this process the nicotine receptors will be satisfied and will not send out craving signals which would lead a smoker to desire a cigarette. If you do end up smoking while on Champix you are unlikely to derive any pleasure from it. This should allow you to break the habit over the 12 week period that you are on the medication. Some people even feel nausea if they have a cigarette while on Champix.

Clinical trial results demonstrated that 44% of patients being treated with Champix were able successfully to give up smoking over the 12 week period. This compared very favorably against Zyban, the only other oral smoking cessation treatment, which had a 29.5% success rate over the same period.

Directions for use
Champix comes in tablet form and is taken for a period of 12 weeks. Your course of champix treatment will comprise of a starter pack which contains 11 x 0.5mg white tablets and 14 x 1mg light blue tablets. These different doses are used: From day 1 to 3 – take one 0.5mg dose of Champix daily. From day 4 to 7, take one 0.5mg dose of Champix twice daily, once in the morning and once in the evening, at approximately the same time each day. From day 8 to 14, take one 1mg dose of Champix twice daily, once in the morning and once in the evening, at approximately the same time each day. From day 15 onwards until you have completed your course of treatment, you should take one 1mg dose of Champix twice daily, once in the morning and once in the evening, at approximately the same time each day. Champix should be taken after meals with a full glass of water. If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and wait until your next scheduled dose.

If you miss a dose, use the medication as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and wait until your next regularly scheduled dose. Do not use extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

Stopping smoking can affect the way that certain other drugs work so you should always discuss stopping smoking with your doctor if you are taking theophylline, warfarin or insulin as a dosage adjustment may be necessary.

Side effects
As with all medications, there are several possible side effects attributed to Champix. The more common side effects, which you will more than likely not experience at all, include nausea, insomnia, abnormal dreams and headache. These Champix side effects are usually mild with fewer than 3% of users ceasing treatment as a result.

If you are taking nicotine replacement therapy, you should not start Champix until you stop the therapy, because the effects of the two together has not yet been thoroughly studied. If you have kidney problems, you may need to take a lower dose. However, if you are not in one of these categories, you could find that Champix is the boost you need to help you get over your dependency and finally quit smoking.

This medication should not be used during pregnancy unless the benefits outweigh the risks. If you become pregnant while taking this medication, contact your doctor immediately. It is not known if varenicline passes into breast milk. If you are a breast-feeding mother and are taking this medication, it may affect your baby. Talk to your doctor about whether you should continue breast-feeding. The safety and effectiveness of this medication have not been established for children.