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Champix is a prescription drug designed for smoking cessation. The active ingredient in Champix is varenicline. Unlike other treatments, intended for smoking cessation, Champix does not contain nicotine. If you are struggling to quit smoking and want to kick the habit for good, you can ask your doctor about Champix is safe for you.

Champix History

Champix is manufactured by Pfizer, and has begun to offer hope for smokers. It also comes at a time when recent legislation has been introduced, to ban smoking in public places. Champix has proved more successful than other stop smoking aids. It can help control cravings and nicotine withdrawal symptoms. It also blocks nicotine receptors in the brain, which in turn reduces the enjoyment factor that makes smoking so addictive. This may make it easier to quit smoking. It is sold in the United States under the name Chantix. In Europe it is sold as Champix.

Benefits of taking Prescription Champix

Champix varenicline is a pill, so it is easy to manage. It contains no nicotine, and is not addictive. You are advised to take it for 12 weeks, beginning one to two weeks before you plan to quit. For the first three days of varenicline treatment, you will be asked to take a 0.5-mg tablet every morning with breakfast. On the fourth day, should a 0.5-mg tablet with evening meal, when included with the evening meal. On the eighth day, you are then asked to take 1 mg at breakfast and 1 mg for dinner. To avoid nausea, it is recommended that Champix is taken with a full glass of water after a meal.

Precautions with Champix

Varenicline should be used with caution in people who have severe kidney problems. In addition, quitting smoking with varenicline may be related to anxiety, nervousness, tension, depression and irregular mood. In case any of these effects, you are asked to contact your doctor. Some users have also reported some degree of visual disturbances. It is recommended for your friends and family members to closely monitor changes in patients receiving Champix treatment. If the side effects of Champix seems to be serious, discontinue treatment and consult a doctor immediately.

Champix has not been studied in children under 18, and thus it is not recommended for children under 18 to use this product. Pregnant women or women who have or are breast-feeding, which also advised to steer clear of the treatment. People with severe kidney disease should stay away from Champix.

Tell your doctor about your medical conditions, such as:

kidney problems or kidney dialysis
depression or other mental problems
epilepsy

If you suffer from any of the foregoing, it is possible that you may be considered unsuitable for treatment. Side effects can range from one to another, which is why it is important that you consult your doctor before hand. Seek medical advice if you encounter any problems during the course of Champix for smoking cessation treatment.

It is essential to tell your doctor or pharmacist what medicines you are previously taking, together with those bought without a recommendation and herbal medicines, prior to you begin treatment with this medicine. Likewise, make sure with your doctor or pharmacist prior to taking any new medicines while taking this one, to make sure that the combination is secure.

The security and benefits of taking this medicine in combination with other medicines for stopping smoking have not been studied. Other smoking termination medicines are therefore not suggested while you are taking this one. Using nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) in combination with this medicine has been shown to boost nausea, headache, vomiting, dizziness, indigestion, fatigue and a drop in blood pressure compared to NRT alone.

If you have harsh kidney problems you should not take cimetidine in combination with this medicine, as it may increase the amount of varenicline in the blood.

The components of tobacco smoke can cause certain medicines, for example those scheduled below, to be removed from the body faster than normal. When you stop smoking, they are removed slower, so their blood levels may augment. This means that if you are taking any of these medicines, your doses may need adjusting after you stop smoking:

• clozapine
• dextropropoxyphene
• flecainide
• fluvoxamine
• olanzapine
• pentazocine
• phenylbutazone
• some benzodiazepines, e.g. oxazepam
• some beta-blockers, e.g. propranolol
• tacrine
• theophylline
• tricyclic antidepressants, such as imipramine
• Warfarin.

People with diabetes who smoke more often than not need more insulin, as smoking decreases the amount of insulin that is absorbed into the blood from an injection under the skin. If you have diabetes and are giving up smoking, you may consequently need a decrease in your insulin dose. Discuss this with your doctor.