Champix (Varenicline)

The drug Champix is usually prescribed as a smoking cessation aid. This drug helps in reducing the urge of a person to smoke and helps in relieving the withdrawal symptoms of a person. It can get very difficult for a person to quit smoking and this drug helps in relieving the withdrawal symptoms of a person.

This medicine helps adults in quitting smoking. This drug works by reducing the craving and withdrawal symptoms that usually happen because of smoking. People who give up smoking often feel affected because of nicotine withdrawal the symptoms of which can be frustration, sleeping problems, anxiousness, depression, decreased heart rate, weight gain, increase in appetite of a person. It is important to note that not everyone faces the same effect of nicotine and it can be different for different people. It is not recommended to start smoking again once a person stops smoking especially post quit date. Smoking after the quit date can decrease the enjoyment caused by the cigarette.

This drug comes in many dosages and is taken as per the prescription given by the doctor. The different dosages that this drug comes in are 0.5 mg and 1 mg. The patient needs to be ready to quit smoking. Otherwise, there is no point in taking this drug. This drug requires a person to quit smoking in weeks starting from the day you start taking this drug. Taking Champix before the quit date requires a person to quit smoking within the next 8 days. The dosage of this medicine usually starts with a lower dosage and then keeps on increasing for a few weeks. The usual dosage of this medicine is .5mg once a day for three days in a row which is then increased to 0.5mg twice a day for 4 more days to come. One week of this drug increases the dosage of this medicine to 1 mg twice a day which is also called the maintenance dose.

It is essential to take doctors’ consent before switching to 2mg of Champix per day. It is important to take Champix for 12 weeks for it to be effective.

12 weeks is usually considered to be effective when it comes to a person leaving smoking.

Overdosing on this medicine requires a person to consult a doctor or visit a hospital as soon as possible.

• If a person misses a dose of Champix, it is important to take the medicine as soon as the person remembers it. If the time to take the next dosage is nearby, a person, in that case, should skip the dosage altogether and should wait for the upcoming dosage.

Some of the side effects caused by Champix are listed below:

• It causes stomach pain
• Constipation, gas, indigestion, and diarrhea
• It makes a person nauseous
• Dry mouth
• It changes the appetite of a person
• It causes unusual and vivid dreams in a person
• Sleeping disorders
• It causes breathing problems
• Flushing of the skin which includes rashing

Serious side effects caused by this medicine are listed below: 

• It causes mood swings in a person
• It causes suicidal thoughts
• Swelling in the mouth, lips, tongue, face, and throat of a person
• It causes sensitive skin which can be as severe as life-threatening
• It can cause severe chest pain which can result in an irregular heartbeat
• Fainting
• It causes kidney failure
• Blood disorders
• It causes bleeding in the intestines and stomach of a person