Brand name:
Champix (varenicline)
Aid for giving up smoking Varenicline tartrate. Pfizer
Champix tablets contain the active ingredient varenicline, which
is a medicine used to help people who are addicted to nicotine
to give up smoking. It acts in the brain, but is not the same as
nicotine replacement therapy.
Varenicline is a type of medicine called a nicotinic acetylcholine
receptor partial agonist. This means that it acts on the same receptors
in the brain as nicotine does.
Varenicline works by stimulating the nicotinic receptors in the
brain. This produces an effect that relieves the craving and withdrawal
symptoms you can get when you stop smoking. At the same time, varenicline
blocks nicotine from acting on the receptors. This prevents any
nicotine inhaled in tobacco smoke from having a rewarding and enjoyable
effect. However, it is recommended that you don’t smoke while
you are taking this medicine.You should seek help and support as
much as possible while giving up smoking, even while taking this
medicine, as this will increase
your chance of success. Your doctor, practice nurse or local pharmacist
can all provide this support.You should start taking this medicine
while you are still smoking and set a 'target stop date' for within
the first two weeks of
treatment. This is because the medicine needs time to start working.
The dose is increased gradually in the first week of treatment
and the medicine is then taken twice a day for 12 weeks. If you
have successfully managed to stop smoking at the end of 12 weeks,
your doctor may offer you a further 12 week course of treatment.
The tablets should be swallowed whole with a drink of water. They
can be taken with or without food.
What is it used for?
* Aid for giving up smoking.
Warning!
* This medicine might make you feel dizzy or sleepy and so could
impair your ability to perform potentially hazardous tasks such
as driving or operating machinery. You should avoid driving or
operating machinery until you know how this medicine affects you
and are sure that it won’t affect your ability to perform
such activities safely.
* There have been reports of suicidal thoughts or behaviour in
people taking this medicine to help them give up smoking. It is
very difficult to know if this is due to the medicine, as giving
up smoking itself can make people depressed, especially if they
already have a mental health problem, and depression is associated
with suicidal thoughts. However, if you begin to feel depressed,
or have any thoughts about suicide or harming yourself while giving
up smoking using this medicine, you should stop taking it and consult
your doctor immediately.
* Some people may find that when they stop taking this medicine
their urge to smoke returns. They may also feel irritable, depressed
or have difficulty sleeping. To avoid this, your doctor may consider
reducing your dose slowly when you finish treatment with this medicine,
rather than stopping it abruptly. Discuss this with your doctor.
Use Champix (varenicline) with
caution in
* Decreased kidney function. * History of psychiatric illness, eg depression. * Epilepsy.Not to be used in * Pregnancy
* This medicine is not recommended for children and adolescents
under 18 years of age, as there is no information regarding its
safety and efficacy in this age group.
This medicine should not be used if you are allergic to one or
any of its ingredients. Please inform your doctor or pharmacist
if you have previously experienced such an allergy.
If you feel you have experienced an allergic reaction, stop using
this medicine and inform your doctor or pharmacist immediately.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding and Champix
(varenicline)
Certain medicines should not be used during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
However, other medicines may be safely used in pregnancy or breastfeeding
providing the benefits to the mother outweigh the risks to the
unborn baby. Always inform your doctor if you are pregnant or planning
a pregnancy, before using any medicine.
* The safety of this medicine for use during pregnancy has not
been established. It should not be used by pregnant women. Seek
further medical advice from your doctor.
* It is not known if this medicine passes into breast milk, but
it is possible that it may. As a result, it is not recommended
for mothers who are breastfeeding. If you have been unable to give
up smoking using any other method, you should discuss with your
doctor whether it may be appropriate to stop breastfeeding in order
to try this medicine. This will depend on factors such as the importance
of breastfeeding to the child, how much smoke the child is being
exposed to and how likely this medicine is to help you stop smoking.
Seek medical advice from your doctor.
Side effects Champix (varenicline)
Medicines and their possible side effects can affect individual
people in different ways. The following are some of the side effects
that are known to be associated with this medicine. Just because
a side effect is stated here does not mean that all people using
this medicine will experience that or any side effect.
* Nausea. * Headache. * Difficulty sleeping (insomnia). * Abnormal dreams. *
Sleepiness. * Dizziness. * Change in taste. * Dry mouth. * Disturbances of the gut such as constipation, diarrhoea, vomiting,
abdominal discomfort, indigestion, flatulence. * Changes in appetite. * Airway infections. * Mood swings. * Changes in sex drive. * Tremor. * Restlessness. * Awareness of your heart beat (palpitations). * Skin reactions such as rash or itching. * Increased urination. * Chest pain. * Increased blood pressure.
The side effects listed above may not include all of the side
effects reported by the drug's manufacturer.
For more information about any other possible risks associated
with this medicine, please read the information provided with the
medicine or consult your doctor or pharmacist.
How can Champix (varenicline) affect other medicines?
It is important to tell your doctor or pharmacist what medicines
you are already taking, including those bought without a prescription
and herbal medicines, before you start treatment with this medicine.
Similarly, check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any
new medicines while taking this one, to ensure that the combination
is safe.
The safety and benefits of taking this medicine in combination
with other medicines for stopping smoking have not been studied.
Other smoking cessation medicines are therefore not recommended
while you are taking this one. Using nicotine replacement therapy
(NRT) in combination with this medicine has been shown to increase
nausea, headache, vomiting, dizziness, indigestion, fatigue and
a drop in blood pressure compared to NRT alone.
If you have severe 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 listed below, to be removed from the body faster
than normal. When you stop smoking, they are removed slower, so
their blood levels may increase. This means that doses of these
medicines may need adjusting after you stop smoking:
* clozapine * dextropropoxyphene * flecainide * fluvoxamine * olanzapine * pentazocine * phenylbutazone * some benzodiazepines, eg oxazepam * some beta-blockers, eg propranolol * tacrine * theophylline * tricyclic antidepressants, such as imipramine * warfarin.
People with diabetes who smoke normally need more insulin, as
smoking reduces 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 subsequently need a reduction in
your insulin dose. Discuss this with your doctor.
More info about Champix
Champix - The "Quit Smoking" Prescription
Drug no smoking
What is Champix?
Champix, generic name varenicline, is a prescription pill designed
to help smokers stop smoking.
How does it work?
Champix works primarily in two ways. Firstly, it reduces the smoker's
craving for nicotine by binding to nicotine receptors in the
brain and reduces the symptoms of withdrawal. Secondly, it reduces
the satisfaction a smoker receives when smoking a cigarette.
How successful was it in clinical trials?
In trials, 44% of the group treated with Champix had stopped smoking
after being treated for 12 weeks, as opposed to 11% of smokers
taking the placebo. Over the same duration, it was also shown
to be twice as effective as Zyban (bupropion), the other main
anti-smoking drug treatment.
champix tabletsHas Champix been approved by the European Commission
and the FDA for use as an aid to quitting smoking?
The European Commission approved Champix on September 29th, 2006
as a "stop smoking" aid for adults, based on the results
from clinical trials. It should be noted that continued abstinence
from cigarettes is higher (70% compared with 50%) when patients
take the drug for 24 weeks as opposed to 12, so it may be appropriate
for patients who have succeeded in quitting smoking at the 12
week point to take the drug for a further 12 weeks.
The FDA approved the drug in May 2006. See FDA approves novel
drug for smoking cessation for further details.
Is Champix available on the NHS?
On May 31st, 2007 Nice (the National Institute for Health and
Clinical Excellence) published draft guidance recommending that
this drug should be available on NHS prescription. Further details
on the Final Appraisal Determination period can be found on
the NICE website.
It was approved for prescription on the NHS in Scotland on 14th
January, 2007.
How is the drug taken and what is the recommended dose?
It is taken orally. For the first three days, the dosage is 0.5
mg once daily (the 0.5 mg tablet is white). For days four to
seven, the dosage is 0.5 mg twice a day. From day eight until
the end of the treatment, the dose is 1 mg twice a day (the
0.5 mg tablet is blue)
