About Champix Varenicline Champix Varenicline is an innovative smoking cessation therapy designed to help smokers quit forever, which was approved for use by the US FDA in May 2006 as a prescription only smoking cessation drug. Smoking is the leading cause of preventable deaths across the world. Every year thousands of people lose their life due to one of many smoking related conditions such as lung disease, heart ailments and cancer. Though most smokers are aware of the harmful effects of smoking, they find it hard to quit because of the strong addictive effects of nicotine and because of the unpleasant nicotine withdrawal symptoms.
The Champix treatment helps to make smoking cessation easy and painless for smokers. Its active ingredient Varenicline smartly dupes the brain into thinking that it has received its dose of nicotine. Therefore a person need not undergo the pangs of cravings or agonising withdrawal symptoms. Varenicline achieves this great feat by attaching itself to the nicotine receptors in the brain. Besides, Champix Varenicline prevents nicotine from binding to its receptors in the brain. This means, even if a person gives in to the temptation of smoking again, he or she will not derive the same pleasure as before. People on Champix Varenicline therefore, have a reduced tendency to get back to smoking. Thus Champix therapy not just helps you to quit but also to stay smoke free forever.
Champix dosages The recommended course for Champix treatment is 12 weeks. An additional 12 week course may be recommended to patients who show a risk of returning to smoking or who could not successfully quit during the first treatment.
To begin your Champix treatment your doctor will first ask you to set a quit date. You will need to begin your Champix dosage one week prior to your quit date. For the first three days, your doctor may recommend you the lower 0.5mg dose once a day. This will then increase to twice daily for days 4-7. This helps the body to slowly get accustomed to the drug and to prevent feelings of nausea
After 7 days, your dosage of Champix is increased to 1mg twice daily for 12 weeks. This is the recommended standard dosage of Champix as approved by the European Commission. To minimise nausea, take Champix with a full glass of water after a meal. If you forget to take a dose, try to take it as soon as possible. If there is a danger of taking both tablets too close together, only take one of your two daily tablets and continue as normal the next day. Never take two doses at the same time or close together if you miss a dose.
Champix is a prescription only drug, so only take the medicine after consulting a doctor and only in the prescribed dosage. Do not alter the dosage without first consulting your doctor.
Champix side effects As with most other medicines, use of Champix Varenicline may also cause some side effects. However, most of the Champix side effects are usually mild to moderate and may disappear gradually as your body gets used to the medication as well as the nicotine withdrawal symptoms. Some of the commonly reported Champix side effects are nausea, headache, difficulty sleeping (insomnia) and abnormal dreams.
Some rarely observed side effects reported by people taking Champix Varenicline include a change in taste, vomiting, abdominal pain, flatulence and constipation.
Consult your doctor as soon as possible if you experience changes in behaviour, changes in mood, depression or feelings of aggression or agitation.
Stop taking the medication and seek immediate medical attention if you experience symptoms of a serious allergic reaction such as puffy, swollen eyelids, lips, tongue, throat, hands or feet; if you experience hives, shortness of breath, a severe skin rash with peeling and blistering with headache and fever, coughing or any pain whatsoever pain.
To avoid getting any serious side effects from Champix, make sure you notify your doctor of any medical conditions you suffer from, or any medications you are taking. Make sure also discuss any other significant facts regarding your health, such as pregnancy. These factors may affect how you should use this smoking cessation medication.
