Champix is a stop smoking treatment that takes the edge off cravings. It can help you get through the worst of those early withdrawal symptoms. Champix isn’t available right now, but we do offer the generic version, Varenicline.
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Champix is a prescription medication that helps manage cravings and other withdrawal symptoms when you stop smoking. It’s a tablet you take every day, and it’s given in 12 week courses. When you successfully stop smoking while taking it, a clinician may give you another 12 week course after the first one, just to make sure the job is completely done.
Before you start taking it, you’ll decide on a date where you stop smoking. This is usually between day 8 and 14 of treatment. You’ll start on a lower dose for the first few days and gradually build up to a maintenance dose by day 15.
How does Champix work?
Champix works by blocking the receptors in the brain that are affected by nicotine. This means nicotine no longer produces the “feel good” hormone response of dopamine.
With nicotine being blocked, the short term pleasurable effects from smoking which cause cravings are stopped. This makes it easier to avoid smoking until the cravings pass and you’ve managed to successfully quit.
And if you do smoke while taking Champix, it doesn’t produce the same feeling in the brain, so it helps to make smoking less appealing.
How effective is Champix?
Clinical studies have shown that Champix is effective at helping people quit. People taking it were almost three times more likely to have abstained from smoking after a year of starting it, compared with a placebo. It’s also been found to be more effective than nicotine patches at promoting abstinence during treatment, and at one year following treatment.
Champix can be particularly helpful if you've tried other ways of quitting smoking before but these have been unsuccessful. By managing the cravings and reducing the withdrawal symptoms — the things that most people find difficult when quitting smoking — it increases your chances of success. You’ll still need some degree of willpower, but it can give you that extra bit of breathing space to get through the most difficult moments.
Some research also suggests that combining counseling with stop smoking treatments can help to further increase your chances of successfully quitting.
When we present you with stats, data, opinion or a consensus, we’ll tell you where this came from. And we’ll only present data as clinically reliable if it’s come from a reputable source, such as a state or government-funded health body, a peer-reviewed medical journal, or a recognised analytics or data body. Read more in our editorial policy.
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Champix instructions
Read the leaflet that comes with the medication before you take Champix. This should tell you everything you need to know about taking it, but if you’re unsure of anything, ask our clinician.
Before you start Champix, you’ll need to plan your quit date where you actually stop smoking. This is usually during the second week of taking it. You’ll begin Champix on a low dose and increase this over the first couple of weeks.
How to take Champix
In your Champix starter pack you’ll get white tablets and light blue tablets. The white tablets carry 0.5mg of the active ingredient, varenicline, and the light blue tablets carry 1mg.
On days 1-3 of treatment, take one white tablet once a day, at the same time each day.
On days 4-7 of treatment, take one white tablet twice a day, one in the morning and one in the evening, at the same times each day.
From day 8 onwards, take one light blue tablet twice a day, one in the morning and one in the evening, at the same times each day.
It’s better to take your tablet after food.
Swallow your tablet whole with a glass of water.
After you’ve completed the starter pack, you’ll move on to the maintenance pack that only contains 1mg light blue tablets.
A course of Champix lasts for 12 weeks. If you manage to give up smoking successfully during this time, you might be prescribed another 12 week course to increase your chances of staying quit.
If you aren’t successful at quitting when using Champix, it can sometimes help to take a break from the treatment and try again once you’ve been able to address the other factors that caused you to smoke.
Do some people need a lower dose of Champix?
The maintenance pack is available in a 0.5mg dose in addition to the 1mg dose. These lower dose packs contain all white tablets, which you take in the same way as the higher dose pack: one tablet, twice a day.
You might be recommended the lower dose of Champix if you’re older, or you’ve had a sensitive reaction or side effects when using the higher dose. Your clinician will always advise you on the best dose to use.
What if I miss a dose when taking Champix?
Let us know if you forget to take your tablet. If your next scheduled dose is more than four hours away, you can take the missed tablet as soon as you remember and take your next one at the usual time, and continue.
If you forget to take Champix and your next dose is due in less than four hours, skip the dose you missed and carry on taking it as normal.
When can I stop taking Champix?
During your time taking Champix, you’ll have continuous monitoring with a clinician to make sure it’s working for you. If you successfully quit, your clinician will advise you on the best time to stop taking it (to minimize the risk that you’ll get cravings and want to start smoking again).
You should continue taking Champix for as long as recommended by your clinician. But tell your clinician right away if you get any side effects or think that you need to stop taking Champix immediately.
When we present you with stats, data, opinion or a consensus, we’ll tell you where this came from. And we’ll only present data as clinically reliable if it’s come from a reputable source, such as a state or government-funded health body, a peer-reviewed medical journal, or a recognised analytics or data body. Read more in our editorial policy.
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Champix: FAQ
Have something specific you want to know? Search our info below, or ask our experts a question if you can’t find what you’re looking for.
What is the Champix starter pack?
Answer:
The starter pack is the first part of the treatment, containing the first two weeks of tablets (white and light blue). Once you’ve finished this, you’ll move on to a maintenance pack that contains all light blue tablets.
If you’re taking Champix for the first time, or coming back to using Champix after not taking it for a while, you’ll always start off on the starter pack. This is to help ‘wean’ you onto the recommended dose slowly.
When you take the starter pack, it’s recommended to have your quit date during the second week, between days 8 and 14.
What if I take too much Champix?
Answer:
The information that comes with the medication advises going to your nearest emergency room right away if you take too much Champix. Take your medication box with you so the staff know what you’ve taken.
Are there different Champix doses?
Answer:
There are two doses of tablet in the starter pack, 0.5mg and 1mg. And you can get two different doses of maintenance pack (0.5mg and 1mg).
Everyone starts on 0.5mg tablets for at least the first week of treatment, and most people move up to 1mg tablets at the start of week two.
But if you’ve had side effects before when taking the 1mg dose, or you have a medical condition that makes side effects more likely, you’ll be recommended to stay on the lower dose (0.5mg) for the duration of the 12 week course.
Varenicline and Champix: what’s the difference?
Answer:
Varenicline is a non-branded version of Champix. It comes in the same doses and contains the same active ingredient. So it should work in exactly the same way in the body. The only main differences are the excipient ingredients used to make the tablets (which can change how the tablets look), the packaging and the price (branded medicines are usually more expensive).
Why should I buy Champix online from Treated?
Answer:
We put you in control of your treatment. Once you’ve told us about your health, we’ll suggest treatment options for you and you can choose which one you’d like from there. You can also choose how often you’d like to receive your medication and the quantity of it too. Change, pause or cancel your subscription anytime.
It doesn’t end there. We’ll get in touch with you regularly to see how you’re finding your medication. And if you’ve got any questions or need advice, we’re here for you.
Disclaimer: The information provided on this page is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any questions or concerns about your health, please talk to a doctor.
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