Champix instructions for use side effects

Composition and release form

The instructions for use of Champix indicate that the indicated medication has a single dosage form - capsule-shaped tablets, film-coated, with “Pfizer” engraved on one side. There are some differences in color and engraving on the back. Some tablets are blue with the inscription “CHX 1.0”, others are white with the inscription “CHX 0.5”. The medicine is packaged in blisters of 11, 14 or 28 pcs., Packed in polyethylene jars of 56 pcs. Features of the chemical composition of Champix:

Choose “Champix” or “Tabex”

A smoker who has decided to give up cigarettes can quit using various means. Champix and Tabex are recognized as leaders in the pharmaceutical market.

Mechanism of action of the drug

Champix tablets are a drug used for nicotine addiction. The active substance varenicline, having high affinity and selectivity, binds to α4β2 n-cholinergic receptors in the brain, provides antagonism and blocks the activation of the dopamine system. This reduces the craving for smoking and the severity of withdrawal symptoms, and a stable aversion to nicotine gradually arises.

When administered orally, Champix is ​​productively absorbed from the digestive tract and penetrates the systemic bloodstream. The maximum plasma concentration is reached 4 hours after consuming a single dose. Metabolism takes place in the liver. More than 90% of the drug is excreted unchanged by the kidneys, the rest as inactive metabolites. According to the instructions, the binding rate to plasma proteins is 20%.

Use of Champix in special cases

The use of Champix tablets requires caution, especially in people with certain health problems:

• For patients taking insulin, the initial dose of the drug is often adjusted.
• Some people taking Champix (no more than 3%) experienced a deterioration in their general condition, irritability, and an increased desire to smoke after stopping the drug.
• If you have a history of mental disorders, taking pills can cause depression or thoughts of suicide.
• For elderly patients whose kidney function is difficult, dose adjustment is indicated taking this into account.
• Champix can cause short-term dizziness and reduce the speed of reactions, so it is not taken when working with precision mechanisms or driving a car.

How to take Champix

The drug is intended for oral use. According to the instructions, a single dose of Champix should be taken regardless of meals, washed down with water. The instructions for use contain a treatment plan on how to properly use this remedy if you want to quit smoking forever:

• from days 1 to 3: 0.5 mg once a day;
• from 4 to 7: 0.5 mg twice a day;
• from day 8 until the end of therapy: 1 mg twice a day.

According to the instructions for use, the optimal course of treatment is 3 weeks. If after the specified period there is no positive dynamics at all, you need to continue taking Champix orally for another 12 weeks at 1 mg per day (1-2 tables). If a smoker unexpectedly relapses, the first step is to determine and promptly eliminate its cause.

Let's talk more about "Champix"

So, have you decided to quit smoking? Champix tablets can help you with this. After all, they contain varenicline. This substance is called a nicotine antagonist. Varenicline is able to stimulate nicotinic receptors. But, unlike nicotine itself, its effect on them is minimal. It is able to influence the mechanism responsible for the formation of a feeling of pleasure from a smoked cigarette. Varenicline simply blocks it. As a result, the smoker does not feel any effect from the puff, and his need for nicotine gradually decreases. In addition, varenicline can alleviate the withdrawal syndrome that immediately appears when quitting tobacco products.

Drug interactions

Champix is ​​prescribed independently, but some patients often use it as part of their primary treatment. In this case, it is important to first study the information about drug interactions, described in detail in the instructions for use, and consult with a specialist:

1. When used concomitantly with cimetidine, the concentration of varenicline increases by 29% as renal clearance decreases.
2. When used together with Warfarin, Theophylline and insulin, the pharmacokinetics of these medications does not change.
3. If you use Champix simultaneously with nicotine, blood pressure decreases, a feeling of nausea and fatigue appears, and vomiting occurs.

Reviews

Champinks is getting mixed reviews on the Internet. Many people have stopped smoking with the help of these pills. Moreover, they admit that giving up cigarettes was not easy, but much easier than without the drug.

At the same time, there are many negative reviews from people who took Champinx to no avail and were unable to quit smoking. Such a contradictory picture of reviews is quite natural, given that the effectiveness of the drug, according to clinical studies, is about 50%.

Side effects of Champix

The drug Champix is ​​well tolerated by the body. In some clinical cases, side effects described in the instructions for use develop:

• digestive tract: diarrhea, constipation, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, anorexia, dyspepsia, gastralgia, less often - symptoms of gastritis, gastroesophageal reflux disease, abdominal pain;
• nervous system: dizziness, migraine attacks, drowsiness, tremors of the limbs, insomnia, panic attacks, tendency to depression, paresthesia, dysphoria, decreased libido, sudden mood swings, increased irritability, hypoesthesia;
• cardiovascular system: arterial hypertension, rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, chest pain;
• allergic reactions: erythema, urticaria, acne, skin rash, itching and swelling of the epidermis, asthenia;
• eye damage: dilated pupils, pain in the eyeball, myopia, increased lacrimation;
• other: joint stiffness, snoring, muscle spasms, nonproductive cough, nocturia, glucosuria, polyuria, congestion in the paranasal sinuses, glucosuria (glucose content in the urine).

Champix's analogs

If the specified medication does not help to completely get rid of tobacco smoking, the doctor prescribes an analogue. Below are effective medications with a similar principle of action in the body:

1. Tabex. These are tablets for oral administration that have many medical contraindications. This analogue is not always effective, although it is not difficult to purchase it at a pharmacy without a prescription.
2. Lobelin. The active component of the proposed medicine is obtained from Indian tobacco leaves and helps stimulate the respiratory center. The drug is prescribed for breathing problems of various origins. Indications include smoking.
3. Tabakum-plus. This is a relatively new homeopathic drug that is effective in treating nicotine addiction. Instructions for use contain a minimum number of contraindications and side effects.
4. Mebicar. This medication is classified as a nootropic, anxiolytic drug that protects the body from stress. When smoking, it is used as part of a complex treatment to eliminate symptoms of increased excitability of the nervous system.
5. Zyban. These tablets for oral use promote intense production of the hormone dopamine, which is responsible for a person’s pleasure. After taking the recommended dose, the craving for cigarettes very soon weakens and disappears altogether.
6. Gamibazin. This drug in tablet form is effective in treating heavy smokers with at least 5 years of experience. Daily doses are described in detail in the instructions for use and are adjusted individually.

Contraindications for use

Many smokers saw the light at the end of the tunnel after they started using Champix smoking pills. Reviews indicate their effectiveness.

But don’t rush to buy several packages at once at the nearest pharmacy. You may not need them. The fact is that this remedy has its contraindications.

1. It is better to avoid using the drug during lactation and pregnancy.
2. It is also not recommended for use by people with a history of mental disorders.
3. In cases of hypersensitivity to varenicline, the use of the drug is out of the question.

In addition, Champix smoking pills should not be taken:

1. Teenagers who have not reached 18 years of age.
2. Drivers and pilots. Since the drug helps reduce attention.
3. People who are associated with precision mechanisms due to their duties. The reason for the contraindication is the same - inability to concentrate and distracted attention.

Champix price

The cost of this medication depends on the amount of medicine in the package and the choice of the capital’s pharmacy. The retail price of the anti-smoking drug Champix varies from 1,200 to 3,700 rubles.

Expert advice: how to quit smoking

Many psychologists say that no matter how effective a medicine is, it may be powerless in the fight against smoking. Here it is quite appropriate to paraphrase the popular wisdom: “Hope for Champix, but don’t make a mistake yourself.” The fact is that in order to achieve positive results, you need to have your own desire and motivation. Sociological studies show that the most successful treatment was for those patients who seriously decided to quit smoking.

The support of loved ones, colleagues, and acquaintances is also important in this case. If someone smokes a cigarette in front of you, you may well lose your temper. Therefore, it is necessary to either reduce communication with such people to a minimum, or go somewhere far away during smoke breaks.