Members,
Here is some general information on
Champix. It is important that you talk to your doctor and pharmacist
about this medication.
Champix is a prescription medication, which is used to help adults quit
smoking. It does not contain nicotine. It is available in tablet form in 2
dosage levels: 0.5 mg (white) and 1 mg (light blue).
How it works:
Champix can help to relieve the craving and withdrawal symptoms associated with
quitting smoking. It is believed to work by stimulating the same areas of the
brain that nicotine does. It acts like a weaker version of nicotine and also
blocks nicotine from getting to the nicotine receptor.
You start taking it before you quit smoking as it takes a while to build up in
your system. People usually start on one 0.5 mg pill a day (days 1 - 3), then
move to one 0.5 mg pill twice daily (days 4 - 7), and then two 1 mg tablets a
day for days 8 to the end of treatment. When two pills are taken daily, one is
taken in the morning and the other in the evening.
It's important to set a quit date before you start taking Champix. The quit
date should be during the second week of treatment (between day 8 and day 14).
You can keep smoking prior to your quit date, however continuing to smoke,
after your quit date, will reduce your chances of successfully quitting
smoking.
You stay on it for 12 weeks usually. However, your doctor may recommend that
you stay on it longer. It costs about $5/day. Don't take if you're pregnant or
breastfeeding. Not recommended for use in children under 18 years of age.
Taking Champix in combination with other smoking-cessation therapies (e.g.
patch, gum or inhaler) has not been studied and is therefore not recommended.
The most common side effects are:
Nausea, vomiting, trouble sleeping, headache, abnormal dreams, constipation and
gas.
If you have any problems, it's best to talk to your Doctor who may reduce your
dose temporarily or make other recommendations.
