Champix 1 mg Tablet

Champix 1 mg Tablet – Varenicline Tartrate by Pfizer

Champix is Varenicline tartrate 1 mg film-coated tablets from Pfizer, used to help adults stop smoking. Varenicline is interesting because it does two opposite things at the same nicotine receptor. It is a partial agonist: it binds to the α4β2 nicotinic receptor and stimulates it just enough to release a modest amount of dopamine, which takes the edge off craving and withdrawal – and because it is sitting there, nicotine from a cigarette cannot bind, so smoking during treatment delivers far less of its usual reward. Craving relief and reward blockade in one molecule. The maintenance pack of 28 tablets is the 1 mg strength used after the first week of gradual dose escalation; a quit date is normally set for the second week, so that the drug is already at full effect when the last cigarette is smoked. Imported and marketed by Pfizer Limited. Pack of 28 tablets (2 strips of 14).

Key Features

• Varenicline tartrate 1 mg film-coated tablets
• A partial agonist – relieves craving while blocking nicotine’s reward
• Nicotine-free, so it is not a replacement therapy
• Maintenance pack for use after the first week of dose escalation
• Pack of 28 tablets (2 strips of 14) imported and marketed by Pfizer Ltd.

Composition

• Varenicline tartrate – 1 mg
• Approved colours used: Titanium Dioxide USP, Indigo Carmine Aluminium Lake. Excipients q.s. As printed on the pack

Uses & Benefits

• Helps adults give up smoking and stay off cigarettes
• Reduces craving and the irritability, restlessness and low mood of nicotine withdrawal
• Makes smoking less satisfying if a cigarette is smoked during treatment
• Contains no nicotine, so it can be used without continuing nicotine exposure
• A defined 12-week course with a clear quit date built into it
• Works best with counselling or a quit-support programme

Directions for Use

• Set a quit date with your doctor and start the tablets one to two weeks before it
• The 1 mg tablet is the maintenance dose – one tablet twice a day from day 8 onwards, after the low-dose starting week, or exactly as your doctor directs
• Swallow whole with a full glass of water, after food – taking it with food greatly reduces nausea
• A standard course runs for 12 weeks; your doctor may advise a further 12 weeks to protect the result
• If you slip and smoke, do not stop the tablets – carry on and tell your doctor

Precautions

• Tell your doctor about any history of depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder or other psychiatric illness, and report any change in mood, agitation, unusual behaviour or thoughts of self-harm immediately – to a doctor, and involve someone close to you
• Nausea is the most common effect, along with vivid or unusual dreams, sleep disturbance, headache and constipation. Taking the tablet after food with plenty of water helps
• Do not drive or operate machinery until you know how it affects you – it can cause drowsiness, dizziness and difficulty concentrating
• Tell your doctor if you have kidney disease – the dose is usually reduced – or a seizure disorder, or heart disease
• Not recommended in pregnancy, while breastfeeding, or under 18 years of age
• Stopping smoking itself changes how the body handles some medicines, including theophylline, warfarin and insulin – your doctor may adjust them

Storage

• Store below 30°C, as printed on the pack
• Do not use if the box has been opened, as the carton states. Read the enclosed package insert for full product details
• Keep out of reach of children

Disclaimer

Schedule H prescription drug – to be sold by retail on the prescription of a Registered Medical Practitioner only. This information is for general awareness and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Medicines for alcohol or nicotine dependence work as part of a treatment plan that includes counselling and support, and must be started and supervised by a doctor.