Champix (Varenicline)

Champix – Helping you kick the smoking habit

Giving up smoking is challenging, but Champix can make it easier for you to stop smoking for good. All smoking cessation products require willpower and determination.

Champix is developed to help fight physical addiction so that you are left with only the psychological habit to fight. Studies have shown that Champix is more effective at helping you quit than relying on nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), such as patches, gum and e-cigarettes.

For the best chances of kicking the habit once and for all, speak to your GP about local smoking cessation groups for support and motivation before you buy Champix online from Prescription Doctor.

How does Champix work?

Champix gradually shuts off the nicotine receptors in the brain until you no longer benefit from the nicotine in the cigarettes. Over time, your inclination to smoke it reduced until you can quit.

What is Champix?

The active substance in Champix is varenicline, used to help relieve the craving and withdrawal symptoms that happen when you give up smoking.

Your Champix treatment can last up to 12 weeks, but before you start, you should decide on a date to stop smoking completely, preferably sometime during the second week

If you resume smoking while taking Champix, the effects of the nicotine will be reduced.

How to take Champix

Always take Champix as prescribed by your doctor.

If you’ve stopped smoking completely after 12 weeks, your doctor could recommend a further 12-week course of Champix to reinforce your lack of desire to smoke.

Champix is available in two forms: a treatment initiation pack containing 11 doses of 0.5 mg and 14 doses of 1 mg, and a follow-on pack that can contain between 28 and 140 doses of either 0.5 mg or 1 mg.

Staying safe with Prescription Doctor

You may need to speak to your GP before taking Champix if you:

• Are breastfeeding
• Have heart, blood or circulation problems
• Have liver or kidney problems
• Intend to become pregnant in the near future.
• Suffer from diabetes
• Suffer from seizures or epilepsy
• You have a history of depression

Side effects of smoking cessation

As with all medications, Champix carries the risk of side effects. Stopping smoking also has side effects, and it can be easy to confuse the two.

To stay safe while taking this medication, ensure you read the accompanying leaflet thoroughly and ask your GP any questions you may have.

In the first weeks of giving up smoking, you will experience temporary side effects whether you take Champix or not. These are completely normal and are your body’s way of ridding itself of the toxins it has become used to ingesting daily.

Side effects of smoking cessation include:

• Cough
• Depression and/or anxiety
• Dry Mouth
• Headaches
• Increased Appetite
• Insomnia.
• Irritability
• Restlessness
• Sore Throat

The side effects of Champix are different to smoking cessation side effects.

Side effects of Champix can include:

• An increase in the effects of alcohol
• Digestive problems
• Dizziness
• Heart rhythm disturbances.
• Hot flushes
• Joint and/or muscle pain
• Nose, sinus or throat inflammation
• Shortness of breath
• Skin problems
• Sleepiness

This is not an exhaustive list of side effects. For further information regarding the safety of this medication, you can refer to the patient information leaflet supplied within the packaging.

You can view the patient information leaflet for Champix online.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

You should seek your doctor's advice before taking Champix during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

You should avoid taking Champix during pregnancy.

Champix may pass into breast milk. Seek advice from a doctor or pharmacist before taking Champix while breastfeeding.

Other safety information

Always seek your doctor's advice before you buy Champix online.

Do not take Champix past the expiry date printed on the packaging.

Never throw away medicine via household or water waste. Take any unwanted or expired medicine to your pharmacy for safe disposal.

Always keep medicine out of the sight and reach of children and pets.

Frequently asked questions

What should I do if I forget to take Champix when I should?

If you forget to take Champix at the scheduled time, take it as soon as you remember. If you are due to take your next dose of Champix within 3 to 4 hours, skip the missed dose.

Do not take more Champix to make up for a missed dose.

What should I do if I take more Champix than I should?

If you accidentally take more Champix than you should, seek immediate emergency medical attention by going straight to your nearest accident and emergency department.

Will Champix impact my ability to drive or operate machinery?

Champix can cause side effects that may affect your concentration, such as dizziness, tiredness and transient loss of consciousness.

If you experience any side effects which inhibit your ability to drive or operate machinery, avoid these activities until you feel well enough to do so.

Can I drink alcohol while taking Champix?

It is not known whether Champix increases alcohol intoxication. Therefore, you should avoid alcohol consumption while taking Champix.

How long does it take for Champix to start working?

Before you start taking Champix, you should discuss with your doctor when during treatment you should quit smoking.

You should start taking Champix 1 or 2 weeks before the date you plan to quit smoking.

If you feel that you are unable (or unwilling) to quit smoking by your designated date, you can choose a different date within the first 5 weeks of treatment.

Buy Champix online and kick the habit!

Our UK-registered prescribers are on hand to prescribe Champix to you before it is dispatched from our UK-registered pharmacy.

You could receive your prescribed stop-smoking medication within 24 hours if you order it between Monday and Thursday. All of our prescription treatments are delivered in completely discreet packaging, which gives no hint to the contents inside. You will be given a one-hour delivery window, so you don’t have to wait all day for your Champix to be delivered. You can also choose to have it delivered to your place of work.

Order Champix online and double your chances of quitting smoking for good.

Resources

The 12-week guide to quitting smoking