Champix Tablets

Champix Tablets for Stopping Smoking

What are Champix tablets used for?

Champix tablets are used to help adults stop smoking. The tablets contain varenicline, which works on the same receptors in the brain that nicotine acts on.

Champix can help in two ways:

1. It eases the cravings and withdrawal symptoms that come with giving up cigarettes
2. It can reduce how much satisfaction you get from smoking if you do have a cigarette while you’re on treatment

As a stop-smoking treatment, Champix isn’t a nicotine replacement product. It doesn’t contain nicotine, so it works differently from patches, gum or sprays.

How do Champix tablets work for smoking cessation?

Champix contains varenicline, which acts on nicotine receptors in the brain.

Nicotine normally attaches to these receptors when you smoke, triggering the release of dopamine, a chemical linked to feelings of pleasure and reward. This is part of what makes cigarettes addictive.

Varenicline attaches to the same receptors. It triggers a milder release of dopamine, which helps to reduce the cravings and withdrawal symptoms as you cut down or stop smoking. At the same time, it blocks nicotine from attaching to these receptors, so if you do smoke while taking Champix, you get less of the usual rewarding effect.

Champix is taken over a course of treatment, usually starting a week or two before the day you quit. The dose builds up gradually, starting at 0.5mg once daily and increasing to 1mg twice daily, giving your body time to adjust.

Who can use Champix tablets?

Champix tablets are suitable for adults aged 18 and over who want to stop smoking. They’re not recommended for children or adolescents.

Don’t take Champix if you:

• Are allergic to varenicline or any of the other ingredients

Speak to your doctor before taking Champix if you:

• Have a history of depression, anxiety or other mental health conditions
• Have ever had suicidal thoughts or behaviour
• Have heart or blood vessel problems
• Have had a seizure or have epilepsy
• Have severe kidney disease
• Are pregnant, breastfeeding or planning to become pregnant

How To Take Champix Tablets

Before starting treatment, you’ll usually pick a date to stop smoking, either in your second week of treatment or within 5 weeks of starting if you need more time.

Swallow the tablets whole with water. They can be taken with or without food.

Champix is often prescribed as a starter pack combining both tablet strengths for the first 2 weeks of treatment.

The dose increases gradually over the first 2 weeks:

• Days 1 to 3: one 0.5mg tablet once a day
• Days 4 to 7: one 0.5mg tablet twice a day, morning and evening
• Day 8 onwards: one 1mg tablet twice a day, morning and evening

Most treatment courses run for the first 12 weeks. If you’ve successfully stopped smoking by then, your doctor may recommend a further 12 weeks of treatment to help you stay smoke-free.

Side Effects of Champix (Varenicline Tablets)

Like all medicines, Champix can cause side effects, though not everyone gets them.

Giving up smoking itself, with or without treatment, can cause symptoms like low mood, irritability, frustration, anxiety, trouble sleeping, difficulty concentrating and increased appetite. It can be hard to tell these apart from the tablets’ side effects.

Very Common Side Effects

These may affect more than 1 in 10 people:

• Inflammation of the nose and throat
• Abnormal dreams
• Difficulty sleeping
• Headache
• Nausea

Common Side Effects

These may affect up to 1 in 10 people:

• Chest infection, sinusitis
• Increased or decreased appetite, weight gain
• Sleepiness, dizziness, changes in taste
• Shortness of breath, cough
• Heartburn, vomiting, constipation, diarrhoea, bloating, abdominal pain, toothache, indigestion, wind, dry mouth
• Skin rash, itching
• Joint ache, muscle ache, back pain
• Chest pain, tiredness

Uncommon Side Effects

These may affect up to 1 in 100 people:

• Fungal or viral infection
• Panic, difficulty thinking, restlessness, mood swings, depression, anxiety, hallucinations, changes in sex drive
• Seizure, tremor, feeling sluggish, reduced sensitivity to touch
• Conjunctivitis, eye pain
• Ringing in the ears
• Angina, rapid or increased heart rate, palpitations
• Increased blood pressure, hot flushes
• Nasal and throat congestion, hoarseness, hay fever, throat irritation, runny nose
• Blood in stools, irritated stomach, change in bowel habit and mouth ulcers
• Skin redness, acne, increased sweating, night sweats
• Muscle spasms, chest wall pain
• Frequent urination, urination at night
• Increased menstrual flow
• Flu-like symptoms, fever, feeling weak or unwell
• High blood sugar

Rare Side Effects

These may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people:

• Excessive thirst
• Feeling unwell or unhappy, slow thinking
• Increased muscle tension, difficulty with speech or coordination, and altered sleep patterns
• Disturbed vision, eyeball discolouration, dilated pupils, sensitivity to light
• Irregular heartbeat
• Throat pain, snoring
• Stiff joints, rib pain
• Vaginal discharge, changes in sexual ability
• Sleepwalking

Frequency Not Known

• Transient loss of consciousness

Stop taking Champix and seek immediate medical help if you experience:

• Agitation, low mood, changes in behaviour or thoughts of suicide
• Symptoms of a heart attack or stroke
• Swelling of the face, lips, tongue, gums, throat or body, or difficulty breathing or wheezing
• A rash, or skin that starts to peel or blister
• Loss of contact with reality, confusion or difficulty thinking clearly

If you experience any side effects not listed here, tell your doctor or pharmacist. You can also report side effects via the MHRA Yellow Card scheme.

Champix Tablets Ingredients

Active ingredient: Varenicline (as tartrate) 0.5mg or 1mg per tablet

Other ingredients: Cellulose (microcrystalline), calcium hydrogen phosphate anhydrous, croscarmellose sodium, silica (colloidal anhydrous), magnesium stearate, hypromellose, titanium dioxide (E171), macrogol 400, triacetin. The 1mg tablet also contains indigo carmine aluminium lake (E132).

Warnings and Precautions

• There have been reports of depression, suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts in people taking Champix. Stop taking it and contact your doctor immediately if you become agitated, feel low, notice changes in your behaviour, or have thoughts of suicide.
• Stopping smoking, with or without Champix, has been linked to changes in mood and thinking, including feelings of depression and anxiety. Tell your doctor if you have a history of mental health problems.
• New or worsening heart or blood vessel problems have been reported, mainly in people who already have them. Get emergency help right away if you notice symptoms of a heart attack or stroke.
• Tell your doctor if you’ve had seizures or have epilepsy, as some people have reported seizures while taking Champix.
• Stop taking Champix and tell your doctor immediately if you notice swelling of the face, lips, tongue, gums, throat or body, or if you have difficulty breathing or wheezing.
• Stop taking Champix and seek emergency medical help if you develop a rash or your skin starts to peel or blister.
• Champix can cause dizziness, sleepiness or brief loss of consciousness. Don’t drive or operate machinery until you know how it affects you.
• There have been some reports of alcohol having a stronger effect on people taking Champix.
• Tell your doctor or pharmacist about any other medicines you’re taking, as stopping smoking can change how some medicines work, including theophylline, warfarin and insulin.
• If you have severe kidney disease, avoid taking cimetidine at the same time as Champix unless your doctor advises otherwise.
• Speak to your doctor before taking Champix if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding or planning to become pregnant.
• Champix contains less than 1mmol sodium (23mg) per tablet, so it’s essentially sodium-free.