In our modern world, almost everyone has bad habits. One of them is smoking addiction, which is not so easy to get rid of. But due to the fact that medicine does not stand still, today there are various means to help you forget about tobacco. But in fact, in order to overcome a bad habit forever, some "magic pills" are not enough. You also need to have great willpower, and then everything will work out.
Champix is a drug used to combat nicotine addiction. It has the maximum effect at a time when a person refuses a bad habit. Champix helps make this process easier. This drug, according to the principle of action, acts as an agonist and antagonist of receptors. It interacts with them and neutralizes dopamine activation. This system is responsible for the enjoyment of smoking and addiction. In this review, we will look at Champix tablets, side effects and reviews about them.
Composition
Today in pharmacy chains you can find the drug "Champix" in the form of film-coated tablets. The main active ingredientis varenicline. It is present in two doses, 1 mg and 0.5 mg. Additional substances can be divided into two categories: those that form the film and those that form the tablet itself. For both dosages, the tablet-forming excipients are the same. But the composition of the shell may differ.
The composition of the tablet itself 1 and 0.5 mg includes substances such as:
- calcium hydrogen phosphate;
- croscarmellose sodium;
- colloidal silicon dioxide;
- microcrystalline cellulose;
- magnesium stearate.
The composition of the shell of tablets 0.5 mg includes Opadry white and Opadry transparent, and pills 1 mg - Opadry transparent and Opadry blue.
The 0.5mg pills are white and convex in shape. On one side there is the inscription Pfizer, and on the other - CHX 0.5. White pills with a dosage of 0.5 mg are usually available in 11 or 56 tablets. On sale there are also blue tablets with a dosage of 1 mg. Pfizer is printed on one side and CHX 1.0 on the other. There can be 56, 28 or 14 pieces in a pack. There are also packs that contain a set of tablets with both dosages. Usually such plates contain 14 blue and 11 white pills.
Pharmacological action
What are the benefits of Champix smoking pills? Patient reviews confirm that this drug is quite effective. The active component of the tablets can interact with the α4β2 n-cholinergic receptors of the brain, in relation to which it is partially a nicotine agonist. The problem is that the cellslimbic system contains nicotinic receptors. When interacting with them, the production of dopamine is carried out. A person begins to feel pleasure from the process of smoking. Dopamine itself is called the hormone of happiness. This substance is created by brain cells and explains the joy from any action. This is what causes a certain addiction.
In other words, if there is a process that leads to the formation of dopamine by brain cells, the body begins to enjoy. When nicotine from cigarettes enters the brain, it interacts with nicotinic receptors. The brain actively begins to create dopamine. As a result, the person feels pleasure. Gradually, you may become addicted to smoking. "Champix", reviews of which are mostly positive, blocks the ability of nicotine to stimulate α4β2 n-cholinergic receptors. Due to this, the person taking the drug reduces the enjoyment of cigarettes. It also facilitates the course of the withdrawal syndrome, the drug "Champix". Side effects, patient reviews, and contraindications will be discussed below.
Champix's high efficiency has long been proven. WHO has recognized the drug in question as an excellent tool for those who want to quit smoking. According to scientific studies, a two-week course of the use of tablets is enough to cope with addiction on your own. It is for this reason that Champix receives mostly positive reviews from smokers. If within a couple of weeks it was not possible to quit the addiction, you cantry taking the remedy for a 5-week course. During this period, the patient will be able to independently choose the optimal date for quitting smoking.
Indications
Doctors advise drinking Champix tablets, reviews of which are presented at the end of the article, only for the treatment of nicotine addiction in adults. The medicine should only be used if the person is trying to quit smoking. Taking the remedy in question helps make breaking the habit easier and more effective.
Instructions
Before use, you must definitely familiarize yourself with it. So, what does the instructions for using Champix say? Reviews of smokers confirm that there is nothing complicated in treating addiction with this drug. It is enough just to swallow the tablets whole, without crushing. You can also try to grind the pills and use them in any other way. You need to take the medicine with a glass of water. You can use "Champix" at any time of the day. Try to observe approximately equal intervals of time between repeated doses of the drug.
How to drink the drug "Champix" to combat nicotine addiction? Instructions for use and reviews of doctors allow us to give a couple of simple recommendations. First, the likelihood of successful therapy depends to a large extent on how much a person wants to quit smoking. If you do not want to give up this addiction, then most likely the Champix technique will not be very effective. It is best to start taking the pills about two weeks before your expected quit date.
DrinkChampix is better in the following way:
- from the first to the third day drink once at 0.5 mg;
- from the fourth to the seventh day, take 0.5 mg tablets twice;
- starting from the eighth day and until the end of the course, the drug is drunk at a dosage of 1 mg twice a day.
If the patient has poor tolerance to Champix, then the dose can be reduced by about half. In total, the duration of the course can be from 12 to 24 weeks. In the first case, therapy is considered short, and in the second - long. Short-term involves taking medications at the above dosage for 12 weeks. At the same time, you can refuse cigarettes starting from the eighth day of using Champix. Reviews of those who have given up addiction confirm that this period is the most optimal. You can also give up cigarettes on any day from the eighth to the 35th. If within 12 weeks it is not possible to get rid of the habit, then it is recommended to drink the medicine for another 84 days. It is best to take the 1mg tablets twice a day. Such therapy will help to consolidate the rejection. Additional days of admission are not included in the required course.
Long-term therapy (24 weeks) is needed only if the person cannot stop smoking on their own. In this situation, it is worth starting to drink the drug according to the above scheme. Along with this, it is imperative to reduce the number of cigarettes. By the end of the 12th week, a person completely stops smoking. Thenthe drug should be drunk for another 84 days at 1 mg per day.
As a result, the total duration of the course with a gradual decrease in the amount of tobacco consumed is approximately 24 weeks. If the patient really wants to quit smoking and is sufficiently motivated to achieve this goal, but at the same time he did not succeed in one course of therapy with Champix and a relapse occurred after the completion of treatment, then experts recommend repeating the course again. To complete it, you can choose any option for taking the drug - short (84 days) or long (168 days).
Use for kidney disease
Patients with various diseases and pathologies may experience different effects of Champix. The reviews confirm that the dosage of the drug can be adjusted depending on the chronic diseases and pathologies of the smoker. It is determined on the basis of creatinine levels. If its clearance, determined by the Rehberg test, is more than 30 ml / min, then the drug can be taken in normal doses. In this case, it is possible to choose any course of therapy. If a person suffers from kidney disease and has a creatinine clearance of less than 30 ml / min, poor tolerance to the side effects of Champix, then it is recommended to drink the drug once a day at a dosage of 1 mg.
In case of severe kidney disease, pills should be taken according to the following scheme:
- from 1st to 3rd day - 0.5 mg once a day;
- from 4th to 7th day - 0.5 mg twice a day;
- from the 8th day until the end of treatment - 1 mg once a day.
Use of remedy for liver diseases
In case of liver failure, Champix is taken according to the usual scheme, both for the short and for the long course. Older people are advised to take the tablets at the standard dosage without reducing it. Decrease to 1 mg once a day is allowed only in cases where we are talking about patients who are aged or suffering from liver diseases who do not tolerate side effects.
Reception features
Are there any recommendations for taking the remedy? The doctors' comments confirm that against the background of the fight against smoking, it may be necessary to adjust the doses of insulin, "Warfarin", "Theophylline".
The clinician should warn patients using a smoking cessation drug of the possibility of developing neuropsychiatric symptoms and consider the need for gradual dose reduction.
Use while carrying a child
As for the periods when a woman carries a baby under her heart and breastfeeding, then in this case "Champix" is contraindicated for use. No studies confirming the safety of taking the drug for a child have been conducted. It is also unknown if the active ingredients of Champix pass into breast milk.
Side effects
Studies with Champix have revealed cases of various abnormalities in the neuropsychiatric system, such as unbalanced behavior, feelings of anxiety, slow thinking, changes inmood, psychosis, aggressive state, agitation, suicidal thoughts and depression. At the same time, not everyone who took pills and quit smoking experienced such violations.
If you experience depression or other disorders, you should immediately consult a doctor and stop taking the drug or reduce its dose. In this case, these symptoms usually disappear. Considering that there is a possibility of the occurrence of psychoneurological pathologies, it is recommended to conduct an examination before starting the medication for the presence of disorders in the past and present. If there are any, Champix should be taken only as directed by a specialist. This is due to the fact that smoking cessation itself can provoke an exacerbation of existing pathologies, such as schizophrenia, depression, neurosis, and so on.
It is also worth considering that suicidal thoughts and depression can accompany a smoker, regardless of whether he drinks the drug or not. During the period of withdrawal from nicotine, it can be simply difficult to distinguish what depression and neurosis are associated with. Therefore, be sure to prepare for such unpleasant surprises. Against the background of the use of the drug "Champix" in people suffering from diseases of the cardiovascular system, there is an increase in the incidence of various pathologies and complications. Despite the high risk of side effects, mortality among people taking the pill was significantly lower compared to those who did not use this drug to quit smoking. Given this state of affairs, we can conclude that people suffering from diseases of the cardiovascular system and taking Champix should carefully monitor their he alth. When the first symptoms appear and they worsen, it is recommended to immediately seek medical help.
What other side effects can Champix have? Reviews of smokers and side effects - this is the information that is usually of interest to patients. In some cases, the drug can cause seizures, especially in those who have never suffered from such disorders before. For this reason, people suffering from epilepsy should take Champix with extreme caution. It is recommended to do this under the supervision of a doctor.
Champix causes depression, irritability, and insomnia in about three percent of patients. In addition, there is an increased craving for smoking. In rare cases, the drug causes allergic reactions. They can manifest themselves in the appearance of angioedema in the tongue, lips, larynx, gums and extremities. This condition can lead to death. At the first manifestations of edema, it is necessary to urgently go to the hospital. In this case, it is better to stop taking the drug. In rare cases, the use of Champix provokes the development of allergies on the skin. Sometimes there is erythema multiforme and Stevens-Johnson syndrome.
Ability to drive vehicles and complex machinery
This issue should be given special attention. How does it affectability to drive a car taking Champix? Reviews of smokers, instructions and advice from doctors confirm that the medicine can lead to drowsiness and dizziness. During therapy, you should abandon such activities that require a high speed of reaction, attention and concentration.
Overdose
How to take Champix correctly? Reviews of doctors, side effects and instructions for use - that's what you need to study before starting the course. During the entire period of observation, no cases of overdose were registered. However, theoretically, when it is detected, it is necessary to treat the symptoms, aimed at maintaining the normal functioning of vital systems and organs.
Interaction with medications
Can it be used with other Champix medicines? Reviews of smokers and side effects indicated on the package do not confirm clinically significant interactions with other drugs. You can easily use Champix in combination with any medication without changing the dosage. However, if a person has serious illnesses that require the use of serious medications, it is still worth getting a specialist's advice.
What should you not use Champix tablets with? Reviews of doctors suggest that the drug should not be taken together with Cimetidine. The active ingredients of these drugs are excreted through the kidneys. "Warfarin" with "Champix" does not interact in any way. However, when you quit nicotine, the concentration of this drug can increase significantly.
Who elseShould I use Champix? Reviews of smokers confirm that the drug can enhance the toxic effect of alcohol. But studies have not confirmed the relationship between taking the drug in question and enhancing the effect of alcoholic beverages.
Reviews
Is Champix effective? Reviews say that this tool helps to quit smoking. However, it has a number of side effects. So, many declare increased excitability and nervousness. Tremor, psychosis, and anxiety may also occur. In the presence of chronic diseases, "Champix" can cause their exacerbation. However, with proper use, the drug is characterized by high efficiency. According to patients, the main thing is not to stop the course of treatment.
Conclusion
Today, there are very few people who do not suffer from bad habits. But be that as it may, if you become addicted to something, it is never too late to give it up. Do not indulge in bad habits! Lead a he althy lifestyle, attend various sports sections, follow proper nutrition. Take care of yourself and your he alth!
