Chantix Starting Pack
(Varenicline)

Chantix is a specifically designed treatment that helps smokers quit. However, unlike a lot of other treatments, Chantix is nicotine-free. Chantix is a medication that works two separate ways. It targets the nicotine receptors in the brain and attaches to them, blocking nicotine from reaching them. It is also believed to activate these receptors, resulting in a decreased release of dopamine instead of nicotine. For many Chantix may be a life-changing treatment. Chantix has been proven to be more effective than many of the leading drugs used to stop smoking. In clinical studies, 44% of people who used Chantix stopped smoking within 9 to 12 weeks of treatment. The urge to smoke was also successfully reduced in those who took Chantix. The most incredible fact about the study was that the average person in the study was a smoker for 24 years. Chantix may be the difference between waiting for the future and wishing you had a future.

This medication should be stored at room temperature. Keep the medication away from heat and moisture.

Before using this medicine, tell your health care provider about any of the following: if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding; if you are taking any prescription medicine, nonprescription medicine, herbal preparation, or dietary supplement; if you have kidney disease or a history of mental illness.

Chantix may cause drowsiness and as a result impair thinking or reactions. It may also have mood or behavior changes. Be careful if you need to drive or do anything requiring you to be cautious or alert.

Read the directions on the prescription label. Do not take larger doses than prescribed by your doctor. Take this medication as directed by your doctor. How much medicine you take and how often you take it depends on many factors, including the condition being treated and the age and weight of the patient. If you have any questions about the amount and/or frequency of the medicine you are taking, talk with your healthcare provider. Carefully read the information provided with this medicine and reread it each time you get this prescription refilled. Take this medicine exactly as prescribed by your health care provider. It’s recommended that you begin your Chantix treatment a week before you stop smoking completely. This gives Chantix a chance to build up in your body. You may smoke during the first week of your Chantix treatment, but you should stop smoking completely on Day 8 of your treatment. Chantix should be taken after eating and with a full glass (8 ounces) of water.

Do not take this medicine if you are allergic to any ingredient in this medicine or to similar medications.

Severe: Fever, sore throat, and headache with a severe blistering, peeling, and red skin rash; or the first sign of any blistering type of skin rash, no matter how mild.

Common: Headache; nausea (may persist for several months), stomach pain, indigestion, vomiting, constipation, gas; weakness, tired feeling; increased appetite; unpleasant taste in your mouth; sleep problems (insomnia) or unusual dreams.

Other: None