In our modern world, almost every person 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 forget about tobacco. But in fact, in order to permanently overcome a bad habit, “magic pills” alone are not enough. One must still have tremendous willpower, and then everything will work out.
Champix is ​​a drug that is used to combat nicotine addiction. It has the maximum effect at a time when a person abandons a bad habit. Champix helps facilitate this process. This drug, by 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 enjoying smoking and addiction. In this review, we will consider Champix tablets, side effects and reviews about them.
Composition
Today in the pharmacy chains you can find the Champix drug in the form of film-coated tablets. The main active ingredient is 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 excipients that make up the tablet are the same. But the composition of the shell may vary.
The composition of the tablet 1 and 0.5 mg includes such substances as:
- calcium hydrogen phosphate;
- croscarmellose sodium;
- colloidal silicon dioxide;
- microcrystalline cellulose;
- magnesium stearate.
The composition of the shell of 0.5 mg tablets includes opadra white and opadra transparent, and 1 mg pill - opadra transparent and opadra blue.
0.5 mg pills are white and have a convex shape. There is Pfizer on one side and CHX 0.5 on the other. 0.5 mg white pills are usually available in 11 or 56 tablets. Blue tablets with a dosage of 1 mg are also on sale. Pfizer is inscribed on one side and CHX 1.0 on the other. A pack can be 56, 28 or 14 pieces. Packs are also found that contain a set of tablets with both dosages. Typically, such plates contain 14 blue and 11 white pills.
pharmachologic effect
Why are Champix smoking pills good? 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 nicotinic receptors are present on the cells of the limbic system. When interacting with them, dopamine is produced. A person begins to enjoy the process of smoking. Dopamine itself is called the hormone of happiness. This substance is created by brain cells and explains the joy of any action. This is what causes a certain dependence.
In other words, if a process occurs that leads to the formation of dopamine in the brain cells, the body begins to enjoy. When nicotine from cigarettes enters the brain, it interacts with nicotine receptors. The brain is actively starting to create dopamine. As a result, a person feels pleasure. Gradually, smoking may become addictive. Champix, whose reviews are mostly positive, blocks the ability of nicotine to stimulate α4β2 n-cholinergic receptors. Thanks to this, the person taking the drug decreases the pleasure of cigarettes. Champix drug also facilitates the course of withdrawal. Side effects, patient reviews, as well as contraindications will be discussed later.
The high efficiency of Champix has long been proven. WHO recognized the drug in question as an excellent tool for those who want to quit smoking. If you believe scientific research, a two-week course of use of tablets is enough to cope with the addiction yourself. It is for this reason that Champix receives mostly positive feedback from smokers. If within a couple of weeks it was not possible to quit addiction, you can try to take the drug with 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 be used only if a person is trying to quit smoking. Taking the remedy in question helps make quitting a habit easier and more effective.
Instruction manual
Before use, you must definitely familiarize yourself with it. So, what does the instruction for the use of Champix say? Reviews of smokers confirm that there is nothing complicated in the treatment of addiction with this drug. It is enough just to swallow the tablets whole, not small. You can also try to grind the pills and use them in any other way. Drink 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 “Champix” to combat nicotine addiction? Instructions for use and reviews of doctors allow you to give a couple of simple recommendations. Firstly, the likelihood of successful therapy to a large extent depends on how much a person wants to give up smoking. If you do not want to quit this addiction, then, most likely, taking Champix will not be very effective. It is best to start taking pills about two weeks before the expected date of giving up the habit.
It is better to drink Champix according to the following scheme:
- from the first to the third day they drink once at a dose of 0.5 mg;
- from the fourth to the seventh day they take 0.5 mg tablets twice;
- from the eighth day to the end of the course, the drug is drunk in a dosage of 1 mg twice a day.
If the patient has poor tolerance of Champix, 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 the medicine in the above dosage for 12 weeks. You can refuse cigarettes starting from the eighth day of using the Champix drug. The reviews of those who started an addiction confirm that this period is the most optimal. You can also give up cigarettes any day from the eighth to the 35th. If within 12 weeks it is not possible to get rid of the habit, it is recommended to drink the medicine for another 84 days. It is best to take 1 mg tablets twice daily. Such therapy will help to fix the failure. Additional admission days are not included in the required course.
Long-term therapy (24 weeks) is needed only if a person cannot quit smoking on his own. In this situation, it is worth starting to drink the drug according to the above scheme. Along with this, it is necessary to reduce the number of cigarettes. By the end of the 12th week, a person completely stops smoking. Then the 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 give up smoking and is motivated enough to achieve this goal, but at the same time he did not succeed in one course of Champix therapy and relapse occurred after treatment was completed, 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. Reviews confirm that the dosage of the drug can be adjusted depending on chronic diseases and pathologies of the smoker. It is determined on the basis of creatinine. If its clearance, determined by the Reberg 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 diseases and has a creatinine clearance of less than 30 ml / min, poor tolerance of side effects of Champix, then it is recommended to drink the drug once a day in a dosage of 1 mg.
In severe kidney disease, it is worth using pills according to this scheme:
- from the 1st to the 3rd day - 0.5 mg once a day;
- from the 4th to the 7th day - 0.5 mg twice a day;
- from the 8th day until the end of treatment - 1 mg once a day.
The use of drugs for liver diseases
In case of liver failure, the reception of Champix is ​​carried out according to the usual scheme, both for a short and a long course. Aged people are advised to take tablets in a standard dosage without reducing it. It is allowed to reduce to 1 mg once a day only in cases when it is a question of patients aged or suffering from liver diseases who are poorly tolerated by side effects.
Features of the reception
Are there any recommendations for taking the drug? Doctors' reviews confirm that against the background of the fight against smoking, dose adjustment of insulin, Warfarin, and Theophylline may be necessary.
The doctor should warn patients who use the drug to stop smoking about the possibility of developing neuropsychiatric symptoms and take into account the need to gradually reduce the dose.
Use in bearing a child
As for the periods when a woman wears a baby and breastfeeding under her heart, then Champix is ​​contraindicated for use. No studies confirming the safety of taking the drug for the child have been conducted. It is also unknown whether the active components of Champix are passed into breast milk.
Side effects
Studies of Champix revealed cases of various deviations in the neuropsychiatric system, for example, unbalanced behavior, a sense of anxiety, slow thinking, mood swings, psychoses, an aggressive state, agitation, suicidal thoughts and depression. At the same time, not everyone who took pills and quit smoking had similar violations.
In the event of a depressive state and other disorders, you should immediately consult a doctor and stop taking the drug or reduce its dose. In this case, these symptoms usually go away. Given that there is a likelihood of neuropsychiatric pathologies, it is recommended that you do not examine the presence of disorders in the past or present before taking the medicine. If any, take Champix only as directed by a specialist. This is due to the fact that quitting smoking 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 quitting nicotine, it can be difficult to distinguish between what depression and neurosis are associated with. Therefore, you must definitely prepare for such unpleasant surprises. Against the background of the use of the Champix drug in people suffering from diseases of the cardiovascular system, an increase in the incidence of various pathologies and complications is observed. Despite the high risk of side effects, mortality among people taking pills 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 health. When the first symptoms appear and their aggravation, it is recommended to immediately consult a doctor.
What other unpleasant effects can the use of Champix give? Reviews of smokers and side effects are the information that usually interests patients. In some cases, the drug can cause seizures, especially in those who have never before suffered from such disorders. 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.
In about three percent of patients, Champix causes depression, irritability, and insomnia. In addition, there is increased craving for a smoke. In rare cases, the drug causes allergic reactions. They can be manifested in the appearance of angioedema on the tongue, lips, larynx, gums and limbs. This condition can be fatal. At the first manifestations of edema, it is urgent to go to the hospital. It is better to stop taking the drug in this case. In rare cases, the use of Champix provokes the development of an allergy to the skin. Sometimes erythema multiforme and Stevens-Johnson syndrome are observed.
Ability to drive vehicles and complex machinery
This issue should be given special attention. What is the effect on the ability 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, such activities that require a high reaction rate, attention and concentration should be abandoned.
Overdose
How to take the Champix drug? Doctors' reviews, side effects and instructions for use - this is what you need to study before starting the course. Over the entire observation period, not a single case of overdose was recorded. However, theoretically, when it is detected, it is necessary to treat the symptoms, aimed at maintaining the normal functioning of vital systems and organs.
Drug Interactions
Can I use Champix with other 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 medicine without changing the dosage. However, if a person has serious diseases that require taking serious medications, it is still worth getting a specialist consultation.
What should not be used with Champix tablets? Doctors' reviews suggest that the drug should not be taken with "Cimetidine." The active substances of these drugs are excreted through the kidneys. Warfarin does not interact with Champix. However, when quitting nicotine, the concentration of this drug may increase significantly.
Who should not use Champix yet? Reviews of smokers confirm that the drug is able to enhance the toxic effect of alcohol. But studies have not confirmed the existence of a connection between taking the drug in question and enhancing the effect of alcohol.
Reviews
Is Champix effective? Reviews say that this tool helps to quit smoking. However, it has a number of side effects. So, many claim increased irritability and nervousness. Tremor, psychosis, and anxiety may also occur. In the presence of chronic diseases, Champix is ​​capable of exacerbating them. However, with proper use, the drug is highly effective. 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, then it's never too late to give it up. Do not be exposed to bad habits! Lead a healthy lifestyle, visit various sports sections, observe proper nutrition. Take care of yourself and your health!