Varenicline

What is Varenicline?

Varenicline is a pill you take everyday to help you quit smoking. It has the same active ingredient as Champix, so they work in pretty much the same way.

Most people who approach a clinician for treatment to stop smoking aren’t ready to quit right away, but that’s okay. Varenicline helps you stop smoking slowly, without cravings halting your progress. You can also pick the way you want to approach it, so there’s a bit of flexibility.

How does Varenicline work?

Varenicline helps you stop smoking by making smoking less enjoyable and reducing cravings. It does this by working on the receptors in your brain that transmit dopamine- the “feel-good hormone”.

Varenicline binds to these receptors, preventing nicotine from doing so as strongly. ^[1] That means smoking won’t provide the same dopamine hit, and you won’t get as many cravings. That means Varenicline makes it a lot easier to give up smoking.

What doses of Varenicline are there?

It comes in two doses: 0.5mg and 1mg. If you go for the 0.5mg option, you’ll take one pill for the first three days. For the rest of your treatment, you’ll take it twice a day. If 1mg is right for you, you’ll still start off taking a 0.5mg pill for the first three days. Then on day 4-7, you’ll take a 0.5mg pill twice a day. For the rest of your treatment, you’ll take 1mg twice a day.

The 1mg dosing regimen for Varenicline is a little more effective, and it’s most used. But if you have certain medical conditions, you might need to go for the lower dosing schedule. Once you’ve quit smoking, your clinician might suggest you ‘taper off’ your dose to reduce any chance of withdrawal. That means you slowly take smaller and smaller amounts each day, until you’re completely finished with treatment.

How to take Varenicline

Make sure you take Varenicline exactly as your clinician tells you. There are a few variations in how to take it, so make sure you follow their detailed instructions.

It’s best to take Varenicline after a meal. So if you’re taking it twice a day, maybe take it after breakfast and your evening meal. Take your pill with a full glass of water. Varenicline can sometimes cause nausea, so food and plenty of water can help avoid this.

What are the three dosing regimens for Varenicline?

There are a few different approaches to taking Varenicline you can try.

With the fixed quit approach, you pick a date when you want to quit smoking. Then you start taking Varenicline one or two weeks before this date.

There’s also the flexible quit approach. If you’re doing it this way, you start taking Varenicline. Then anywhere between days 8 and 35 of treatment (or weeks two and five), you stop smoking.

Finally, you have the gradual quit approach. With this approach, you aim to stop smoking by the end of week 12 of treatment. After four weeks, you should reduce how much you smoke by 50%, and 75% by eight weeks.

What happens if I make a mistake while taking Varenicline?

If you’ve forgotten to take a pill, just take it right away when you remember. If it’s nearly time to take your next pill, just skip the missed one and carry on as normal.

What if you take too much Varenicline? You might feel nauseous or even vomit. It’s always a good idea to contact a clinician if you take too much Varenicline.