What is CHANTIX?
CHANTIX™ (varenicline) is a prescription medicine to help adults stop smoking. CHANTIX helps reduce the urge to smoke.
How is CHANTIX different from other smoking cessation products?
CHANTIX contains no nicotine, but it targets the same receptors that nicotine does. CHANTIX is believed to block nicotine from these receptors. It is the only prescription treatment of its kind.
Learn more about how CHANTIX works.
What should I tell my doctor before starting CHANTIX?
Tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions including if you:
- have kidney problems or get kidney dialysis. Your doctor may prescribe a lower dose of CHANTIX for you.
- are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. CHANTIX has not been studied in pregnant women. It is not known if CHANTIX will harm your unborn baby. It is best to stop smoking before you get pregnant.
- are breastfeeding. Although it was not studied, CHANTIX may pass into breast milk. You and your doctor should discuss alternative ways to feed your baby if you take CHANTIX.
Tell your doctor about all your other medicines including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins and herbal supplements. Especially, tell your doctor if you take:
- insulin
- asthma medicines
- blood thinners
When you stop smoking, there may be a change in how these and other medicines work for you.
Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of them with you to show your doctor and pharmacist.
How do I take CHANTIX?
- Choose a quit date when you will stop smoking.
- Start taking CHANTIX one week (7 days) before your quit date. This lets CHANTIX build up in your body. You can keep smoking during this time. Make sure that you try and stop smoking on your quit date. If you slip, try again. Some people need a few weeks for CHANTIX to work best.
- Take CHANTIX after eating and with a full glass (8 ounces) of water.
- Most people will keep taking CHANTIX for up to 12 weeks. If you have completely quit smoking by 12 weeks, ask your doctor if another 12 weeks of CHANTIX may help you stay cigarette-free.
- CHANTIX comes as a white tablet (0.5 mg) and a blue tablet (1 mg). You start with the white tablet and then usually go to the blue tablet. See the chart below for dosing instructions.
My personal CHANTIX story:
I was a pack-a-day PLUS smoker…sometimes more sometimes, less than a pack. [usually MORE] I started smoking at about age 15. I smoked almost every day and quit using hypnosis at age 29 [after 14 years of smoking]. The hypnosis worked immediately, no withdrawal, no slip-ups.
At age 39, after being smoke-free for 10 years I had an argument with a loved one, went to the bar, had a beer and bummed a smoke off the guy sitting next to me. That smoke turned into 10 more years of a pack-a-day habit.
Now I am 49 years old and quitting again using CHANTIX.
I smoked during the first week, but tapered off a bit, aiming for my target date, my QUIT DAY.
The first few days were difficult, I won’t lie. But the CHANTIX works to take the psychological urge away. As quickly as you think about having a cigarette, you just as quickly can change your thought to something else, diverting your attention away from smoking and onto a new activity.
I am on DAY 9
I still have urges, but I am stronger than they are.
I will comment on this blog as I hit my milestones [2 weeks, a month, 3 months and so on...]
