Champix is a trade name for Varenicline. A prescription drug, Varenicline is a kind of medication provided to smokers, and therefore, falls under the class called smoking cessation therapies. This drug is prescribed in order to help people stop smoking, or gradually ease the urge to do so. Medication with this drug is mostly accompanied by rehabilitation or counselling, to support the smoker in quitting the habit completely.
How the Drug Takes Effect
There are two ways in which the drug takes effect. Champix acts as a preventive reaction and a source for craving reduction. The drug’s properties aim to seek out nicotine receptors which cause the urge for smoking to arise in the brain. Once the drug has bound itself to the receptors, it will reduce the symptoms of withdrawal. In addition to that, the drug not only reduces the urge, but it also declines the feeling of satisfaction that smokers get from smoking. This, in turn, prevents a person from lighting up a cigarette and smoking.
How it Fared in Clinical Trials
As a trial medicine, Champix was a successful drug and treated 44% of one group of smokers. It took 12 weeks of treatment along with moderate therapeutic guidance. This is a far better result than the average 11% of one group taking the placebo. There is also significant evidence that Zyban (Bupropion), which underwent the same trial in the same length of time, successfully treated only half of what the drug Varenicline was able to achieve. After the successful results during the clinical trials, Champix was approved by several companies, including the European Commission in September of 2006. The FDA also approved the drug earlier in the same year. The success ratio of the drug’s ability to encourage abstinence is at 70% compared to the 50% average in most smoking treatment drugs.
Prescription Details
The treatment drug is prescribed for smokers who are seeking to quit. Most of these types of smokers have had problems with quitting for years, and might have undergone several failed therapies or attempted self-treatments. The recommended dosage of Champix is 0.5 mg daily, at least for the first three days. Further use of the drug leads to usages of twice a day or 1 mg daily intake. Usually, if the patient progresses and is near the achievement or treatment goal, they are prescribed to take two 1 mg of Varenicline each day. The prescription, however, may change depending on the patient or the doctor. People who are not suffering from nicotine addiction should not take the drug. It can cause an imbalance in the receptors and could pose unpleasant side effects.
Smokers are advised to use the prescription drug continuously until the 12th week of medication. For a much better result, they may continue their intake of the medication, gradually decreasing the dosing, after the duration of the therapy. This will help alleviate or prevent any urges to smoke that might resurface. The effect of abstinence still has a possibility to diminish if the person cuts down on his Champix intake or temporarily stops the treatment, so consistency is highly required.