Chantix and Champix

 

This year varenicline (Chantix and Champix) is the new kid on the block. Pfizer boasts that it aided 1 in 5 clinical trial users in quitting for a year. But aside from Chantix/Champix use, a number of study design factors may have heavily influenced outcome. More alarming, there's mounting user concerns that Pfizer has failed to adequately warn smokers about adverse events, including "frequent" risk of significant muscle and joint pain (what Pfizer lists as "arthralgia, back pain, muscle cramp, musculoskeletal pain, myalgia" - see page 14), without telling users how frequently, or that symptoms may persist long after varenicline use has ended.

 

http://forums.wrongdiagnosis.com/showthread.php?t=2301

 

 

 

 

Link to Pfizer's complete list of  

Chantix / Champix Adverse Events

 

http://www.pfizer.com/pfizer/download/uspi_chantix.pdf

 

 

 

 

But if the Chantix / Champix user makes it past the side-effects, they  truly will experience up to 60% of the dopamine output that nicotine would have generated if sitting on the exact same acetylcholine receptors.  The trick with Chantix / Champix isn't in feeling comfortble while using it but adjusting to living without it, as more than half of clinical trial users who quit smoking for 3 months while using varenicline relapsed within a year.

 

If you have a friend or loved one using Chantix or Champix there's absolutely no reason, whether they continue using it or not, that they  cannot go the distance and succeed, so long as zero nicotine finds its way back into their bloodstream.   Key is relapse prevention.  You may want to send them the link to downloading Joel's free PDF book "Never Take Another Puff" which can be downloaded at:

 

http://whyquit.com/joel/

 

 

Reporting Adverse

Chantix / Champix Events

 

If you know someone using Chantix or Champix who experiences significant side effects encourage them to ...

 

 immediately call their physician

 

Also, encourage them to report the adverse reaction to their national health officials.   Here's a few links:

 

U.S. Food & Drug Administration - http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/

 

U.K. Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency

http://www.mhra.gov.uk/home/idcplg?IdcService=SS_GET_PAGE&nodeId=755

 

Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration

http://www.tga.gov.au/adr/bluecard.htm

 

Canadian Adverse Drug Reaction Monitoring Program

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/medeff/report-declaration/guide/ar-ei_guide-ldir_e.html