Varenicline

Varenicline tablets (generic Champix) help to stop smoking permanently by counteracting the addiction and reducing the craving to smoke. Available to buy online from Dr Fox pharmacy.

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Buy varenicline online in UK

How to order varenicline 0.5mg and 1mg tablets online for UK delivery:

  1. Read medical information about stop smoking treatments
  2. Answer medical questions to check for eligibility
  3. Reviewed by doctors - posted from UK pharmacy (Royal Mail Tracked 24)

Prices

Prices of varenicline tablets from Dr Fox (in stock)
Dosage Quantity Cost
Varenicline 0.5mg 28 tablets (starting dose) £36.00
Varenicline 0.5mg 56 tablets (starting dose) £72.00
Varenicline 1mg 28 tablets (2 weeks) £36.00
Varenicline 1mg 56 tablets (4 weeks) £72.00
Varenicline 1mg 84 tablets (6 weeks) £108.00
Varenicline 1mg 140 tablets (10 weeks) £180.00

Price match guarantee
Prescription issued online - small prescription fee per order.

Compare prices: Dr Fox prices are 25%-50% lower cost than other online clinics.

Prescription fees

Dr Fox supplies medicine on prescription and charges a small prescription fee based on the order value of each prescription.

Prescriptions are issued by our doctors online and sent electronically to our pharmacy.

Order value Prescription fee
up to £10 £1.00
up to £20 £2.00
up to £40 £3.00
over £40 £4.00

If you have your own private paper prescription please post to our pharmacy (details).

Dr Fox prices are 25%–50% lower than other UK online clinics.

Delivery charges

UK delivery only: £2.90 per consultation via Royal Mail Tracked 24 Signed For (1-3 working days with tracking).

Parcel forwarding services are not permitted. Use only UK home or work delivery address.

Returns and refunds - unwanted items can be returned within 14 working days for a full refund.

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About varenicline

  • Varenicline is a safe and effective prescription-only medication to help stop smoking.
  • Varenicline can more than double the success rate of stop-smoking attempts compared with placebo.
  • Varenicline also reduces nicotine cravings - treatment for 3 months is as effective as nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) but also weans you off nicotine.
  • Treatment length can be extended to 6 months if required.
  • Varenicline is the active ingredient in branded Champix (discontinued) - what's the difference?
  • Read the patient leaflet for a full list of side effects, cautions, and interactions with other drugs.

How varenicline works

Tobacco contains nicotine. When you smoke, nicotine is absorbed through your lungs into your blood. When nicotine reaches your brain it can cause feelings of pleasure, often leading to nicotine addiction.

When you stop smoking you may experience a variety of symptoms such as craving a cigarette, feeling restless, a change in mood, or trouble sleeping. For most people who stop smoking these withdrawal symptoms are worse in the first few days to a couple of weeks, then they reduce in strength and frequency.

Varenicline works by attaching to the same receptors in the brain as nicotine, reducing the pleasurable feelings experienced when using nicotine-containing products. Varenicline increases the likelihood you will stop smoking, but also allows a gradual reduction in nicotine dependence. Compared with nicotine replacement therapy, where the body remains addicted to nicotine, varenicline has the additional benefit of weaning you off nicotine.

How to use varenicline

Varenicline tablets are taken twice daily, usually for 12 or 24 weeks.

The dose is built up over a week, starting 1-2 weeks before target stop smoking date:

Varenicline schedule of treatment to reduce nicotine cravings
Days of treatment Dosage and frequency
Days 1-3 0.5mg once a day
Days 4-7 0.5mg twice a day
Day 8 onwards 1mg (or 2 x 0.5mg) twice a day

The dose can be reduced to 0.5mg twice a day if the higher dose is not tolerated.

An alternative version of the varenicline treatment schedule which you may find easier to follow (from the National Centre for Smoking Cessation and Training).

Varenicline: simple dosing guide

The complete course is for 12 weeks. It can be repeated for a further 12 weeks if there are still significant withdrawal symptoms.

If smoking resumes after 12 weeks, or whilst taking the treatment, then this is a smoking relapse and you should stop taking varenicline. A further course may be repeated when you decide to try and stop again. Further attempts may be more successful if the longer course of 24 weeks is used.

Forgotten dose - DO NOT make up for the missed dose by taking more than the maximum daily dose, but resume at the normal daily dose.

Accidental overdose - if too much varenicline is taken in error, seek medical advice.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

Varenicline should not be used if you are pregnant or breastfeeding as the effects on your baby are unknown.

Every cigarette contains more than 4,000 chemicals, many of which are dangerous. Smoking during pregnancy can restrict the essential oxygen supply; harming your unborn baby. In many areas of the UK there are specialist NHS services to assist pregnant women to stop smoking. It is advisable to speak to your midwife or doctor for advice.

Cautions

A caution does not mean that a medicine cannot be used. It means the risks should be assessed by an appropriately trained clinician, and monitoring for worsening of an existing medical condition may be required.

Cardiovascular disease - you may take varenicline, but if you develop any worsening symptoms, particularly chest pain indicating angina, heart attack, or symptoms of a stroke, you must stop taking varenicline and seek emergency medical assistance.

Dr Fox cannot supply varenicline if you have the following conditions:

  • An allergy to varenicline or any other non-active ingredients in the tablets.
  • Psychiatric illness.
  • Active depression.
  • Seizures, epilepsy, or a condition that makes you more likely to have a seizure.
  • Renal failure/severe kidney disease - you will likely need a reduced dose and monitoring by your usual GP.
  • Are pregnant or breastfeeding.

When the course of varenicline has ended, some people experience poor sleep and/or low mood/depression for a few days. The chance of this occurring can be reduced by lowering the dose gradually before stopping treatment. To do this, once the course has been completed, reduce to 0.5mg twice a day for a week, then 0.5mg once a day for a week. Additional 0.5mg tablets can be purchased to do this.

It is rare but possible to feel suicidal after stopping varenicline; if this occurs you must seek medical advice immediately.

Varenicline may also cause you to have a lower tolerance to alcohol.

Driving and skilled tasks

When starting this medication you should ensure you do not experience dizziness or sleepiness before driving.

Possible side effects of varenicline

Varenicline is usually well tolerated, however the following side effects are most commonly reported:

  • Nausea.
  • Nose or throat inflammation.
  • Difficulty sleeping, abnormal dreams.
  • Headache.

For more detail about potential varenicline side effects, see the patient information leaflet supplied with varenicline.

Varenicline interaction with other medicines

There are no significant interactions between varenicline and other medications.

Do not take other stop-smoking medicines at the same time as varenicline, especially nicotine replacement in the form of gums, tablets, sprays, and patches. Nicotine and varenicline attach to the same receptors in the brain and may block each other's actions.

If you take theophylline, warfarin, or insulin, you should consult your GP before simply stopping smoking, as the dose of these medications may need adjusting.

Alternative stop smoking treatments

In the UK several treatments are available to help you to quit smoking in addition to varenicline.

Cytisine: 25-day course, prescription-only tablet used to reduce nicotine cravings during quit smoking attempts. Available from Dr Fox.

Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT): transdermal patch, gum, lozenge, nasal spray, inhalator & mouth spray. Use of a longer-acting transdermal patch in combination with a faster-acting gum, lozenge, or inhalator is called 'combination NRT' and is more effective than using a single product. Used in approximately 15% of quit attempts in the UK. Available over the counter from pharmacies and some supermarkets.

Nicotine vapes (e-cigarettes) allow you to inhale nicotine in a vapour rather than smoke. They are generally more effective than NRT. People who use vapes to stop smoking are still experiencing the addictive effects of nicotine and therefore tend to continue to use them for months or years after stopping smoking tobacco. Used in approximately 35% of quit attempts in the UK. Available over the counter from pharmacies and some supermarkets.

Bupropion (Zyban) is licensed for use in the US as an antidepressant and as a stop smoking aid. Zyban is available only on prescription. Used in less than 1% of quit attempts in the UK.

Dr Fox does not supply Zyban, NRT, or nicotine vapes.

For more information see the NHS Stop smoking treatments and Using e-cigarettes to stop smoking advice.

Patient Information Leaflet

Illustration of patient leaflet from medicine packet

The Patient Information Leaflet (PIL) is the leaflet included in the pack with a medicine and must be read before taking the medicine. It is written for patients and gives information about taking or using a medicine.

Varenicline Patient Leaflet

Varenicline FAQs

How effective is varenicline?

The clinical study data shows people taking varenicline for 12 weeks are twice as likely to stop permanently. About 1 in 5 people succeed compared with about 1 in 10 who try to stop without treatment.

Why do I need to start treatment before my quit date?

When you stop smoking there needs to be enough varenicline in your system to prevent craving and block the pleasurable effects of nicotine. It takes up to two weeks to build up varenicline levels.

Should I stop varenicline if I feel nervous and depressed?

Some people, particularly those with a tendency towards these symptoms, experience these feelings, which may be related to stopping smoking rather than varenicline. These symptoms can even happen in people who are not prone to them. If you do feel nervous or depressed, it is recommended to stop varenicline and consult a doctor. See list of side effects in the patient information leaflet supplied with tablets.

Can I take a course of varenicline more than once?

Yes, if you go back to smoking or don't manage to give up the first time, a repeat course may be effective. Stopping smoking is not easy, and it is not unusual to need more than one attempt to quit. You should leave at least a few weeks between courses and should think about how to make your next attempt more successful. A longer course of varenicline, 24 weeks, instead of 12 is sometimes more effective.

What should I do if I feel over emotional and low after stopping treatment?

You should consult a doctor. In rare cases these symptoms can be severe. Occasionally a slow tapering down of the dose at the end of the course of varenicline will reduce these types of withdrawal symptoms.

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Improving your chances of quitting

If you are mindful, notice your cravings and find strategies to manage them that work for you, you are more likely to succeed in your quit smoking attempt. Here are some hints and tips for you to consider:

  • Make a quit plan - think ahead about ways you will manage your cravings if and when they happen. Choose a quit date, stick to it, and seek support from family, friends, and colleagues.
  • Know your triggers – cravings and thoughts about smoking can be triggered by the people you spend time with, the places you go, and the situations you encounter. Avoid your triggers, at least temporarily, after you quit to help lessen your cravings and give you time to build confidence and skills for remaining smokefree.
  • Distract yourself – practice mindfulness and remember your reasons for quitting. Quitting smoking is great for your health, the health of those around you, and your bank account! Calculate how much money you will save per week/per year and what you could spend your money on instead.
  • Get text message support – SMS text the keyword CRAVE to 47848 to get 24/7 immediate support whenever you have a craving, or text QUIT to 47848 to sign up for SmokefreeTXT, a 6 to 8 week program of daily text message support, tips, and encouragement.
  • Use the free Smokefree.gov quitSTART app – track your cravings and understand your smoking patterns with one of the Smokefree.gov apps.

If you don't manage to quit 1st time, or if you relapse, then try again having learned from your previous experience. To read more use this link: Managing Nicotine Withdrawal (Smokefree.gov).

Managing nicotine cravings and increased appetite

Cravings are powerful urges to smoke for which there may be triggers, e.g. stressors, situations where you would usually smoke, seeing others smoking. You are more likely to give in to cravings if your inhibitions are reduced, e.g, by drinking alcohol or using recreational drugs.

Nicotine can also reduce your appetite, therefore stopping smoking may inadvertently increase your appetite. If you choose to eat as an alternative to smoking, you may gain weight. Suggestions for keeping your hands and mouth busy are:

  • Have to hand a 'fiddle toy'.
  • Drink water if you are tempted to eat between meals which also keeps you hydrated.
  • Take a short walk or do 5 minutes exercise which also good for your general health.
  • Further information: Manage Weight Gain After Quitting (Smokefree.gov).
Dr Tony Steele

Authored 16 November 2015 by Dr Tony Steele
MB ChB Sheffield University 1983. Former hospital doctor and GP. GMC no. 2825328

Reviewed by Dr A. Wood, Dr C. Pugh, Dr B. Babor
Last reviewed 11 October 2024
Last updated 3 December 2024
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References

Recent Varenicline reviews

Varenicline rated 4.86/5 in 203 product reviews

See over 40,000 service reviews of Dr Fox

Varenicline

Works for me, day 3, no fags and can't stand them anywhere near me!

22 November 2024
J. Flynn Verified

Champix Starter Pack

It worked for me, still had pangs but they soon faded, Whole product is great I bought mine in 2017 and still not smoking after nearly 7 years and I don't think about them now.

19 February 2024
D. Copeman Verified

Champix 1mg (varenicline)

Good product if u want to stop smoking

26 July 2023
Anonymous Verified

Champix Starter Pack

I found this product fine

18 July 2023
M. McQuillion Verified

Champix Starter Pack

Blue pill shaped and works

21 November 2022
Anonymous Verified

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