- A New Stop Smoking Drug - Varenicline Sold as Chantix (US) and Champix (Canada)
The new stop smoking drug containing varenicline tartrate
is the first pharmacotherapy developed specifically as a quit smoking medicine.
All other drugs to help people quit cigarette smoking were originally developed for other
conditions and then applied as smoking cessation aids.
Varenicline is sold as Chantix in the USA and Champix in Canada.
The smoking facts are clear. Smoking is bad for you and might even kill you. The cost to society cannot be even
reasonably measured.
The cost to humans in terms of lost productivity and suffering is staggering.
Ever since is became clear that efforts to help people quit cigarette smoking might be profitable
the search for stop smoking drugs has been ongoing.
When depressed patients being treated with Wellbutrin started reporting less desire for
cigarettes the drug buproprion was further investigated and the
quit smoking drug Zyban was born.
Actually the drug was just relabelled. Zyban and Wellbutrin are chemically the same drug, and first and
foremost a drug to treat anxiety and depression symptoms. There is still a lot of mystery as to
how Zyban works in helping people quit cigarette smoking.
The new stop smoking drug called Chantix is different than any other stop smoking medicine developed to date.
How Does Chantix Work?
When you quit cigarette smoking nicotine leaves your system and the receptor sites on the neurons
where it usually lives become empty. It is the empty receptor sites that are thought to create the
nicotine withdrawal symptoms.
However if that site is filled with another substance then you won't
notice the absence of nicotine so much. At least that is the basic theory behind how the drug works.
The chemical in Chantix (varenicline) binds to these receptor
sites where nicotine would go. Because it binds to the neurons and prevents
nicotine from binding there it is called a nicotine receptor antagonist.
When you take the drug Chantix these receptor sites stay full and so even if you smoke the nicotine has no place to go.
This is the reason that people report they have less enjoyment from a cigarette when they use this new stop smoking drug.
The purpose of the information provided here is to help you cooperate with your doctor and other
health practitioners. It is not intended to take the place of medical advice and you are encouraged to
discuss health concerns with your physician or a professional health care provider who is
familiar with you and your unique personal health context.
