Chantix Reviews

Chantix Basic Information

Chantix is a newer medication that helps people to quit smoking. Approved in May of 2006 by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Chantix has quickly shot to the top tier in the world of smoking cessation drugs. Chantix is rare in that it received priority reviews from the FDA. Priority reviews are usually conducted when a drug might have a significant and positive impact on public health. Obviously cigarette smoking is a massive epidemic so the priority review was a good idea.

Chantix is the brand name of the drug Varenicline. Chantix has fewer side effects than past smoking cessation medications and has garnered better overall reviews.

Chantix Side Effects

Side effects and adverse reactions occur with most medications. The best drugs only have fewer or less-serious side effects and reactions. Chantix has some common side effects such as nausea, gas, constipation, dream pattern changes, and vomiting. There are also some less common side effects and adverse reactions – to see a full list visit RX List. The less common issues with this medication occur very infrequently.

Chantix Has Few Warnings

Most medications come with a large laundry list of issues you need to bring up with your doctor but Chantix has few interaction issues. It is not recommended for individuals who are pregnant or breastfeeding because studies have not been completely conducted in pregnant and breastfeeding women yet. You’re also advised to tell your doctor if you take blood thinners or if you have asthma or have diabetes.

Chantix Reviews Are Positive

When it comes to Chantix reviews it’s best to look at what the drug can do for you and why it’s important. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that 45 million adults smoke in the U.S. alone – not counting youth or individuals in other countries. The numbers are overwhelming. More than 8 million of the above individuals have serious health problems caused by smoking and the ones who don’t will develop problems at some point. When considering how many smokers are added to the pot outside of the U.S. smoking becomes a serious epidemic.

The goal of Chantix is to cut these numbers down by helping people to quit smoking. Unlike some smoking cessation medications, Chantix does not contain nicotine. It’s somewhat unclear about how it works but studies show that it may activate the nicotine receptors in the brain – which creates a feeling of having smoked even though you haven’t and blocks real nicotine from attaching to the receptors. Chantix is taken for 12 weeks.

FDA Reviews of Chantix

FDA reports that Chantix is a very successful stop-smoking medication. This drug was tested in six clinical studies. In five of the studies, Chantix proved far superior results when compared to a placebo in helping people to quit smoking and fight nicotine addiction. Individuals taking Chantix also fared better than individuals taking Zyban. Zyban is one of the previously most used smoking cessation drugs. All in all the first FDA clinicals showed that at the end of the 12-week treatment period around 44 percent of people quit smoking with Chantix.

The FDA followed these same individuals after the treatment period ended and found that at the one year mark:

• 10 percent of people taking no smoking cessation drug were still smoke free.
• 16 percent of people taking Zyban were still smoke free.

Chantix had the best results – at the one year mark 22 percent of people who quit smoking with Chantix were still smoke free. Not bad. That’s a lot of cancer, emphysema, and other major health issues reduced for a good amount of people.

Forbes Reviews of Chantix

In the months after the FDA approval of Chantix, numerous other studies were conducted. Forbes highlighted these Chantix reviews in a very positive light. The newer studies were conducted by the Journal of the American Medical Associationand showed that four week quit rates for users of Chantix were at 48 percent. The one year success rate was 14.4 percent. Both were higher percentages than users of Zyban or placebos.

Other Reviews of Chantix

Other very positive reviews of Chantix can be found at Pharmaceutical Business Review, Drug Digest, and you can read some real people positive reviews at a forum for apnea. Numerous forums around the internet are full of real people touting Chantix as the best way to quit smoking.

A Major Advantage of Chantix

Smoking has been shown to be a physically and psychological addiction. This means someone can need the nicotine on a physical level and experience nicotine withdrawal but also need cigarettes because they think they do. The most successful smoking cessation programs tend to address both issues. Chantix is a good medication in that it comes with an actual support program. The GETQUIT support plan is a one year program that is offered when Chantix is prescribed. That’s a big bonus. The tools for GETQUIT include:

• Help with planning a personal quitting schedule.
• Regular check-ins with support staff by email or phone throughout the entire year.
• A cravings hotline for support when the going gets tough.

To learn more about Chantix visit the Chantix website. To learn more about quitting smoking in general visit The American Cancer Society..