Varenicline Starter Pack (Quit Smoking Programme)

Varenicline blocks the action of nicotine by preventing it from binding to specific receptors in the brain. This helps to lessen the cravings and withdrawal symptoms that often occur when you try to stop smoking.

It can take you as little as 12 weeks to stop smoking with the assistance of varenicline. As each person is different, though, this time may be shorter or longer depending on the individual.

Varenicline takes a bit of planning to use correctly, but is easy to use once you get into the routine of taking it. To take varenicline:

1. Set a smoking quit date before you take your first dose of varenicline. We will automatically set your quit date for the 14th day after you start taking varenicline. This is the date you will stop smoking. Write this quit date on your box of varenicline so you don’t forget it.
2. Once you have set your quit date, take 0.5mg once daily for the first 1-3 days.
3. Take 0.5mg twice daily on days 4-7.
4. Take 1mg twice daily from day 8 until the end of the 12-week treatment.

Please note: your doctor may suggest you take a different dose of varenicline, especially if you are already taking certain medications. Therefore, you should consult your doctor before taking varenicline, especially if you take medication on a regular basis, are about to have surgery, have pre-existing problems with your kidneys, or are under regular medical supervision.

The Varenicline Starter Pack is the first pack of varenicline you will receive and use when you begin the Quit Smoking Programme.

It contains 53 varenicline tablets (11x 0.5mg and 42x 1mg) and lasts for four weeks. You must begin the Quit Smoking Programme with the Varenicline Starter Pack before you can be prescribed a Varenicline Maintenance Pack.

The Varenicline Maintenance Pack is the second pack of varenicline you will use after you complete your Varenicline Starter Pack.

Each Varenicline Maintenance Pack contains 56 tablets (1mg) and lasts for four weeks. You will receive two Maintenance Packs during the course of the Quit Smoking Programme. These will last you until the end of the 12-week treatment (by which time you should no longer need to take varenicline or feel the need to smoke).

You must take the Varenicline Starter Pack first because it gradually prepares your body for the higher dose of varenicline included in the Varenicline Maintenance Pack.

The Varenicline Starter Pack includes two doses of varenicline: 0.5mg and 1mg. You need to take the lower (0.5mg) dose of varenicline before you can begin taking the higher (1mg) dose.

The Varenicline Maintenance Pack only includes one dose of varenicline: 1mg. Therefore, you must get your body used to the lower dose included in the Starter Pack before you can progress on to the 1mg dose in the Maintenance Pack.

Research has shown varenicline to be an even more effective smoking cessation treatment than nicotine patches. One study demonstrated that more varenicline-treated patients stayed smoke-free during the last four weeks of their treatment than patients treated with nicotine patches.

Another study found that twice as many varenicline-treated patients refrained from smoking during the last four weeks of treatment than patients who were given a placebo drug.

Varenicline is suitable for most people, however it is not suitable for:

• Children or adolescents.
• Anyone allergic to varenicline.
• Those taking cimetidine.
• Those with a predisposition to seizures.

Those with a history of psychiatric illness may also need closer monitoring while taking varenicline.

It is important to talk to your doctor before taking varenicline to ensure it’s safe for you to take and does not conflict with any medication you are taking.

Always read the Safety Information Page and/or Patient Information Leaflet included with your medication to ensure you use it safely and effectively.

Like all medicines, varenicline can cause side effects - although not everyone gets them. The most common side effects include:

• Abnormal appetite; asthenia; chest discomfort; constipation; diarrhoea; dizziness; drowsiness; dry mouth; gastrointestinal discomfort; gastrointestinal disorders; headache; joint disorders; muscle complaints; nausea; oral disorders; pain; skin reactions; sleep disorders; vomiting; weight increase.

A complete list of side effects is available in the Safety Information Page and/or Patient Information Leaflet included with your medication, which you should always read before taking your treatment for the first time.

Please be aware that quitting smoking with or without treatment can cause various withdrawal symptoms, such as changes of mood (like feeling depressed, irritable, or anxious), sleeplessness, difficulty concentrating, decreased heart rate, changes in behaviour, and increased weight gain.

If you experience any of these symptoms you should contact a doctor, clinician, or another relevant healthcare professional.

After using varenicline in combination with the other therapies included in the Quit Smoking Programme (such as telephone counselling and cognitive behavioural therapy [CBT]), you should expect to be smoke-free by the end of the 12-week programme.

However, the time it takes to stop smoking may differ from person to person. You might find that you are able to quit smoking before the end of the 12 weeks. On the other hand, it may take slightly longer for you to stop smoking. The combination of varenicline, phone counselling, and CBT offered in the Quit Smoking Programme is designed to help you quit as quickly as possible.

If you forget to take your daily tablet/s of varenicline, do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten one.

Instead, if you forget a dose, just take that tablet as soon as you remember. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, do not take the tablet that you missed and wait until your next dose instead.

No. You can still smoke during the first week of varenicline treatment. However, once you reach your “quit date”, it is recommended that you stop smoking. It is not dangerous to continue smoking, but continuing to smoke after you reach your quit date will make it less likely that you will quit successfully.

The Varenicline Starter Pack comes as part of our complete Quit Smoking Programme, which is a 12-week treatment plan designed to help you stop smoking. The Programme includes:

• A 12-week prescription of varenicline.
• One-to-one, weekly phone counselling with a registered clinician.
• Daily cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) in the form of motivational emails and SMS messages to ensure you stay on track with your treatment.
• An optional Ripple vape to help reduce behavioural habits associated with smoking.

We only offer varenicline together with our Quit Smoking Programme because studies show that combining certain smoking cessation therapies works better than taking them separately.

For example, one study found that more people stopped smoking after 3 months when varenicline treatment was combined with telephone counselling than with varenicline treatment alone.

Quitting smoking can be difficult. Fusing these treatments together gives you the physical, mental, and emotional support you need to stop smoking once and for all.