Champix is literally the wonder drug when it comes to smoking cessation. Its active ingredient varenicline helps people get rid of their smoking habit as it belongs to a family of medications known as nicotinic acetylcholine receptor partial agonist. It not only helps curtail all those cravings associated with nicotine withdrawal but also helps reduce the pleasure associated with smoking. Available in tablet form, it's easy and convenient to take. A 12 week course of Champix is usually prescribed to help quit smoking.

Champix and its working

Unlike other smoking cessation drugs that help quit smoking by actually releasing nicotine in the body, Champix does its job by stimulating the nicotine receptors in the brain. This is exactly what a cigarette does but with a difference. It stimulates the receptors just enough to release the dopamine, which is responsible for the pleasurable effects of smoking. This it does in small quantities, to reduce the cravings of nicotine withdrawal. But it also slowly and surely blocks the action of these receptors and removes all enjoyment that a person gets from smoking.

Efficacy of Champix

Research has shown that Champix is one of the most effective and successful smoking cessation aids available for smokers. Trials conducted have shown that it has 44% success rate as compared to the 30% who take Zyban as a drug to help quit smoking. When it comes to success rate, one can see that it's a very impressive success rate and not many anti smoking aids can lay claim to such a success rate. Medical experts popularly prescribe it to most smokers as an effective smoking cessation aid.

Nicotine withdrawal

Before talking about the threat of behavioral changes that might affect a smoker when he/she takes Champix, it's important that we take note of what nicotine withdrawal is all about. Nicotine withdrawal also leads to behavioral changes as a result of a person reducing or completely forsaking the intake of nicotine. Once this occurs a person becomes irritable, and craves cigarettes. Another effect of nicotine withdrawal is the fact that a person is liable to suffer from headaches of extreme intensity. Almost all the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal are psychological in nature including irritability, inability to concentrate and sleeping problems. The intake of Champix considerably reduces these nicotine withdrawal symptoms.

 Behavioral changes due to Champix

Over the years that Champix has been in use, people have reported facing behavioral disorders as a result of taking Champix.  These disorders have taken the form of suicidal ideas and a display of suicidal behaviour. There have also been cases where people on Champix have suffered from erratic behavior and a feeling of drowsiness. Over time medical experts have slowly come to the conclusion that these serious neuropsychiatric symptoms are one way or the other a result of Champix. Smokers therefore on a Champix dosage are warned to discontinue the use of, or contact their doctor immediately, if they display such behavioral side effects.

There is another side to the behavioral problems that are directly linked to Champix. Once people have stopped taking Champix, they have experienced a tendency to start smoking again. And, in this condition also people have shown symptoms like irritation and depression. Therefore, it's important that people combine the intake of Champix with motivational support techniques to take care of such problems.

Weighing the benefits against the risk

After learning about the behavioral changes, smokers might wonder whether they should actually take the Champix treatment or not. In such cases it's important that they weigh the risks associated with smoking with the risks associated with taking the smoking cessation drug. The one thing to take note of is that only a minuscule few of the many people taking Champix suffer from behavioral changes. Also, these changes can be controlled if the concerns are addressed on an immediate basis.

On the other hand if a person isn't able to stop smoking, it's literally a slow death for that person. The serious symptoms of smoking include cancer of the lungs and a range of cardiovascular diseases. Smoking is also harmful if the woman is pregnant as smoking directly impacts the health of the unborn foetus. This is just a small cross-section of the many illnesses and disorders that smoking is responsible for.