How to Use Varenicline (Chantix)

Topics: Chantix | Generics | Smoking Cessation | Smoking Cessation Agents | Tobacco | Varenicline

Henry is a 45-year-old married man with anxiety and alcohol use disorder who smokes a pack a day. He has tried nicotine replacement in the past but was unsuccessful. His alcohol use has stabilized in recent months, and he believes he is ready to make another attempt at quitting smoking. There are three medications with FDA approval for nicotine depende

Varenicline and Bupropion: Soaring Again With EAGLES?

Topics: Addiction | Addiction Treatment | Bupropion | Chantix | Co-occurring disorders | Dual diagnosis | FDA Warnings | Medication | Pharmacology | Research | Research Update | Side Effects | Smoking Cessation | Smoking Cessation Agents | Substance Use | Substance use disorders | Suicidality | Suicide | Tobacco | Varenicline | Wellbutrin

Review of: Anthenelli RM et al, Lancet 2016;387(10037):2507–2520 Varenicline (Chantix) and bupropion (Zyban and others) are effective treatments for tobacco use disorder, but their use (and sales) took a big hit in 2009 when the FDA slapped both with black box warnings linking them to psychiatric complications, including suicidal ideation. Although

Efficacy and Acceptability of Varenicline for Alcohol Use Disorder

Topics: Alcohol | Alcohol use disorder | Pharmacology | Tobacco use disorder | Varenicline

REVIEW OF: Oon-Arom A et al, Drug Alcohol Depend 2019;205:1–9 Varenicline, a partial agonist of one of the nicotinic receptors, is approved for the treatment of tobacco use disorder and has also been found to decrease alcohol use in some individuals who smoke. Naltrexone, acamprosate, and disulfiram are FDA approved and effective for alcohol use di

Does Augmenting Varenicline with Bupropion Work Better than Varenicline Alone?

Topics: Bupropion | Research Update | Smoking Cessation | Varenicline

Review Of: Cinciripini PM et al, Addiction 2018;113:1673-1682 We have a good array of smoking cessation treatments to choose from, including nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), bupropion, and varenicline. Varenicline is the most effective monotherapy agent, somewhat better than bupropion and single-product NRT, and comparable to combination NRT. Theo