Side Effects and Precautions of Varenicline (Chantix®)

Potential side effects of varenicline and what to do about them

• Nausea or vomiting. Take varenicline with food or a full glass of water. Follow the dosing schedule as prescribed by your healthcare provider. If nausea continues, talk to your healthcare provider about lowering the dose.
• Abnormal dreams. Talk to your healthcare provider about lowering your evening dose.
• Sleep disturbances such as insomnia. Talk to your healthcare provider about lowering your evening dose.
• Constipation or gas. Talk to your healthcare provider about diet changes or over-the-counter medicines you can take.
• Changes in your mood or behavior (rare – see below)
• Serious psychiatric symptoms. Changes in behavior, hostility, agitation, depressed mood, thoughts of suicide or attempts at suicide have occurred in people being treated with varenicline. If you are taking varenicline, you and your family need to watch for these symptoms as well as for any worsening of pre-existing psychiatric illnesses. The symptoms may be complicated by nicotine withdrawal in people who quit smoking. However, the symptoms also have occurred in people who continued to smoke while taking varenicline. If they occur, stop the medication and talk to your healthcare provider right away.

Precautions

If any of these apply to you, talk to your doctor or other healthcare provider before starting to take varenicline

• Severe kidney problems or if you are receiving kidney dialysis (dose may need to be lowered)
• Could be pregnant or are breastfeeding
• Less than 18 years old