Varenicline

• This medicine helps you quit smoking. It works best when used together with counselling and a full quit-smoking plan.

• Swallow the tablet whole with a glass of water.
• Take this medicine after eating, with a full glass of water, to help lower the chance of feeling sick to your stomach.
• your healthcare professional will give you a schedule that slowly increases your dose over about a week before you reach your regular dose.
• Take this medicine exactly as your healthcare professional tells you. The amount and how often you take it will be on your prescription label.
• Keep taking this medicine even after you quit smoking, for as long as your healthcare provider recommends, to help prevent relapse.
• Do not drive or operate machinery until you know how this medicine affects you, since some people feel dizzy, sleepy, or have blackouts.

If you miss a dose

• If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember.
• If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular schedule.
• Do not take two doses at once to make up for a missed one.

• Do not use this medicine if you are pregnant.
• It is not known if this medicine passes into breast milk. Talk to your doctor about whether to breastfeed or use this medicine.

• Tell your healthcare professional if you are allergic to this medicine or any of its ingredients.
• Tell your healthcare professional if you have ever had depression, anxiety, or any other mental health condition, even if it is well controlled.
• Tell your healthcare professional if you have ever had a seizure.
• Tell your healthcare professional about your kidney health, since your dose may need to be lower if your kidneys do not work well.
• Tell your healthcare professional if you have heart or blood vessel disease.

Important warnings

• This medicine can cause changes in mood or behaviour, including agitation, unusual thoughts, or thoughts of harming yourself, even in people who have never had a mental health problem before. Tell your family and friends about your quit attempt so they can watch for changes and let you know.
• Stopping smoking itself, with or without this medicine, can sometimes bring on or worsen feelings of depression or anxiety.
• Rare cases of seizures have happened in people taking this medicine, including people with no history of seizures.
• Some people have sleepwalked or done other unusual things while asleep while taking this medicine.
• Drinking alcohol while on this medicine may increase the risk of unusual or aggressive behaviour and memory problems.
• This medicine has been linked to heart attack and stroke in some people, especially those who already have heart or blood vessel disease.

• Feeling sick to your stomach, especially in the first week.
• Vivid, unusual, or strange dreams.
• Trouble sleeping.
• Headache.
• Constipation.
• Gas.
• Vomiting.
• A change in how food tastes.
• Dry mouth.
• Changes in appetite.
• Feeling tired.

When to get emergency help

• If you have thoughts of harming yourself, get help right away — call emergency services or go to the nearest emergency department.
• If your face, lips, tongue, or throat starts to swell, or you have trouble breathing, this could be a serious allergic reaction.
• If you have a seizure while taking this medicine.
• If you have chest pain, sudden weakness, trouble speaking, or other signs of a heart attack or stroke.
• If you develop a severe skin rash, blistering, or peeling skin.

When to contact a healthcare professional

• If you notice new or worsening sadness, anxiety, agitation, or unusual behaviour in yourself or in someone taking this medicine.
• If you sleepwalk or do other things you don't remember while asleep.
• If nausea does not improve or bothers you a lot — your dose may be able to be adjusted.
• If you have diabetes and notice your blood sugar is harder to control.

• Limit alcohol while taking this medicine — it may increase the risk of unusual behaviour and side effects.
• Tell the Care365 care team about all medicines you take. Combining this medicine with nicotine patches or gum can increase side effects like nausea and dizziness without extra benefit.
• If you have kidney problems, certain other medicines, such as cimetidine, can raise the level of this medicine in your body — tell the Care365 care team about all your medicines.
• Quitting smoking itself can change how your body handles some other medicines, such as blood thinners, insulin, or certain asthma medicines — your doctor may need to adjust those doses.

• Store at room temperature.
• Keep out of the reach and sight of children.
• Return unused or expired tablets to your pharmacy for safe disposal.