Apo-Varenicline Tablet: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Precautions and Alternates

Quick overview

Apo-Varenicline Tablet contains varenicline tartrate, a prescription smoking-cessation aid that does not contain nicotine. Used along with counseling support, it helps adults stop smoking by reducing cravings and withdrawal symptoms. It is taken as 1 mg twice daily in adults, following a structured quit-date plan. It carries warnings about mental health changes, seizures, and allergic reactions.

What is Apo-Varenicline Tablet

Apo-Varenicline is a prescription medicine that does not contain nicotine. It is used along with counseling support to help adults stop smoking.

Apo-Varenicline Tablet uses

• Smoking cessation.
• Treatment of nicotine dependence.
• Reducing cigarette cravings during a quit attempt.
• Managing nicotine withdrawal symptoms.
• Supporting long-term abstinence from smoking.

Benefits of Apo-Varenicline Tablet

• Helps reduce nicotine cravings.
• Reduces withdrawal symptoms.
• Makes quitting smoking easier.
• Helps reduce the satisfaction gained from smoking.
• Increases the chance of remaining smoke-free.

How Apo-Varenicline Tablet works

The medicine attaches to the same brain receptors that nicotine uses. It activates them weakly, which helps ease cravings and withdrawal, while also blocking nicotine from attaching to these receptors, which reduces the rewarding feeling of smoking.

Apo-Varenicline Tablet dosage

Take after eating and with a full glass of water. Take at about the same time each day, once in the morning and once in the evening after the first week. You may keep smoking until your chosen quit date.

There are three ways to set a quit date: start dosing 1 to 2 weeks before a fixed quit date, start dosing and choose a quit date between days 8 and 35 of treatment, or start dosing and gradually reduce smoking with a goal of quitting by the end of 12 weeks.

Do not take a double dose if you miss one; take it as soon as you remember if within a few hours of the missed dose, otherwise skip it and take the next dose at the usual time. Do not use together with nicotine replacement therapy unless directed, as this may increase side effects without added benefit.

Available forms and strengths

• Tablet (0.5 mg and 1 mg)

Side effects of Apo-Varenicline Tablet

Common

• Nausea
• Abnormal or vivid dreams
• Constipation
• Flatulence (gas)
• Vomiting
• Headache
• Insomnia (trouble sleeping)
• Dizziness
• Dry mouth
• Sore or swollen throat and nose
• Heartburn
• A bad taste in the mouth

Serious

• Changes in behavior or thinking, agitation, aggression, hostility, depressed mood, or suicidal thoughts or actions
• Seizures
• Angioedema (swelling of face, mouth, tongue, lips, gums, throat or neck) that can cause trouble breathing
• Serious skin reactions such as Stevens-Johnson syndrome or erythema multiforme, with rash, blistering, or peeling skin
• Sleepwalking, which can lead to harmful behavior
• New or worsening heart or blood vessel problems, including heart attack or stroke symptoms
• Severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis)

Warnings and precautions

• Some people have had serious mental health symptoms while taking this medicine, including anxiety, mood swings, depression, agitation, aggression, hostility, and suicidal thoughts or actions, even in people with no previous mental health history.
• Serious allergic reactions, including swelling of the face, mouth and throat that can be life-threatening, have occurred with this medicine.
• Rare but severe skin reactions, including Stevens-Johnson syndrome, have been reported and can be life-threatening.
• Seizures have been reported in people taking this medicine, including those with no prior history of seizures.
• Sleepwalking has been reported and can sometimes lead to harmful behavior.
• New or worsened heart and blood vessel problems, including heart attack and stroke, have been reported, mainly in people who already had cardiovascular disease.
• This medicine should not be used during pregnancy because it is not known for certain whether it could harm an unborn baby. It is not known whether this medicine passes into breast milk, so you and your doctor should decide whether to stop breastfeeding or stop the medicine.
• People with severe kidney problems need a lower dose, and this medicine is not recommended for people with end-stage kidney disease. No dose change is needed for people with liver problems.
• Drinking alcohol while taking this medicine may increase the risk of mental health side effects and may make you more intoxicated than expected, with unusual or aggressive behavior and memory loss for events.
• Do not drive or operate dangerous machinery until you know how this medicine affects you, as it can cause sleepiness, dizziness, blackouts, seizures, or trouble concentrating.

Storage

• Store at room temperature, 20°C–25°C.
• Keep away from excessive heat and moisture.
• Store in the original packaging.
• Keep out of reach of children.
• Do not use after the expiry date.

When to see a doctor

• Stop the medicine and get urgent medical help if you have thoughts of harming yourself or others, or severe changes in mood or behavior.
• Get emergency help right away for signs of a heart attack, such as chest discomfort, pain spreading to the arm, back, neck or jaw, shortness of breath, sweating, nausea, or lightheadedness.
• Get emergency help right away for signs of a stroke, such as sudden weakness or numbness, trouble speaking, vision problems, severe headache, or loss of balance.
• Stop the medicine and seek emergency care if you notice swelling of the face, mouth, tongue, or throat, or trouble breathing.
• Stop the medicine and get emergency care if you develop a rash with peeling skin or blisters in the mouth, eyes, or genitals.
• Stop the medicine and contact your healthcare provider right away if you have a seizure while taking it.
• Stop the medicine and tell your healthcare provider if you start sleepwalking.

Alternatives

• Nicotine patches
• Bupropion
• Nicotine gum