Asked my GP about varenicline (Champix) the following Monday. I had tried cold turkey four times …
T=0: The Decision
14 years. Pack a day. AUD $47/pack in Queensland. My father had a non-fatal heart attack in August 2022. He was 64 and had smoked for 30 years. I sat in the hospital car park for 45 minutes and did the arithmetic.
Asked my GP about varenicline (Champix) the following Monday. I had tried cold turkey four times and patches twice. This time I wanted medical support. GP prescribed a 12-week course and booked a follow-up.
Not smoking in year two. Watching my father not smoke in year two.
3 Months Out
Varenicline genuinely works by removing the reward response, not just the craving. Week 6 was the hardest — I stopped the medication briefly due to vivid dreams and had to restart. Gained 4kg. Still not smoking.
“Use the medication for the full prescribed course. The side effects are manageable. The cravings without medication are not.”
6/10