smoking_cessation_agents | CARLAT PUBLISHING

How to Use Varenicline (Chantix)

May 1, 2022

Steven A. Wyatt, DO. Adjunct faculty, University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Dr. Wyatt has disclosed no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

There are three medications with FDA approval for nicotine dependence: Nicotine replacement therapies, bupropion, and varenicline. Varenicline (Chantix) is arguably the most effective, but cost and concerns about neuropsychiatric side effects have limited its use, and a recent recall of the product temporarily stopped it entirely.

Using Smoking Cessation Medications in Patients With Mental Illness

January 18, 2022

Michael Weaver, MD, FASAM.

Michael Weaver, MD, FASAM. Professor and medical director at the Center for Neurobehavioral Research on Addictions at the University of Texas Medical School. Dr. Weaver has disclosed no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Helping patients with mental illness quit smoking can be particularly challenging; however, there are evidenced based strategies that can help. In this article, we review the evidence for smoking cessation medications in patients with mental illness and highlight some important special considerations.

Varenicline and Bupropion: Soaring Again With EAGLES?

November 22, 2019

Nicholas Rosenlicht, MD.

Nicholas Rosenlicht, MD. Dr. Rosenlicht has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

This research update unpacks the details behind the landmark “EAGLES” trial (Evaluating Adverse Events in a Global Smoking Cessation Study), which led to the removal of the varenicline black box warning.

Smoking Cessation and Psychiatric Disorders

March 1, 2018

Over the last few decades, doctors have done a better job at convincing their patients to stop smoking. But much of this improvement has been relegated to patients without mental illness.

RESEARCH UPDATE

Good News for Smoking Cessation Drugs: Not as Scary as Once Thought

June 1, 2016

Bret A. Moore, PsyD, ABPP

Bret A. Moore, PsyD, ABPP

Board-Certified Clinical Psychologist, San Antonio, TX.

Dr. Moore has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Both varenicline (Chantix) and bupropion (Zyban) are effective anti-smoking agents, but over the years we’ve heard about potential neuropsychiatric side effects, especially related to varenicline. These include depression, suicidal thoughts, psychosis, and nightmares.

How to Treat Tobacco Use Disorder—A Primer

June 1, 2015

Daniel Carlat, MD

You may or may not consider smoking cessation to be part of your job description. But tobacco use disorder is a psychiatric syndrome, per DSM-5.

Understanding the New World of E-Cigarettes

June 1, 2015

Dr. Eissenberg discusses e-cigarettes, including an overview of the product, ways they are used and misused, and how they fit into the landscape of smoking cessation methods.

It Pays to Quit Smoking

June 1, 2015

Quitting smoking requires a lot of motivation—something our patients don’t always have. Since money is a great motivator, various programs that pay patients to quit have been tried over the years. But how well does this technique work?

Do Electronic Cigarettes Help Smokers Quit?

April 1, 2015

More and more smokers are trying out electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) in the hopes of quitting smoking. Is this an effective tool for smoking cessation and should you be recommending it to patients?