Question: I have been taking Champix for about 10 weeks now and haven't had a cigarette since week 2, but I'm worried I'll start smoking again as soon as I stop taking the tablets. Can I take them past the 12 week stage?
Answer: The usual course of treatment is 12 weeks. Ideally most patients should feel confident after the first 12 weeks of treatment to stop smoking and discontinue use of the medication. In some cases, like yours, the patient may require a further 12 weeks worth of Champix tablets before they gain enough confidence to stop treatment. In some cases, a short 'tapering off' of the dose over a week or so may be helpful. This means going from the 1mg tablet to a 0.5mg tablet instead.
