Champix (varenicline)

Champix (varenicline) is a new drug is for smoking cessation. You need to ask your doctor for Champix (varenicline) as it is a prescription only medication. However, you can always ask your pharmacist for advice on champix and smoking cessation. Often the pharmacist has a little bit more time available to help sort out your questions and concerns.
So far varenicline appears to be well tolerated by patients. I have heard a few complaints about difficulties sleeping and some mild depression, however these have been relatively mild and transient. These symptoms are very common with those smokers who also go cold-turkey and it is thought that these may be symptoms of nicotine withdrawals rather than side effects of varenicline. A few people have also complained of a little bit of nausea and some of them have commented that taking the medication with a meal helps reduce this.
I have been impressed by the number of people who have positive results with this method of smoking cessation by remaining smoke free.
There are other things you can do to improve your chances of quitting for good on champix. Your doctor and pharmacist can discuss these with you. Alternatively, feel free to post your questions here.

Difference between Estalis Continuous and Sequi

I have been asked this countless times. So here is an easy to understand answer!

Both are used for HRT in menopausal women. Both have an oestrogen bit (oestradiol) and progesterone bit (norithesterone).

But in Sequi, the first weeks of patches is ONLY oestradiol. 4 patches release ONLY the oestrogen and the patch is changed every 4th day. The second half of the month you use the next 4 patches and change every 4th day but these patches have BOTH oestrogen plus progesterone.
Women often experience bleeding at the end of a cycle of Sequi because of the withdrawal of the progesterone component. So why do we sometimes use it? But some women are sensitive to the progesterone so providing a progesterone free period helps reduce uncomfortable side effects such as nausea and swelling.

Continuous patches are oestrogen/progesterone combined for the whole month of patches. Generally a woman needs to become tolerant to the progesterone to be able to use this patch.

Got more questions? Post me!

Antidepressants

Antidepressants work on the natural chemicals in your brain. If you don't have enough of the "happy chemicals", you can feel sad and more prone to depressive disorders. Antidepressants drugs can help boost the levels of happy chemicals and help you to overcome depression. Because new chemicals need to be made, the time taken for antidepressants to make you feel better is up to 4-6 weeks. So BE PATIENT and don't give up. Give the medication time to work and before you realise it, you will be feeling 100%.

Here is some interesting sites on antidepressants:
http://www.beyondblue.org.au
http://www.appgonline.com.au/drug.asp?drug_id=00099006&t=cmi