Key takeaways:
Chantix (varenicline) can help you quit smoking. But taking it with alcohol can cause harmful side effects.
Chantix and alcohol can result in a heightened feeling of intoxication, unusual and aggressive behaviors, and memory loss.
It’s best to avoid or limit drinking alcohol while taking Chantix. Talk to a healthcare professional if you’re having difficulty cutting back on alcohol.
There are ways to save on Chantix. GoodRx can help you access brand-name Chantix at an exclusive cash price of $99. Filling the generic version can also help you save.
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If you’re trying to quit smoking with Chantix (varenicline), you might wonder whether it’s safe to drink alcohol. This prescription medication is designed to reduce your desire to smoke and can help you quit for good. But combining Chantix and alcohol may lead to unwanted and potentially serious side effects. Here’s what you should know about the dangers of mixing Chantix and alcohol.
Can you drink alcohol while taking Chantix?
No, it’s best to avoid or limit alcohol while taking Chantix. The manufacturer’s prescribing information includes a warning that you may feel more intoxicated than expected after drinking while taking Chantix. So it’s recommended to avoid or reduce alcohol intake until you know how the medication affects you.
Alcohol is also linked to a higher risk of unusual or aggressive behaviors while taking Chantix. In fact, the FDA released a safety announcement in 2015 to warn about these risks.
What are the side effects of drinking alcohol while taking Chantix?
Chantix can affect how your body processes and reacts to alcohol.
For some people, Chantix heightens the effects of alcohol in the body. This can cause you to feel more “drunk” than you typically would. But for others, mixing Chantix and alcohol can cause unusual or aggressive behavior changes. Amnesia (not remembering what you’ve done) is also possible with this combination.
Is having one or two drinks OK?
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer about whether a small amount or the occasional drink is OK while taking Chantix. Not everyone reacts to the combination of Chantix and alcohol the same.
While avoiding alcohol would be best, it may not be realistic. But you should at least reduce the amount of alcohol you’d typically drink. This is especially important when you first start Chantix. Once you know how the medication affects you, an occasional drink may be OK.
Speak with your healthcare team about whether any amount of alcohol would be safe for you while taking Chantix.
Are certain people more at risk when combining Chantix and alcohol?
There aren’t certain people that have more risks with Chantix and alcohol specifically. But there are groups that have greater risks with alcohol in general, such as older adults and women. They typically have a lower alcohol tolerance than others. And they may feel the effects of an alcohol-medication interaction sooner or more intensely.
Adults ages 60 and older tend to be more sensitive to alcohol than younger adults. Their bodies also take longer to break down and clear alcohol from the body. This means that alcohol may be available to interact with medications for longer.
Women are another group with greater alcohol-related risks. Women’s bodies absorb alcohol more quickly than men. Their bodies also generally take longer to break down alcohol. This means that women often have higher blood alcohol levels than men — even when they drink the same amount. This can make alcohol-medication interactions more severe.
What are the other side effects of Chantix?
As with all medications, Chantix has some side effects that you should be aware of:
Nausea
Vomiting
Trouble sleeping
Sleepwalking
Abnormal or vivid dreams
Constipation
Gas
Stomach pain
Chantix side effects: If you’re having vivid or strange dreams with Chantix (varenicline), you’re not alone. Learn more about possible Chantix side effects and how to manage them.
Is Chantix safe? Here, pharmacists discuss several key considerations about the risks of taking Chantix.
How does Chantix work? Read pharmacist-backed answers to this and more FAQs about Chantix.
Usually, you’ll start with a lower dose of Chantix and raise your dose over time. This gives your body more time to adjust and helps minimize these side effects. You can typically manage mild side effects at home. But if they become bothersome or are affecting your daily life, talk to your prescriber. There are alternative treatment options that can help you stop smoking.
More serious Chantix side effects are also possible. These may include:
Mood changes
Suicidal thoughts
Serious skin reactions
Seizures
If you experience a serious Chantix side effect, seek emergency medical care.
If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, you’re not alone, and help is available. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988, or text HOME to 741-741 to reach the Crisis Text Line.
How to save on Chantix
There are ways to save on Chantix, which is available as a generic and brand-name medication. Anyone with a valid prescription, regardless of insurance status, can use GoodRx to purchase a box of brand-name Chantix at an exclusive cash price of $99. A box of the generic may cost as low as $36.61 with a free GoodRx discount.
Frequently asked questions
Chantix can raise the risk of seizures, so it may not be the best fit if you’re living with a seizure disorder or taking another medication that increases your seizure risk. Combining Chantix with nicotine replacement therapy may raise the risk of side effects. And quitting smoking can impact medications such as insulin, warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven), and theophylline. So it’s important to review your full medication list with your healthcare team to manage any potential interactions safely.
In a clinical trial, 54% of those taking Chantix were smoke-free by the end of the third month, compared to 19% of those taking a placebo (a pill with no active ingredient). In this study, people quit smoking soon after starting Chantix, as directed. Another clinical trial looked at people who weren’t ready to completely quit right away. About 32% of people who took Chantix were able to quit smoking within 3 to 6 months of starting treatment, compared to 7% of those who took a placebo. To improve your chances of success, it’s important to take Chantix exactly as prescribed and stick to your quit smoking date as planned.
It usually takes around a week for Chantix to start easing smoking cravings. That’s why it’s recommended that you start taking it at least 1 week before your planned quit date. Some people may notice changes sooner, which can help them with cutting back on smoking leading up to their quit date.
Some research suggests that Chantix might help reduce alcohol use in certain people. A 2018 study looked at adults with alcohol use disorder who also wanted to quit smoking. The group who took Chantix not only had higher quit rates, but they also drank less on average than those taking the placebo. Researchers think this could be due to the way Chantix affects the brain pathways involved in addiction.
Chantix can raise the risk of seizures, so it may not be the best fit if you’re living with a seizure disorder or taking another medication that increases your seizure risk. Combining Chantix with nicotine replacement therapy may raise the risk of side effects. And quitting smoking can impact medications such as insulin, warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven), and theophylline. So it’s important to review your full medication list with your healthcare team to manage any potential interactions safely.
In a clinical trial, 54% of those taking Chantix were smoke-free by the end of the third month, compared to 19% of those taking a placebo (a pill with no active ingredient). In this study, people quit smoking soon after starting Chantix, as directed. Another clinical trial looked at people who weren’t ready to completely quit right away. About 32% of people who took Chantix were able to quit smoking within 3 to 6 months of starting treatment, compared to 7% of those who took a placebo. To improve your chances of success, it’s important to take Chantix exactly as prescribed and stick to your quit smoking date as planned.
It usually takes around a week for Chantix to start easing smoking cravings. That’s why it’s recommended that you start taking it at least 1 week before your planned quit date. Some people may notice changes sooner, which can help them with cutting back on smoking leading up to their quit date.
Some research suggests that Chantix might help reduce alcohol use in certain people. A 2018 study looked at adults with alcohol use disorder who also wanted to quit smoking. The group who took Chantix not only had higher quit rates, but they also drank less on average than those taking the placebo. Researchers think this could be due to the way Chantix affects the brain pathways involved in addiction.
The bottom line
Chantix (varenicline) is a prescription medication that can help you quit smoking. While it's an effective medication, Chantix interacts with alcohol. So it’s best to hold off on drinking when starting Chantix until you know how the medication affects you.
Combining Chantix and alcohol can make you feel more intoxicated than usual. It can also lead to unusual and aggressive behaviors that you may not remember later. If you’re unsure about having a drink while taking Chantix, reach out to a healthcare professional — they can help you decide what’s safest for you.
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References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2025). Alcohol use effects on men's and women's health.
Ebbert, J. O., et al. (2015). Effect of varenicline on smoking cessation through smoking reduction: A randomized clinical trial. JAMA.
Golden State Medical Supply. (2023). Varenicline- varenicline tablet, film coated [package insert].
Hurt, R. T., et al. (2018). Varenicline for tobacco-dependence treatment in alcohol-dependent smokers: A randomized controlled trial. Drug and Alcohol Dependence.
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. (2024). Alcohol's effects on health.
Pfizer Laboratories. (2025). Chantix- varenicline tartrate tablet, film coated [package insert].
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2018). FDA drug safety communication: FDA updates label for stop smoking drug chantix (varenicline) to include potential alcohol interaction, rare risk of seizures, and studies of side effects on mood, behavior, or thinking.
