"FDA Drug Safety Communication"

 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning that the
prescription smoking cessation medicine Chantix (varenicline) can change
the way people react to alcohol. In addition, rare accounts of seizures
in patients treated with Chantix have been reported. We have approved
changes to the Chantix label to warn about these risks. Until patients
know how Chantix affects their ability to tolerate alcohol, they should
decrease the amount of alcohol they drink. Patients who have a seizure
while taking Chantix should stop the medicine and seek medical attention
immediately. Millions of Americans have serious health problems caused by smoking,
which can be reduced by quitting. Chantix is a prescription medicine
that is FDA-approved to help adults quit smoking. In clinical trials,
Chantix increased the likelihood of quitting smoking and “staying quit”
for as long as 1 year compared to treatment with a placebo, an inactive
treatment.

Drug Safety and Availability > 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