Drug side effects
varenicline Side Effects
The reactions most often reported to the FDA for varenicline (also sold as Chantix), with demographics, serious outcomes, and reporting trends.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 5,766
- FAERS reports
Data from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS), 2007 to 2025. A FAERS report records a temporal association, not proof of cause. See our methodology for how figures are compiled and de-duplicated.
The most commonly reported side effects of varenicline come from 5,766 reports to the FDA, broken down here by frequency, patient demographics, and serious outcomes.
This page analyzes 5,766 reports to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) for varenicline (Chantix): the reactions reported most often, who reported them, serious outcomes such as hospitalization, and year-over-year trends. A FAERS report does not prove the drug caused the effect, and report volume tracks how widely a drug is used, not how likely an effect is for any one person. Educational information, not medical advice.
Total Reports
5,766
Reports Mentioning Death
65
1.1% of reports — not proof the medicine caused the death
Hospitalizations
469
8.1% of reports
Top Indication
Product Used For Unknown Indication
Most Reported Adverse Reactions
Who Reports Side Effects
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Reporting Trend by Year
Reactions in Death Reports
Top reactions reported in 65 reports where death was an outcome. These are voluntarily reported and do not establish causation.
| Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|
| COMPLETED SUICIDE | 20 |
| DEATH | 19 |
| TOXICITY TO VARIOUS AGENTS | 11 |
| ACCIDENTAL OVERDOSE | 3 |
| CARDIAC ARREST | 3 |
| FALL | 3 |
| PRODUCT PRESCRIBING ERROR | 3 |
| ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY | 2 |
| ACUTE RESPIRATORY FAILURE | 2 |
| AMNESIA | 2 |
| ATRIAL FIBRILLATION | 2 |
| BALANCE DISORDER | 2 |
| CARDIO-RESPIRATORY ARREST | 2 |
| HYPERKALAEMIA | 2 |
| INTENTIONAL OVERDOSE | 2 |
| INTENTIONAL SELF-INJURY | 2 |
| ABDOMINAL DISTENSION | 1 |
| ACCIDENT | 1 |
| ADJUSTMENT DISORDER WITH MIXED ANXIETY AND DEPRESSED MOOD | 1 |
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Top reactions in 469 reports where hospitalization was an outcome.
| Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|
| DRUG INTERACTION | 47 |
| SUICIDAL IDEATION | 39 |
| VOMITING | 39 |
| DEPRESSION | 35 |
| DRUG-INDUCED LIVER INJURY | 32 |
| HEPATIC CIRRHOSIS | 32 |
| ANXIETY | 31 |
| HEPATOTOXICITY | 31 |
| HEPATIC ENCEPHALOPATHY | 29 |
| HEPATIC NECROSIS | 29 |
| PNEUMONIA | 29 |
| SUICIDE ATTEMPT | 29 |
| DYSPNOEA | 28 |
| NAUSEA | 28 |
| FATIGUE | 27 |
| CONFUSIONAL STATE | 25 |
| DIZZINESS | 24 |
| ASTHENIA | 23 |
| DIARRHOEA | 22 |
| FALL | 22 |
Nearby, Related Medications
What the FAERS Data Reveals About varenicline Side Effects
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) contains 5,766 voluntary reports linked to varenicline and its brand equivalents (Chantix), spanning 2007 through 2025. Of those, 65 (1.1%) listed death as an outcome and 469 (8.1%) involved hospitalization. The most common indication reported alongside adverse events was Product Used For Unknown Indication.
Demographic breakdowns help contextualize who is being exposed to the drug. Of reports with known sex, 58% were female and 42% male; age distribution skews toward 45-64, with 1,668 reports in that bracket. The single most reported reaction is sneezing with 732 submissions, followed by nausea and vomiting.
How to read these numbers
FAERS is a signal-detection tool, not a scorecard. Reports are voluntary, and a single case may list multiple suspect drugs, so numbers above should not be read as incidence rates or per-patient risk. Widely prescribed drugs naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies even when individual risk is low. These aggregates are useful for spotting patterns that merit further pharmacovigilance, not for choosing between medications. This page is for educational reference only and is not medical advice, speak with a licensed clinician about any side-effect concerns.
Drugs With a Similar FAERS Report Volume
Other medications with a total FDA adverse-event report count closest to varenicline's 5,766.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.