Q. I started taking Chantix last month to quit smoking. I have wet the bed twice since starting. Both times I had extremely lucid dreams of getting up and going to the bathroom, and both times woke up in a puddle of pee. I know dreams are a side effect of Chantix but didn’t know they could lead to soggy sheets.
A. It is easy to feel like you are the only one experiencing this side effect, but other readers have shared similar reports. Here is one: “I wet the bed this morning after being on Chantix for three weeks. I woke up thinking my three year old had climbed in bed and had an accident. When I realized he wasn’t there, it sunk in that I had in fact wet the bed at age 25. Waking my husband up at 4 am so I could change the sheets was horrible.”
Chantix (varenicline) can help people stop smoking. But it is worthwhile considering potential side effects before getting the prescription filled. Some people have reported psychological side effects, including violence against oneself or another, while others had more physical discomfort, including nausea, vomiting and digestive distress. There are also concerns that the drug may make some people more susceptible to irregular heart rhythms or congestive heart failure (American Journal of Therapeutics, May-June 2013; Journal of Pharmacy Practice, online Sept. 30, 2013).
You can read more about other people’s responses to Chantix here.
