Comments on: Pfizer Dodges Chantix Liability By Nixing Test

By: Brian

Brian — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 18:43:31 +0000

Chantix binds to same acetylcholine channel that nicotine binds to in the brain. This is not an reuptake blocker so levels of neurotransmitters are not elevated or reduced. Chantix partially blocks the effect of nicotine. If you need nicotine to treat underlying depression or psychosis, you may not feel well on chantix. Perhaps this will be similar to how you felt years ago before you started smoking. There is an FDA approved protocol for how to take chantix and for how long. If you are experiencing issues see your doctor for further advice. As noted it does not work for everyone..

By: pg

pg — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 17:41:54 +0000

Chantix induced potassium level changes & other physiological problems reported in the link given (HERE AGAIN).

What looks like some good advice generally by someone who posted there today:

“Please report your side effects to the FDA. Here is the link.

http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/feedback.htm

For some reason Pfizer will not recommend to wean off their drug chantix. I took it with few side effects at first. When I stopped taking chantix, it almost killed me. Low potassium - medical term hypokalemia which has a symptom of pschyosis. The ER doctor started giving me more drugs that sent my heart into overdrive that he shouldn’t have given me with the other drugs the doctor prescribed. Then that almost killed me when all I needed was to increase my potassium. So be careful, the doctors are just guessing at this point and do not always do what is best for you while they are covering their butts from malpractice. Sure you can take the pill chantix and if that gives you problems sleeping, you can take another pill to counter the side effects of the first pill. Then when you get a racing heartbeat you can take another pill to address that side effect. When you can’t go to the bathroom, you can take more pills to help with that side effect. In the meantime you are miserable and spending all the money you saved from smoking if chantix helped you quit taking more and more pills that have side effects of their own. Before long you will be a walking drug store with more pills that make you ill. there goes your health, your money and possibly your life if one of these pills causes a medical or mental health issue. The choice is yours. I choose to not take pills and HATE chantix for messing up my life and health the way it has. Do some research and you will see the real number one cause of death is medicine/drugs. What is the difference … well they are not talking about illegal drugs but legal ones.

If you read this, it is a warning to be careful taking meds. The doctors will not warn you of side effects and the drug manufacturers will still not warn you to wean off chantix. Why? Is it because chantix is addictive and far more deadly then what you took it to help fix? Quitting chantix cold turkey is hell; and with all the medical people looking for alternative answers for the true side effects we the users of these drugs suffer.

So if you took chantix or and other drug and noticed side effects please report them to help others and to prove it is the drug that caused it and not happenstance. Thanks and I hope no one has problems with quitting smoking. I feel bad for those that took this drug and got blind sided like me. I knew the risks associated with smoking but not the risk using chantix to quit smoking. Sure it worked to quit smoking but at what price? I know Pfizer has a fist full of my money and the doctors and hospitals a bit more. When will this all end … oh yeah I get it now … when they have all my money and I am dead due to their practice of hidding the truth. Sounds like what big tobacco did for so many years and got away with until someone blew the whistle. Nice huh?”

There are other reports of several people experiencing serious swelling of the ankles etc which, like potassium level drops, are very unlikely to be related to ‘previous depression’ or ‘cessation of smoking’!

Stay safe Alice.

By: pg

pg — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 17:17:28 +0000

Tapering off Champix at the site in the link in my last comment:

“…I had a horrible time when I quit cold turkey, and my doctor but me on a very long wean…

1 week 1/2 mg 2x daily
1 week 1/2 mg only daily for a week
1 week 1/4 mg only for a week
1 week 1/4 every other day for a week
Then off Chantix…”

Alice: there are various people who have had similar experiences on Chantix and on withdrawal (which sound very much like antidepressant effects).

Although the FDA have given a Chantix warning, drug makers (and their supporters) do like to downplay the risks.

It may be better to be safe than sorry and get him to taper off slowly? Some doctors (as you can see from the forum) are unaware of the need to taper, but some are now getting aware of drug withdrawals and recognising problems, and have put their patients back on Chantix to taper off once obvious withdrawal effects are being experienced.

Unfortunately, not ALL doctors recognise it, and thats where the disasters happen I guess.

By: Brian

Brian — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 14:37:03 +0000

Alice

Chantix is not an antidepressant. However, people with depression often self medicate with nicotine. When they quit smoking or nicotine’s efects are blocked , the depression can recur. Time to report these symptoms to a doctor..

By: pg

pg — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 11:03:56 +0000

Alice: There’s a forum about Chantix problems with some of the entries discussing ways of tapering off, and problems they had when they went cold turkey.

Click HERE to go to the forum.

Chantix seems to have the same problems as antidepressants, and abrupt withdrawal is not a good idea on them.

By: pg

pg — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 10:50:33 +0000

Alice
‘Tonight, he experienced an ‘episode’ that confirmed my fears, and I’m throwing the meds away!’

Before throwing them away it may be a good idea to look around at withdrawal problems on antidepressants. If he is having problems on them now, it could worsen by coming off cold turkey. Tapering off gently could be safer.

By: alice

alice — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 03:30:34 +0000

Please be careful on Chantix!
My husband started using Chantix about 6 weeks ago, and has been smoke-free. However, he’s increasingly experiencing waking in the night not knowing if he’s dreaming or not. Frankly, it spooks me!
Tonight, he experienced an ‘episode’ that confirmed my fears, and I’m throwing the meds away! He fell asleep watching TV, and was awakened by a phone call from our 13-year old son. He knew before falling asleep that he had to pick our son up from a birthday party at 9:30pm. When he got on the phone, he just lost it! Started screaming and shouting at our son, yelling that he wasn’t being ‘respectful,’ and then threw the phone at me saying ‘here, you handle this.’ This tantrum lasted awhile, and at one point I just told him to calm down & I’ll drive my son home. He continued to rant and rave about how everyone’s screaming at him for no reason, and then slammed the door and drove away in the car. I was worried the minute he ran out the door… would his temper lead to a car accident? Would my son be safe alone in the car with his father who was so angry?
What’s weird… my husband NEVER yelled at our kids or me like that.
I think the FDA has to take these side effects seriously, before future tragedies occur. I seriously felt like our family could have been victims tonight. Thank God they got home safely!

By: Shannon

Shannon — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 18:25:08 +0000

I have a few beers every night after work.
I stopped taking Chantix because of constant nausea, headaches, constipation and strange dreams. Within two weeks of stopping, my vision became very blurry. I had suicidal thoughts, extreme depression, feelings of aggression toward myself and others, weight gain, sensitive and bleeding gums, migraines, sleeplessness, anxiety attacks â€“ the first one sent me to the emergency room thinking I was having a heart attack.
I am missing work because of feeling ill and doctor appointments. I feel sick all of the time now. I have trouble concentrating and staying focused. My legs are restless. I have mood swings and I am no longer interested in sex. I am now wearing glasses because I can no longer read without them.
I have quit smoking before and never went through anything like this in my life.

By: Lisa Van S

Lisa Van S — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 13:34:01 +0000

Linda,

Please be careful!! Chantix is considered an antidepressant and can cause severe psychological side effects.If you need support I suggest that you log onto Paxil Progress, the folks there are great, when someone needs support….Good Luck.

By: Linda

Linda — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 05:12:55 +0000

I started taking chantix 6 days ago. One evening I was relaxing in our day room, having a cigarette. I wasnt even tired but very soon found myself waking up to pain. Here I was putting my cigarette out on my opposite arm! I can assure you, I do not drink and I am a very healthy as well as mentally stable person and have never had any episodes such as this one in my entire life! I have since had some very uneasy moments that seemed almost as if I was sleeping and awake at the same time. I know it is from the Chantix! It is too coincidental. I am only telling about this because too many people are blaming the alcohol in the terribly ordeal with that young man. No one knows the exact cause and it’s very probable that they will never know. But please see my point here, what this drug has done to me so far is causing me to question my mental stability while taking it. I have several other side effects as well and because of all of this I am quitting them. I just pray that the effects do not continue after I’m off of the chantix! I guess I will catch the next miracle drug that comes along to stop smoking…that is IF it is a bit safer.