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Monday, December 17, 2007

Champix warning: Quit smoking drug should be avoided if you have depression

Anti-smoking pill linked to suicide

Natasha Wallace Health Reporter
December 17, 2007


THE first anti-smoking drug that specifically targets nicotine cravings will be launched in Sydney today, but there are concerns that it has been linked to depression and suicide.

Varenicline tartrate, a prescription treatment for adults marketed as Champix, will be available on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme from January 1 and will cost about $60 for a 12-week treatment and about $10 for pensioners and health care card holders. Patients will receive a subsidy for one course a year.

The drug works by blocking the effect of nicotine on the brain, reducing the pleasurable and reinforcing feelings associated with smoking. Smokers set their quit date between day eight and day 14 of taking the tablets.

Nick Zwar, professor of general practice at the University of NSW, said he was concerned about US reports of suicide and depression among users of the drug and recommended that people with mental health problems avoid it.
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9 comments:

  1. The result that chronic smoking may actually have a role in the etiology of depression may be surprising, as nicotine as such – in short term – is assumed to have some positive effects on mood. It has been proved that if you want to stop smoking than you can also have lower depression risk. http://www.chantixhome.com/

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  2. I can only assume you don't watch TV because the commercial for this product comes with a warning to people who have depression. This problem is not new. It's not that Campix/Chantix does not work on "normal" people but should not be used with anyone who has PTSD or any kind of depression.
    I have an uncle and aunt in their 70's who smoked since their teens. They used it and stopped smoking.
    There are a lot medications that come with warnings because everyone is different. To disregard a warning in this case was a matter of life or death. PTSD comes with a host of symptoms but one of the major ones is the struggle to find the will to go on living.

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  3. Chantix/Champix, works on a lot of people but if you notice their new ads on TV, they offer the warning about if you have depression.

    It is not a bad product for everyone, but should not be used by everyone. It worked for my uncle and aunt, but they have no history of depression or mental illness. People need to talk to their doctor about this product to see if it is right for them or not. The problem is the VA seems to have ignored the warnings before they gave it to PTSD veterans.

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  4. Champix is poison. It is a tortorous evil drug. Please inform yourself of the 165 side effects it can potentially cause and then decide if you think it is worth risking. Take it from someone whos life it has ruined.

    ReplyDelete
  5. PfizerRuinedMyLifeJune 28, 2010 at 9:30 PM

    I took Champix in March of '08 and I am still suffering from most of the side effects of this poisonous drug. I started to feel some of the bad effects (nausea, mental fog, trouble sleeping, sore eyes, constipation, gas) of Champix while taking it but I was determined to quit smoking. For the first month I felt exceptionally good and I was telling everyone how great it was but the euphoria came crashing down and I went into a deep depression. I was able to make it through the full 3 month course but when I stopped taking it is when I really got messed up. I developed Psychosis NOS, Major Depressive Disorder, suicidal, Emotional instability, disinhibition, aggression, rage, panic attacks, hallucination, Somatoform Disorder, Delusional Parasitosis (bug crawling sensations all over my body), Hyperacusis (sensitivity to certain frequencies of sound causing severe pain and pressure in my ears), Severe Insomnia, Memory Loss, Brain Fog, Lowered Inhibitions, Hair was constantly hurting all of the time and lost lots of it (27 year old male), Irritable Bowel Syndrome (started as extreme constipation and gas, fatigue, Severe Eye pain, unsightly puffy bags under eyes, excessive weight gain, gingivitis, prostate pain, black out and become out of control when drinking, decreased sexual pleasure and ability to maintain erections. I think that is everything!!! I went to the psych ward recently due to being suicidal and at a breaking point with my symptoms and I was treated like scum and given brain damaging neuroleptic (anti-psychotic) drugs against my will. I have made some small improvements since taking Champix but it looks like the nightmare will never truly end. If you are one of the many that gets burned by this medication be warned that the doctors will probably not be able to help you and will most likely deny that anything is even happening to you or that it is related to Champix and the side effects may be permanent. I had a similar reaction in respect to rage and disinhibition from taking Zoloft when I was younger which altered my life substantially and now Champix has put the nail in the coffin. Apparently these two drugs have a similar mechanism but Pfizer with held this information and marketed the drug in a deceiving way not mentioning any of the neuro-psychiatric and mind altering side effects of the drug when it first hit the market in order to boost sales of their poison. The medical community has know for quite some time that dopamine plays a role in mood regulation and the fact the Champix targets the “pleasure centre” of the brain makes them grossly negligent for not investigating this further and informing consumers. Many people including myself (I turned down a prescription of Zyban due to my experience with Zoloft) would not have taken it if we would have been informed of the risks and Pfizer knew that. SHAME ON THEM FOR RUINING MY LIFE AND MANY OTHERS INCLUDING THOSE WHOM ENDED THE MISERY BY TAKING THEIR OWN LIFE.

    YOU'VE BEEN WARNED

    please spread the word. If you have already taken Champix please report any side effects to Health Canada, FDA etc so that they will take this poison of the market before it destroys more lives. Doctors are not obligated to report adverse reactions so you must do it yourself.

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  6. PfizerRuinedMyLife

    I am so sorry you had to go thru this. There have been a lot of problems with this drug and very little warnings when this first came out. Now when you see the commercial, there are warnings.

    It does work for a lot of people, like my aunt and uncle, both life time smokers, but they didn't have any mental health problems otherwise.

    As with all medications, we all need to be aware of what comes with them and then talk to our doctors if we are worried. They can always find another drug to take the place of the one they are suggesting.

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  7. Many people think that smoking helps in fighting with stress but they don't know that smoking is one of the reasons for stress. I like your post you share a nice information. Your blog is helpful for me.

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  8. viagraonline,
    Thank you very much. I smoked since I was 18. Back then, everyone did. We had a big Greek family with just about everyone smoking. It is very hard to quit. As a Chaplain, people look at me funny because I smoke but I also have a drink in public too. (Comes with the territory of being part of a motorcycle group.) There are still times when I want to quit and there will be more tries at stopping, I'm sure, but since I've tried so many different things, the truth is, I may not be ready to quit yet. I asked my doctor years ago what is wrong with me. I know all the reasons to quit but I don't. He said that I am so stubborn that one day I'll just wake up, say I don't want to smoke anymore and then just quit.
    I wish there was something out there that didn't come with so many warnings that could make your health worse when we're trying to be healthier.

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  9. Thanks mate... just dropped by. Will look for BIKE STN when we get to Seattle. Still in Buenos Airies.

    ReplyDelete

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