More reports of erratic behavior and suicide have been associated with the use of Chantix, a drug that was designed to help people stop smoking and was approved by the Food and Drug Administration just under two years ago. In November 2007, the FDA issued a statement that they are reviewing the possible Chantix suicide side effects and that there have been over 100 reports received of suicidal thoughts and severe behavioral changes within just a few weeks of taking the drug.
Since its approval by the FDA, over 4 million Americans have received a prescription for the drug Chantix. Smoking is the leading preventable cause of disease and premature death in the United States and accounts for more than 400,000 deaths every year and, as many US Recall News visitors report, Chantix has helped many of these people quit smoking after years or decades of nicotine addiction.
Because of these reports, personal injury and dangerous drug attorneys are evaluating the potential of Chantix lawsuits on behalf of people who have committed suicide or suffered severe injury as a result of the drug’s adverse side effects.
Chantix (generic varenicline tartrate) was approved by the FDA in May 2006 as part of a review that drastically shortened the time required for the drug maker to begin selling the medication. Chantix helps people to quit smoking by easing the withdrawal symptoms of nicotine cessation and by blocking some of the effects of nicotine from cigarettes, which helps to promote long-term smoking cessation.
Label Update
When the FDA issued its November 2007 statement regarding Chantix and suicide, it requested data from the drug’s manufacturer, Pfizer, about reported problems involving suicide and aggressive or erratic behavior associated with the medication. On November 20, 2007, Pfizer updated Chantix’s label to indicate that the drug’s side effects include the following: “reports of depressed mood, agitation, changes in behavior, suicidal ideation and suicide in patients attempting to quit smoking while taking Chantix.”
Additionally, the FDA is reviewing reports that the drug could cause problems while driving or operating heavy machinery. While the number of these incidents is very small, the FDA pointed out that they all describe similar situations with symptoms of drowsiness leading to difficulty operating a vehicle.
Other reported side effects of Chantix include:
– Nausea
– Stomach pain
– Vomiting
– Indigestion
– Weakness
– Lethargy
– Increased appetite
– Unpleasant taste in your mouth
– Headache
– Insomnia
– Unusual dreams
I would like to know if the side affects get worse the longer I take Chantix? I have been taking Chantix for 6 weeks and have had bad depression, crying at everything, anxiety, agitation, trouble sleeping. I have had other problems in my life -( my dad dying in January). How can I tell if what I am experiencing is from Chantix or everything else? Chantix is helping me not smoke but I would like to know if this is bad as it gets.
does chanitx make you pass out after a few months after taking it. i am a truck triver and pass out as i was geting out of my truck. and brock my wrist.
The day I realized I was losing my mind: My isolated and continuing Chantix reaction.
I have never felt quite the same for some length of time now. It is as if I have been slowly losing control over my emotions, my mind and my life.
I began taking Chantix in October 2007. I had been planning my departure from cigarettes for at least two semesters, and had developed no further excuses to hinder the forward progress of my quitting. I only wish I had found an excuse, compared to the current state of my wellness now.
What good is being smoke free if you’re a head case in the end?
I don’t know exactly what this medication has done to me, but I have not felt mentally well, in what seems to me, a very long time. I stopped taking the medication when the first supply package of pills was completely gone. I am still waiting and hoping every day, that I might just wake up and feel normal in the head again. (I fear I will not even recognize normal again, if it does return)
I feel like someone has physically taken a baseball bat and worked me over around the joints for some type of indebtedness to the mob, enough of a beating to hurt like hell, but not enough to cause death. (You may wish for it, but it’s not in the cards) I find that a warm bath helps the body aches, and by scheduling myself to do this at specific times of the day (twice daily), this helps the body aches, and the overall scheduling of activities seems to keep my mind working in forward. This practice has not been 100% effective, but it seems to be all that I can do on my own.
I could not continue to sit at my office desk and keep quiet during the day. Uncontrollably I would find myself agitated, frustrated, and extremely irritated at nothing or at something so trivial that in retrospect it seems smaller than microscopic . Or simply put, the little things that had never drawn a reaction like this previously, had begun to take center stage in a tantrum of rage. I had neither the ability nor the wits about me to continue in that situation, so I reluctantly resigned. I was embarrassed to inform my boss that I had quit smoking, and lost my mind in the progress, so I camouflaged my resignation amongst the usual grievances and disaccords found in the work place.
At times, it seems as if nothing has ever been changed about me, other than the fact that I no longer a smoker, but those times are so rare. I miss them. The rest of the time is a constant reminder of the turbulent waters that flow beneath the calm observable surface, just waiting to show its ugly head in a vast storm of unpredictable furry and profanity.
I wish I could just simply light up another cigarette and make all this go away, but that does not seem like the logical alternative. I guess trading my mind for a longer life span was a foolish idea, or just getting the worst out of the way.
I quit using Chantix and found it easy compaired to other methods tried in the past. I suffered no physical or emotional problems. In fact, I felt relaxed about the whole process. Absolutely no anxiety.
It will interesting to determine if it is the actual drug causing the ill side effects in some people or the nicotine withdraw.
I really didn’t associate the way I was feeling last summer with the Chantix until my daughter sent me this article. She is the one that saw it and made the connection.
I began Chantix last spring. In no time at all I was in a deep depresstion. I love the summer months I love fishing and swimming. I actually have a pool here where I live and I used it twice last summer. Each time less than an hour. I also gained 40 lbs. I came home from work and went straight upstairs to bed. I also did no fishing. I just couldn’t muster up the “get up and go” to do it. My bed is where I wanted to be. I know that everyone around me saw what was happening. I even ask my Dr. to increase my antidepressant.
I did stop smoking, but wonder if it was worth it. At least I was thinner and happy then.
Regarding the comment from another about the nicotine withdrawal causing the side effects: I quit smoking years ago and started back 16 years ago, and no I didn’t have theses thoughts and feelings then.
I took chantix fot two months and I feelt like I was going to have a stroke. I almost passed out and I was getting pain and numbness down my left side. My boyfriend was taking it also and he became very moody and angry. We did not stop smoking but we did stop taking chantix and our health and emotional problems went away.
ive taken chantix for the past 3 months have had no issues what so ever accept for hot flashes which i can tolerate. i know people who have had issues with them but i think if you actually tried to sort out reality you wouldnt have suicidal issues… not sure what drug you all are taking but its working for me with out all the miserable craziness you have goin on
you people are silly. i took chantix for 3 weeks and am completely quit. zero side effects. i did this with a group of 9 people. none of us had any adverse effects. except one, he could have sworn it gave him gas. i think before you go and believe something perhaps you should look inward at your own habits. expecially considering before, when anything bad happened, or you were stressed, you smoked. now chantix is trying to help you quit and some of you are still taking it 6 weeks later. sure seems to me you’re not ready to quit or don’t have enough will power to do so. 100 suicides maybe, but what else played a factor in those suicide attempts?? i heard a proverb once: suicide is your own fault… which is undeniably true and obvious. don’t blame it on a pill. quit blamestorming and take responsibility of your own thoughts and actions.
by the way, 100 out of 4 million = .0025% of those who take the drug go nuts. not to mention, we know nothing about these people’s past. chances are, they had issues before they were on chantix. this is just what you would expect from weak minded people who are looking for a way to sue somebody. if you are going crazy from chantix STOP TAKING THE PILL. its that simple. try the patch or the gum. “but, but, but, but, the pill doesn’t work and neither does the patch, waaaaa”. Well, there is therapy, hypnosis, and a slew of other avenues to take. “but, but, but, but, its too expensive” hmmm, put that against the amount you spent on cigarettes, add that to how much you value your life and health and you tell me if its too expensive. then, try this out, YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE STARTED IN THE FIRST PLACE. do you even know how much you’ve spent on smoking? any idea at all?
there are no good excuses
Chantix didn’t make me feel like I was going crazy, but my dreams became so vivid and scary I had to stop taking the pill. I could tell that it was working for me, but after waking up with my heart racing, and being scared to go back to sleep for fear of falling back into that dream, there was just no way I could continue.
As with some other (for lack of a better term) “questionable” drugs, sometimes the benefits outweigh the side-effects. Here’s my delimma… As someone with a heart condition, quitting smoking is of the highest priority, and I know Chantix is sucessful at doing such. But what is worse, the effects of smoking, or possibly scaring myself into a heart-attack? I’d rather look into the many other options to quit smoking, than to risk it. After seeing the scary way Chantix changed my pattern of dreaming, I can see how other people could have those kinds of adverse reactions. I personally choose not to try it again.
i was diagnosed with COPD last august — when i saw the pulmonologist she gave me the script for this drug. i started the drug in end of sept – and just really did not want to quit , so i took it off and on. I was also put on alot of other medicines, albuterol,advair,spiriva,duoneb,singulair, and a few others – so i couldnt tell which meds were doing what. BUT – the chantix really just made me nauseated – i had to eat a big amount of food w/ each dose and if i ate enough it didnt make me sick. The nause would only last for 30 minutes after i took the pill, Anyway — i did quit smoking and i just really quit taking chantix 2 weeks ago. It was to me a miracle drug and the side effects were just the nausea at times and a bit of vivid nightmares. The drug though is a miracle drug, i couldnt believe how much it worked when i finally put my mind to it.
I was diagnosed with COPD and emphysema in January. I had no choice but to find a way to quit. I started taking Chantix in January of ’08. I took them for 4 weeks. The only slight side effect I had was slight nausea for 2 mornings because I took them without eating first. I learned from my doctor’s office, to always eat before taking medications unless instructed differently. A friend of mine had vivid dreams, I didn’t. We both had taken the same class at the health department. Our instructor told us about the side effects of Chantix versus the other methods, e.g. patches, nicotine gum, etc. He did mention that suicidal thoughts were on list of side effects with Chantix. If we felt any to stop medication immediately and contact our doctor.
After being a smoker for 41 years, this was the easiest way I had found to quit. I have been quit for over 3 months and have no cravings. It is truly a miracle drug like Jill said.
I took Chantix for about 2 months and was very impressed with it’s ability to take away the physical nicotine cravings. However, I would highly caution ANYONE that has any signs of depression to NOT take this medication. I’m a very happy go lucky person, but the Chantix took me down into a hole I care not to remember. Long story short, I took a bottle of Vicodin prescribed for post dental work pain after a 3 day spontaneous depression. I’ve never had these kind of feelings or ever acted this way in my life. At the time, I did not know what was going on with me. I made some drastic changes in my life, which coincided with my picking up the smoking addiction again. I just thought the changes I made took the depression away, but now after hearing of others reactions, I’m convinced that it was the Chantix. I would rather smoke for 10 years than to commit suicide in due to taking this medication for just less than 2 months.
This Chantix really works, but God forbid, if you have any feelings of depression or suicide, quit the crap immediately! I only thank God today for sparing me a succesful overdose.
I would like to make a comment to Nathan. Is the person who swore he got gas with his chantix also silly? Maybe he was just a person who always had alot of gas and he is just being silly. Not everyone suffers from the same side affects or any at all. The same with any medication. Why do you think there are so many different types of meds for different problems? Because they all dont work for everyone. So I dont think anyone is silly for saying they experience these problems. I have seen first hand some of these affects in my boyfriend so I know they can happen. And not to mention the fact I am a pharmacist so I understand that is more than people being silly. Also if the company put a warning on the label warning about these reactions then there must be something warranting that. And when you want to talk about will power? Maybe people should think about having more willpower to just not smoke in the first place. I am proud to say I have never tried smoking and dont know why anyone would want to.
I have tried taken Chantix and it worked well. I had no side effects except dry mouth but nothing a bottle of water couldnt handle. I did not quit cause i had a school coming up and there was going to be a lot of drinking so i made the choice to get of chantix and drink instead on staying on it and drinking. I plan on getting back on chantix and quitting soon.Peace
My husband took Chantix. It worked great for him. He did mention his dreams were more vivid, but not scary. He took Chantix for about three to four weeks without side affects. By the end of the second week he would go hours without thinking about smoking and by the end of the third he was a non-smoker and still is almost a year and a half later.
I have been taking this drug (which, for some reason they called Cahmpax in Australia) for a little over 3 weeks. My doctor told me I may experience an upset stomach and mentioned a few other minor side affects, however never said anything about mood alterations. After reading the above comments, I can completely understand what a lot of these people have been through as I noticed a definite change in mood just a few days after taking it. In short, I’m generally a happy person who is quite extroverted, however I noticed at work I began feeling really irritated with small things, slowed down involving myself in a lot of conversations and to be honest, just wanted to get out of there! At home, last night I became really angry towards my partner for bringing home low fat milk! Who cares! This was on a friday night and later on I spent the evening outside on the laptop by myself (probably because I was still grumpy about the milk ha ha). Anyway, today I found this web site and it’s good to know other people have experienced similar mood changes. The drug is very affective and I haven’t smoked for 2 weeks, however yesterday was the last day I’ll take a pill because I want my life to go back to normal. I haven’t regretted taking it though, at the end of the day I’m now not smoking. Good luck to anybody else who is trying to quit.
I tried Chantix about 2 years or so ago, I used it for around 8 weeks and I will admit, I quit smoking while on the drug, BUT. As soon as I quit using the drug, all my cravings came flooding back. I of course picked up the habit again and smoked for the next 2 years. I recently (45 days) quit smoking cold turkey, which I found to be WAY easier when the Goverment raised all our prices on cigs. Plus, being able to walk without fear of my lungs exploding was another sign I was ready, me being 31 years old and all.
As for the drug itself. When I was on it, I don’t recall any depression, I do however recall NEVER getting any good sleep because of the chronic nightmares it gave me. The dreams , like another person said were very real and vivid, however mine were truly scary. I was maybe getting 3-4 hours a night and would be to nervous to go back to bed. These dreams stopped within 1-2 weeks after stopping the drug.
I really wanted to quit back then, I just ran out of the prescription and thought I had licked the addiction. Plus I was ready to sleep. Geez.
I took Chantix in early December for two weeks. I didn’t quit smoking so I know the lack of smoking did not cause me to be depressed. I have never had any sign of depression in my life. I’ve always been a happy person! About 2 weeks after stopping Chantix due to extreme agitation, I became so depressed that I did nothing but cry! I cried for over 2 weeks and finally went to my physician for antidepressants. At one point, I actually thought about ending my life. Now I am angry! Is this going to last forever? Have I ruined my life by taking Chantix for 2 weeks? Will I ever be normal again? I don’t want to be on antidepressants and wish I had never taken Chantix! This depression is out of my control and I just want my old life back. I know my problems are caused by the Chantix!
Sounds like being a non-smoker is really working out for Nathan above. Calm, serene, and sweet as battery acid. Rage much?
I’ve been taking Chantix for about 2 months now. Today is day 30 for me without a ciggarette, and I went out and bought a pack. I started with fatique soon after starting the meds. Enough to want to go to sleep for the rest of the day, at 9 am! I did quit smoking however, with little craving. I was thrilled! I have been having vivid dreams, talking loudly in my sleep and keeping my husband awake half the night. This includes screaming in my dreams, cracking up, constant, non-stop. I’m exhausted. My head is foggy – I feel light headed, dizzy, confused. I forget things. I walked around the parking lot for 20 minutes looking for my car, shopping cart in tow. I walked up to my car 3 times, but decided it couldn’t be my car and kept on going. I felt like a nut-case. I have forgotten to turn off the engine on the car, left it running while I go in to an appointment, etc. I forget to turn off the stove, the faucet, etc. Frustrating. Foggy is a good word to describe my thought process, muddled. Suddenly and for no apparent reason I developed paranoia. Feeling as though nobody needed me, I was not fit to be around, etc. Crazy – yes. The other night in the middle of the night I got out of bed and got dressed. I was ready to walk out on my family. I wanted to get into my car and drive around until I ran out of gas and then end my life. I do blame the medication. I feel horrible, guilty, and am now weaning myself off of the medication. If my husband hadn’t stopped me I would have gone through with it. This happened Saturday night, and my head is still foggy. I sleep. I allow myself to sleep during the day so that I can stop thinking about it. I feel bad that I bought a pack of ciggarettes, and yes all of this is no excuse for it. But I’d rather smoke to take the edge off right now until I come to my senses. I pray that I do come back to my normal “sense” too. I am foggy and unattached. I can’t stand it. I certainly do hope that you all can get through this. I am so happy that so many of you quit smoking! I’m so glad we aren’t all in the loony bin! God bless you all. Just went on line to google this and thought I’d write a comment. God bless and take care!
these meds made me real sick taking them. i was like great imma be able to quit smoking! i took the meds as advised by my doctor. my stomach would get real hot burning sensation and hurt real bad, not even soaking in the bath tub made me feel better because i would all the sudden violently start throwing up. I knew it had to be because of chantix because i wasnt taking any other meds. i noticed mood changes but i never tried to act out on it. i would sleep alot and felt really bummed out all the time. i quit taken chatix, i didnt accomplish my goal to quit smoking because i just couldnt handle the side effects.
I started taking Chantix in early Oct. of last year. I actually smoked for two weeks while taking it, but by the second week I was only smoking about one cigarette a day, broken up into a couple of puffs about 3 times a day. When I finally quit , the cigarettes really did not taste good anymore.
While my enjoyment of smoking was diminishing, I did notice my agitation level was increasing, but I kind of attributed that to nicotine withdrawal more than the Chantix. Well it’s been 10 months, and I/m doing great with the smoking- I can even drink a little without going back to the cigarettes, but I’m such a bitch I can’t believe it! I thought it would subside over time, but it hasn’t. Everyone and everything really ticks me off. I think I suffered from some depression before, usually only in the winter ( S.A.D.) but never anything serious enough to go to a doctor about, but now I think I’m going to have to do something about this as it’s not getting any better. I don’t feel suicidal, but this is really depressing. I too thought Chantix was a miracle drug- after smoking for 25 years, quitting was so easy. But If this is permanent, I’d rather be a smoker. (my dreams were great- very vivid and colorful, but I normally rarely remember my dreams)
After taking this drug for only a little over a week i feel like crap. I can relay with some of you who speak of a foggy mind. I was in a store tonight and saw a christmas item on the self that had my name on it and i had to think for a second why it looked familiar and then it dawned on me that it was my name ugh. All i want to do is eat and sleep i dont even want to spend time with my family or fiancee whom i adore more then anything in life. Late last night/early this morning i all of a sudden got into a fit of anger where i wanted to crawl out of bed and start smashing things out of the blue for no reason. Worse yet i had a thought cross my mind of hurting my 4 yr old daughter for no reason in her sleep(like stabbing her) she is my pride and joy and never would i want to hurt her. I mustered the control up today to tell my fiance that i think i was having side effects from the meds and we both choose it best that i stop before i do something i regret. He noticed my mood changes but chalked it up to the winter months which i hate lol i am glad i caught myself early on this and hope the foggy thoughts go away all the way. I am determined to quit but after this experience i would go with my last resort which is cold turkey rather then screw with my mind like this. I have not been a depressed person in the past always a happy go lucky person. Also it almost does feel like your heart is working so much harder i have a slightly heavy feeling on my chest since starting. Use caution while taking this i truly did want it to work 🙁 Good Luck to all trying to quit
I want to offer some brighness in this forum of doom and gloom. I don’t want anyone deterred from trying Chantix if they smoke. I have smoked for 37 years no less than one pack a day (much more at times). Both parents smoked, siblings smoked. I think I was addicted to nicotine in the womb. I am 52 years old and I tried Chantix right after my husband died. I had some of the same affects as the people posting here. I just tried it again (7 years later) and I can’t believe that I am smoke free. You don’t understand how big that is. I have tried cold turkey 5 times, hypnosis 1 time, acupressure 1 time, acupuncture 1 time, wellbutrin, zyban, xanax, the gum, the patch and have attended smoking cessation classes so many times I could be certified to teach. And for the first time in my entire life, I am nicotine free. I lost the urge after the first week but being stubborn, I continued to smoke some for the next 10 -14 days but no more than three a day. I finally threw them away and it has been 4 weeks and I have not looked back.
I have side effects too. I had nausea the first two weeks but it is better now. I have insomnia, wild dreams, constipation, bloating and gas. But these are the side effects I DON’T HAVE anymore: coughing, shallow breathing, fatigue, hoarseness, repulsive smell of person, home and auto, disappearing money, anxiety over being in a non-smoking place and the list goes on. Those things have made me so happy that I am almost giddy. I think that I have too much oxygen going to my brain since I quit smoking because I am so happy. Sure, I still get cravings, and I am afraid of starting back when I stop the chantix. But I feel so good it is like a new life for me. I have more energy than I have had in years. I am exercising like a mad woman. So please, isn’t i worth a try? I never expected this medication to work. I DID expect to have all of the side effects that are complained about here. But it did and I didn’t. Have a positive attitude and try it.
the good news is that i now have been quit for over 5 years.. i quit trying to quit alone, and niojed a support group.. i attend nicotine anonymous meetings both locally and on line.. on line voice meetings are he as close as your computer, and you can attend while still smoking, before actually attempting a quit.. however you decide to quit good luck, there is simply no wrong way to quit!!Nicotine Anonymous is a Non-Profit 12 Step Fellowship of men and women helping each other live nicotine-free lives. Nicotine Anonymous welcomes all those seeking freedom from nicotine addiction, including those using cessation programs and nicotine withdrawal aids. The primary purpose of Nicotine Anonymous is to help all those who would like to cease using tobacco and nicotine products in any form. The Fellowship offers group support and recovery using the 12 Steps as adapted from Alcoholics Anonymous to achieve abstinence from nicotine.