Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C.

Health Canada has received 818 reports of adverse side effects caused by the smoking cessation drug Chantix (marketed in Canada and elsewhere as Champix) since it first became available to Canadians nearly two years ago. The majority of complaints concerned psychiatric problems. Chantix is known to cause or exacerbate a spectrum of psychiatric and physical reactions, including moodiness, depression, violent behavior, lack of sleep, blackouts, and suicidal thought and actions.

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The Canadian Press reports that Health Canada, the government department responsible for Canada’s public health policies, is currently working with Pfizer to strengthen the warnings for the smoking cessation drug Chantix. Chantix is sold in Canada and elsewhere overseas under the name Champix.

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Chantix has to be one of the most bipolar prescription drugs ever created. Every day, a search for the latest Chantix news digs up blogs written by fans of the smoking cessation drug, who often tout it as a miracle or a blessing in their struggle to become nonsmokers. Yet other users liken it to a nightmare or a curse, citing wild mood swings, disturbing dreams, and uncharacteristic thoughts of suicide.

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Researchers at the Institute for Safe Medicine Practices, a nonprofit organization, and Wake Forest University say that their latest review of Chantix data justifies stepping up warnings about the drug.

More than 1,000 complications were reported in the first quarter of 2008, including 15 traffic accidents, 52 incidents of loss of consciousness and blackouts, and 50 deaths.

Reports of adverse effects among users taking Chantix were greater than any other prescription drug for the second quarter in a row.

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Yesterday I wrote about the non-psychiatric side effects of Chantix and how studies are beginning to reveal how those side effects can adversely affect one’s driving. Loss of consciousness, dizziness, confusion, aggression, and muscle spasms can all happen to a Chantix user who is behind the wheel. I don’t mean to sound alarmist, but I have had enough first-hand experience with Chantix to know these newest warnings are worth emphasizing.

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By now we know that Chantix is dangerous for some people who use the drug, but mounting evidence suggests that people who don’t use it may also be harmed. Since Chantix became available for smoking cessation in August of 2006, the FDA has received a steady influx of reports connecting the drug to traffic accidents. Moreover, while the medical community and the media are focused on the negative psychiatric effects that some Chantix users experience, researchers now believe that the non-psychiatric effects may be worse.

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