News Tagged ‘suicidal thoughts

“very low nicotine” cigarettes may become sound alternative to Chantix

tobacco 100x100It’s difficult for some coffee drinkers to imagine life before decaf. Pretty soon it may be difficult for some smokers to imagine life before de-nic. A New York company called 22nd Century Limited recently announced that it is making progress in its development of a very low nicotine (VLN) cigarette that uses a specially engineered and proprietary form of tobacco.

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FDA now requiring stronger warnings on Chantix labels

chantix and smoking 100x100The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced today that it will require drug manufacturers to put boxed warnings on the product labeling for Chantix (varenicline) and Zyban (bupropion hydrochloride, otherwise called Wellbutrin when prescribed as an antidepressant). Both Chantix and Zyban, commonly prescribed to patients as smoking cessation aids, have been linked to serious behavioral changes and other symptoms. Agitation, hostility, depression, and suicidal thoughts and actions are possible that users should be keenly aware of, the warns.

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Pfizer might fund study of Chantix and reduced risk of heart attack

butt 100x100CNN reports that Pfizer is thinking about launching a clinical test to determine if Chantix can help prevent smokers from having heart attacks. Considering all the negative publicity that has surrounded the drug over the last one and a half years, it’s understandable that Pfizer would want to invest a good deal of time and money in finding some benefit … even if they locate just one slightly dubious side effect, such as a reduced risk of heart attack in people who have quit smoking.

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More Canadians harmed by Chantix as government revises warnings

canada 100x100Health Canada has received 818 reports of adverse 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 Chantix experience: salvation, downfall, or just plain strange?

happy neutral sad 100x100Chantix 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 .

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FDA broadens investigation of drugs and suicide

Many medical researchers find little surprise that Chantix has been linked to higher than normal rates of depression and . Varenicline (the chemical name of Pfizer’s smoking cessation drug) goes to work directly in the brain by targeting certain receptors and simulating that feeling of having already smoked – that “full” feeling smokers feel after they’ve lit up one or two. Other pharmaceuticals that go to work directly in the brain include antidepressants, some of which have also been linked to behavioral problems and .

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Military pharmacy pulls Chantix

According to a report in today’s Stars & Stripes, a daily newspaper published for the U.S. military, Department of Defense (DoD) civilians, contractors and their families, the anti-smoking medication Chantix (varenicline) has been pulled from at least one military pharmacy following reports of serious adverse reactions.

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More veterans enrolled in Chantix study than originally revealed

George J. Lisicki, a Vietnam combat veteran and national commander for the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), had harsh words for the Veterans Administration () today.

“Those in the who failed to properly notify America’s veterans that their medication could produce fatal must resign their positions,” Lisicki said. “If not, then the secretary must take decisive action to terminate their employment.”

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VA warns veterans about the dangers of Chantix

Responding to widespread pressure from many congressmen, veteran’s organizations, and the general public, the Veterans Administration announced today that it would directly notify all of its veterans currently using Pfizer’s new smoking cessation drug Chantix. The number of veterans on Chantix is approximately 32,000.

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Outcry grows over VA Chantix tests

On Monday ABC News and The Washington Times broke a report on the Veterans Administration testing Pfizer’s smoking cessation drug Chantix on 140 veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The administered the drug to the soldiers without warning them about months-old discoveries linking Chantix to a range of neuropsychiatric behavior and illness, including depression, loss of sleep, vivid dreams, suicidal thoughts, and suicidal actions.

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