Wolbert, who has been a non-smoker for 30 days, attributes his success to seven-week group therapy session at Washington University’s Siteman Cancer Center. Like many others who have tried to quit smoking, Wolbert used Chantix unsuccessfully in his previous attempts to quit.

I can relate to Wolbert’s experience. I also used Chantix unsuccessfully for months, spending well over $400 for the drug. After a couple of weeks, I found that my cravings had dropped from a pack a day to half a pack a day, but they never subsided any more than that. I decided that I needed old fashioned will power to quit the other half pack. But my will power was in short supply. It was insufficient. But lack of willpower was why I started taking Chantix in the first place. The desire to quit was like being bound in a straightjacket.

Two months into my Chantix prescription, I realized that my progress had stalled. Another month and I heard the clock ticking. My 16-week Chantix regimen was three-fourths over and I never progressed beyond week two.

Worst of all, I hated the way I started to feel on the drug: sluggish, prone to fits of depression and self-pity, some of the worst anxiety I have ever experienced, an inability to focus, forgetfulness, absent mindedness, an aversion to social occasions, and intense dreams that seemed to stamp my days with a residual “cruddy” feeling.

I stopped Chantix right after FDA warnings about a possible link between the drug and suicide emerged. I could imagine myself going down that path if I continued treatment.

I mostly felt like myself again about 4 days after stopping Chantix. The exceptions were that I had a high anxiety level and an inability to concentrate. At first I thought these symptoms were related to reduced nicotine intake, but the problems grew worse even after I started smoking more and more.

I wondered if there was such a thing as Chantix detox. I researched the idea online but couldn’t find anything. I turned to natural, holistic methods of nicotine and drug detoxification. I just wanted Chantix out of my body and out of my brain.

Several months after I became a Chantix dropout (which was a difficult fact to face given that Chantix is the most widely hailed smoking cessation therapy ever) I decided I had had enough of thinking about quitting and trying to quit and promising to quit. I just needed to quit, period, before I lost my sanity.

I became a non-smoker by following the advice of Allen Carr, the smoking cessation guru whose books and “Easyway” seminars have helped many people around the world quit smoking without the use of drugs and nicotine replacement therapies.

Carr died a couple of years ago, but while he was alive he claimed his program had nearly a 100% success rate in getting people to stop smoking permanently and without withdrawals. Moreover, Carr claimed his program required no willpower whatsoever. I laughed at that idea at first.

Carr taught people how to navigate the mental labyrinth that smokers become lost in after they abstain from cigarettes. He called this the “nicotine trap,” and came up with more ways than Houdini to escape it.

Carr taught me to recognize the physical sensations of nicotine withdrawal; not to fight them or grit my teeth in resistance or try to squash them out but to just sit in quiet acceptance and observation of them whenever they emerged. In doing so, I realized that nicotine withdrawal and cravings weren’t as bad as everyone says they are. In fact, merely observing the physical sensations of these nicotine fits would cause them to subside almost as quickly as they came.

There was, of course, much more to his program, but understanding and accepting what I experienced was essentially what helped me to quit. Other parts of Carr’s program served as “get out of jail free” cards every time I had an urge to smoke.

As Eric Wolbert of St. Louis suggested, and as Allen Carr himself advised, smokers should regard quitting with anticipation and delight, never with fear and dread. That may sound like an impossible task to someone locked within the “nicotine prison,” but many programs and seminars exist that give smokers the right tools need to unleash the simple but incredible power of their minds … and to step outside of nicotine’s clutches once and for all.

SOURCE: Chantix Recall › Note to Chantix flunkees: there’s still hope even after the magic pill fails

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

Lisicki issued the off-with-their-heads statement in response to reports (link) that the VA may have acted irresponsibly in its study of Chantix using veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

The VA originally said that 940 veterans with PTSD were enrolled in the study, but only 143 of them were receiving Chantix. (link) However, The Washington Times revealed the number of PTSD veterans receiving Chantix was actually 68 percent higher than the VA originally acknowledged: 241, as opposed to 143.

Of the 241 test subjects, there were 114 reported adverse effects, including 22 psychiatric events.

The VA also prescribed Chantix to some 32,000 other veterans. From that group, 27 were admitted to VA hospitals for apparent psychiatric disorders. Among those, 11 had attempted suicide, 9 had suicidal thoughts, six suffered from hallucinations, and 1 attempted homicide.

Last month, ABC News and The Washington Times revealed (link) the VA’s failure to notify the study’s veterans about the potential psychiatric hazards of Chantix until three months after the FDA’s initial warnings.

Secretary of Veterans Affairs James B. Peake, M.D. insists that the VA has nothing but the veterans’ best interests in mind in determining courses of treatment. After the joint ABC News / Washington Times broke, allegations emerged implying that big pharmaceutical companies and universities may be funding and compromising VA research and care. Dr. Peake called the allegations “ridiculous.”

Still, Dr. Peake has ordered four internal investigations of the Chantix study and the VA’s general operations, ostensibly to safeguard against repeating similar blunders in the future.

To Lisicki and many veterans, the VA’s neglect in informing PTSD veterans about the dangers of Chantix, followed by the administration’s unapologetic attitude, is inexcusable.

“Professional ethics and common sense just dictate that clinicians would stop their patients from taking the drug just to err on the side of safety for the veterans and their families,” Lisicki said.

If the VA tests Chantix on veterans with PTSD, then how would it be able to determine if the emotional and behavioral problems are caused by the drug or the psychological trauma? Wouldn’t being able to differentiate between two possible causes determine the best course of treatment?

Aren’t our veterans worthy of an administration that treats them with genuine care and, perhaps above all, compassion?

SOURCE: Chantix Recall › More veterans enrolled in Chantix study than originally revealed

Chantix is known to create or worsen several neuropsychiatric conditions including suicidal thought and actions.

All of the 940 veterans in the VA study had been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). 143 of those veterans were selected to receive Chantix. Those veterans were given the drug and $30 monthly payments.

The FDA published its first Chantix warning on Nov. 20, 2007, with subsequent warnings from the FDA and the manufacturer Pfizer. Three months passed, however, before the VA notified all relevant doctors and staff involved in the study, and even then, there was no mention of suicide.

James Peake, Veterans Affairs Secretary, said that the 940 veterans in the study would receive a personal warning letter from him. Another 31,000 additional veterans would receive the same warning, he told The Washington Times.

Peake also disclosed that 26 of the study’s PTSD veterans experienced adverse events, including three reports of contemplated suicide.

The drug’s propensity to ignite suicidal thoughts and actions, especially in patients with heightened emotional and mental volatility, was the central concern of those calling for an end to the VA study.

While the VA does not intend to stop the study prematurely, it has said that it will end the study if necessary. New subjects are not being enrolled in the study.

SOURCE: Chantix Recall › VA warns veterans about the dangers of Chantix

That snowball appears to be gaining speed and momentum. At least five congressman have queried the VA over the Chantix tests, and now a number of veteran’s groups are adding their voice to the chorus of anger.

The VA study proceeded without interruption even after FDA warnings surfaced announcing a strong link between Chantix, depression and suicide, and other adverse side effects. Since the story broke, the VA has been trying to brush aside concerns, claiming that it took reasonable action and notified all the appropriate people. However, based on all reports so far, the only people who weren’t notified were the veterans participating in the study.

Paul Rieckhoff, executive director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, told ABC News that “it is
unacceptable for even one veteran to have been misled about the possible side effects of Chantix.”

The VA had previously dismissed claims that it acted irresponsibly, saying that the actions of one soldier weren’t enough to justify discontinuing a study that had potential value for many more veterans.

That one soldier is James Elliot, a US Army sniper with PTSD. Mr. Elliot had a run in with police a couple months after he began taking Chantix.

“Are you going to shoot me? Shoot me,” Mr. Elliot told cops when they found him in the street packing a loaded gun.

After hearing that the VA neglected to warn him about the risks of Chantix, Mr. Elliot claimed that he felt like a “Lab rat, guinea pig, disposable hero.”

“Our nation’s veterans are not guinea pigs,” said Paul Rieckhoff.

Paul Sullivan, executive director of Veterans for Common Sense (VCS), expressed his disappointment in the VA. “The VA should have done a better job protecting the human rights of our veterans,” he said.

“While VCS supports research to assist veterans, VA must bear a heavy burden of responsibility with these experiments on veterans diagnosed with PTSD,” said Sullivan, who wants the study to be suspended immediately.

SOURCE: Chantix Recall › Veterans groups react to VA Chantix tests

Yesterday, Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Barack Obama (D-IL) rebuked the VA and demanded an investigation. Both the White House and VA officials dismissed the criticism, with White House deputy press secretary Tony Fratto calling the story an example of “irresponsible reporting.”

Today, however, more congressman are voicing their anger over the study, demanding answers, and calling for action.

Congressmen Bob Filner (D-CA), who is Chairman of the House Committee on Veteran Affairs, together with Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA), and Rep. Paul Hodes (D-NH) sent a letter to the Secretary of Veteran’s Affairs. In it, they voiced their alarm over the reported allegations and demanded copies of paperwork involved in the studies.

“Allowing, even encouraging, military veterans who have already made enormous sacrifices for our country to participate in drug studies that may cause serious, long-lasting health effects is tantamount to breaking our national promise to honor and support our veterans,” said Rep. Markey today.

The Congressmen sate in their letter, “When you’re taking advantage of a very vulnerable population, people who have served the country, and the agency that’s responsible for their welfare isn’t putting their welfare first, that’s a pretty serious breach of ethics.”

SOURCE: Chantix Recall › Outcry grows over VA Chantix tests

Today ABC reports that Senators Barack Obama (D-IL) and John Cornyn (R-TX) are demanding an investigation.

In the study, the VA gave 140 US soldiers with PTSD Chantix, not revealing to them that the drug had been linked to a number of physical and psychological side effects, including anxiety, nervousness, tension, depression, suicidal thoughts, attempted suicide, and actualized suicide. The Food and Drug Administration issued Chantix warnings months before the VA was compelled to notify the participating veterans.

Senator Cornyn told the VA Secretary to start asking questions and to take whatever measures are necessary to “identify the responsible parties, provide appropriate care to any veterans who have undergone this testing, and ensure that any unethical practices are immediately brought to a halt.”

Barack Obama made a public statement on the issue, saying “It is outrageous and unacceptable that our government would irresponsibly endanger veterans who have already sacrificed so much for our country.”

Despite the outcry, the White House wasn’t compelled to take action, finding apparently no fault in enlisting veterans with PTSD in a smoking cessation study and giving them a drug known for its potential to create a range of emotional and psychological havoc.

Deputy Press Secretary Tony Fratto dismissed the story as “irresponsible reporting,” claiming that the behavior of one soldier with PTSD taking Chantix was not concern enough to halt the entire study.

Barack Obama issued a statement on the matter today on his web site.

“Our veterans – particularly those suffering from mental health injuries – should have the very best health care and support in the world, they should never be needlessly exposed to drugs without proper notification of the dangers involved or effective monitoring of the side effects. I will immediately be asking for a full and thorough investigation of how our government could yet again let down our veterans and their families who have given so much to their country, and who have paid so much for the failures of civilian leadership in Washington,” said Senator Obama.

“It is time to demand accountability and to ensure that this kind of breach of trust never takes place again,” Obama said.

SOURCE: Chantix Recall › Senators Obama and Cornyn question VA over Chantix tests

According to the news organizations, the Veterans Administration chose to administer Chantix to 140 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who have been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), ignoring Food and Drug Administration warnings that the drug has been linked to vivid dreams, psychiatric illnesses, and suicide, to name just a handful of the drug’s potential adverse effects.

The VA waited more than three months before it began notifying the veterans of the dangers of Chantix. Even then, the attitude was rather flip. Dr. Miles McFall, one of the VA study’s administrators, told ABC news that the drug warnings “didn’t justify an emergency warning at that level.” Dr. McFall said this even after one of the study’s subjects suffered from a severe mental collapse after he began taking Chantix.

38-year-old James Elliot, a US Army sniper, snapped one night and left his house with a loaded gun. His fiancée called police, warning them that Elliot was a soldier with PTSD and had left the house in a mentally unstable condition. Police Tasered Elliot and placed him under arrest that night.

When Elliot learned that the VA had withheld the Chantix warnings from him and others in the study, he told ABC news that he felt like a “Lab rat, guinea pig, disposable hero.”

The VA notified the soldiers taking Chantix three weeks after Elliot’s incident. In its letter to the PTSD veterans, the VA stated that Chantix had been linked to adverse side effects, including “anxiety, nervousness, tension, depression, thoughts of suicide, and attempted and completed suicide.”

The Chantix study is just one in 25 studies that the VA is conducting on our veterans. It’s understandable that the side effects of new drugs do not become fully known for months or even years after their debut on the market. However, withholding known drug warnings, especially from veterans with PTSD, is unconscionable.

Arthur Caplan, director for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania and one of the country’s top medical ethicists, expressed his feelings about this case to ABC News. “How this study continued in the face of these difficulties is almost impossible to understand … Why take the group most a risk and keep them going? That doesn’t make any sense, once you know the risk is there,” he said.

SOURCE: Chantix Recall › VA testing Chantix on veterans with Post Traumatic Stress