Suicidal Tendencies Among Chantix Side Effects

Author: Alan Haburchak


According to the American Lung Association, smoking-related diseases claim an estimated 438,000 American lives each year, including those affected indirectly, such as babies born prematurely due to prenatal maternal smoking and victims of exposure to tobacco's carcinogens through secondhand smoke. Approximately $167 billion each year in health-care costs, an average of $3,702 per adult smoker. It has been shown that quitting smoking now greatly reduces risks of heart disease, emphysema, and other serious medical conditions, and several drugs have been developed to assist patients in quitting smoking.

Chantix or Champix, known also as Varenicline Tartrate, is a prescription medicine given to patients seeking to end their smoking addiction. In the past, quitting aids have mostly focused on Nicotine Replacement Therapies (NRT's) which use a limited release of nicotine into the body to ease cravings. Chantix operates without using any nicotine. Instead, it focuses on reducing cravings and decreasing the pleasurable effects of cigarettes and other tobacco products, specifically as a partial agonist that activates release of 35 to 60% of the dopamine that nicotine would have caused. Common side effects of Chantix include nausea, headache, difficulty sleeping and abnormal dreams. It is estimated that 5 million prescriptions have been written and Pfizer, the medicine's manufacturer, reports there are 3 million Americans taking Chantix now.

In November 2007, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) began investigating reports of depression, agitation and suicidal behavior among patients taking the medicine, after they had received reports of 37 suicides and more than 400 of suicidal behaviors in connection with the Chantix. A link between Chantix and serious psychiatric complications is becoming progressively probable, according to the FDA. Those who have preexisting psychosis or other mental illnesses, the drug may increase the previous disorders. Two weeks after this report, Pfizer added stronger Chantix warnings to the drug's packaging, stating publicly that while a direct link between Chantix and the reported psychiatric problems did not exist, the possibility of Chantix-induced psychotic episodes could not be ruled out. The manufacturer believes that the erratic behavior and psychosis in Chantix users is due to the withdrawal of nicotine. However, the FDA's findings stated that even those patients who had continued smoking had similar psychiatric episodes. Indeed, cases of such extreme psychiatric problems have not manifested themselves as prominently in over the counter quitting aids, such as NRT's.

The most publicized case thus far has been that of Carter Albrecht, who, after assaulting his girlfriend, was shot and killed by his neighbor who mistook him for a burglar. Some questioned the bizarre circumstances surrounding Albrecht's death, and many close to him blamed his irrational behavior on Chantix. The situation is serious and nearly 200 comments were posted on ABC's Web site after the story aired, with individuals complaining of similar side effects. It has also been learned that individuals who consume large amounts of alcohol while taking Chantix are reporting the most serious side effects. The potential for Chantix side effects to cause a suicide in a patient is an ever-increasingly likelihood.

It is likely that because of the similar coincidences found among Chantix patients that the drug does increase suicidal tendencies among users, moreso than the FDA's original studies found. Thoughts of suicide, euphoric to depressed mood swings, anxiety, and hallucinations appear to be almost common in the majority of available information from patients reporting back. As such, patients taking Chantix should seriously consider consulting with their health care provider about the continued use of the drug, especially in cases where patients have a history of psychiatric illness.

If you or someone you know is taking Chantix, or has taken the drug in the past, it may be in your best interest to consider consulting with an expert Chantix attorney about the prospect of any Chantix lawsuit, especially as the possibility of a Chantix class action lawsuit looms.


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