Is Chantix up in Smoke?

Washington, DCEveryone knows that smoking is bad for you, but not everyone knows that taking Chantix to quit nicotine can be deadly. GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), one of the main competitors of Pfizer's smoking cessation drug Chantix, knows….


GSK recently conducted a survey of about 1200 smokers in the US to determine whether they were aware of Chantix side effects, such as suicidal thoughts and suicide, and whether it affected their decision to use smoking cessation products. According to Forbes.com, the survey found that 67 percent of smokers who heard the news about Chantix mistakenly attributed it to the GSK products, and 48 percent of those smokers decided they were better off not using any medication when trying to quit.

Earlier this year, the FDA issued a public safety advisory about Chantix, stating the drug causes psychiatric symptoms, including suicidal thoughts and suicidal tendencies. Since Chantix's approval in May 2006 until the end of December 2007, the FDA received 28 suicide reports, 227 domestic reports of suicidal acts, thoughts or behaviors, 397 cases of possible psychosis and 525 reports of hostility or aggression, with many of the patients reporting hallucinations and thoughts of killing people.

Clint can be counted among those 227 reports. He qualified and enrolled in Pfizer's "wellness plan," and the company gave him the drug at no cost. Clint just had to record the dates he took the drug. He started taking Chantix around the end of 2007 and thinks he stopped about a year later.

"My complaint is the uncontrollable anger and hostility caused by Chantix," says Clint, who also experienced suicidal tendencies and suicidal thoughts. "The anger settled shortly after stopping the Chantix. I had never been angry in an aggressive manner before taking the drug, yet afterward I lashed out at my family and friends in such an aggressive way. I was yelling and screaming, throwing objects and smashing walls and kicking my own car.

"I am now sitting on two counts of criminal mischief, including domestic violence. I am not a violent or angry person and I am still suffering from the physical and mental side effects caused by Chantix. I have lost over 60 pounds in under a year due to the lack of will to live. What hurts me the most is that I struggle day to day to live, both mentally and financially, due to these charges. The criminal charges are crap and I would expect the drug company to pay for the costs that I have incurred as well as clearing my name and criminal record, which both were caused by my behaviors that the Chantix created.

"I followed my doctor's recommendation for Chantix. I was never told by the doctor or the Pfizer help desk about the extreme side effects. There was mention of increased suicidal thoughts after I started taking the medication, but I was never informed of the delusional and morbid homicidal dreams and never was I informed of the anger and hostility effects of the drug. That is the reason why I am filing a complaint now."