Urgent new warning about Chantix, the notorious smoking cessation

Strange Behavior

Is it possible that quitting smoking is more dangerous for you (and the people around you) than smoking itself?

The very scary answer is “Oh my G-d…yes!”

If you know someone who’s using Chantix, do them a favor and give them a heads-up about this very frightening side effect that hasn’t been well-documented.

Until now…

Anger mismanagement

If you’ve had any experience at all with Chantix, you’re probably aware of the notorious adverse effects.

For instance, the Federal Aviation Administration banned Chantix use for pilots and air traffic controllers after a 2008 report that listed potential side effects such as “seizures, loss of consciousness, heart attacks, vision problems, and various psychiatric instabilities.”

Chantix-free pilots–excellent idea!

On the Chantix website, the list of side effects gets even scarier: hallucinations, suicidal thoughts, panic attacks, depression, and paranoia.

With a dramatic list like that, these other side effects don’t really pop out quite as vividly: anger, and aggressive or violent behavior.

So researchers did some digging and came up with dozens of adverse event reports that involved acts or thoughts of aggression or violence. And what they found might provide “Law and Order SVU” with a whole season of gruesome scripts.

For instance…

• A young woman using Chantix attempted suicide after she began beating her boyfriend because she said he looked “peaceful.”
• Another young woman had nightmares and attacked her fiancé with a knife.
• A middle-aged man punched a stranger in a bowling alley.
• A woman became enraged while driving and struck her daughter in the mouth.
• In three cases, subjects committed suicide. Several others attempted suicide. What’s most disturbing is that almost all of these people had never displayed extreme moods or behaviors like this before.

One subject, who had nightmares, anger, depression, and homicidal thoughts, reported: “It wasn’t me at all during the time I was taking the drug.” A nicotine thing?

Are you wondering if nicotine withdrawal might have played a part in these events? I wondered that too. Could the well-known irritability from smoking cessation simply spill over into very aggressive behavior?

Well, here’s the kicker: Nearly all of the adverse events took place soon after medication had started–but BEFORE most of the subjects had actually stopped smoking.

Right now, it looks like only a small percentage of Chantix users will fly off the handle and try to hurt themselves or others. But you know somewhere out there, right now, someone could be starting to feel the slow burn of an uncontrollable rage after just a few days of Chantix use.

And if he didn’t read the drug’s medication guide closely enough, he’ll never know what hit him (or why he hit that innocent stranger!).

So please warn anyone you know who’s trying to quit smoking about the dangers of using Chantix (or, if you don’t want to nag them, pass along this email and I’ll do it). And while you’re at it, you can actually help them out with tips on three non-drug therapies for smoking cessation.

Read all about them in https://hsionline.com/2007/11/08/smoke-gets-in-your-eyes/.

To Your Good Health,

Jenny Thompson

Sources:
“Thoughts and Acts of Aggression/Violence Toward Others Reported in Association with Varenicline” Annals of Pharmacotherapy, Published online ahead of print 7/20/10, theannals.com
“Chantix & Violence: What Patients have in Common” Ed Silverman, Pharmalot, 7/22/10, pharmalot.com