Chantix Suicide Side Effects Lead to Stronger Warnings for Canadian Version of Drug

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Health Canada has issued a reminder about the potential suicide side effects associated with Champix, the Canadian version of the stop-smoking drug Chantix. Suicides and other psychiatric side effects have led the drug regulatory agency to request stronger warnings for consumers.

 
Chantix and Champix are two brand names for varenicline tartrate, which is manufactured and sold by Pfizer. The drug is marketed as Champix in Canada and Europe and as Chantix in the United States.

It is designed to help people quit smoking by blocking the receptors in the brain which are otherwise stimulated by nicotine. However, psychiatric side effects like suicides, suicide attempts and sudden aggressive behavior have occurred in some users.

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On January 6, 2009, Health Canada issued a press release reminding Canadians who are taking or considering the smoking-cessation aid that some patients have experienced feelings of agitation, depressed mood, hostility, changes in behavior, and impulsive or disturbing thoughts of harming themselves or others.

Health Canada urged users and their family members or loved ones to be aware of any unusual thoughts or behavior,and to immediately stop using the drug if they experience any psychiatric side effects. Patients have also been reminded to avoid driving a car or operating hazardous machinery until they are certain Champix does not affect them adversely.

The Canadian drug regulatory agency indicates that they are in the process of working with Pfizer to update the prescribing information on Champix to ensure that this safety information is better conveyed to users.

In the United States, the information on the drug’s warning label about the Chantix suicide risk has been updated several times. In November 2007, the FDA indicated that reports of at least 39 deaths and nearly 500 reports of suicidal thoughts and behavior among Chantix users had been received by the agency.

A number of Chantix lawsuits are currently pending throughout the United States on behalf of users who experienced injury or death which they allege are caused by side effects of Chantix.

Tags: Champix, Chantix, Pfizer, Suicide
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13 Comments

Selena
I’m half way through my 12 wk crusoe and have been stopped 5 weeks. I was a 20 a day smoker of about 25 years. I have tried all the usual aids but none are as good as Champix. I won’t lie, you do occasionally get the urge but it passes after a few seconds but I think this is just the smoking curse I know people who haven’t smoked for 20 30 years who still every now and then get the smell of a cigarette and get the urge. The drug will stop the withdrawal symptoms but willpower is still needed to kick the habit itself. I’ve not followed the usual instructions of changing your habits as I didn’t want to avoid anything, so I still sit opposite my friend on a morning before we set off to work whilst she smokes, have been down to the smoke area with my smoking boss to discuss cases and been out with friends for drinks. I’ve been fine and it seems to strengthen my resolve, the heart attack my 40 yr old husband a few months ago was also quite an incentive too! With the Champix I do get the nauseous feeling but it doesn’t last long, also bloating/flatulence but my main issue has been my weight gain. I have always been really slim and have not increased my eating habits much but am really starting to pile the weight on very quickly, it must have something to do with the tablets but what the hell if I can quit smoking then I can do anything so diet can be my next project. Good luck
terri
I, too, became hateful to my husband when I took two Chantix scripts back/back in 2007. I couldn’t STOP the horrible words spewing from my mouth like venom!! I begged my husband of 35 years for a divorce. Went thru display apartments on weekends, even opened a charge account at furniture store so I could furnish my new place. I truly, truly hated everything about him. He took up residence in spare bedroom for a few years. Two long hospital stays in ’08 PLUS psyche unit, convinced me I had gone nuts. All I wanted to do was quit smoking! I was a closet smoker 2 – 4 per day. When I became a grandma, decided it was time to put this stupidity to rest. Almost put myself to rest instead. Had I not taken this little blue pill myself…I’d have a hard time believing some of the stories…but, I did…and I don’t. I like so many others, trusted BLINDLY everyone involved in the process. My doctor, my pharmacist, Pfizer and FDA!! Learned the hard way…no one has your back. This is a cold, cruel, corrupt society we live in. Had no choice but to take a crash course on big pharma…and learn about greed, scandal, corruptness, lies, clinical trials, etc…..what a wake up call. I feel so stupid and gullible for literally putting my life in someone else’ hands. I was an idiot. But, no more.
Linda
I believe Champix ruined my husband and my marriage. Immediately after he started taking it he became hateful, hostile, aggressive and not himself. He then disappeared. Can’t prove it of course. He was wonderful for years and years and then became a stranger almost overnight after taking this evil drug.
Vasilios
I took Champix for the full 12 weeks and then I quit on my quit day.during that 12 weeks I had weird dreams and was very angy at my wife and family and freinds for no particular reason any thing would set off my anger now my wife wants a divorce on top of that when i stopped taking it i had a psycotic episode and had to be hospitalized in a mental institution for a couple of weeks champix ruined my life
dave
will my depression ever come to an end after using this evil drug ?
Miss
ANTONY Make all the jokes you want. These side effects are serious. I had taken Champix for a month, I didn’t ave mood changes, but began suffering from unexplained seizures. In October it will be a year that I quit smoking, and it’ll be a year that I haven’t had my driver’s license. The pamphlet that came with champix provided lots of warnings about mood changes and suicide, but never mentioned seizures (despite it being listed as a rare side effects in its blind testing.) Pharmaceutical companies need to be more honest about and accountable for its drugs. So, before you make fun of other people’s misfortunes you need to be more educated ;-/
David
It is too bad that they still sell the Chamtix with the bad side effects especially feelings of suicide. It is not worth risking suicide to stop smoking and the stop smoking will probably not work unless you want to quit and rid yourself of addition. Quitting is hard to do so you need to force yourself to remember everytime you have an urge to smoke to avoid the cigarette.
Mark
I took Champix for 6 weeks, and picked a day to stop smoking. I stopped on the date I had set and discontinued the Champix. I had already had vivid nightmares and was scared to go to bed at night. The nightmares continued even though I had stopped taking it. I had suicidal and homicidal thoughts when I was trying to go to sleep. By the fourth day I wanted to kill myself and anyone else, with no particular person in mind. This led to me activley searching to buy a gun. Fortunatly, I was able to realize that it was the drug talking and not me. To cut a long story short, one visit to the doctor and 3 hours in the local emergency dept leading to hospitalization.
antony
IVE BEEN ON CHAMPIX FOR 10 DAYS NOW AND HAVE NOT WON THE LOTTERY, I KNOW LETS BLAME CHAMPIX.
Jason
I took it for about a month, and have never been the same since. I cannot sleep steadily, I’ve struggled with suicidal thoughts ever since… as a result of repeated bouts of depression I have trouble holding a job. I still think about suicide everyday even a year later.
Patricia
My beautiful 22 year old daughter committed suicide 4 October 09. She was taking champix.
Rebecca
I took this on 3/24/09 for a week and a half and have had nightmares ever since, The nightmare get so bad sometimes that I wake shaking and crying. I also believe I have depression that hasnt been diganosed that was brought on my this drug, I sleep less because I am scared of what kind of nightmare I will have. This has been on going ever since I took this drug to help me stop smoking, Well I still smoke and will because gosh knows what will happen if I try another stop smoking aid.
Michel
I recently lost my job due to a side effect from using the product Champix. My patience diminished while I performed my work duitiies.. such as ..resolving customer’s concerns via phone..a few times my methode could have been handled differentely… yet I had no prior history being rude with customers..my review praised me for my customer service level and skills..this is a brief description..there is a union involved but my view of this union is pessimistic.. how do I proceed?

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