Chantix and Side Effects Lawsuit
Chantix is a drug used to help people kick their smoking addiction. It differs from other cessation drugs such as zyban or the nicotine patches and gum in that it is a nicotine receptor partial agonist, the first approved by the FDA. It’s purpose is two-fold: it not only reduces the craving for nicotine, but it also decreases the pleasurable effects derived from cigarettes and other tobacco products. It was approved for sale in the United States by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in May 2006. However, there have recently been lawsuits filed by those that used Chantix and suffered severe side effects.
The most common side effects of Chantix are nausea, vomiting, headache, insomnia, abnormal dreams, flatulence, and dysgeusia (an altercation in taste). However, some patients who used Chantix had more severe side effects such as thoughts of suicide and suicidal or otherwise erratic behavior. Because the drug is so new, it is unknown whether these side effects are the result of withdrawal from nicotine or due to the drug itself. The FDA has since released a notice advising health care professionals to observe patients for change in behavior when taking Chantrix.
One of the most high profile cases of the severe effects that may be caused by Chantix is that of Carter Albrecht. Albrecht was a guitarist and keyboardist with the band Edie Brickell & the New Bohemians. He died September 3, 2007 after being shot in the head by a neighbor as he tried to kick in his door.
Earlier that day, Albrecht had been having drinks with his girlfriend Ryann Rathbone at a local Dallas bar. After he become intoxicated, Rathbone drove Albrecht to their home where they both took their dose of Chantix. After that, Albrecht became incoherent and violent, breaking a glass and hitting Rathbone. When Rathbone left the house, Albrecht followed and she locked him out. He pounded on the door then went next door and began pounding on the neighbor’s door. The neighbor warned Albrecht to stop and fired a warning shot through the door, which hit Albrecht. Family and friends say that this type of violent behavior was atypical of Albrecht and believe that the use of Chantix caused the events.
Albrecht’s case is not the only one of normally calm people reacting violently and erratically after taking Chantix. If you or someone you know has had behavioral changes since taking Chantix, you may want to contact a lawyer about a lawsuit against Pfizer.
December 28th, 2007 at 9:13 pm
i smoked for 7 years and took chantix to quit earlier this summer and i did, 3 weeks after i did i had a heart attack, i am only 32 years old and never had heart problems before and do not have bad blood pressure or cholestoral and have never had before to my knowledge. i was wondering if there were any other people having blockages or heart attacks connected with the chantix drug. i dont feel like 7 years of smoking would cause this at my age. and i am not over weight or out of shape.
December 28th, 2007 at 9:15 pm
i had a heart attack at age 32 after i took chantix which i feel like had something to do with it. i never had heart problems before
January 8th, 2008 at 10:58 am
I took chantix for one week. I was so excited that this might actually help me to stop smoking. But, I stopped upon recommendation of a Dr because of the side effects. Among many, the side effects which were most worrysome were the increased heart rate (up to 160 bpm) for anywhere from 1 minute to 3 minutes several times a day. I also had one black out where I found myself putting a cig out on my arm. I continue to have anxiety attacks and the fast heart rate even though I’ve been off the chantix since Nov 2007! The worst part is that I had supraventricular tachycardia which surgery corrected in Dec 2006. I had NO issues with my heart and in fact had an EKG done 1 wk before taking the chantix because I was having a minor surgery. It was PERFECT. I now suffer from the fast heart rate sometimes several times a day. My cardiologist had me wear an activity recorder for 2 wks. It showed irregularity but it IS NOT the original SVT which I had surgery for. Now I’m forced to wonder what this poison, chantix, has done to my heart as well as other residual problems that may arise. I wish I had never heard of this POISON that Pfizer is pushing!
January 19th, 2008 at 9:02 am
I know someone who is normally calm but had a violent outburst and destroyed his home, had crisis services called, the police called, ended up in the medical center and is recuuperating at home with his wife and daughter. Who is a high profile lawyer he can contact?
Thank you.
January 21st, 2008 at 6:05 pm
My father died after taking Chantix. He had smoked for over 20 years, yet his last medical check-up showed no heart or lung damage. He was in good health, so his doctor prescribed Chantix knowing my father really wanted to quit smoking. The drug worked amazingly well for quitting. I remember my dad describing it as a miracle that he had no cravings to smoke with this drug. However, after some time on Chantix, his lungs started filling with fluid, he became generally ill and had trouble speaking clearly. He went to several doctors. They found no heart problems and they even drained the lungs, but they were mystified about what was causing his problems. The problems grew worse, and my father died of a heart attack last year on Thanksgiving Day. In the last few weeks of his life, he said he felt great, even when smoking. He said taking the anti-smoking drug was the worst thing he did. He clearly believed Chantix caused all of these new problems. I didn’t connect the dots until recently when I started seeing blogs on severe side effects and the 1-800 numbers on lawsuits beint filed against Pfiser. At first, I thought maybe all the years of smoking had caught up to him. But, recently, I obtained all his medical records, and I believe he was correct. He was in strong health prior to Chantix, and he experienced a rapid decline after using the product. I believe the drug led directly to his heart attack and death. As bad as smoking is, I would encourage anyone to quit by other methods. I believe the risks are far greater than disclosed.
January 23rd, 2008 at 2:47 pm
ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO I BEGAN TAKING CHANTIX. I LIKE THE FACT THAT IT WAS HELPING ME QUIT A BAD HABIT. I SOON FOUND THAT THE SIDE EFECTS OF THIS DRUG WAS FAR WORSE THAN SMOKING. I BECAME EXTREAMLY DEPRESSED AND TRIED TO COMMIT SUICIDE. I WAS SENT TO AN OKC MENTAL HOSPITAL. I WAS OUT OF WORK……I LOOKED BAD IN MY COMMUNITY. IT WAS HORRIBLE !!! THE FDA SHOULD HAVE CONDUCTED MORE RESEARCH BEFORE APPROVING SUCK A DRUG. ON TOP OF ALL THIS MY HEART POUNDED LIKE NEVER BEFORE. MY CHEST HURT AND I THOUGHT I WAS HAVING A HEART ATTACK. TURNS OUT IT WAS IRREGULAR HEART BEATS DUE TO THE MEDICATION AND THE NEWLY FOUND FEELINGS OF DEEP DEPPRESION. I WAS LUCKY CAUSE I HAD A STONG HEART.
January 24th, 2008 at 5:49 pm
Hi all,
I took Champix (Chantix in Europe) a year ago, and had a heart attack (myocardial infarktion) after 3 weeks. The doctors in Denmark have reported it to the authorities here and right now they are reviewing my case. It seems like the doctors who did surgery on me think the drug has something to do with it, and this is being investigated by a medical panel + some government lawyers. Let me know if anyone else has experienced similar side effects… You can email me at mortenljensen@yahoo.com
Sincerely,
Morten
January 25th, 2008 at 8:39 pm
I was just prescribed chantix to help me quit smoking since i always got my yearly bouts with pneumonia..after reading all the side effects I AM NO TAKING IT…
i went to our local heath department, and they are pushing this drug like i’ve never seen…they wouldn’t even check me over before pushing this drug on me…i wouldn’t have been able to take it until feb. 1 when all my pneumonia symtoms cleared up..they gave me a bottle chantix, with some paperwork and nothing said anything about suicide and depression etc…i feel sorry for all the people who took this and had problems…i don’t understand how something can be approved and it’s crap, it’s killing people..
best of luck to everyone who is having problems due to this…
Lisa
January 26th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
took chantix for about three weeks was amazed at the results and quit smoking…about a week later…blocked artery i now have two stents on top of the two from five years before…the last time i quit smoking with “the patch”…whats up?…I’m only 47 years old…cholesterol has always been average
January 31st, 2008 at 8:22 am
I am 47 years old. Two weeks after started Chantix I woke up with stomach virus symptoms. This was on a Wednesday. The last thing I remember was laying down at about noon to take a nap. The next thing I remembered was waking up in ICU on Monday evening. Now I only know what my family told me. I acted normally on Wednesday evening. On Thursday my husband called me and I didn’t make any sense to him so he headed home from work. My adult daughter arrived at my house to find me trying to walk outside with no clothes on. My daughter and husband took me to the hospital. I was behaving erratically and not making any sense. I couldn’t answer questions such as “Where are you?” “What day is it?” “What year is it?” They tried to medicate me. That didn’t work.
Eventually I had to be intubated and put into a drug induced coma. They did every test they could think of and everything came up negative. They removed the breathing tube on Sunday morning but I didn’t “wake up” until Monday evening. I have never had any mental issues. I have never been a violent person. When my doctor discharged me she told me that she had thought I was going to die. She also said that the reason for my episode was Chantix. After I got home from the hospital I read somewhere that Phizer said that people who have psychotic episodes while taking Chantix usually had a history of mental problems. I am one of the calmest people I know. I don’t drink.
Chantix needs to be taken off of the market. It’s a dangerous drug. People have lost their lives because of this drug.
Since my episode, my short-term memory has worsened significantly. I have episodes where I stare off into space. For some reason, that seems to worry my husband the most.
Phizer needs to be held accountable for this mess
February 2nd, 2008 at 8:26 pm
I took Chantix for several weeks. I managed to stop smoking however when I went off the Chantix I began to have anxiety attack so bad that I was hospitalized in a mental ward. I am still working to try to over come the problems and I pray for anyone who ever touchs the stuff. I know the drug company will ever pay for the pain they have caused but they should. They can not tell me that they ran a good study if they didn’t see these problems and I don’t hear them mention a word about it on their TV ads.
February 3rd, 2008 at 10:04 pm
After taking Chantix for approximately 3 weeks, I began experiencing severe pains in different joints. Such as ankles, knees, shoulders & jaw. I discontinued using this ‘miracle drug’ and after 3 months, my symptoms finially dicipated. I was then diagnosed with reumatoid arthritis. It was nice to have quit smoking after 40+ years, but not worth the pain that myself as well as my family had to endure because of Chantix. I FIRMLY believe that it was Chantix that caused these ailments because prior to taking this drug I was a very active grandmother.
February 5th, 2008 at 9:48 pm
I took Chantix for 2 weeks to stop smoking. It worked and I quit. 2 weeks later I had a heart attack. They found a blocked artery & I now have 3 stents.
I am physically fit and not overweight. I have never had a problem with my cholesterol. I do not drink. I have no chronic medical conditions.
I walked 2-3 miles a day 5 days a week and never had a problem.
I think Chantix was the cause of my heart problems. Someone should warn people.
I will not let my wife take this medication.
What should I do?
cenjr@optonline.net
February 20th, 2008 at 5:28 pm
I took chantix for 3 weeks some of the problems I had were very disturbing, I started having dreams that were so real I would sit up in bed still talking Ina dreamlike state. I dreamed my husband was having an affair and attacked him in the middle of the night, I have not remembered my dreams for years, I would wake up exhausted from having so many memorable dreams, I would wake up angry and anything my husband said sent me into a frenzy of anger, my husband insisted I stop taking the drug he has been after me to quit smoking for 10 years. he said he would rather I smoked I was out of control, having anxiety attacks, verbally abusive, psyichally abusive,short tempered, aggressive when I look back at some of the thoughts I had I am seriously surprised I did not commit a crime against another person! thank god after three weeks the symptoms (like dreaming) have abated but I still struggle with depression and a general dissatisfaction with my life and living, after reading all this stuff about heart attacks I better go to the doctor! my cholesterol is above 300! God help me, someone pray for me for I have lost my way…
February 20th, 2008 at 7:34 pm
i took chantix for almost two months and successfully stopped smoking. about four days after stopping the medicine i had a severe anxiety attacks. since then ive battled anxiety, heart pulpulations and increased heart rate. i have seen the doctor quite a few times to try to get past these symptoms. i am now on anxiety meds and antidepressants. i don’t believe there was enough information provided to the users about this drug concerning the side effects. there certainly was not any mentioning of what would happen after stopping the chantix. i had to depend on my boyfriend to take care of me and my three kids and missed days of work until doctors prescribed something else to help overcome these problems i believe was caused by this drug. three months have gone by since i quit taking chantix. it took me two months, with help from effexor and ativan, to feel like i am back to myself again. i am relieved to say that, for about a month ive been able to work and take care of my kids as i did before taking the chantix.
February 27th, 2008 at 8:12 am
December of 2006, I went to my doctor for an eratic heart beat. I failed her EKG test, so she sent me to a cardiologist for further testing and sent me home with a prescription for Chantix too. I went on the Chanitx and in addition to the side effects they do let you know about (vivid dreams, nausea, etc.), I was getting other severe side effects, such as brain-freeze or very short term memory loss; depression, joint and muscle pain so bad that I was —-and still am— walking like a 90 year old (I a 47)
I went back to my doctor and she saw me having trouble moving any body part without pain, and was clueless that this could be from the Chantix. She tested me for Lymes disease and thyroid and R.A., but nothing abnormal showed in the tests.
I went to a endocrinologist for a 2nd opinion after gaining 71 lbs in 8 months from lack of movement. Her blood tests came out normal too.
At that time I searched the internet for a way to link Chantix with these symptoms, but nothing came up—–apparently I was one of the first guinea pigs.
As I continued to suffer in pain—-praying that I could just die in my sleep, I kept checking, and eventually I saw people posting of the same problems. I knew it! I just had to wait for other people to help me confirm it.
This was over a year ago. And I didn’t even take the full dosage; most of the time I took only half because the mental side effects were scary to me. Eleven months since my last dose, and I am still walking like a 90 year old. All of bones hurt, and all of my joints are inflamed.
I thought I could deal with this for 3 months and be done with the side effects——but the worst part is the side effects will not go away, even though I haven’t taken the drug in 11 months! Now I keep checking the internet to hopefully find out when or if this pain and inflamation will go away. I can’t keep gaining weight from lack of movement! I need this to stop! Has anyone had long-term effects too?
February 28th, 2008 at 2:24 pm
I TOOK CHANTIX FOR A MONTH—–QUIT SMOKING–NO PROBLEM—AT THE END OF THE FIRST MONTH—-APPEARANTLY I BECAME A MONSTER—VERY SHORT TEMPERED, AND INVINCIBLE, I COULD TALKE ON THE WORLD SINGLE HANDEDLY—-CO WORKERS BECAME AFRAID TO TALK TO ME NOT SURE WHETHER I WAS GOING TO SAY HI OR BITE THEIR HEADS OFF—-TOOK ME A FEW DAYS TO FIGURE IT MIGHT BE THE CHANTIX—LOOKED UP THE SIDE EFFECTS—WOW —-TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY OFF OF IT—-SPOKE WITH MY M.D. AS WELL AS A PHD—-NOT QUITE SURE WHATS GOING TO HAPPEN BUT AM DEFINATLY INTERESTED A LAW SUIT——I MISS FEELING NORMAL WILL IT EVER HAPPEN AGAIN???
February 28th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
After starting chantix I stopped smoking after 5 days. The tummy upset after taking the pill was pretty bad so I ate a lot before hand in hopes of avoiding that which brought nothing but more gas, vivid dreams and gained about 10 pounds. After 6 weeks I stopped taking it. About three weeks after that I thought I was going to have a breakdown. The tinest thing would set me off, I had terrible pain in my foreams, upper arms, back, knees and ankles, most of which were in my joints. Some days the pain was bad I couldn’t stand it. I was easily excited, jittery/jumpy, had bouts of light headedness, palpitations, and some short term memory loss. Looking back, a glass of wine at dinner did seem to make the next day much worse and I craved nothing but sugar. After notifying my doctor of the symptoms she said I was going through withdraw and has put me back on it and I’m in the process of trying to wean off it. Like everyone else I wish I never took this drug. Being back on the Chantix those symptoms seems to have gone away however now I’m worried about what will happen when I’m off it. I didn’t really notice the side affects until those that know me mentioned my behavior to me. If I had known then what I know now, I’d still be smoking or finding another way to quit. What I’d like to know is has anyone been weaned off Chantix and made it out okay?
March 1st, 2008 at 9:43 am
I have been taking Chantix for 1 month now, quit smoking! I am 27 years old, thin, exercise 3X a week, and have never had any health problems in the past. I have recently been having problems sleeping, (racing heartbeat, night sweats, vivid dreams) all which I believe have something to do with this drug. The other morning I fainted while taking a shower, was rushed to the ER, diagnosis SVT. I have never been so sick in my life, and I almost wish I had never started to take this drug. If anyone else has these problems, please let me know. I think its time to stop this medication.
March 1st, 2008 at 3:47 pm
I too, stopped smoking with chantix. I had been taking chantix for 2 months, on thursday 2/28/08 I woke up, was at the computer and didn’t feel right. I got up from the computer, my arm was numb, I lifted it up and walked into the livingroom, thank god my daughter was here, she asked me what was the matter, I couldn’t talk, I was having a stroke., I thought I was dying, I was so scared
I was a 53 year old healthy female, never had any problems, just had a check-up last month and everything was normal. Now, I have a stroke and they can’t figure out why! but they tell me to stop taking chantix, why?
I have not felt the same since this stroke, I’m just not myself. Almost feels like I am going to have a heart attack. I am so scared. I have to go for all kinds of tests this week, an echo card, ultra sounds. I pray that everything will be ok, In want my normal life back
If I had known, that this was going to happen to me, I would have never taken chantix. All this for wanting to quit smoking, was it worth it?
If anyone out there is taking chantix, please stop or if know anyone, tell them to stop. Get this drug off the market, before people start dying
March 3rd, 2008 at 11:06 am
My husband too starting taking chantix , My sister who is a nurse said that a doctor at her hospital quit smoking after using the drug so my husband went for a check up and mentioned it to his doctor and she put him on it in June. I did notice a change in him after a couple of weeks I mentioned it to him but he said he was ok as the summer went on all of our freinds start to notice he was acting buzar he said to his doctor in July that he was feeling depressed so she gave him paxil it was not working so she try something else that was not working she said to go to therapy but never put together it might be the chantix. We went on vacation in Aug. he was having full blown panic attacks everyone was saying he is not himself . We had been going to the same place for 20 years on vacation and he could not find hisway home from the board walk I thought he was going cazy and he was suffering a midlife break down. His doctor did not know what to do. His father had to come and stay with us and try to calm him down he was in and out of work in Aug. thank god he had 5 weeks vacation time. I went away for a few days with my son and my neighbor call me and said my husband would nt answer the door or the phone. This was not like him at all. I did have to fly home we I got here he was a mess he was not showered shaved or dressed n three days he was acting and not sleeping. That night he tryed to comit suicded we put him in the mental ward of the hospital were he stayed there for a week when he got out he was still not himself he would go out all hours of the night and walk the streets my friend and I would have to get him. Since than he has sever depression he takes two different anti depressents one in the morning and one at night 300 mg of a anti aniexty and also a sleeping pill at night just to feel alittle normal . II cant even explain what it has done to us as a family and his quality of life. So we take each day as it comes and hope it going to be a good one . He is on lot of medications and see a shrink every two weeks and he still feels unhappy. It has been all most five months and still no light at the end of the tunnel for him as his wife of 30 yrs I wish he never took the drug.
PS he still smokes
March 3rd, 2008 at 11:14 am
Is there a class action law suit againest the drug co. because there I wood love to start one
March 4th, 2008 at 10:10 am
OH MY GOD
I was given Chantix As I am going to be having surgery soon
I thought I would sit down and check it out
I have it and water sitting right here!
I am sure glad I looked it up
I sounds like I could of realy gotten myself into a bigger mess then smoking is
Thanks for telling your stories U may have saved my life
March 5th, 2008 at 9:38 am
Sorry if this becomes lengthy but I have been suffering from numerous side affects for a year now. I am 32 yrs.old, have 4 children, and was working in construction (remodeling, roofing, landscaping,etc). I started the chantix in the beginning of March 2007 and my life has been hell ever since. I only took the drug for 1 month before the side effects became unbearable. The first week I was on it, I went back to the dr. because I was breaking out in hives and having difficulty sleeping. The dr. told me to take benadryl during the night and loratidine during the day, regardless of the fact that I was obviously allergic. She told me that the benefits of quitting smoking would out weigh the short term side effects. After I quit smoking (within a week) and continuing on for another 2 weeks, I went back to the dr. with severe anxiety, depression, bleeding gums, puss pockets in my throat, stomach problems, sores on my lips and in my mouth, and was diagnosed with strep throat. The strep initially went away after a course of antibiotics but the puss pockets soon returned,which baffled the ER, and was diagnosed with some kind of virus that lasted 4 months. I stopped taking the chantix 1 month after starting due to the side effects I was having. Within a week or 2 after stopping the chantix, I started with severe anxiety, suicidal depression, psychotic outbreaks (screaming, yelling, erratic behavior, I could actually feel myself losing my mind), rapid heart rate, breathing problems, uncontrollable upper body twitching (sometimes slobbered on myself), sensation of being startled all the time, liver problems, hearing and vision problems, awful burning pain in my neck and shoulders, and strange other symptoms. I, of course, went back to the dr. who did a CAT scan and blood work. Nothing found in the CAT scan but I did have an abnormal ANA level and billiruben. Since then, which all took place within 2 months, I have seen a psychiatrist who diagnosed me with bipolar disorder (which I never had a problem with before) and gave me Cymbalta. I only took one pill and ended up with serotonin syndrome and had to immediately stop use. I have also seen rheumatology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, neurology, and made a few trips to the ER. I switched family doctors because after 3 months of quitting smoking and stopping the Chantix, my doctor told me I needed to go smoke a cigarette. Rheumatology and neurology both diagnosed me with Fibromyalgia and told me that it was coincidental that this all started when I began taking Chantix. I did have 1 episode where I still swear I had a heart attack. I was laying in bed and my heart started beating so hard and fast I could feel it in my neck, ears and head. I started having a hard time breathing and I became overwhelmed with this feeling that I was dying right then and there. I prayed and prayed and then I had this hot, sharp pain on the left side of my chest and down my arm. I started fading in and out of blackness which horrified me so badly that I jumped out of bed and landed on the floor. It happened twice within a matter of minutes and I couldn’t get myself to a phone to call 911. After the episode, I went to sleep and consulted my dr. about it who chalked it up to a panic attack. I spent 7 months locking myself in my bedroom for fear of what I might do to myself or my family due to psychotic episodes. It became so bad that my 11 year old daughter begged me to start smoking again because she couldn’t stand seeing me like that anymore. It’s been a year now, and most of the anxiety, depression, and psychosis has gone away. I still suffer from severe neck, shoulder, back and arm pain, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, dull to severe pain throughout my body, confusion, blurred vision, hearing problems, and, on occasion, heart and breathing problems. I have gone from being a very healthy, hardworking mommy to barely being able to get out of bed. I have to take 4 motrin to do laundry and dishes some days and darvaset to sleep. I unfortunately started smoking again after 7 months and instead of it being something I’m just addicted to and enjoy, it has become part of therapy to tolerate the constant burning pain. I am so angry and disappointed because I don’t know how to explain any of this to my family, not even my husband. And my children, well, they miss their mom and don’t understand why I wasn’t healthier, happier, and more energetic when I quit. I barely work now, 1 day of work and about 3 days down with lots of pain meds. and hot baths. Now I’m depressed and stressed trying figure out how we’re going to pay the bills. Please let me know if there is anything I can do about this or anyone that can help me!!! brunslori@aol.com
March 5th, 2008 at 8:49 pm
I am 32, years old and have never experienced any health problems, other than the ocassional cold, flu, ect; I heard about this “wonder medicine called Chantix” which would greatly increse your chances of stopping smoking. After smoking since I was 15, my doctor and I decided that this would be an excellent opportunity to quit. Well I have been taking Chantix for a little over three weeks, and as they promised I don’t want to smoke anymore, but to Pfizers discredit, it is because of the fact that Iam to busy trying to cope with all the oother health problems inquired while taking this medicine.Some of which include severe joint pain, mainly in my shoulders and knees almost constantly. Another effect is the absolute lack of care for life, to be honest I don’t care what happens in life. EXTREME constipation and I mean extreme, which to alot of people seems like no major deal, but trust me IT IS! Well at least I have the dreams, which keep me up all night, wondering if my neighbor really is outside shooting at me or its just another CHANTIX dream, the good part about either is you wake up refreshed and cool, or shall I say soaked with sweat. My family says that I have changed in so many ways I am almost unrecognizible. Looks loki now its another trip to the doctor (at my expense) to try t resolve the anxeity attacks and insomnia. Please DONT take this medicine. My friend, who is 59 started taking it also, and after 4 days she threw it away. Her comment t that was “I either had to stop taking that stuff or hire someone to transport me to the nuthouse”. Enough said. Pfizer should have conducted MANY MANY more tests on this product before it was released to the public, but if everyone paid as much as I did for the Chantix, Pfizer should be discussing our porblems over a big steak dinner and an expensive bottle of wine!
March 6th, 2008 at 6:58 pm
TODAY IT HAS BEEN 1 WEEK SINCE I HAVE BEEN OF CHANTIX—-I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO REDUCE THE –AMOUNT OF XANAX I WAS TAKING JUST TO MAKE IT THROUGH THE DAY. STILL NEED TO TAKE IT AT NIGHT, JUST TO BE ABLE TO REST AND OCCASIONALLY DURING THE DAY WHEN I FEEL MY TEMPER STARTING UP, OR HEAR SOME UGLY SMART COMMENT COME OUT OF MY MOUTH SHOT AT SOME UNSUSPECTING PERSON. MY HUSBAND IS VERY HAPPY I’M NOT TAKING THIS ANYMORE, AND I HAD HIM READ SOME OF THESE ENTRY’S ——”LOOK HONEY-IT IS NOT JUST ME, AND I’M NOT ALONE WITH THE SIDE EFFECTS” THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO HAS TAKEN THE TIME TO LEAVE A REPLY. HAS ANYONE HEARD ABOUT A LAWSUIT——??
March 7th, 2008 at 10:29 am
Blocking brain receptors is serious business. It’s like a partial lobotomy! This drug was released too soon, and we were just the guinea pigs.
After about a year off the drug now, I am not and don’t know if I will ever be myself again. All I can do is hope that time will bring back the person I used to be.
The pain and inflamation is still unbearable. Even taking 800 mg of motrin at a time, I still have pain and stiffness and have to walk like I am 90.
I lost my iniative, and just live day to day with zero ambition, and my income dropped 80% as a result.
I use to be a 4-mile a day runner, and now I struggle to get out of a chair to walk across the room! No doctors can help or explain it, so we are left to fend for ourselves in this mystery state, while Pfizer continues to push this drug to unsuspecting people.
Do we have to wait for more deaths or suicide to happen, or is something going to be done about it now?
March 7th, 2008 at 8:44 pm
ok I started visiting with attorneys, trying to start up a class action lawsuit —- I am still afraid—of myself, I can only encourage everyone to keep some kind of journal or diary, keep track of what is going on in your life, your spouses life, and how your kids are holding up…….. by the way I have good support at work…but I also work in the medical field…so they call me the chantix poster child…..after dealing with me on chantix and continue to be so supportive,,,,they can call me whatever they want cause I still have my job….luckily…….Hang on…..hang tuff…keep posting…we are our own support right now…..
March 9th, 2008 at 12:31 am
hi, My dad is a healthy, active 67 year old had a Stoke after using Chantix. He is in rehab. for loss of some mobility on the right side, manily his hand. His BP was fine, EKG, etc. All the physicians agreed it was from the Chantix
March 9th, 2008 at 7:19 pm
DEB, and everyone else here…
PLEASE KEEP US UPDATED! I have been suffering for a year and 3 months now, and it seems to be getting worse not better. Movement causes severe pain for me, so I hardly move at all. Only when I have to move I do, but I hold onto things when I walk…..chairs, walls anything in sight that can help alleviate putting weight on my joints and muscles.
Doctors tests show nothing abnormal!
I am worried that I might already have blood clots in my leg veins due to lack of movement, I have all the symptoms.
I am so mad at Pfizer right now! I don’t care about compensation, I just want to be normal again. But all they care about is drug sales!
Fifteen months is way too long! Side effect should go away when you stop taking the drug———this is not side effects, it’s severe damage done to our bodies!
March 9th, 2008 at 10:46 pm
I’m a 32 year old male, otherwise physically fit. I started taking CHAMPIX at work ( I WORK AT A HOSPITAL ). The introduction of champix was part of a “no smoking on hospital property” policy introduced by the hospitals board of directors. This drug was offered to hospital employees free of charge, nicotine gum, zyban, and nicotine patches were also offered, as alternitives. As far as I know, almost 300 employees started taking this new “miracle drug”
About 2 weeks after it was offered to hospital staff, I was hearing about wonderful success stories. And so, I followed along and started taking CHAMPIX in hopes that I may become smoke free.
After 8 days, I had quit smoking. The only noted side effect I was experiencing were strange and bizarre dreams. That was of course, for only a short period of time. About 3 weeks into the drug, I noticed that I was more irritable than normal. I passed this off as being withdrawl from nicotine, and continued to take CHAMPIX. AT week 5, I had developed an explosive temper. I was getting to the point that I was afraid to get out of bed and go to work. I was in fear that I may seriously injure or even worse, end up murdering staff or patients, whichever was unlucky enough to be the poor soul to “set me off”. At this point, I was even having dreams about murdering people whom had made me angry the pervious day. At this point, I stopped taking the drug. I immediately told my nursing supervisor (I’m a nurse) about what was going on inside my head. She aggreed that I should stay at home and wait for the drug to exit my body. The drug has long since gone, but the explosive rage has remained.
I have started seeing a psychiatrist in hopes that this rage can be contained or properly dealt with. I am honestly living in fear. Not only for myself, but for my wife and family.
I don’t know if I can contribute to any sort of a lawsuit in the United States, as I am a Canadian. But if my story prevents the pain and suffering of someone else, I woud gladly tell it again in any court, in any counrty.
March 10th, 2008 at 5:45 am
Wow. I went on chantix about 10 months ago. After being on it for 1 month I started to notice that I wanted to cry all the time, major joint pains I had no will to do anything and I had mood swings. So I went back to my Doctor to see what was going on So they did some blood work and told me thy couldn’t find any thing and to make another app. I stopped taking the pill because i thought it was the cause of my problems. To make a very long story short I ended up going after my boss at work and was stopped right on time. I was out of work for 4 months I could t go into a rest rent with out tootle freaking out. Could t coach my kids football team the way I wanted to and to this day I rely on pills to get me threw the day.I still see a sicitrest and a sicoulegest I might of destroid my career and i have short term mimmerry lost and I cant spell words at this point on this post i have 32 spell checks lol try living your days like that win you right multiple email for your work. I hope to be back to normal one day but I dont see it yet. I would like some help with this. So if any one can help that would be great.
March 10th, 2008 at 8:47 am
My husband is in bed right now with feelings of pain, depression and confusion. He was on Chantix for 2 weeks in Nov 2007 and his life has been awful since then. He has seen psychiatrist, social workers, neurologist, GP’s, chiropractors and I forget what else. We are desperate to find answers! Are the effects from chantix or is this all a coincidence??
March 10th, 2008 at 5:44 pm
REading your stories breaks my heart, because I don’t know if there’s any hope that I will ever be “normal” again. I took Chantix from last September until early December. I did not see the changes in myself, but I had become very aggressive in personal relationships, and, also very “ADD.” I commented to a number of people that it must be because I was turning 40 soon that I was losing it. I was joking, of course.
After I stopped taking Chantix is when the real “fun” started. I slipped down into a dark depression that I am yet to really pull out of. I ended up having a manic episode and being hospitalized for several days, and of course at that point the doctors just automatically decided I was bipolar (even though I had no history of bipolar disorder whatsoever) and chemically dependent because I drank alcohol on a regular basis.
The psychiatric hospital was traumatic for everyone involved, but especially me. The place was horrible and I feel so sorry for anyone who ends up in a bad one. I tried to leave and they refused to let me out until they realized they had me CONFUSED WITH ANOTHER PATIENT who had been arrested for illegal drug use! Suddenly i was “well” and could go home.
That was about 5 weeks ago and I am still not “me.” The psychiatrist is tampering with medication levels and up until I took Chantix I needed two mild anti-depressants to control my depression. Now I’m on 4 times the dose, plus lithium, and I feel like S&&T! I either feel nothing or I cry, I get no joy out of anything, and I am just lucky I took some time off from work for other reasons because I don’t know how I would function if I had to deal with other people every day.
My 10 year old is hanging in htere with me but this is way too much for a 10 year old to know or have to see…. ‘Mommy had a breakdown in the E.R. and they handcuffed her…. but I’m glad she stopped smoking.’ At least I have stayed off the cigarettes. I mentally despise them now because of what the “magic pill” did to me. Anyone who says this was nicotine withdrawal is absolutely full of crap, because I’ve stopped smoking before and NEVER gone through this kind of nightmare. I hope *I* return some day. I miss me the way I used to be. And Pfizer? Get ready, because I’m shopping for lawyers right now.
March 12th, 2008 at 11:51 am
wow,this is all a nightmare!i stopped taking this last week after suffering all these symptoms everyone listed……im in shock
March 14th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
Is there a suit against Chantix? Last year I started taking Chantix to stop smoking. About 2 to 3 three months later I had a heart attack. I now have stint and have to take medication daily. I am 36 years old and I am in pretty good shape. The heart attack was a total suprise. I did not think for a second that I was at risk, but now I am a heart attack survivor. The only thing I can think of was that Chantix was the main reason.
March 14th, 2008 at 7:49 pm
I have taken Chantix for ten days and now my heart hurts. I am worried that I may have a heart attack at any moment. I am 33 years old and now it hurts to pick up my 3 year old boy. Anyone who reads this-please do not swallow this medicine. I am stopping it immediately and only hope that I will recover quickly. I have never had heart problems before.
March 14th, 2008 at 8:03 pm
My husband started Chantix in July of 2007. Since taking Chantix (and never before) he has never been the same. Has anyone out there had these symptoms–really heavy sweating, chills, constant nausea, vomiting–in cycles of 4 ok days just nausea then 2 to 3 days vomiting–unable to keep things down. Then maybe a few good weeks–then it starts back up again (and the good weeks aren’t great–fatigue, and nausea are forever).
Chronic burping and distended stomach, nausea, vomiting–sweating? Anyone else. My husband is 50 years old–NEVER had any such problems prior to taking Chantix. In fact he stopped taking Chantix 4 weeks into it because of these problems. He did quit smoking–and did not start smoking again–but keeps saying–”I never knew being healthy could feel so awful”. Had we known it would be like this he would have never taken Chantix. My husband was a healthy, active adult prior to Chantix.
March 15th, 2008 at 6:54 pm
Michael, i read you statement on the heart attack while taking chantix i have never had heard problems only high blood pressure but was alway in control and i had a heart attack on 12/15/07 at the age of 44. no blockage no blood clot and they can not tell me why i had it.
March 21st, 2008 at 3:56 pm
I took Chantix for about 4 weeks. During that time I had the vivid dreams and nauseau but tried to stick through it. But then the heart palpatations started. That sort of scared me so I weaned myself off of it and now have not taken it for about 3 weeks.
However, a few days after stopping the Chantix my blood pressure goes through the roof. I have never had high blood pressure before. My doctor had me admitted to the hospital because it was dangerously high. It’s been 3 weeks since then and they are still unable to find a med that will control it or find the cause of it. My doctor is very surprised at the suddeness of the problem and that typical high blood pressure comes on over time. I went from normal to 200/110. I have a hard time believing that it’s just a big conincidence that this started after stopping Chantix.
I don’t smoke but I’m twice as worried now about having a stroke or heart attack. I’m only 42 and went from working out everyday and healthy to HPB and shortness of breath…just like that…
In addition, my husband also took Chantix and has not felt like himself since he stopped. His BP is normal but he has a feeling of vagueness and shortness of breath. He is 41 and was perfectly healthy before the Chantix.
I gotta tell you, I’m worried for all of us… is this a fen-phen episode all over again? I wish I had never taken it.
March 22nd, 2008 at 4:48 am
I have been taking Chantix for about 1 month now and am starting to get a little nervous and scared about the side effects. I have not smoked for 2 weeks but I am always in a bad mood now, often exploding on my family for no reason. The other night I started feeling sick to my stomach(more than usual,common feeling with this drug) while watching a movie. All of a sudden I had this sharp pinching feeling in my chest that shot through to my back and then my right arm started to go numb. I have never felt this type of pain before so it scared me. Thank God after about 2 hours of debating what to do and praying that I wasn’t going to die, I finally dozed off. I was scared to go to sleep, fearing that I would not wake up. My physician gave me this prescription without any directions or advice about taking it and he doesn’t seemed concerned about monitoring it. He seems to think all health problems will be solved if you quit smoking. So I guess he is all for it. I am really happy about not smoking but I really am considering quitting Chantix. My dilemma now is what will happen when I quit taking it. What a mess.
March 22nd, 2008 at 10:07 pm
Wow. I just started taking Chantix 3 days ago and after reading through all of this I am thinking about stopping! Everything I am reading is scaring me. The good news is that since the day I started taking it I have not wanted a cig.
March 23rd, 2008 at 7:45 am
My suggestion to anyone taking it is to stop. Over the course of a few days you should be able to cut back and stop. The less time you take something, the less time it has to do any damage, if in fact damage is being caused.
I agree that doctors think that all ills are cured by stopping smoking and we all know we shouldn’t smoke, but I also agree that the methods to quitting aren’t monitored. Chantix is a very new drug and I think we’re all guineau pigs in this. The amount and variety of chemicals in cigarettes and who know what just cutting those out does to a person. That alone should be monitored.
March 23rd, 2008 at 12:14 pm
Hi,
I am very upset reading your message about you and your heart attack after taking Chantix.
My husband a heavy smoker for over 40 years has tried so many different things to quit smoking…. wellbutrin, patches, gum, hypnosis, acupuncture, you name it…..
We started seeing the Chantix commercial and figured maybe this will work.
This was appx. 6 months ago…The next Dr. visit he asked for the prescription.
It was not long after that, I will check records that the trouble began…
He would start feeling very week, minutes later chest pains, sweating, and breathing problems…. The episode would last about 10 min. and go away.
That day it only happened one time. A few days later.. It happened again…. Stronger….That time it happened 3 times in one day…This time he went to the hospital emergency, They said it was most likely indigestion, and sent him home…
This continued with over 10 times this happening.
After going to the hospital a second time…. They did an angiogram… It came back , no blockage, normal cholesterol, no high blood pressure…. They sent him home a few days later with no medication.
Appx 2 weeks later….. It happened again…. each time was more intense…. This time we had to go to the closest hospital because he was almost in full cardiac arrest.
They did another angiogram and said he had a blockage on top of his heart and put a stent.
He felt much better…. They were still giving him the Chantix in the hospital…. the side effects said nothing about heart attacks. Now he is on Plavex, Lipitor, Coreg, & Altace….
He quit taking the Chantix not long after the hospital, only because he felt comfortable that he quit, and our insurance company would not pay for this expensive drug. We even went out of our way to recommend this drug to family and friends who smoke.
About a week ago…. The smoking pangs came back…. So he started taking it again… 2 days later he had one episode of chest pains that lasted about 5 min. The next day it happened about 4 times… Yesterday it happened about 4 times…. They didn’t last long …. Just like they did in the beginning of taking the drug for the first time.
He hasn’t taken any Chantix for 2 days now… He didn’t stop because of the heart….. We didn’t even put 2 & 2 together until last night and started searching and seen letters of others…
I’m hoping this is the problem, although I will be very upset that the Doctor’s didn’t know this…. We will know he will be okay if he stops the Chantix.
What I would like to know is if this is kind of how it happened to you?
My husband does have rheumatoid arthritis too…
Chantix was the only new drug he was taking.
Any response would be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Kathy B.
March 24th, 2008 at 8:02 am
I started taking chantix in Dec,06. I was on this med for 1 month only, Iwas instantly nauseas and later began having silver wiggly lines in my eyesite sometimes I couldnt see properly.I didnt know if I was having migraines without the headache or what it was.I have since had weird sensations in my eyesite and hurting in my joints as well .The vision and memory problems and strange sensations like muscle weakness and a slow mental response to brain signaling to my body have been the most noticable changes.I agree the medication does take away the desire to smoke but you cant get past the side effect to enjoy it . If there is a class action suit please let me know ,this drug is very scary and I am still trying to quit smoking after all this.
March 24th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
I have contacted two law firms online so far and gotten no response. I guess I will go to a local attorney to see what he thinks. But yeah, there’s going to be a lawsuit, at least from me!
March 25th, 2008 at 10:23 pm
I took Chantix over a 3 or so week period and gradually went downhill in a depression. I would make mountains out of molehills so to speak. The last day I took Chantix I tried to commit suicide and almost succeeded!! I downed over 100 pills and didnt even think before doing it. Last thing I remember was sitting in my recliner with all the empty pill bottles in a bag (as requested for the ER). After I took the pills I realized what I did and called for help but I almost didnt make it. I woke up 2 days later in the ICU. I was there for 8 days and then to a mental hospital for another 8.
I filled out info for an attorney online and they sent me information and paperwork to fill out, but why bother.
See, I had been diagnosed bipolar before taking chantix. And in this lawyers paperwork it explains that if you have social security or medicaid you have a slim chance of being compensated for this. WHAT CRAP!!!!!!! I AM STILL A HUMAN BEING WHO ENDED UP ALMOST DYING. I HAD TO BE INTUBATED AND EVERYTHING THEY ALMOST LOST ME, ACTUALLY HAD VERY LITTLE HOPE OF ME WAKING UP. BUT I GUESS SINCE IM
1. BIPOLAR (ALREADY HAS DEPRESSIVE EPISODES)
2. SOCIAL SECURITY (AM DISABLED DUE TO BIPOLAR)
I DO NOT NEED A SETTLEMENT IN PEOPLES EYES.
HMMMM, I WONDER IF OTHERS WHO HAVE TAKEN CHANTIX AND LIVE TO TELL OF THEIR MISERY AND CONTINUING SUFFERING WILL APPLY FOR DISABILITY? (OTHERS WHO HAVE SINCE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH BIPOLAR, FIBROMYALGIA AND HEART DISEASES) THESE PEOPLE ARE ENTITLED TO SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY ALSO. BUT IT SURE DOESNT MEAN THEY ARENT INTITLED TO COMPENSATION FOR PAIN AND SUFFERING ON TOP OF THEIR MEDICAL BILLS.
I GUESS WHAT I’M SAYING IS….IF YOUR ON SOCIAL SECURITY OR MEDICAID YOUR SUFFERING AND PERMANENT DAMAGE AND FUTURE PAIN DOESNT MATTER. WHAT BULLCRAP.
March 25th, 2008 at 10:30 pm
Hi,
Yes, just like your husband after 2-3 days I had the pain and I thought it was acid reflux. When I went to the hospital the pain had passed, but I told the doctor I’m here you might as well do the tests. They did tests and the enzymes showed I had a heart attack. I did not take any medications until Chantix. I did not have a heart condition, high blood pressure or cholesterol. I blame Chantix but I can’t prove it.
I have stopped taking the Chantix and the pains have gone away, But now the damage is done and I have a cholesterol problem.
The doctor won’t say it was the pills. In my opinion the Chantix caused the blockage. I would like to know how long the Chantix remains in the system.
My hope is others will come forward so people can be warned and prevent further damage to other peoples’ lives.
I have been okay for 8 weeks now.
Thanks for letting me know about your husband.
Keep in touch.
Gabriel P.
—– Original Message —–
From: kat72
Date: Sunday, March 23, 2008 1:48 pm
Subject: chantix My husband too had Heart Attacks!
To: cenjr@optonline.net
Cc: danny7292@hotmail.com
> Hi,
>
> I am very upset reading your message about you and your heart
> attack after taking Chantix.
>
> My husband a heavy smoker for over 40 years has tried so many
> different things to quit smoking…. wellbutrin, patches, gum,
> hypnosis, acupuncture, you name it…..
> We started seeing the Chantix commercial and figured maybe this
> will work.
> This was appx. 6 months ago…The next Dr. visit he asked for
> the prescription.
>
> It was not long after that, I will check records that the
> trouble began…
> He would start feeling very week, minutes later chest pains,
> sweating, and breathing problems…. The episode would last
> about 10 min. and go away.
> That day it only happened one time. A few days later.. It
> happened again…. Stronger….That time it happened 3 times in
> one day…This time he went to the hospital emergency, They
> said it was most likely indigestion, and sent him home…
> This continued with over 10 times this happening.
> After going to the hospital a second time…. They did an
> angiogram… It came back , no blockage, normal cholesterol, no
> high blood pressure…. They sent him home a few days later with
> no medication.
>
> Appx 2 weeks later….. It happened again…. each time was more
> intense…. This time we had to go to the closest hospital
> because he was almost in full cardiac arrest.
> They did another angiogram and said he had a blockage on top of
> his heart and put a stent.
> He felt much better…. They were still giving him the Chantix
> in the hospital…. the side effects said nothing about heart
> attacks. Now he is on Plavex, Lipitor, Coreg, & Altace….
>
> He quit taking the Chantix not long after the hospital, only
> because he felt comfortable that he quit, and our insurance
> company would not pay for this expensive drug. We even went out
> of our way to recommend this drug to family and friends who smoke.
>
> About a week ago…. The smoking pangs came back…. So he
> started taking it again… 2 days later he had one episode of
> chest pains that lasted about 5 min. The next day it happened
> about 4 times… Yesterday it happened about 4 times…. They
> didn’t last long …. Just like they did in the beginning of
> taking the drug for the first time.
>
> He hasn’t taken any Chantix for 2 days now… He didn’t stop
> because of the heart….. We didn’t even put 2 & 2 together
> until last night and started searching and seen letters of others…
>
> I’m hoping this is the problem, although I will be very upset
> that the Doctor’s didn’t know this…. We will know he will be
> okay if he stops the Chantix.
>
> What I would like to know is if this is kind of how it happened
> to you?
>
> My husband does have rheumatoid arthritis too…
>
> Chantix was the only new drug he was taking.
>
> Any response would be greatly appreciated.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Kathy B.
> Kat72@bellsouth.net
March 27th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
Heart attack… Michael, I am also 32, and I have been taking chantix for 8 days now. My doctor is closley montioring me, I’m sick as a dog right now, but I bleave I’m sick due to the flu.
As far as your heart attack goes, I just went through a stress test, 2 days in the hospital, and a ct scan, to find out nothing…. All this days before I started taking chantix. My heart is fine, and there is no blockage.
Hopefully I’m fine after I kick the habbit. But if something does happen, there is alot of information on me and on my condition before I started taking chantix.
I’ll repost in a about 11 weeks.
Good Luck
Michael Bocek
March 27th, 2008 at 8:58 pm
I’m a 29 year old male who has smoked for around 10 years now.
I started taking Chantix back in September of 2007, and I’m still taking it now because I still haven’t quit smoking… go figure.
But I’ve not had any of the side effects you guys have mentioned, aside from the dreams. And to be honest with you, I kind of like remembering my dreams - some of ‘em are pretty darned funny.
March 28th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
Thank you for sharing the information. My Dr. just prescribed me Chantix to quit smoking based upon it successes with that aspect. I had my doubts and I am glad I checked it out. There is no way, I will find another way to resolve my addiction…knowledge is power. Thanks again, I will say a prayer for all those who it caused a problem for…
April 2nd, 2008 at 4:02 pm
I started chantix first week of jan. 08 and stayed on it only for a week due to side effects. Well, I still can hardly sleep. I used to fall asleep so easily and if I was upset about anything one tylenol pm would put me out. Now nothing seems to help. The doctor has prescribed two sleeping meds and they work for a few hours and that’s it. The aching in my hips, knees, and ankles has not gone away either. I feel so sad, I feel alone. My life has changed dramatically. I am an upbeat, ambitious person normally. Nothing gets me down, I don’t get sick! I’m just not me anymore and I’m so sad. It’s not getting better and has been over 2 and half months now since I’ve taken it. :*(
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:23 pm
I had read up on this medicine and thought I knew what the risks and side effects were so I decided to take it. I wish I had seen this site before I took chantix, I had some of the basic side effects very tired, massive headaches, brain fog, and forgetfulness. I was also quick to lose my temper much more so than usual. By the morning of day 6, I woke up with severe left sided pain just below my ribs. I went to work came home and did a search for severe left sided pain while taking chantix. I came across this site as well as some others. The things I have read as well as experienced have made me regret ever taking this drug. I stoped taking Chantix on the 7th day after going to my cardiologist, and he recommended to stop taking it. It has been 3 weeks since I have taken Chantix and I still feel like crap, the pain in my left side subsided after about 3 days after I stopped taking it. But I’m still suffering from daily headaches, feeling very worn out and aches and pains, more so than usual. I don’t know what the answer is but I feel as though there’s alot more risk involved with taking this drug than I was ever led to believe. I have to admit I still haven’t felt right or like myself and it’s scary. My doctors were very quick to recommend Chantix, obviously smoking isn’t good for you but I’m convinced neither is chantix.
April 4th, 2008 at 7:17 am
My 41 year old husband of 20 years died of a massive heart attack 9-22-2006. He had taken Chantix for 6 weeks and was off it for the week he died. Never had a chest pain in his life. He was in great shape. 32 inch waist. I know in my heart it was the Chantix. Now, me and our four children are left here to grieve. Feel free to email me at klim714@aol.com
Dina
April 6th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
I took Chantix last year (2007) and quit smoking in 10 days. HOWEVER, I became so ill I could barely function. I had horrible stomach problems and could not keep any food down for long. Sometimes I would be almost ok for a few days and then for days and days the vomiting would be back. I began to think that this is how the drug works: you vomit so much and are so ill you can’t put anything in your mouth without barfing.
People ask me now if I feel better since I quit and I tell them honestly that I don’t feel ANY better. I still have stomach problems since the Chantix and I have been tortured with SMELLS since I quit smoking. I almost wish this supposed blessing of enhanced ability to smell were removed.
I notice that the media does not seem to bombard us as often as before with the ads for the drug.
As a final note, I thought the depression aspect was just me! Maybe the other way the drug works (after making the victim/user sick to the stomach) is to cause the person to have total inability to experience pleasure … whether from nicotine, food, drink … life itself!
April 7th, 2008 at 7:38 am
Does anyone know if there are any lawsiuts for chantix?
They need to get this drug off the market ASAP, before more people die from it or get seriously ill like me.
Will I ever be normal again?
April 14th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
Hello all,
I took Chantix for 3 weeks and it is a wonder drug it erased any yearning for nicotine i had for the last 37 years.
I did have some weird stuff happen depression, brain fog, but after being off of it for 2 months i still have the brain fog / light headaches.
Always in the forehead area a little off to the right side.
It is with me 24/7 sometime just a light pressure sometimes a real headache.
I am 55 years old
Does anyone else have these symptoms?
April 14th, 2008 at 11:51 pm
I’m a 47 yr old male and started taking Chantix Jan. 8th 2008. I’ve had Asthma all my life but only suffered occasional , once or twice a year, problems with my breathing. After taking Chantix for a couple weeks my asthma began to worsen. I continued to take it, not realizing the relationship between the drug and my breathing problems. After a 1 1/2 months on the drug, my wife suggested my problems may be related to the Chantix. At that point I agreed and stopped taking the drug. It’s been a couple months now since I quit and my breathing problems have only worsened, I can’t even tie my shoes without running out of breath and having to use my inhaler for temporary relief. Thanks to being a dog owner, I used to walk one or two miles a day, I can’t even walk around the block now, this SUCKS!
Has anyone experienced similar problems with breathing, and if so, have you found anything to alleviate the problem?
Thanks,
Jeff
April 17th, 2008 at 2:06 pm
I have been taking Chantix for 2 weeks and to be honest, the only side effect I’ve had is the vivid dreams, which I don’t mind. Folks have to understand that ALL drugs are dangerous and will effect everyone differently. Even Tylenol can evetually destroy your liver and kill you. The side effects from Chantix are an absolute joy compared to those in Zyban, which I tried a few times to try and quit. Talk about feelings of depression and suicide, that stuff makes you feel emotionless and dead inside. My heart goes out to those who’ve had serious ailments or had a loved one who has, but I don’t think there are enough cases to warrant a class action suit. Maybe it’s because the drug is so new or maybe it’s because when you look at the serious cases vs. the 10’s of millions who have taken, their far less then other drugs.
April 17th, 2008 at 7:32 pm
I took the Chantix from March 2007 until about May 2007. The dreams were exhausting and the nausea just not worth putting up with. I was also becoming more forgetful then usual. I got the flu in november of 2007 and that was when the muscle aches and spasms started. The pain is horrible. I am exhausted all the time.
It got so bad that in January 2008 I thought I was having a heart attack and went to the ER. My heart is fine and there are no clots or blockages. My family doctor said he felt it was Fibromyalgia. I thought differently. I just saw a rhematologist who ran a battery of tests and found that my Vitamin D level was seriously low, which would cause most of the symptoms. Since I am a milk drinker and sun worshipper, I thought it was a bit odd. He said that smoking would affect the level. I have to wonder if the Chantix somehow affected how I process the vitamin D or is it just coincidence? I hope this will be the answer and that the pain will go away. I just started taking the prescription D supplement so I haven’t seen a change yet. If you haven’t had your D level checked you may want to but be sure to go to a specialist. My family doctor ordered the wrong type of D test. I will keep you posted.
Ally
April 21st, 2008 at 3:14 pm
I am so glad to have found this site. I have been taking Chantix for a month and stopped on Friday due to my friends saying that I had been out of control since I started taking it. I cancelled work today due to extreme anxiety and a general feeling of being out of it. I didn’t sleep at all last night because I had the worst dreams I’ve ever had….violent, disgusting dreams. I even remember saying in my dream that I was depressed.
However, the biggest thing is that I have never been a drug user in my life. I always said I would never touch drugs and right after starting Chantix, I became reckless and started doing cocaine. Looking back, the past month is a total blur. I’ve talked to friends today who all have said that they’ve been very worried about me because for the past month I have been a totally different person. They said that sometimes I just stare off into space and that I’ve been doing things they never thought I would do. To me, it almost seems as if Chantix triggered a manic episode in me. I have never had any severe mental episodes except a few bouts of anxiety and depression. I”m also 28. Now putting two and two together, I am apalled at who I’ve been and what I’ve done after starting this medication. I’m definitely finding a lawyer. We all have to fight this. I’m very worried that I’m not out of the woods yet and am afraid of what is going to happen now that I’m not taking it anymore.
Has anyone else had a similar story?
April 25th, 2008 at 10:06 pm
I started taking Chantix in October 2007. By the end of week one on the drug I had stopped smoking. I continued to take the rest of the month’s pills and then quit (still smoke free). Everything was great until the depression kicked in a few weeks after I stopped taking the medicine. I tried to hide the depression and the confusion in hopes that it would just go away. Of course it did not and continued to worsen until all I could think about was wanting to die.
I finally broke down and told my doctor who prescribed Effexor. It has not helped at all; he has since increased the dosage but it is still not helping. I can not think straight or remember things that I know I knew a couple of months ago.
I was completely fine before taking Chantix and now I am a complete mess. It boggles my mind to think that this drug could make me feel this way for so long after stopping it.
I have had to quit my job because of this depression. I couldn’t force myself to do the work I was given. I would go hide in the rest room and just cry for no reason. I have never been more embarrassed and scared in my life. I scare myself with the crazy thoughts that are going thru my mind.
My family doesn’t understand and I don’t know how to explain it. I honestly feel like a crazy person.
April 26th, 2008 at 4:23 am
I took chantix about 2 and a half months ago. I stopped when my heart started to skipping the whole day. I went to bed thinking I wouldn’t wake up in the morning. I waited to see the doctor thinking it would go away but it hasn’t. I have never had any problems with my heart until I took chantix. I went to the doctor just over a week ago and am waiting to hear back about the heart moniter the doctor ordered. I have contacted a law firm about what chantix has done. not sure if they will take my case or not but do believe that people should know about what this drug can do to the heart. I had no idea this would happen and it wasn’t on the warning on the side effects. The only class action suite that I have seen and attorneys are only taking the suicide cases. I just hope this firm takes this case. I have asked my husband to take over for me in case I don’t make it.
May 8th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
Four weeks ago my very good friend died unexpectedly of an apparent heart attack. He was 56 years old and had no history of heart problems. He had been taking Chantix for 16 days. He just came home from work, layed down on the couch and died. His autopsy showed no cause of death. I had taken Chantix for 2 1/2 months and when I heard my friend had been on it, I knew the Chantix caused the heart attack because of the symptoms I had experienced while on the drug. My heart would seem to stop and start about every 4th beat the first day I was on it. I called Chantix help line and was told my body was just getting used to the new medication and to see a doctor if it persisted. The next day I felt more normal and didn’t follow up with the doctor, but stopped the chantix because of the multiple other symptoms I had experienced. Tell your loved ones not to take this drug. My friend’s wife is willing to join a class action suit. If you hear of one contact me @marycontrary99@hotmail.com
May 13th, 2008 at 7:58 pm
I tried Chantix in April, 2007 with the one month supply and wasn’t successful. I started taking it again in November, Great American Smoke Out Day, and can say that as of tomorrow, it will be a full 6 months with absolutely no desire to smoke, but then who could smoke feeling like I do.
We vacationed in Florida in February of 2008 and I had stopped taking the Chantix January 31st. On February 17th, while going back to the house we rent in Florida, I began to have terrible pain in both feet. I have had nothing but pain since. I worked the week we returned from Florida and went to my Dr. complaining of the Flu like symtoms, aching head to toe. All blood tests were normal, he is at a loss. I can’t concentrate, can’t stop gaining weight, 40 lbs in 6 months and eating less and less and I do eat well balanced meals/snacks as I have been seeing a Nutritionalist for several years now. I have never been a depressed person, always very friendly, but lately I could care less, I have trouble getting going and just feel useless overall.
I’m sure this is from the Chantix and would not suggest anyone else use it just because of these side effects.
Chantix free for 3 months and the symptoms are not getting better, instead they are increasingly worse.
May 14th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
I started smoking when I was 17, I am now 24. I have only been taking Chantix for 3 days and I am already experiencing side effects. The first day that I took this drug, I started feeling sick (uncontrollable coughing w/ phlegm/mucus, nausea, chills and body aches, loss of energy etc.) Today I took my third and FINAL pill this morning. By the afternooon, I had an anxiety attack. I have had anxiety attacks before, but they are very infrequent. I have them approximately 1 every 6 months. I never know when it wil come on because there are never any warning signs or symptoms. It started with sharp abdominal pain (I felt like someone was stabbing me with a dull knife) and then hyperventilation. When I am experiencing an attack I feel like I would rather die than to continue experiencing the pain. This one lasted for almost 30 minutes. After reading all of the previous entries and talking to my doctor about my and other people’s side effects, we have decided that I should no longer take Chantix. In a way, I feel lucky to have only taken the first 3 pills. Hopefully the drug will be flushed out of system quickly (as I have been drinking a lot of water) so that there may not be any permanent damage done. Good luck to all of you! If you are reading this and are currently taking Chantix, STOP IMMEDIATELY…I WOULDN’T TELL MY WORST ENEMY TO TAKE CHANTIX. I would rather die from smoking!
May 14th, 2008 at 10:48 pm
have sore hearthurts right now and am thinking these pigs(mental health) are black listing me cause i speak out against the mental health and pharmaceutical INDUSTRY.been having nausea, strange dreams,suicidal thoughts.anti sematics are in the penticton mental health industry.i am not jewish or black but HATE nazism just the same.
support your local nazi bashin organization.
May 15th, 2008 at 10:21 am
I took Chantix for about 5 weeks and have not stopped because the urge to smoke came back because of feeling bad, (just sat in a chair all day,) and the stress. I have now stopped the Chantix and now have a constant pain in my shoulder/back and very short of breath when I do anything, muscle weakness and I think I’m having some depression. I only took one a day when taking it because of not being able to sleep when I would take two daily. I feel I am going to have a heart attack because the pain gets worse in my left shoulder/back whenever I do anything, so I’m still sitting in my chair. Is this happening to anyone else?
May 15th, 2008 at 10:22 am
Correction: I have NOW stopped and gone back to smoking.
May 15th, 2008 at 10:34 am
Here is a little hope, after months of hell my doctor seems to have stabilized my condition with valproic acid, paxil, and I sometimes take Xanex too. The valproic acid is commonly used for seizures and bi-polar disorders. Valproic acid got my life going, but I am forgetting what I used to be. Short term memory loss has become a BIG issue. When someone decides to to take up the lawsuit I am in….contact me folks if you need anything.
scotttbowers@comcast.net
May 15th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
i was taking chantix for 2 weeks when it caused me to have 2 granny seizures that almost killed me and i have to take medicens for the rest of my life. all the tests the dr. run come back normal. he said it was from the chantix.
May 15th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
im sorry i didnt know it would post on this suit. i thought i was emailing a lawyer. i am looking for a lawyer to file a lawsuit with, if anyone knows of one please contac me at angelincrazyville38@yahoo.com
May 16th, 2008 at 10:25 am
I started Chantix in May of 07. When I first started taking it I thought it was the miracle drug. Had absolutely no desire to smoke. Went 8 months smoke free, but at the same time I was far from myself. Severe anxiety, mood swings, uncontrollable thoughts racing in my head, and crying spells. I never had experienced anything like that in my life. My girlfriend was pregnant also, and the way i was acting pretty much ruined the whole experience for me. It has been a year since and after the help from Lexapro for the anxiety and Wellbutrin for the depression, I finally start feeling like myself again. The maker of Chantix tries to put it off as the withdrawal from the nicotine, but there is no way that nicotine withdrawal lasts more than a month. I started smoking after 8 months and the same symptoms were there even while I smoked. I have a wonderful 3 month old son and have missed out on most of hie early life because my girlfriend has dealt with so much that I had to move out. I am almost completely normal now and I wish that I never pissed with Chantix. With all the people that have had issues with it, the company had to be aware of the possible effects when it was tested. In my eyes the pharm giants have no reguards for ruining lives with their products when it comes to the amount of money that is being made for them. All of the people that had issues need to get together as one angry disgruntled group and maybe some compensation could be obtained. The pharm giants wont blink an eye at individuals but if a group were to confront them it might generate more of a push to get compensated for the harm their product has caused many.
May 16th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
I am a 52 year old male who took Chantix for 6 weeks. I somked for 30 years and have not had a cigarette in two months now. That part of Chantix worked fine. I have experienced mild recurring depression and periods of melancholy that I usually cure with alcohol. I’ve never been a “regular” drinker, but I find myself drinking almost every day now. I also have experienced a loss in “the level of euphoria” I usually experience at sexual climax. It simply doesn’t feel as good as it used to. Has anyone else had sexual affectations?
May 19th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
I got a prescription of Chantix in January to quit a 11 year smoking habit, I started it in march. For two months know I have been going through a severe depression, with aggression to those in my own home. I recently checked myself into the mental health ward to deal with overwhelming thoughts of suicide. They did nothing to treat my symptoms for they could not find anything wrong with me. It is the chantix. I am just glad I don’t own a gun. I still think these thoughts daily. If anyone knows a lawyer who will take this case please contact me. atoraxia@yahoo.com. Do not take this drug.
May 19th, 2008 at 8:11 pm
I have been smoking for 10 years. I was born with asthma, but was still addicted! Thanks to Chantix I have been quit for 7 months (and off the medicine for 5).
I think most of you people are full of crap! I am saddened by how everyones out to make a quick dishonest buck…
May 20th, 2008 at 6:30 pm
My Wife and I took Chantix. Me for 1 month and her for 2 weeks at the end of 2007. I have had extreme muscle pain since and my Wife has contracted a disease called Dermatomyositis. It’s a crippling Muscle disease. It states in Pfizer’s web page on Chantix that it can cause Myositis, although rare. There is no known cure for the disease according to our Neurologist. Please contact me if anyone else has had this kind of side effect from taking Chantix. Randy at ranpaint@bellsouth.net.
Tell everybody you know about the side effects of this drug. It’s DEADLY
May 21st, 2008 at 5:36 pm
I’m 57 Have taken Chantix 15 weeks …. actually quit smoking for 160 days and was so happy … Thought I had smoking done with. Nope … within a couple weeks I got super stressed and bought a pack of smokes …. smoked for a few months and tried again … same thing happened; smoking again after a stress.
My issues are depression and anxiety and NOW I’ve diagnosed with PAD and am having an operation in two weeks (either angioplasty or stint depending on what they find inside).
My legs have always been my strength … I play tennis … and have fairly good stamina …. NOW the pain in my calves is BIG because of this PAD that I never had before …. I dunno but after reading others here I’m not going to take anymore Chantix … and will watch what develops … The FDA second warning today is how I landed here.
May 21st, 2008 at 6:41 pm
I too have been experiencing horrible behavior changes. My husband says I’m intolerable. I am depressed, angry, and hopeless. I did quit smoking though. I also have terrible joint pain in my fingers and elbows. I never had any problems before this drug. I also have a strange chest pain. I am on medication for depression since taking Chantix. I too had horrible real dreams, almost more like hallucinations. My family, especially my husband, can’t stand me anymore. I was only on it for 6 weeks, but I am still, seven months later, experiencing these side effects. I never had any of these problems before Chantix.
May 22nd, 2008 at 7:01 pm
I was a smoker for 22 years, chantix did help me quit, I took the drug for 3 weeks stopped because of numbing sensation I was feeling in my arm, it has been 4 weeks since I have stopped taking this drug I still get this numbing sensation in my arm I can’t wait to talk to my doctor on my next appt in 2 weeks. If you really want to stop smoking all you need is the desire and support foreveryone you know chantix is a good crutch, but I do not recommend it, it is a powerful drug. In Europe it has been taken off the market, THAT ALONE SHOULD BE A WARNING.
May 22nd, 2008 at 8:48 pm
I now have arrhythmias. They didn’t start until I was on this stuff. I wish I would have known this stuff first. I wouldn’t have taken it. Who knows what damage I did to myself. Funny, I used to suck down beer like no tomorrow. During chantix, I lost “desire” to drink my usual six pack. Ended up down to 3 beers maybe. Now, I ‘ve been smoke free AND alcohol free for 3 months. No desire to drink. Chanitx is some weird stuff.
May 23rd, 2008 at 6:05 pm
October 2006, I started taking Chantix and the 1st month was okay other than being very agitated. My friends and family kept telling me I did not act like my self. Into the 2nd month I begin have very vivid and real like dreams. To this day I can remember the first and all to follow. I would wake up thinking was that real or a dream. I was almost always agitated and did not trust any one. In November 2006, after a confirtation with the person I thought was my friend and someone I help grow the business even putting my own money in to the business, I knew I could not handle the situation. She is bipolar and at the time I was not sure what was going on in my life. My next to the last client, I hit my elbow on the wall. The client screamed because it scared her. I went home and went straight to bed. At 3AM, I woke up remembering someone had grabbed me from behind, and I was fighting them off with my elbows. After I woke up, I remember thinking that was the wierdest dream I had ever had. I rolled over and realize my right arm was in pain. I got out of the bed and could not get back in due to my bed is really high. After going to get it xrayed, my elbow was dislocated and I was sent to an orthopedic surgeon. He immediatedly came to the conclusion that I had been in a car accident or motorcycle accident. I could only tell him the truth as I remembered and he said he was sending me to a elbow specialist in Savannah. He never once touched my arm. He told me it may be the next day before they called. Thanks to my sister, she called an Orthopedic doctor in Augusta and by the time we got there, they tried to pop my elbow back in joint, but it was already three times the normal size with fluids seeping out of my pores. I was in the hospital for 1 week and had 2 surgeries in 3 days. The first was a life threating limb surgery. I was told if I had waited another hour I would have lost my arm at the shoulder. Next week, I will have surgery again on my arm to move the ulnar nerve to the front of my arm. This has been the worst experience of my life and has cost me so much out of pocket expenses. I am single and self employed and depend on my arms for my business. Many times I have thought this is no life….
The first orthopedic surgeon sent me a bill for $110.00 and I sent him a letter back stating how could he send me a bill when he degraded me, never touched my arm and to this day I have never heard from him.
May 23rd, 2008 at 6:08 pm
If anyone knows anyone that may have gone through the same experience please let me know. I ended up throwing 1/2 box of Chantix in the garbage.
May 24th, 2008 at 9:59 pm
My brother started taking Chantix 1 week ago, today he died. Massive heart attack. He was 61 year old. He had an EKG in January and the doctor wanted him to get a stress test because he didn’t like what he saw on the EKG. Coincidence?…maybe, maybe not.
May 26th, 2008 at 10:21 am
My wife smoked for nearly 40 years. I quit 15 years ago; cold turkey. My wife has tried, and succeeded for a couple of weeks, but was never able to carry it out for the long term. In August of last year, I suffered a heart attack. Her doctors had been on her case, to the point of near ridicule and coercion, to stop. Now, they told her, it was a danger to me if she didn’t quit. She was prescribed Chantix. She started the drug in September 2007. After 23 days, she suffered a stroke. When asked about the possible connection between the stroke and Chantix, we don’t get a real good feeling that the doctors are completely honest with us; opting instead to shake their heads and say, “I don’t think so.” Now, she has short term memory loss, severe bouts of loss of concentration, dperession, pain, anger, bad dreams, panic attacks, irregular heart beat, and vision issues that severely impact her driving capability. There is a serious aneurysm behind her right eye. Not one of her physcians can explain where the stroke came from or the aneurysm. Whatever she has lost as a result of the stroke will never be regained, but the fact that it is now coming out that a lot of her psychiatric issues are most likely the residual affect of taking Chantix, it makes some of this more bearable. She would like to have her life back, as it was. But, folks, the damage is done. Most of the issues presented in these comments are real and things that she has experienced. One person, says “I think most of you people are full of crap! I am saddened by how everyones out to make a quick dishonest buck…” I pray that this person does not suffer the consequences of taking Chantix like others. It is not the people here that are trying to make a “dishonest buck” my dear uninformed Chris. It is Pfizer who has put profit above the health of an unsuspecting public, to include the doctors encouraged to prescribe this very dangerous drug.
May 27th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
I’m a 46 year old female. I started taking Chantix on June 17, 2007. I quit smoking on June 24 and continued to take Chantix until August 17. I am still smoke free even though I live with smokers. I don’t crave them or miss them at all and I was a two pack a day smoker for 30 years.
BUT….in late August, 2007, I took a trip to ER for heat exhaustion. I had been moving cases of drinks from my kids’ school to my car. It was a very hot day, but I have always been in good health and this would never have been a problem a month or two before that. Then about 2 weeks later, another trip to ER. This time with severe flu-like symptoms. A high temperature and terrible joint pain. I was so tired I couldn’t hold my head up and felt like every part of my body was on fire. The diagnosis was rheumatoid arthritis. A trip to my family doctor confirmed it with more blood tests to rule out other problems.
Today, almost a year later, I have joint pain every day of my life. My hands are always inflamed and swollen and lately so are my feet. I have trouble getting out of bed in the morning and have to get from the bed to a chair to sit a few minutes before I can get around at all. I was taking online classes to get an associate’s degree in early childhood but had to discontinue them because the fatigue is so bad I can’t stay alert enough to concentrate.
I also have developed severe acid reflux and I find that my eyesight is growing dimmer by the day. I have gained over 50 pounds from the steriods I have been given to try and get the arthritis in check. There is a ringing in my ears that NEVER stops and I find that I can’t remember how to do even simple things that I’ve done hundreds of times before. I grasp for words when I’m trying to talk and start to do something and forget what it was before I get there.
Every night when I lay down, I pray to wake up in the morning because I have a fear that I will die in my sleep. Sometimes, I wake up in the night with my heart pounding feeling like I’m dieing. I can’t get a good breath and I really thought that would get better after stopping smoking.
I am grateful that Chantix has helped with my nicotine addiction but before I took it, I was a slim, healthy active person. My biggest health concern was getting bronchitis a couple times a year.
I thought quitting smoking was supposed to make me feel better!!!!!
May 27th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
I started Chantix approximately 5 weeks ago. I stopped smoking on the 10th day. It has been absolutely great with no urges to smoke - but I had started noticing in the last few days that I was getting shortness of breath again (I do have asthma) and my chest has really been hurting, my heart seems to be racing. I decided to google chantix and see if any other people were having the same problem. SO…now I am a bit afraid and not sure what to do - I need to quit smoking and don’t want to start again but I am afraid I will have a heart attack or a asthma attack. I am 54 years old.
May 27th, 2008 at 7:27 pm
Cris, WHERE DO YOU GET OFF SAYING MOST OF US PEOPLE ARE FULL OF CRAP? Just because chantix worked for you doesn’t mean it works for everyone. I had a stroke and blame it on chantix. I was HEALTHY until chantix, what a price to pay for wanting to quit smoking. Now I FEEL LIKE CRAP, yes CRAP and all because of this little blue pill called chantix.
I hope they pull this drug off the market before more people start dieing from it.
May 28th, 2008 at 7:46 pm
My name is Andrea and I started taking chantix around the end of Feb 2008 because my doctors told me I needed to quit smoking. 3 weeks after taking the pills I was emailing co-workers and telling them more or less how rude they were and that’s something I would never do. I started becoming frustrated with my husband and crying a lot. I was called into my directors office at work because I refused to go to a meeting and that’s something I would never do. She informed me that she was told that I was abrasive and I know I’m a very kind hearted person. I kept having really bad stomach aches, every time I ate the food go right thru me and now I still have the problem off and on now. I had to go to the er because my stomach, back and body hurt so bad and they could not find anything wrong with me. I do have a stomach condition but I control it with proper eating. Now I’m being told I have a kidney disease. I cry alot now which my husband will tell anyone my wife does not cry. After the er visit I took myself off of the chantix because I really think it has done something to my digestive tract and now I have kidney disease. I went to see the kidney doctor and told him I took myself off the drug because of the incident with having to go to the er. I do have Fibromyalgia but my body never felt so bad. I use to just have pain in my muscles now it’s in my joints, I kept headaches. I really think that this drug is very dangerous. I have back pain, and stomach pain constantly now. I live in the bathroom. I feel like I can’t get out of the bed some days because my knees, ankles, wrist, stomach, shoulders and back hurt so bad.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:36 pm
I have to numerous Doctor’s appointments, ER visits in the last three months, and nobody has been able to diagnose me. A co-worker told me to Google Chantix and heart trouble because she heard that the FAA just banned the drug from pilots and air traffic control agents.
I was amazed, here I was reading all of my symptoms, and I think I just found out what has caused all of my recent health issues….. CHANTIX.
I have horrible edema that is all over my body. I think that it is mostly in my abdomen and chest area but it is also in my extremities. My ankles have pitting edema and we pressed my thumb print will stay in there for 20 minutes. I am always short of breath but, when the edema is bad I can hardly breathe at all. Lasix and Potassium do not help too much, but they do bring some relieve. It seems that the only thing that keeps it manageable is lying down and doing absolutely nothing. Anything that makes my heart beat a little harder causes the edema to come back.
My body and joints hurt so bad I can barely walk up a flight of stairs. When I am successful at reaching the top, I am completely out of breath and my heart feels like it is going to explode right out of my chest.
I have weird body twitching going on and have no idea what this is. Sometimes my hands start to turn blue and if I lay down it goes away. My joints and muscles all hurt, I cannot breathe very well, my mind is in a fog, I have chest pains, and now I am beginning to get lumps in my body behind my knees and my inner forearms.
I am at the doctor, ER or getting some medical treatment about 2-3 times, a week, and they cannot find anything yet but they tell me that something is wrong and it appears to be my heart or circulatory system but they cannot find the cause. The only test that I have not done is MRI’s and Angiogram. I have had numerous CT Scans, Ultrasounds, Echocardiogram, Echo Stress Test, X-Rays, Blood Test, and other lab work.
My liver enzymes are elevated (ALT, ALP and one other) and I am anemic now and had a few other things that were a little off slightly. I have gained about 60lbs in about 4 months and my abdomen is much distended.
When I go to bed at night, I am so afraid that I may not wake up in the morning. When I am awake, I am afraid that I am going to pass out or have a heart attack. I do not feel good and I know that I am getting worse. I see that people are posting all of the problems that they blame on Chantix but has anyone found a reversal for these side effects. I can’t keep living like this, I am miserable and I hurt on a daily basis.
Please post something that I can do to alleviate some of this pain. I feel like I have a blocked artery or something, should I get an angiogram to confirm or deny this? This is really the only test that I haven’t done.
Please give some advice on what I am to do. I just faxed my doctors copies of these blogs and news article on Chantix.
Thanks,
PM
May 29th, 2008 at 8:06 pm
I used it, I stopped… as someone else pointed out, I “cure” the bouts of depression and whatnot with alcohol, and have too found myself drinking every day. In general I am inclined, as was before the drug, to become down and out and stare into space. In some respects, such as the drinking, I feel I have replaced one vice with another. My heart has always been weak. I am 28 and wouldn’t be surprised if I too had a mild heart attack while on the drug. Aside from the cigarettes I was slightly underweight, more or less fit, and mostly in good spirits. I do find I don’t get the same pleasure from things I used to enjoy, but that started after using Zyban… whatever. My point, if I have one, is that different drugs CLEARLY affect people differently. I quit, I’m done… I didn’t finish out the prescription because of the strange dreams and farting, in fact I think I only did it for one package and a half. I found this site due to the lawsuit junk mail I got. I don’t think I’m any more fucked up than I was before, aside from that weird chest pain I got on one occasion… not saying it’s worth it, but do agree they needed more testing. I don’t really know what I’m trying to say because I’ve been drinking.. y’know… to replace smoking. The fucking government needs to ban smoking altogether.. it’s the biggest strain (and tax gain) we seem to have on our “free” society. Smokers are a dying breed… pun intended. But they don’t need to die from some “Miracle Drug” to quit… ramble ramble…
May 30th, 2008 at 5:15 pm
This is the second time I used chantix to quit this time again I quit for 4 months and now am back smoking becuse I fill like crap again and this time after going back to the doctors I have to take an anti depressent and I also have to take a sugar pile. I never had sugar before but now I do.
June 5th, 2008 at 6:22 pm
My borther in-law was on chantix for 4 week. On sept. 10 2007 his 3 children came home from school and found him on the floor dead. The doctor said he died of a heart attack . This man was 42 and that stop smoking for his family. Stop this drug, the bigest side affect is are broken hearts
June 5th, 2008 at 9:08 pm
I took Chantix last summer to stop smoking. It was working but I was having horrible dreams about murdering my family and other abnormal feelings and thoughts. Almost every night I was on Chantix I had horrible dreams which made me wake up crying. The only thing in my life at that time that changed was the fact I was taking the drug. After two months I finally stopped taking the drug and my behaviors and mannerisms went back to normal. I didn’t want to see my doctor for fear of being prescribed an anti-psychotic to counteract the side effects of this drug, plus like most Americans I couldn’t afford to visit the doctor.
June 9th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
Hi I also took this drug omg Im still having nose bleeds musle pain & alot of weight gain ! I have had knee surgery and in pain most of the time. I also had suicidal thoughts very eratic behavior & pain pain pain allthough I did quit smoking was it worth it ? I think not! After the first week I quit that was 9 28 07 But Im still in pain! I was so upset with the doctor for giving this drug to me that I refused to see her.Well guess what the pain is too much I see her next week. I cant wait to see this bill.The nurse said they will most likely sen me to mri.Wish me luck!!!!!WOW WHAT A RIDE dont take this crap!!!!
June 9th, 2008 at 5:27 pm
I also took chantix for 2 months. And it made my life crazy. I was so mean and irritable especi