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Healthy Living
Champix: Is An Outright Ban On The Cards?
Date: 16/11/11
Keywords: American Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Pfizer, adverse side effects, Depression, Champix, Smoking, Zyban
In a recent study, Dr Curt Furberg, professor of public health sciences at Wake Forest University, in the US, and a team of researchers, analysed the number of serious side- effects of anti-smoking treatments reported to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), between 1998 and 2010. Champix, topped the table, with 90 per cent of reports citing depression or suicidal behaviour, including suicide, related to the drug. This compared with 7 per cent for another smoking cessation drug, Zyban, and 3 per cent for patches, chewing gum and other nicotine replacement products.
'The risks simply outweigh the benefits.'
We've been saying this for years... yet, our message, up until now, seems to have fallen on deaf ears... especially when it comes to mainstream medicine.
Now, finally, research has exposed Champix — prescribed to 1 million people in the UK last year alone — as being the killer it really is!
"Horrible for our family to go through"
First, I want to share a comment relating to this drug that was left on our website, The Healthier Life, by Dan:
We have literally had thousands of similar comments left on our website regarding the smoking cessation drug Champix — sold as Chantix in the US. Yet, despite these harrowing stories and the mounting evidence linking this drug to heart attacks, strokes, unprovoked violence, blackouts, depression and attempted suicide, there are still those claiming that most of these side effects are nothing more than symptoms of nicotine withdrawal!
They were wrong
In a recent study, Dr Curt Furberg, professor of public health sciences at Wake Forest University, in the US, and a team of researchers, analysed the number of serious side- effects of anti-smoking treatments reported to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), between 1998 and 2010. Champix, topped the table, with 90 per cent of reports citing depression or suicidal behaviour, including suicide, related to the drug. This compared with 7 per cent for another smoking cessation drug, Zyban, and 3 per cent for patches, chewing gum and other nicotine replacement products.
Commenting on the results, Dr Furberg said that Champix should be a last resort for anyone who tries to kick the smoking habit, because the risks simply outweigh the benefits! Earlier this year, a review by British researchers found that smokers who used Champix were almost twice as likely to be taken to hospital within a year, suffering heart attacks, than those who took a placebo.
Worst still, Champix has been linked to 80 deaths since its launch in Britain in 2006, including 39 suicides.
Still, the UK's drugs watchdog, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), maintains that all medicines have side-effects and linking a reaction to a drug does not prove it was caused by the drug. The agency added that, along with the European Medicines Agency, they will carefully consider this new study to see whether further advice to health professionals and patients on the use of Champix is required...
And the manufacturers? Well, Pfizer thinks that the leaflets in the packets warning users about side effects like depression, suicidal thoughts or attempted suicide should do the job!
I doubt that very much... especially when you have trained staff, at hospital-run cessation programmes, telling people that the side effects of this drug are minimal and that the class action suits in the US are groundless...
Let's face it, there are a lot of people out there who desperately want to stop smoking, so keeping this little devil on the market will keep turning massive profits for Big Pharma. So, sadly an outright ban is not very likely in the near future.
If you know any smokers who want to kick the habit and are thinking of taking Champix, fill them in on this latest study... Who knows, you might save them a lot of heartache... Not to mention their life! Better still, let them know there are safer techniques to help them put down their cigarettes and never look back.
Related Reading:
Champix Side Effects – Dangers Of Popular Drug Used To Quit Smoking
Smoking Cessation Drug Linked to Serious Cardiovascular Disorders
Controversial Anti-Smoking Drug Makes Headlines Yet Again
Sources:
'Actor cleared of beating girlfriend and throwing her naked into street after he blames behaviour on anti- smoking drug' by Vanessa Allen and Katherine Faulkner, published online 09.06.10, dailymail.co.uk
'Pfizer's Champix patents in India is already opposed by Dr Reddy's' published online 02.07.2009, dancewithshadows.com
'Health Canada weighs options as U.S. FDA adds "black box" warnings' by Teresa Smith, published online 03.07.2009, canada.com
Anti-smoking drug 'greatly raises suicide risk and should only be used as a last resort', published online 03.11.11, dailymail.co.uk
Back to topWe've been saying this for years... yet, our message, up until now, seems to have fallen on deaf ears... especially when it comes to mainstream medicine.
Now, finally, research has exposed Champix — prescribed to 1 million people in the UK last year alone — as being the killer it really is!
"Horrible for our family to go through"
First, I want to share a comment relating to this drug that was left on our website, The Healthier Life, by Dan:
- "We've had a horrible experience with a family member who's started taking Champix. After being told that the side effects of this drug were minimal (by a hospital-run cessation programme) and that the class action suits in the US are groundless, a family member was convinced to give it a try. By day 8, she had no desire at all to smoke and simply quit. But by day 11, anxiety was building and she began to experience mild depression. This woman had no prior history of mental illness or depression.
Three days later (day 14), she was completely delusional, in a severe depression, and highly suicidal. She was physically restrained and admitted to a psychiatric emergency ward.
Five days later, after stopping the drug, she was almost cleared of anxiety and uncontrollable shakes and fidgeting. Now eight days later she seems back to normal and we have our fingers crossed that there will be no long term effects. The only reason for me to write this is to prevent others from experiencing the same problems. It was horrible for our family to go through."
Dan – comment left on The Healthier Life
We have literally had thousands of similar comments left on our website regarding the smoking cessation drug Champix — sold as Chantix in the US. Yet, despite these harrowing stories and the mounting evidence linking this drug to heart attacks, strokes, unprovoked violence, blackouts, depression and attempted suicide, there are still those claiming that most of these side effects are nothing more than symptoms of nicotine withdrawal!
They were wrong
In a recent study, Dr Curt Furberg, professor of public health sciences at Wake Forest University, in the US, and a team of researchers, analysed the number of serious side- effects of anti-smoking treatments reported to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), between 1998 and 2010. Champix, topped the table, with 90 per cent of reports citing depression or suicidal behaviour, including suicide, related to the drug. This compared with 7 per cent for another smoking cessation drug, Zyban, and 3 per cent for patches, chewing gum and other nicotine replacement products.
Commenting on the results, Dr Furberg said that Champix should be a last resort for anyone who tries to kick the smoking habit, because the risks simply outweigh the benefits! Earlier this year, a review by British researchers found that smokers who used Champix were almost twice as likely to be taken to hospital within a year, suffering heart attacks, than those who took a placebo.
Worst still, Champix has been linked to 80 deaths since its launch in Britain in 2006, including 39 suicides.
Still, the UK's drugs watchdog, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), maintains that all medicines have side-effects and linking a reaction to a drug does not prove it was caused by the drug. The agency added that, along with the European Medicines Agency, they will carefully consider this new study to see whether further advice to health professionals and patients on the use of Champix is required...
And the manufacturers? Well, Pfizer thinks that the leaflets in the packets warning users about side effects like depression, suicidal thoughts or attempted suicide should do the job!
I doubt that very much... especially when you have trained staff, at hospital-run cessation programmes, telling people that the side effects of this drug are minimal and that the class action suits in the US are groundless...
Let's face it, there are a lot of people out there who desperately want to stop smoking, so keeping this little devil on the market will keep turning massive profits for Big Pharma. So, sadly an outright ban is not very likely in the near future.
If you know any smokers who want to kick the habit and are thinking of taking Champix, fill them in on this latest study... Who knows, you might save them a lot of heartache... Not to mention their life! Better still, let them know there are safer techniques to help them put down their cigarettes and never look back.
Related Reading:
Champix Side Effects – Dangers Of Popular Drug Used To Quit Smoking
Smoking Cessation Drug Linked to Serious Cardiovascular Disorders
Controversial Anti-Smoking Drug Makes Headlines Yet Again
Sources:
'Actor cleared of beating girlfriend and throwing her naked into street after he blames behaviour on anti- smoking drug' by Vanessa Allen and Katherine Faulkner, published online 09.06.10, dailymail.co.uk
'Pfizer's Champix patents in India is already opposed by Dr Reddy's' published online 02.07.2009, dancewithshadows.com
'Health Canada weighs options as U.S. FDA adds "black box" warnings' by Teresa Smith, published online 03.07.2009, canada.com
Anti-smoking drug 'greatly raises suicide risk and should only be used as a last resort', published online 03.11.11, dailymail.co.uk
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