Chantix and Suicide
Recent reports suggest that there is an association between the use of the anti-smoking drug Chantix and suicide. Drug regulators in the United States and Europe are investigating hundreds of suicides, reports of suicidal thoughts and severe behavior changes which occurred among users within a few weeks of taking the drug. The lawyers at Saiontz & Kirk, P.A. represent individuals and their families, who are pursuing a potential Chantix lawsuit as a result of committing suicide or inflicting severe physical injury on themselves while taking the drug.
>>INFORMATION: Side effects of Chantix and Suicide
When reports of suicide among Chantix users first began to surface late last year, Pfizer, the drug’s maker, attempted to minimize the risk and suggested that the problems were not caused by side effects of Chantix. They suggested that the suicide problems were likely caused by the effects of nicotine withdrawal or pre-existing psychiatric illness, as opposed to their medication.
In almost all cases where people go to their doctor and obtain a prescription medication to help them stop smoking, they do so because they want to improve their health and avoid the risks of smoking, which could shorten their life. These individuals are generally motivated to make the difficult, health promoting life changes necessary to quit smoking, and many of the reports of suicide have not involved people with any history of psychiatric illness.
Pfizer’s failure to warn about these problems and attempts to minimize the risks associated with Chantix is a clear example of a pharmaceutical company placing profits before the health and safety of consumers.
Since Chantix was approved by the FDA in May 2006, it has become one of the few bright spots in the drug pipeline for Pfizer. Faced with declining sales among other medications, the pharmaceutical giant was particularly protective of their potential blockbuster medication, which was already turning into a billion dollar a year drug.
As a result of Pfizer’s failure to warn about the potential link between Chantix and suicide, users and their families may be entitled to financial compensation. The Chantix lawyers at Saiontz & Kirk, P.A. are reviewing potential cases throughout the United States. If you, a friend or family member suffered severe self-inflicted injury or death as a result of suicide or unusual aggressive behavior, request a free consultation and claim evaluation.
8 Comments • Add Your Comments
S. Faucett says:
I got angry all the time while I was on Chantix, I had to stop taking it because I wanted to kill myself all the time. I think that there should have been a warning about suicide attempts then I would have thought more about whether or not to take it.
Posted on October 6, 2008 at 7:06 pm
rhonda says:
i tryed to kill my self while on this medication
Posted on December 7, 2008 at 2:24 pm
Adodge says:
I took chantix as directed and was really happy to have actually quit. Or so I thought I had. But within 4 weeks of no longer taking it. The stress that again plagued my life caused me to begin smoking again. So 6 months later I again began taking the Chantix. This time when I got to week 12 I woke up one morning and had this very scary notion to go and kill myself!!!! And the intellectual side of my brain was saying “What are you crazy!!!! This feeling was horrible, but I knew exactly what I was feeling. I called my sister and asked her to get to the house as fast as she could. I told her why. While I waited for her I stayed in bed and cried. I was crying because the thought of killing myself was so scary and real. When my sister got there she wanted me to go to the hospital. But I did not want to go there. I asked her to stay with me until my husband got home. And I asked her to take all my medication home with her that evening. That was my common sense speaking, because I knew that I was taking at least two medications that would kill me if I overdosed on them. I stayed in bed and my husband watched over me after my sister left for the night. The next morning after crying myself to sleep. I woke up and it was like some Crazy dream I had, had. I was so sure it was just one of those screwy dreams that is also a known side affect from taking Chantix. I started to tell my husband about what happen in my crazy dream. To my surprise he told me it was not a dream, That what I was telling him is what happened yesterday. Since I no longer felt like killing myself. I knew right away that the Chantix had caused this almost uncontrollable crazy desire to end my life. I think that the makers of Chantix should recall this drug and do further studies on the affects it has in the chemicals of the human brain. Just like for some people that are depressed, they take Prozac and boom they are fine. But some other people have said Prozac has not affect on them and had to be switched onto a different SSRR antidepressants. Perhaps the makers of Chantix should look at doing PET brain scans on individual that are in a controlled environment and taking Chantix. Then when someone feels this horrible desire to die,. that patient can be taken back down to x ray and have a detailed PET scan done on their brain so that it could be compared to the previous PET scan. Perhaps then this company would know what group of patients cannot take Chantix.
Posted on December 14, 2009 at 4:05 am
Cynthia says:
I took chantix years ago when it first came out and the only side effect i had was nausea. Life events happened and i started back smoking. Since that time i think they have changed the chemical make-up of the drug. I went on chantix several months ago to quit smoking, even though i quit, i have encounter a whole new set of issues. After starting on chantix this time, i started having the dreams, i thought ok i can handle this. As the weeks went by, i started feeling depressed, after almost 3 months of taking it, i told my family i just didn’t want to live anymore. I would have extreme outburst of temper rages and then at times extreme crying and sadness. My other issue with chantix is that 6 weeks after i started taking it, i got chest pains that would come and go accompanied by shortness of breath. This sent me to the ER several times for them to tell me everything was fine, my EKG , blood work, etc. For a month the chest pain would come and go, till i finally went to a pulmonologist who took x rays and did function test on my lungs. She found no reason for my shortness of breath, it was not my lungs. She ordered an echocardiogram, where it was found that both ventricles of my heart had functioning issues. I have been referred now to a cardiologist. I read the insert to the chantix and a side effect states that it can make a heart condition worse, however, i was perfectly healthy until i took chantix. I know my heart was healthy because i was in the hospital about a year prior to that with pneumonia and an echocardiogram was done and i had a healthy heart. When i thought about when these symptoms of chest pain and shortness of breath came about i linked it to the chantix. I immediately came off the chantix. Since coming off the chantix, i have no shortness of breath or chest pains, nor do i feel suicidal. I am very frustrated that this medication if being allowed to stay on the market. The FDA is suppose to protect consumers. I want to know why this medication is still on the market? i am very upset that i am early 50’s , no medical history, only take vitamins, and now i have a heart that is not functioning properly at times and i feel it is due to this medication chantix. I have grandkids i would like to see grow up and now i have an issue with my heart , that i feel is due to the chantix. I have medical records that prove prior to chantix my heart was healthy. I want that medication taken off the market!
Posted on February 27, 2019 at 1:33 pm