Chantix Depression Linked to Pre-Existing Problems

Chantix, a successful smoking-cessation drug, has recently been linked to an array of psychological side effects including mood swings, rage, depression, and suicidal thoughts. Some patients of the drug have attempted or actually gone through with committing suicide, leading their relatives and loved ones to file a wrongful death Chantix lawsuit. Evidence suggests that patients with a history of mental illness who take Chantix are more likely to experience adverse psychological side effects of the medication.

Chantix interferes with nicotine pathways in the brain, which are also connected to dopamine pathways. Mood regulation is essentially controlled by dopamine, and the connection between Chantix and dopamine can have an impact on a patient’s mood. Patients who already have depression or have a history of depression are more likely to experience Chantix mood changes. However, patients may also have undiagnosed depression – which could prevent a patient from using the drug completely safely.
More than 1,200 lawsuits related to Chantix are already in various stages of litigation, and most of them revolve around psychological Chantix side effects. Most plaintiffs were not warned or were not properly informed of the risks associated with Chantix, namely that the drug could exacerbate pre-existing psychological problems.

Not unlike clinical depression, symptoms of Chantix depression include feelings of sadness or emptiness, insomnia, inability to concentrate, fatigue, suicidal thoughts, and other symptoms. These can begin developing just days after a patient begins taking Chantix, and it is important that a patient speak to his or her physician as soon as the symptoms are first experienced.

One of the major flaws in Chantix’s marketing was the fact that, during clinical trials for the drug before it was approved by the Food and Drug Administration and made available on the pharmaceuticals market, smokers with a history of mental illness were not included in studies. This oversight is especially glaring because of the vast number of people suffering from psychological disorders who are also smokers. Chantix is especially damaging to these people, but can also have an impact on the mental health of those who are otherwise perfectly healthy. Those suffering from the adverse effects of Chantix are advised to consult with an experienced Chantix lawyer immediately.

Heart Disease Added to List of Chantix Side Effects by FDA

The popular smoking cessation drug Chantix may dramatically increase the risk of serious heart problems, according to a medical study led by a Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine researcher. The findings of the study, released Monday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, describe a 72 percent greater risk of “serious adverse cardiovascular events,” such as heart attacks, for users of Chantix. However, the New York Times reported Monday that the study differed from past ones, because it excluded those with cardiovascular disease, to give a better picture of which heart problems the drug could cause in otherwise healthy people trying to quit smoking. In a statement posted on its website, Pfizer expressed concerns about the reliability of the study, including the way the data was analyzed. Individuals across the country are filing Chantix lawsuits to ensure proper representation.

Pfizer Forced to Inform of Chantix Dangers

In July 2009, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ordered Pfizer to include a warning on Chantix, to highlight the risk of serious mental health reactions and Chantix side effects, which include: changes in behavior, depressed mood, hostility and suicidal thoughts. Pfizer says the medication acts on sites in the brain affected by nicotine, helps ease withdrawal symptoms and blocks the effects of nicotine if a user resumes smoking. On June 16, the FDA issued a similar Chantix drug safety communication, warning that the smoking cessation drug might increase the risk of certain heart problems, including the risk of heart attack, among individuals who have cardiovascular disease. The warning came following the analysis of a study of 700 smokers that found those taking Chantix suffered twice the rate of heart attacks as those who did not.

Heart Attack Risk Kills Chantix Profits

In a statement released this week, Pfizer criticized the findings of a study published Monday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, maintaining that current safety data involving more than 7,000 people has found no evidence of heart side effects for Chantix. The company suggests that the recent findings could be inaccurate due to the overall low number of heart events found in the study. Researchers mined a number of databases for double-blind, randomized controlled trials involving people who took Chantix and were later found to have suffered a cardiovascular event, including heart attacks. They found that side effects of Chantix may substantially increase the risk of heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular problems by 72% over smokers who did not take the drug.

Court Case to Move Forward in Chantix Wrongful Death Suit

Plaintiffs who have filed federal Chantix lawsuits claiming they were injured or killed while trying to kick their smoking habit by using the cessation drug Chantix will have their day in court in Alabama, a federal consolidation panel has ruled. Pfizer, the maker of Chantix, has been sued by and on behalf of users who say they have experienced suicidal behavior and thoughts and other serious side effects while taking the stop-smoking drug. Among the cases is one brought by relatives of Texas musician Carter Albrecht, who died on September 3, 2007.Albrecht, a well-known Dallas musician and member of Edie Brickell & the New Bohemians, was fatally shot by a neighbor after he started banging on the windows of the neighbor’s house in the middle of the night. Albrecht’s relatives blamed his unusual, aggressive behavior that night on Chantix.

Reports Show Chantix Can Lead to Self Harm and Harm to Others

Concerns over a potential increased risk of heart attacks and other cardiovascular problems among some users of the smoking cessation drug Chantix has led federal regulators to require new warnings for smokers who are considering the prescription medication. For more than 2 1/2 years now, Chantix lawyers have been representing individuals and families severely injured or killed as a result of this popular prescription medication. While Chantix is designed to help people stop smoking, it has been linked to hundreds or reports of serious injuries or deaths among users and those close to them. In addition to increasing the risk of suicidal thoughts and suicide with Chantix, users have found that the smoking cessation drug has caused them to lash out at the nearest person in an “uncontrollable rage,” which can result in serious or fatal injuries for both users and their friends or family.