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.

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.

Chantix Shown to Have Consistent Link to Murder-Suicides

Chantix (varenicline) was approved in the United States by the FDA in 2006 as a prescription medication to help people quit smoking. The drug works by reducing the positive feelings that come from cigarettes, blocking the receptors in the brain commonly stimulated by nicotine. However, the impact of the drug on the brain has resulted in a number of reports from users who experienced sudden, unusually aggressive behavior, thoughts of self-harm and suicide. In June 2009, the FDA added a “black box” warning about the potential risk of problems with Chantix, indicating that some users have experienced changes in behavior, depression, suicidal thoughts and other serious Chantix side effects. Pfizer has also been required to conduct clinical trials providing more data on how often neuropsychiatric symptoms and suicide with Chantix occur and what conditions cause them.

Chantix Heart Problems Uncovered

The list of side effects associated with the smoking cessation drug Chantix seems to be growing every day, with the Food and Drug Administration’s recent announcement that there is an increased risk of heart attack in patients who take the drug in order to quit smoking. Other adverse cardiovascular effects have been noted as well, especially for those with cardiovascular disease. These side effects have been added to an extensive list, which includes diabetes, psychiatric problems, depression, suicide ideation, aggressive behavior, and Chantix blackouts.

Chantix Side Effects Lead To Upsetting Court Cases

According to the FDA, a potential cause for patients developing depression and suicidal thoughts while using nicotine cessation drugs may be the fact that Chantix and Zyban do not contain nicotine, which causes users of these two drugs to go through symptoms of nicotine withdrawal, including depression, irritability, restlessness, anxiety and insomnia. A pair of studies has linked to Chantix to disturbing behavior. One study found an association with serious acts of violence. Some of the serious side effects of Chantix include: physical abuse, physical assault and homicide. Another that was published in the Annals of Pharmacotherapy cited links to violent and aggressive thoughts and acts, and also identified some of the common characteristics among people using the pill and their subsequent behavior.

FDA Receiving New Information on Chantix Cases

It was recently reported that Pfizer failed to properly send hundreds of adverse event reports involving psychiatric problems with Chantix to the FDA for years, leading to an underestimation of the impact of Chantix side effects by the FDA. Included among the unreported problems were 150 Chantix-related suicides that date back to 2007. 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.

Chantix Side Effects: Patients Seek Legal Action

Chantix has been touted as one of the most effective, if not the most effective, smoking cessation medications on the market today. It tested brilliantly in clinical trials and was therefore rushed through the Food and Drug Administration’s screening process. It entered the market as a presumably safe, effective drug that was poised to help the millions of American smokers break from their unhealthy habit. Chantix works by combating both physical and psychological cravings, unlike many other smoking cessation aids, and is therefore effective for many patients.
Chantix side effects quickly began to manifest in patients, and took the form of serious psychological disturbances – rage, mood swings, aggressive behavior, depression, suicidal thoughts, and other mood and behavioral changes began to take shape in some Chantix patients. A few ended up hospitalized, while others died of successful suicide attempts. Patients who have experienced the serious consequences of Chantix side effects may now be wondering whether or not they will be able to file a Chantix lawsuit and, if so, what their chances are of winning a settlement.
Potential plaintiffs who have any questions in regards to Chantix litigation and filing a lawsuit of their own should first speak to an experienced Chantix lawyer, because each case is different and only an evaluation of a patient’s personal case by an expert can lead to a completely accurate assessment. However, there are a few things that are useful to know in any case.
Both the lawsuit viability and the settlement amount will depend on the nature and severity of a side effect. Plaintiffs who are filing wrongful death lawsuits on behalf of a family member who has committed suicide due to Chantix will most likely get the most valuable settlements. Documentation of the side effect, such as doctors’ notes, police or emergency records, and medical records will most likely need to be provided, as well as proof that the medication was being used in the intended way.
Settlements will be determined by past and future medical expenses related to the condition, wages lost, pain and suffering, et cetera. These will all be taken into consideration during a Chantix lawsuit.

Suicides and Violence Blamed on Chantix

Chantix was approved in the United States by the FDA in 2006, and treats nicotine addiction by reducing the positive feelings that come from cigarettes, blocking the receptors in the brain commonly stimulated by nicotine. However, the medication has been associated with an increased risk of neuropsychiatric injuries leading to behavioral changes, depression, aggression, agitation, hostility, rage, suicidal ideation, suicide attempts and, in many cases, successful suicide. Approximately to 300 Chantix depression and suicides incidents have been reported to the FDA.

Chantix Causes Violent Death for Musician

Carter Albrecht, keyboardist for the pop group Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians, began taking the smoking cessation aid Chantix in the summer of 2007 along with his girlfriend, Ryann Rathbone. After only a few days on the product, he became violent towards her – something that had never occurred before in their relationship. Rathbone eventually locked the violent Albrecht out of her house, when a neighbor saw him screaming and ranting on her back porch. Frightened, the neighbor fired a gun at Albrecht – intending for it to be a warning shot – but Albrecht was shot in the head and died.
Albrecht is not the only victim of the side effect of increased aggression associated with Chantix. Although it is one of the most effective smoking-cessation aids on the market today, it is also one of the most dangerous drugs on the market. A study by the scientific journal PloS ONE showed that varenicline, the active ingredient in Chantix, is more than twice as likely to be involved in a violent event than any other drug on the market – a startling statistic considering that over three million Americans have been prescribed the drug, and exact numbers are not known regarding the number who have experienced these aggressive Chantix side effects.
This side effect is unique because it does not only directly affect the person who is taking the medication but also the people around them. Chantix users have been known to show increased aggression towards strangers and loved ones alike, leading many users and family members of those affected by Chantix aggression to come forward with lawsuits in order to claim compensation for their struggles. Luckily, for 90 percent of Chantix users who experience aggressive behavior, the behavior stops when the drug is no longer being taken. However, as in the case of Carter Albrecht, it may be too late.