Chantix Side Effects Reported More and are More Dangerous than All Other Drugs

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 in extreme cases, Chantix suicide. Growing concerns over the drug have led to an ongoing investigation into the Chantix side effects in the United States. The FDA indicated that their review of data indicates it is “increasingly likely that there may be an association between Chantix and serious neuropsychiatric symptoms.”This data may help a victim and Chantix lawyer regarding their odds of being granted compensation from the drug maker as a result of these psychological side effects. 

Chantix Psychological Side Effects Plague Patients

One of the most widely-publicized legal issues in the country at this time is the ever-growing multidistrict litigation against smoking cessation drug Chantix. Initially a successful and promising drug, Chantix users more and more began to notice side effects related to the medication, some of which have proven fatal. Most of the Chantx lawsuit against drugmaker Pfizer deal with alleges that the patient has experienced some form of Chantix psychological problems, which have been known to include depression, rage, mood swings, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, and suicide. 

The most serious of these side effects is, obviously, suicide, and lawsuits involving suicide and suicide attempts are likely to be the most successful in a court of law. However, Chantix has other deadly side effects as well—including heart attack and diabetes. Like with most personal injury cases, the cases that are most likely to be successful are the ones that involve the most serious personal injury or long-term repercussions. Bereaved families whose loved one passed away because of Chantix side effects are more likely to be awarded a settlement than patients

Chantix Side Effects Lawsuits Slam Popular Drug

The smoking cessation drug Chantix looked like it was poised to be a success when it was first introduced to the market. Unlike many smoking cessation products, it proved extremely successful against a placebo during early clinical trials. However, for some Chantix patients, they are getting more than they bargain for—while making a desperate attempt to improve their health, some of these patients might accidentally be sentencing themselves to Chantix attempted suicide death. Chantix attempted suicide for them while they want to quit smoking.

Chantix was not tested during initial clinical trials on patients with a history of mental illness, although there are statistics that show that people with psychological problems or a history of psychological problems are more likely to be smokers than people without psychological problems. It is the former category that is more likely to experience psychological Chantix side effects. Depression, violent rages, sudden mood swings, aggression, and suicidal thoughts or Chantix suicide ideations.

Chantix Lawyers Discouraged by FDA Announcement?

The Food and Drug Administration has recently conducted two studies attempting to link the smoking cessation drug Chantix with psychological side effects that have been associated with the medication. However, both of these studies seem to have come up with nothing. Although this might discourage some plaintiffs who have filed lawsuits against Chantix drugmaker Pfizer, because they think that this might put an end to their lawsuits. Chantix personal injury lawyers dealing with these cases are feeling the pressure as well. However, there are some flaws in the Food and Drug Administration’s research that some people may have overlooked.

The Food and Drug Administration only conducted studies on Chantix patients who were hospitalized for depression and other possible psychological Chantix side effects. However, there may be a number of patients who are feeling the symptoms of the Chantix side effects, but do not want to get help or are not feeling them seriously enough to warrant hospitalization. In addition, some of the most serious allegations against Pfizer are Chantix suicide and Chantix attempted suicide—most of which occurred when the patient’s depression

Cases Build for Chantix Suicides and Suicide Attempts, FDA Ups Warning

Shortly after Chantix was introduced, an alarming number of reports were received by the FDA MedWatch adverse event reporting system involving users who committed suicide on Chantix or suddenly attempted suicide, despite no prior history of psychological problems. In November 2007, the FDA issued an early communication regarding an emerging safety concern which linked the use of Chantix and suicide, suicidal thoughts and sudden changes in behavior. In February 2008, the FDA issued a statement which suggested that their evaluation indicates it is “increasingly likely that there may be an association between Chantix and serious neuropsychiatric symptoms.” In July 2009, the FDA required Pfizer to add a prominently displayed boxed warning stating the possible side effects of Chantix including behavior changes, depression, hostility and suicidal thoughts, which is the

Heart Attacks Just Now Understood As Chantix Side Effect

Last month, the FDA did take some action on risks associated with Chantix cardiovascular problems by warning that people with pre-existing heart problems could face a higher risk of cardiovascular events if they take the drug. The information, which was added to the “Warnings and Precautions” section of the Chantix label, was based on a study that assessed Chantix for smoking cessation in 700 patients aged 35 to 75 years with stable, documented cardiovascular disease. Chantix 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 extreme cases, Chantix suicide.

Chantix Suicide Most Critical Side Effect of Quit Smoking Drug

In 2008 The FDA announced a public health advisory about abnormal behavior, agitation, Chantix depression, suicidal ideation, and actual suicidal behavior with Pfizer’s anti-smoking drug. The FDA provided updated numbers - 491 cases of suicidal thinking or behavior, including 420 in the US and of those, there were 39 suicides, including 34 in the US. Many of the cases were reported for patients without any prior history of psychiatric illness. Government scientists are conducting further investigating into the drug and, specifically, the reports of Chantix suicide and suicidal ideation. Chantix, approved in 2006, works by blocking nicotine receptors to the brain. Chantix is the first such nicotine receptor partial agonist approved by the FDA. It was heralded as an alternative to other smoking cessation drugs and nicotine replacement therapy.

Chantix Multidistrict Litigation Inching Forward

Although Chantix litigation has been consolidated in multidistrict litigation, as presided over by District Judge Inge P. Johnson, since October of 2009, many plaintiffs and other interested parties are unaware of the progress it has been making since it was consolidated. At the time of the consolidation, which was requested in July of 2009, there were only 34 Chantix lawsuits involved. Now, there are more than 1,200 that have been filed in courts across the country and are being consolidated in multidistrict litigation, which will combine pretrial processes in similar cases in order to expedite the legal process.

            Most Chantix cases involved in multidistrict litigation are related to Chantix suicide and suicide attempts, which is one of the more common psychological side effects of the popular smoking cessation aid. However, there are a multitude of other Chantix side effects listed as

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.

Chantix Lawyers Witness Increase in Lawsuits

It has been nearly two years since litigation related to the smoking cessation drug Chantix was consolidated in a federal court in Alabama, and cases continue to pour in from across the country from patients who have experienced some of the behavioral and psychological side effects of the drug that has been deemed “the most dangerous brand-name drug on the market”. The beginning of this year saw over a thousand Chantix lawsuits consolidated in the Chantix multidistrict litigation taking place in the Northern District of Alabama. The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation, which deals with cases such as this one, has yet to report the current number of Chantix cases that have been consolidated in this litigation.

Chantix Side Effects Could Net Patients Settlements

The smoking cessation drug Chantix has been called by some experts the most dangerous brand-name drug on the market based on reports of side effects related to the medication including mood swings, blackouts, and depression. More than 1,200 Chantix lawsuits are currently consolidated in federal courts, and it is becoming more likely that drugmaker Pfizer will try to reach settlements with some of the plaintiffs in Chantix litigation. The multidistrict litigation case is taking place in Alabama, overseen by Judge Inge Prytz Johnson.

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 Side Effects Weaken Domestic Sales

Sales of stop smoking drug Chantix are falling fast in the U.S., due to reports of severe negative side effects linked to the medicine. Overseas, however, Chantix sales are booming.
In 2010, medical journal PloS ONE published a study that showed Chantix has been linked to more acts of violence than any other prescription medicine available today. It has been shown to result in violent side effects, including aggressive behavior completely out of proportion, assault without provocation, and even suicide. These violent acts were found to be twice as common among Chantix users as among users of the number two drug with violent side effects, the antidepressant Paxil.

Chantix in Japan

There have been dozens of deaths linked to Chantix side effects, and there are at least 1,200 Chantix lawsuits currently undergoing processing in the U.S. court system. But despite the widely reported and sometimes fatal violent Chantix side effects, the FDA has yet to recall the drug. Meanwhile, Chantix is flying off the shelves in Japan.
The New York Times recently reported that Japanese Chantix sales were sparked by an October 2010 tax hike on cigarettes in Japan. Japan has a reputation as one of the “smokiest” countries on the planet, and recent events seem to strengthen this perception. Such great numbers of Japanese smokers sought prescriptions for Chantix that the medicine at one point was completely sold out throughout the nation.
Now Pfizer, the drugmaker, is busy producing more “Champix” (as it is named in Japan) to meet this overseas demand. This surge in sales may to some extent make up for the dismal domestic Chantix sales.

Black Box Warning Sees Chantix Sales Slip

Sales of Chantix plummeted 36 percent between the fourth quarter of 2008 and the first quarter of 2009, in large part because of a new “black box” warning label that alerted consumers to the risk of violent Chantix side effects such as unprovoked aggressive acts and thoughts of suicide. As stated in the Times article, Chantix sales in the U.S. fell another 16.8 percent during the first three quarters of 2010.
In late 2008 an announcement was made that sparked this precipitous fall in sales. The news was that Chantix had become the most dangerous brand name pharmaceutical in the United States. ISMP, a non-profit consumer healthcare watchdog organization, conducted a report in 2008 that showed the FDA had received more reports of Chantix injuries than reports from all of the top ten best-selling brand name pharmaceuticals combined.
It is clear that Chantix is dangerous, as the great numbers of Chantix deaths and Chantix lawsuits attest. It is also clear that Japan has quite a smoking problem. The Times article stated that 36.6 percent of Japanese men are currently smokers, which is much higher than the 24 percent of U.S. men who smoke cigarettes. Each year in Japan there are 130,000 deaths from tobacco-related illnesses.
Whether these tobacco-related deaths in Japan will rise or fall after this massive Chantix consumption remains to be seen. People are also wondering whether Japan will experience a sudden rise in violent Chantix side effects, and whether Japanese Chantix deaths will be included in the latest statistics for the drug. Japan already has one of the highest suicide rates on the globe, and it is not yet known whether Chantix side effects will push this rate yet higher.

Chantix Suicide Risk Requires Stronger Warning

Two known and potentially deadly side effects of Chantix—Chantix depression and Chantix suicide—are many times not listed among the possible Chantix side effects named in the product’s pamphlet. These particular side effects are specified separately as possible “severe” side effects that mandate professional medical assistance if they are experienced. Yet many feel that this amended warning is still not strong enough to effectively alert users to the dangers these side effects represent. Even among users with no prior history of mental disorder or depression, severe Chantix depression and suicide can develop very quickly.

Chantix Suicide Identified Shortly After Debut

Pfizer, Inc. is the manufacturer of Chantix, a drug commonly prescribed to cigarette smokers to help them in their efforts to quit. The medicine was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2006, but soon after there were reports of extremely adverse effects and events that resulted in the discovery of Chantix’s potential psychological side effects. These include serious conditions such as depression, thoughts of suicide, severe mood swings, and acts of aggression.
Yet Pfizer continues to insist that the drug is a boon to society in that it serves as an effective treatment for patients who need help quitting smoking. Chantix functions by blocking the brain’s receptors that are normally stimulated by nicotine consumption. This results in less pleasure derived from the act of smoking.

Chantix Lawsuits Claim Negligence by Drugmaker

The first report of a Chantix suicide came after the widow of a former Chantix user filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Pfizer in July 2008. Her husband, a man with no prior history of any mental illness, committed suicide after taking Chantix for a few short months. Many more Chantix suicide lawsuits were filed soon thereafter, resulting in multidistrict litigation for all such suits filed in a federal court.
These lawsuits make claims that Pfizer seriously misrepresented the true risks linked with Chantix use, and that this misrepresentation constitutes a reckless and criminally negligent act on the manufacturer’s part. The lawsuits further allege that Pfizer put consumer’s lives at risk by failing to conduct sufficient research on the drug, and by omitting adequate warning statements that both doctors and patients are entitled to.

Chantix Drug Trials and Inserts Flawed from Start

When drug trials were first conducted for Chantix, they excluded all individuals who had a past history of psychiatric troubles or a current psychiatric disorder. Therefore people with relatively commonplace problems such as depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia did not factor into the results of the trial. It has been estimated that around two out of every three smokers do in fact have past experience with or are currently suffering from some kind of psychological disorder related to mood, whether the symptoms be mild or severe. Since people with these types of disorders were not included in the trials, yet the intended consumers of the drug are likely to be made up of people with these same disorders, negligence on the part of the manufacturer is apparent.
Originally, the Chantix warning information mentioned several possible side effects ranging from suicidal thoughts to nausea. But the waning label has been altered several times since the drug was originally given the green light by the FDA in 2006. In the end the FDA made it mandatory for Pfizer to change the Chantix black box warning so that it included information specific to the drug’s possibly life threatening side effects. This is the strongest cautionary measure that can be applied to the warning label of any prescription drug.