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Are You Taking Chantix ?

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WASHINGTON - An anti-smoking drug sold by Pfizer Inc will carry more prominent warnings that patients be monitored for unusual activity including agitation, depression and suicidal behavior, the company said on Friday.

The world's largest drugmaker said it worked with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to update an earlier label change enacted last year for its drug Chantix.

The new label offers a similar recommendation to monitor patients, but the language is more prominently located to better get the attention of doctors, Pfizer officials said.

Basically there was an evolution of thinking of where it would be best to place (the advice) on the label," Pfizer Vice President for Medical Affairs Ponni Subbiah said in an interview.

It directs doctors to observe patients on Chantix for "serious neuropsychiatric symptoms, including changes in behavior, agitation, depressed mood, suicidal ideation and suicidal behavior," according to Pfizer.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22728514/

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  • HadIt.com Elder

I used it, and it worked. I had the crazy, vivid dreams and stomach pain with it, though. I stopped using it after about 2 months because I couldn't taste anything. Taste came back in about 2 weeks and I stayed tobacco free for about a year. When I had my last, and most severe flare-up of my back, which started last summer and is still in progress, I went back to my olsd friend tobacco. I smoke and dip, and I doubt if I'll ever quit again. That was about the most miserable year of my life. Maybe I just didn't give it long enough...

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On my 4th day of not smoking, no crravings and only side effect is stomach aches, but you have to consider every morning

aspirin

plavix

imdur

meteprolol

wellbutrin

prozac

chantix

oxycodone

clonazepam

duragesic patch

all at once, some times with coffee only sometimes I eat something and drink coffee b4 taking them so I dont and cant blame the stomach problems on chantix, the prozac and chantix are both fairly new to me. So many pills and on a empty gut (sometimes) I cant complain. And considering I have sleep apnea and I think COPD, heart disease I cant smoke anymore, I am just killing myself with tobacco. If I ever live anywhere the marijuana is legal for mediicinal purposes I will smoke it, eat it or vaporize it. Its up for vote in michigan in november and legal in five cities in michigan, including ann arbor where the VAMC is. I have a letter from a medical proffesional that recommends that I use marijuana for pain and stop the duragesic and oxycodone and that marijuana would be beneficial to my health. Therefore I can legally smoke and grow marijuana if I live in Ann Arbor, but I dont and I dont use it (currently).

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  • In Memoriam

I don't think that it is the other medications you are taking. When I use to smoke too much, I would get that stomach ache and not smoke for a while. Chantix, is giving me the stomach ache also. I recognize this as an effective way to associate the desire to smoke with the stomach ache.

This is the reason that so many people gain weight when they stop any other way. With Chantix, I can see that I will not gain weight as long as I am taking it. This is my ninth day on Chantix and the first day without smoke.

I don't have much of a choice, back surgery will not be done with out quiting smoking. Bones will not heal with nicotine in the system. This is what my neurologist told me.

I haven't been told this. This is my current opinion on the drug Chantix.

I have really been having many rotten dreams. Problem with the dreams is that I seem to remember them when waking.

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  • In Memoriam

Rental

Thanks for telling me that the taste came back in two weeks. I have to stop taking this as the hopeless feelings are back and very strong. I just started thinking, the heck with everything, when I remembered my Dr.'s warnings. I just called him, and the Doctor said stop taking now.

Because your taste came back I suspect these rotten feelings will stop in a couple of weeks. I don't think that people with PTSD should not take this medication unless they have an iron stomach. It's back in my room for a few weeks now.

I will do it on my own. Its funny that the back pain and smoking are a busy vicious cycle that seems to regenerate itself. The back pain helps cause smoking, and surgery can not be done unless you are smokeless.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I took Chantix for more than 2 months - cut back on my smoking - BUT triggered my PTSD in a huge way. Just found out that the VA here has put it on their formulary - I think it's dangerous to prescribe. There just weren't enough clinical trials before the FDA approval. I've tried to quit several times, but I think there's a huge correlation between PTSD and smoking. I'm also in AA recovery - have been since Apr 27, 1987. I hate smoking and have huge guilt and shame issues along with it.

I'd like to hear from other vets in the same situation. I have absolutely no health problems from smoking (since 1975 when I joined the Army). PCP did a spiral CT a couple of months ago and those results were "amazing" according to her.

One thing that I'm phobic about is being in a situation where I can't get outside or to a smoking area. Not that I want to smoke at that moment, but the situation triggers my PTSD (invasive/intrusive thoughts) and panic attacks. God help me if I ever need to be in the hospital. Nicotine replacement therapy doesn't alleviate this and Chantix makes this phobia 10xs worse. All I've heard is I've been diagnosed with PTSD and nicotine dependence.

Heck, I wouldn't be smoking now if it had not been encouraged in basic training & AIT - "if ya' got 'em, smoke em'". Plus, I remember in Germany that a carton was $1.75 - what part did the Army play in all of this???? EVERYTHING.

Chicopee

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