Chantix and the Damage Done
October 27th, 2009. By janem
I’ve interviewed many people who’ve taken Chantix to help quit smoking. They talk about the damage it caused, not only to themselves, but their family and friends. All their stories are upsetting but just now I talked with Tim and his account is heart-wrenching.
Tim’s wife died from cancer a few months ago, but his grief is compounded by the fact that he was never able to apologize to her. “Soon after I took Chantix I was so short-tempered; I would get mad at my wife, Judy, for any little thing,” says Tim, his voice breaking. “Now that Judy is dead, I can’t say sorry for being so mean.”
“Judy and I were long-distance truck drivers, we were a team,” Tim explains. “When I got on the Chantix, we argued constantly on the truck. I just thought it was from nicotine withdrawal, but even our friends asked Judy what was wrong with me. Before Chantix, I was happy-go-lucky…
Judy could just move a pop can and I would get irate. And I was mad at myself because I was making her so upset but I had no idea why. Sometimes I’d be driving and forget where I was. I’m talking about driving a semi. It was dangerous. It got so bad that I thought of wrecking the truck more than once, then we would both die. I just kept hurting her…
I saw an ad on TV a few weeks ago that explained how Chantix causes mood swings, suicidal thoughts and aggression. I didn’t read the Chantix warning label because my doctor said, ‘Just go ahead and try Chantix; it’s a new drug and pretty much reliable’. I guess that’s the problem with new drugs-you don’t know the side effects until it’s too late.
If I knew of the Chantix side effects, or if my doctor explained them to me, I wouldn’t have tried it. And I won’t be beating myself up now. And I’m smoking again. I’m really irate at the drug company and I’m so upset just thinking about it, knowing how much I hurt my wife.”
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I have very simular side effects from chantix. It has been over 2 years. I wonder how long this will last or is it permanant.
Hi Ronnie, Thanks for your comment. Chantix side effects are not something to let linger. If it's been over 2 years, I'd be scheduling an appointment with my doctor to find out what's going on. Two years is a long time. You may also find it beneficial to have your situation reviewed by a lawyer who specializes in Chantix cases. Should you wish to do so, you can do that right on our site, here. More news and information about Chantix is also available on our site here. And, I'd encourage you to share your concerns with a doctor. Let us know how you make out.
wow very sad to hear about the gentleman's wife. I understand completely. In 2009 the nurse at my doctors office convinced me that chantix could help me to quit smoking. Boy was that the worst thing I could do! I still have sleepless night (the dreams were so vivid sometimes I am still scared to go to sleep) the mood swings are constant and I find myself yelling for no reason and it has been 2 years still with these side effects. The migraine headaches alone have cost me to exhaust all my vacation for the year and I still have half the year to go. I dont watch the news much so I really hadnt paid much attention to the side effects other people are suffering untill I just came across this article
I cried while reading Tims story, I lost my husband (Max) to cancer as well,however Max was taking Chantix at the time of his death and treated me very bad which was heartbreaking because we had a wonderful relationship prior to Chantix, his Dr told me as well as my daughter to take him to a mental hospital just days before he passed his own Dr of many years didn’t even know he had cancer his bad behavior was being blamed on the Chantix. But thank God a couple of weeks before he died he pulled me aside and ask me why he had been so mean to me and apologized for his behavior which told me that he love me very much, he to drove over 90 miles an hour down the highway with our 3 grand babies in the back seat and I felt that he was trying to end all our lives that day, I miss him everyday of my life and I believe if it were not for the Chantix we could have possibly saved his life,
Prayers for you Tim ,
I am horrified and terrified. I quit taking Chantix about 3 weeks ago after a verbal warning followed by a written warning about mistakes at work. This isn’t congruent with my former work and I had moments of sheer confusion. I was advised by my Boss to stop the medication and did so. The most frightening aspect for me is the short term memory loss. I absolutely cannot recall what I have done two or three days prior to the present day. I have mental health a mood disorder that is mild and I have always been high functioning. Always worked.. attended classes and my most common issue I dealt with was insomnia maybe once a year. The mood swings were NEVER an issue. Maybe a depressed mood every 18 months or so. I knew there were risks but never ever thought any could be permanent. I quit my job in the middle of a shift without notice. I can be perfectly calm and rocket to absolute rage saying things I have never said. I realize having some mental health issues may disarm people about the drug. All I know is I make rash decisions and now am not sure if I can return to classes due to the memory issue. I am a migraine sufferer but have gotten that under control with Botox and preventative medicine. I have a migraine every single day for two weeks and am truly unaware of this side effect. Can anyone at all tell me if there are any stats on short term memory loss after stopping this drug? I am scared to death. Any info would be greatly appreciated.