Washington, D.C.Chantix has been known for several months to pose a dangerous risk of suicidal mental episodes to patients that have a history of depression. But, now the Food and Drug Administration has tagged Chantix onto a laundry list of drugs that have suicidal thoughts as a side effect. Since January of this year, physicians throughout the country have been observing patients to be certain that no suicidal episodes occur from using the smoking cessation drug. They have been closely monitoring who they prescribe the drug to on a regular basis. So far, physicians have been looking closely at patients with a history of mental depression as people that would not be viable candidates for taking the drug, Chantix. The new finding from the FDA suggests that suicidal thoughts and episodes may be a side effect of the drug itself not necessarily springing up just from depression already being experienced by patients on a regular and consistent basis.
"Chantix has been responsible for some suicidal deaths that have occurred. Some patients didn't attempt suicide, but did have suicidal thoughts and feelings while under the influence of the drug. It was also discovered that people suffering from depression were left out of any clinical studies performed on Chantix. This has left people who have lost family members or who have felt suicidal from the drug asking why such an important cross-section of society was omitted from the important clinical studies. As physicians became alerted to the situation through FDA reports and patient reports they have become more vigilant in whom they prescribe Chantix for.
Overwhelming thoughts of destroying one's self and of lesser consequence sadness, anxiety, and depression are coming forth as side effects of several drugs on the market. Drugs such as Singulair that is used for treating allergy and asthma suffering are showing signs of causing these types of self-destructive thought patterns and feelings in patients. Tamiflu and Relenza which are Japanese drugs that are supposed to be highly effective in reducing the length of the influenza virus have had similar issues. Two teens fell to their death from high rise apartment buildings while under the influence of Tamiflu. Also, two other teens were injured as well in falls from buildings after taking the drug. It has been found to make patients delirious and cause them to hallucinate. Another young person taking the drug ran into oncoming traffic meeting his death.
Since January 31st of this year at least eleven different drugs have been identified as having suicidal thoughts and tendencies to be side effects of taking them. The result is that patients taking any of the eleven drugs were doubly at risk for experiencing suicidal thoughts and feelings. Problems arose after just one week of taking the drugs in a study and continued to persist even after twenty-four weeks total of taking the drugs. The FDA has issued medical alerts for all of the eleven drugs to health care professionals throughout the country in an effort to protect patients.
By: Delsia Hartford 
