Chantix Side Effects Drive One User "off the Deep End"

Chicago, ILA local woman who wanted to quit smoking claims that Chantix side effects caused hallucinations, dementia and a rush of emotions that for which she was wholly unprepared.

Tina Hurst, a mother and manager at a Fortune 500 company, was prescribed the drug to help her quit smoking. After two months of use, the drug seemed to have done its job, and Hurst felt secure in her resolve to go off of the medication without relapsing.

After she stopped taking Chantix, however, her mental condition began to break down. Hurst told an interviewer with ABC News that she started pacing around the house, crying and hallucinating frequently.

"I thought somebody died. And I was freaked out," she told the news source. "I totally went off the deep end."

The episode landed Hurst in the psychiatric ward of the hospital, where she spent four days recuperating before being diagnosed with a substance-induced psychotic disorder. Hurst had shown no previous signs of anxiety, depression or mental problems prior to her use of Chantix.

Due to the frequency of similar scenarios, the FDA is requiring that Pfizer, the maker of Chantix, perform a study to determine the extent of the drug's psychiatric side effects.