Drug taken to stop smoking is linked to traffic mishaps

Source: LA Times

WASHINGTON -- Daniel Williams decided he'd listen to his girlfriend and his 8-year-old son and finally quit smoking, with the help of a new prescription drug called Chantix.

He started taking the medication, and a couple of nights later, as he was driving his pickup truck on a country road in Louisiana, Williams suddenly swerved left.

His girlfriend, Melinda Lofton, who was with him, later told him that his eyes had rolled back in his head and that it had seemed as if he was frozen at the wheel, accelerating.

Moments later, they were in a bayou, struggling to escape the murky water, Williams said.
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Approved two years ago, it differs from other smoking-cessation drugs by acting directly at sites in the brain affected by nicotine, blocking the pleasure that comes from smoking as well as the cravings.

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Read more: http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-na-smokedrug25-2008may25,0,4540550.story

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Holy Crap! I guess death is one way to quit smoking!

...that should be re-evaluated by the FDA (if was actually evaluated in the first place).

The side effects are considered too dangerous, according to the news report that I saw.

I remember feeling... spacey when I was on it.

Spacier than normal, that is...;):hi:

I take Chantix...

to quit smoking, though. And I'm still alive.

Guess I was lucky.

my wife has tried 4 times to give up after 35 years of smoking 40 a day . the first times were terrible and gave up each time. This last time she used Chantix (under medical supervision) and a year on she still does not smoke nor have any cravings.

like to...)

though I notice the yearnings for a cigarette are getting rarer and rarer - and it's really more the habit I miss sometimes, not the nicotine. I haven't had a smoke for 9 months and I've been off Chantix since the end of December. My worse side effect was nausea - which did get pretty bad at times.

that smoking is so pernicious, a person is not considered a non-smoker until they have been
smoke-free for 3 years!!

So, even though I haven't had a cigarette in 18 or 19 months, I'm still not considered a non-smoker.

Isn't that something?

and I went cold turkey...did it by telling myself it was ok to admit I had an addiction and that I would always want a cigarette...vs...telling myself I didn't want one...it worked for me...wb

:applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause:

and for all those others trying...I understand it's hard...I tried many times and didn't make it...and even this go round, there were several different bad days that I almost didn't make it...at which point, I told my family...I want you all to know, I am having a very rough day, I want a cigarette very, very bad...I don't know if I will get through this or not, I am trying...BUT...just in case you see me with a cigarette, I don't want any of you to say a thing...and for some reason...that helped also..called psyching yourself out, I think...and now I to the point that I don't even think about it...November will be 3 years...wb

Perhaps I'll succeed.

The serious reactions that have been reported are a relatively small percentage of the total number of people that have taken the drug. That is not to say, however, that this is not an issue and doesn't warrant further investigation but rather that most medications involve some sort of cost versus benefit calculus.

Be a guinea pig for the pharmaceutical companies? No Thanks. It's been banned from being prescribed to airline pilots, as I understand it.

:hi:

The vast majority of smokers will never get lung cancer, and of those people who do get lung cancer, only 3/4 are smokers (that's a very dirty secret that we're not supposed to know).

That smokers also get. I was just using lung cancer as an example.

I know people who died of lung cancer who probably got it from smoking, and I know people who died of other cancers who were teetotalers. I've also had family members who smoked their entire adult lives and never had any problems from it. I know that loads of bad things can happen to people for loads of reasons, but I think adults should be able to make decisions about how they live their lives.

If you want to smoke, that's fine...

which is simply not true, and seemed that you in fact are in favour of people getting cancer. It's insulting to people. It's like if you own a car, and I said "enjoy accidentally running over a child who went into the street to get a ball", because that's a risk that drivers face.

And I didn't think that a sarcasm tag was needed - my mother has cancer.

a member of the audience that he was speaking to once, "what do I do about smoking, I'm still addicted" and he answered, "If you are going to smoke, smoke with joy!"

I used that a lot when I was still smoking. No need to add negative thoughts and feelings on top of it all. People stop when it's their time.

I smoke, BTW.

about it. In fact I think that when I gave up the "have to stop" "I'm weak" "I'm killing myself" idea it became easier to stop.

One time years ago another woman who was very spiritually attuned told me that it was not so much the smoking as it was the fear associated with smoking that caused most of the sickness. Then I thought about how many cultures smoke so much more than Americans and get less cancer. Maybe it's because the "You're going to die" message is not on every single pack of cigarettes they open.

I have heard this from a fellow smoker who pretty much maintains that attitude. I don't know if I can every be joyful about it but I try not to live in constant fear and self-denigration. I know that is more unhealthy...

Honestly, I rather enjoy smoking, but at the same time I make no bones about the fact that it is bad for my health.

Enjoy whatever miserable illness you end up getting... what a jerky thing to say esp. for a moderator. Plus, what % of smokers get lung cancer? not too high sweetheart.

Oh, and I'm smoking as I type this.

If we can't act like Norma Desmond in the grip of a manic phase, then why come to DU?

You are right, of course: all drugs have drawbacks, and it is always a question of whether the benefits justify the cost.

In my case, Chantix helped me give up a smoking habit that had been with me for more than half my life, and the only side-effect was some bizarre dreams. That was more than worth it.

that I wouldn't want people driving, flying or operating heavy machinery with. That doesn't mean they are a universally bad drug.

There are many smokers who have tried multiple cessation methods and haven't been able to quit. Is there some risk with Champix (canadian name) yes, is a small potential risk to forewarned people acceptable, apparently yes from the patients I have had who used it.

No medication is without harmful potential, the question is one of weighing the potential vs. the good. Let's face it Aspirin and Tylenol are both potentially very dangerous drugs, but they haven't been banned yet (I will guarantee that far more cases of morbidity and mortality can be attributed to ASA than Champix, based on a percentage of people taking them).

Are the drug companies honest, hell no, but that doesn't mean every drug they make is without benefit, but judicious use is also important (one of the reasons Canada does not allow drug advertising in mass media).

In order for my patients to get a script for Champix, they have to be neurologically intact, have no history of seizure disorder and can't be on any other psychotropic medications. I go further and have them try other methods first and use Chambix and Bupropion and my last choice cessation aids.

GK

the list of POSSIBLE side effects of a drug listed in the product insert is actually a list of THINGS THAT WILL ALL HAPPEN TO EVERYONE who takes the drug, lol.

If you look in the PDR, I bet every single drug in there has headache, dizziness, loss of appetite, and abdominal discomfort listed. They have to report every single thing that happens to someone on the drug, and most of those things have nothing to do with the drug and would have happened anyway.

IIRC, placebos (sugar pills) have a pretty astonishing level of "adverse drug reactions".

are correct.

When a drug SE profile is made, any SE reported during phase 3 and 4 trials makes it on the list, even when it occurs at the same rate as placebo, if 1 person reports a SE it makes the list, that simple

And yes, placebo does have a list of amazing SE, because, again, when weighted in a trial, the SE with placebo and SE with drug are given as comparison (and yes sometimes the placebo shows a higher rate of a SE) that of course, is because many times a SE such as a headache or nausea had nothing to do with the medication, it just happened that the person had a headache that day.

GK

I even take them when I operate hazardous machinery and still have most of my fingers.

are helpful and safe but are usually prescribed by non-specialists. In the case of Chantix, the "optimal/maintenance" dose is too high for many smokers. That is also true for many anti-Alzheimer's meds, and with Parkinson's disease the doses are usually too low. This applies to anti-seizure medications too, in both directions.

Chantix is THE BEST approach to stopping smoking (with drugs) ever invented so far. But most doctors don't really understand how any meds work. Instead they use guidelines developed (primarily) by the drug makers. Don't get me wrong, they are taught this but often, once in practice, they forget or ignore that knowledge.

Anyone who can read these posts - because they have internet access - can also learn enough about any specific medication to know how best to take it, including what dose is actually needed. I have a website which includes access to a search engine for physician education site, and try to get every patient I see to learn all they can about whatever problem they have, and to tell me how they do. I usually joke that any change from my initial recommendations, based on their individual response, will be considered, implemented, and result in optimal outcome "which I will take all the credit for".

The FDA has a site which shows all prescribing info on all medications. Why would anyone NOT look this up on any doctor-recommended medication? Telling patients up-front that no matter how smart they think I am (or would like to think I am), their personal response is all that matters - makes me look smart.

BTW this is true for almost EVERY medication used today. I can't tell you how many people are on medications that their exam proves they DON'T NEED! Women with hypertension is #1 with my patients. Very often they are NOT hypertensive (high blood pressure) even while off meds.

And vitamin supplements are meaningless.

He has charts and graphs he refers to that tell him how all his patinets feel on any given medication.

And that's all he cares about.

Pretty sure I am not seeing that doctor again.

knowing full well that I am diabetic and have a history of grand mal seizures. When I told him I was concerned about the side effects I'd read about, he claimed I was being uncooperative.

This same doctor wanted me to come back in for the third time in less than five months to monitor my cholestorol ( both my LDL and HDL are w/i the normal range). When I told him I couldn't afford another $82 (the amount Medicare does not pay) so soon, he fired me. I got my "pink slip" in the mail a few days ago.

Champix should not be used in a person with seizures, ever.

However wrt your cholesterol, normal levels are not recommended in a diabetic, cholesterol levels in diabetics should have targets in the range we aim for in people with known ischemic heart disease. That means your LDL should be about 60% that of the cutoff for normal (I'm not sure what units the USA uses, Canada uses SI standards and a normal LDL is up to 3.4, a diabetic should have an LDL of less than 2.0.) The reasons for this is that diabetics have an intrinsically higher potential for IHD, as well as having aberrent lipid metabolism in addition to aberrant glucose metabolism.

GK

There are better ways to get the nicotine monkey off your back.

if you don't mind my asking?

There are people who have tried to quit dozens and dozens of times using NRT, hypnotherapy, CBT, and even cold turkey but haven't been able to do it. Then they take Chantix, don't have any problems, and then are able to give it up. Kudos to you if you're able to give it up cold turkey, but that doesn't mean everyone else can.

Do we ban Chantix or driving? I don't need to drive, and Chantix did help me quit, so my choice is obvious.

Well...not truckers, pilots, air traffic controllers, military safe, but safe enough until somebody wins a huge lawsuit.

I know several people who have taken it with no side effects, which is why I decided to try it. It did exactly what it was supposed to do. It took away the physical cravings.

Obviously, different drugs affect different people differently. Every drug has potential side effects for some people. That doesn't mean it's not safe for the vast majority. That's why you should always pay close attention whenever you start taking any drug and report anything unusual to your doctor immediately.

It may be true that Chantix has more risks than previously thought, but we should wait until some more studies and research is done before we jump to conclusions.

smoking is the most insidious addiction ever. there is not only the physical addiction but the psychological is a nightmare. i am 10 years having quit. i smoked while pregnant-my dr told me the trauma from quitting was worse than the effects of smoking on my daughter (he has since retired). i had to cut down to 8 a day. my daughter was born, she got real sick and i could no longer smoke in the house or car. i was smoking maybe one or 2 cigs a day at that point-i still couldn't quit. baby dad and i broke up, money got real tight. my choice was milk for the child or cigs for me. my daughter came first and i finally quit.i dream that i am smoking. one day i was at the gas station and almost bought a pack, it was a routine i had(forgot i quit). i like the smell of cigs. i am like a dry drunk. if i ever even take a drag i will be back to at least a pack a day-that would be over $6 in nj. there are better things i can do-like put almost 2 gallons of gas in my car.

It impairs judgment.

far more than the medicine which is taken to correct such conditions (such as post-partum depression)

I watched my mother die from lung cancer for 2 1/2 years. Despite all the research, lung cancer couldn't happen to her, after all it only happens to a small percentage of the population, right? She wouldn't get in-home oxygen because she was afraid of blowing herself up while she smoked. She couldn't get enough air to speak but could inhale that smoke. I quit a year and a half before she died. In case anyone doesn't believe how bad it can get, just ask me how it was to help her struggle for air the last week she lived. The look of panic in her eyes as she realized that she would never get a satisfying breath again will haunt me forever. So that's how I quit smoking. I wish I had a way to make other smokers understand.

I kept getting really bad nausea, worse than morning sickness. I didn't have problems on .5 for a week, but on larger dose, I got very ill. I'm still a non-smoker but I have gone to chewing nicotine gum. I do notice a difference in the cravings.