Stay Away from Chantix

Just a quick little thought here about Chantix...

I had another client yesterday who wants to stop smoking, and as we were discussing other methods that are available out there, she mentioned that a relative of hers has been taking Chantix for about three months. She talked about how he has become so short-tempered... you can't even say "hello" to him without him becoming extremely defensive or agitated... and that he has just become a horrible presence to be around.

I informed her of all the data that's come out over the past couple years - about how the FAA has banned pilots from using Chantix due to cases where users have blacked out while driving automobiles and caused accidents... about the reported cases of violent behavior and suicide... and even about how trusted doctors and medical professionals compromise their integrity by accepting thousands of dollars from Pfizer (the Big Pharma giant that produces Chantix) to promote its drugs - in spite of the known dangers.

But best of all, after the session, I asked her the same question I ask all my stop smoking clients before they leave: "Would you like a cigarette?"

The expression on her face and her tone of voice in saying "No" was about the same as if I'd asked her if she'd like to jump off a skyscraper... just complete bewilderment that I'd even ask!

She's going to do extremely well, and in a couple weeks when she comes back in for her follow-up session, I'll do an interview with her (like those in yesterday's blog post) and share her own words with you.

You don't have to use dangerous drugs like Chantix to quit using cigarettes. It's just not necessary!

Chantix Suicide: "Something Demanded I Do It"

Three Rivers, MI: When Melinda F. started reading other people's stories about Chantix side effects, she started to cry. That was because she had not realized that her use of Chantix may have caused her suicide attempt in November, 2007. Melinda says that she had never
experienced anything like the depression she went through while taking Chantix.



"I started [Chantix] in mid-August of 2007 and I quit smoking in September or October," Melinda says. "It was probably about 30 days in and I started to get this thought in my head. It was the exact same thought every night, almost as if something was ordering me to go into the kitchen, get a knife and cut my wrists. Every night it was the same thing: it told me what I had to do and how to do it.

"I went to a psychiatrist and was put on Wellbutrin. A week later I cut my wrists and I never related the incident back to the Chantix. Then, I saw a commercial about Chantix and suicidal thoughts. I got goosebumps; I was almost in tears reading other people's stories.

"I was never told about the side effects; if I knew, I wouldn't have taken the Chantix. It was like I wouldn't be happy until I cut my wrists, it was like something was demanding me to do it. But a couple of days after stopping the medication, I never had that thought again. Now, I'm scared of taking any medications because the side effects scare me to death. I don't like taking anything.

Click here for the full story.

Promoting Chantix is a High-Paying Gig

This is from today's article at the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.



It really should set off warning sirens when you see a pharmaceutical company like Pfizer paying $1000/day to psychiatrists to talk about Chantix. If the drug is so wonderful and safe, shouldn't an honest psychiatrist be willing to speak about it for free? Of course, his time is valuable... but if he genuinely cares about people and believes in this drug, why would it cost Pfizer so much to get him to speak?



As a comparison, I gave a talk about the benefits of using hypnosis for smoking cessation last Sunday, and guess how much I was paid? Well, since it was a completely free event, I was paid nothing. Of course, I'm not completely innocent... I did make a bit of money selling hypnosis CD's afterwards. However, I also provided hypnosis services during the presentation, and I know for a fact that some people in attendance haven't had a puff all week.

So here's the story... just another example of a big drug company paying a reputable psychiatrist to push its latest wonder drug. It's really only notable because of the fact that since he gave the speeches, Chantix has emerged as the most dangerous new pharmaceutical drug on the market.

Just see this direct quote from the article:

"Chantix has been associated with depression, suicidal thoughts, blackouts and serious injuries."

Eric Heiligenstein, the University of Wisconsin-Madison psychiatrist who received large sums of cash to speak about the benefits of this dangerous drug, says he "doesn't have second thoughts" because... get this... another stop smoking drug also has serious risks.

Uh, Your Honor? I object.

Mr. Heiligenstein seems to be saying that it's okay to promote a drug that causes people to kill themselves because other drugs on the market also cause harm. I suppose that means it's always okay to promote any drug, even if it causes people to immediately jump off of tall buildings, simply due to the fact that other dangerous drugs have also been approved by the FDA.

Remember, these are the people who are telling you that pharmaceutical drugs are safe. Keep that in mind when making a choice regarding your mental and physical well-being.

Keep in mind that no hypnotist or hypnotherapist is getting paid $1000/day to speak out about the benefits of hypnosis. Yes, we might make a decent living by helping people to stop smoking and lose weight, but there is no multi-billion-dollar establishment paying us to push our wares.

Click here for the full article from the Journal-Sentinel.

VA Testing Chantix on Vets Without Warning of Dangers

Here's an article from the Washington Times which details the problems with testing drugs on a very vulnerable portion of the population - veterans of the armed forces returning from duty in Iraq.

The pertinent section to you as the reader involves Chantix, the drug that has been linked to depression and suicide in the U.S., U.K. and elsewhere.

Click here for the full article at the Washington Times.

Here's the portion that pertains to Chantix:

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[President-Elect Barack] Obama, [Rep. Bob] Filner and other lawmakers on both sides of the aisle called for an investigation into a smoking cessation study, which Mr. Peake immediately initiated.

The experiment tracked 240 veterans taking the drug Chantix to examine which forms of counseling were more beneficiary - smoking clinics or through a separate counselor. James Elliott, an Army infantryman who was wounded in Iraq, says the drug caused him to experience a mental breakdown and a showdown with police who used a Taser to subdue him in February.

Mr. Elliott said the VA didn't warn him about new FDA concerns that Chantix was linked to psychotic behavior and nearly 40 suicides until nearly a month after his disturbing incident occurred earlier this year.

The internal investigation confirmed that Mr. Elliott was not alone. It took medical professionals involved in the study anywhere from 16 to 134 days to notify participants taking Chantix about the new warnings.

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As with any mention of Chantix, I will take this opportunity to remind the reader of my personal stance on psychotropic drugs, which is, quite simply, "don't take them." The benefits very rarely outweigh the risks, and there are nearly always side-effects.

As for the ability of a drug like Chantix to assist you with smoking cessation, my advice is more specific: "you don't need it." You can quit smoking on your own, without drugs, patches, gums, lasers, needles or even hypnosis.

You can do it.

When I use hypnosis with my clients, I give to them what some ex-smokers have given to themselves -- a clear awareness of their motivation, along with a focus on the benefits of being a non-smoker. This not only works, it also produces a feeling of accomplishment and self-sufficiency - independence, if you will... that can only be achieved through learning to use the power of your mind.

Those who are successful quitting through other methods do receive the benefits of being smoke-free, which is fantastic. What they don't receive are the benefits of learning just how powerful they truly are when their mind is properly focused.

It's not just getting the results you desire that's important - it's also the sense of pride you feel that fuels your ability to accomplish other things in life that are perhaps even more meaningful.

Top 10 Biggest Medical Stories of 2008

This list was compiled by attorneyatlaw.com. My belief is that if anyone knows where legal problems (and the potential for lawsuits) reside, it's a bunch of lawyers!

In any case, #4 on this list should be of special importance to readers of this blog:

4) ANTI-SMOKING DRUG CHANTIX’S DEADLY SIDE EFFECTS

People who took the stop-smoking drug Chantix complained of psychotic, irrational behavior. The negative side effects of the anti-smoking drug Chantix caught the attention of federal drug safety officials. Reports of psychotic dreams and irrational, suicidal behavior in people taking Chantix started pouring in after the former guitarist for Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians was shot and killed while trying to break into the house of a friend. The family of Jeffrey Albrecht blamed his bizarre behavior that night on Chantix, which he had started taking to stop smoking just a few months earlier.

Click here for the complete list.

Chantix Spam Alert

Before we kick this article off, I will get right to the point: Chantix is very dangerous and NOT a safe alternative for people who want to quit smoking. Here's why:

Top 10 Biggest Medical Stories of 2008 (#4: Chantix's Deadly Side Effects)
FDA Official Video: Warning of Chantix and Suicide
Chantix Label Updated To Warn Of Suicide Risk
Chantix an Antidepressant or a Source of Suicidal Thoughts?
Chantix Suicide a Real Possibility
Widow Sues Pfizer Over Chantix Suicide
Chantix: Miracle Drug Or Dangerous Problem?



Now, you are about to discover just how hard Big Pharma (or their minions) is willing to work to get you to take their drugs... in this case the anti-smoking medication Chantix. What follows here is an analysis and description of what can only be viewed as outright deception (as well as what we have come to know as "spamming").



Do a quick Google search for "Chris James" and Chantix, and you'll find the results quite interesting. This seemingly innocuous blogger appears to have made the same exact post about Chantix (occasionally altered slightly) hundreds and hundreds of times.

Here are some examples:

Chantix, is it really a magic pill? (this is a supposed "acne treatment" blog)
Is Chantix all it claims to be?
Chantix, is it really a magic pill? (this one has a prominent link for penis enlargement)
Is Chantix really a wonder drug?
Is Chantix all it claims to be? (this is a "weight loss" blog)
Is Chantix all it claims to be?
Chantix, is it really a magic pill?
Is Chantix all it claims to be?

These, and hundreds of others, are pretty much the exact same story.

Since smoking cessation is the focus of my practice, and I want to stay informed of the most current news developments in the industry, I have taken advantage of what are known as Google Alerts, which allow you to receive regular updates directly from Google via email on any search you choose (ex. "chantix").

As I monitored the alerts, I began to notice the exact same article - written by the mysterious "Chris James" - appearing over and over again, yet always on different sites. Upon closer inspection, I came to notice that not only were these articles nearly word-for-word identical, the websites/blogs that hosted them weren't actually "real"... meaning, if you click on other articles or links on any of the sites, you'll find generic entries filled with misspellings and grammatical errors.

One of these posts caught my attention because it's on a website named "conversationalhypnotherapy.com." One article I clicked begins as such:

"Directed conversation is done to induce hypnosis in people. It is called a conversationally hypnosis."

Huh??

Later in the article...

"He must submit some questions to let the patient more aware of the things. As an example, “If you are a sole human on the Earth, how it will be like?”

These sentences make absolutely no sense whatsoever. Even if the omitted words were replaced, the sentences would have no intellectual value. I could go on and list more examples, but I'll save you the time. It's clear that these articles were never meant to be read.

They list authors who do not exist... when links are clicked for their websites (example below: www.effective-hypnotherapy.com), you are directed to a page like this:


Clearly, this website does not exist.

Now, the sheer magnitude of this gargantuan effort on behalf of Chantix (or whoever) should stop you in your tracks. Here are the facts:

• One very pro-Chantix article is being posted hundreds of times all over the internet.
• The author is attempting to portray himself as an impartial blogger/consumer.
  
• Entire websites are being created to make this one article appear legitimate.
• These websites contain links to other sites that do not exist.
• The authors of the articles appearing on these websites do not actually exist.
• Chantix is being marketed by any means necessary.

Here is the point: Chantix is currently being taken by more than 8 million people worldwide. The profits are in the billions. They market Chantix to you via TV commercials with a cute little turtle.



Now, having realized that internet blogs and articles can reach millions more potential customers, they have resorted to the most hated of all marketing ploys - spamming. They deceptively post the same exact article on hundreds of fake blogs all over the internet in the hopes that someone will click on the article and view it as an honest opinion from an individual.

So, who is "they?" Well, all you have to do is ask "who benefits?" Who benefits from you taking Chantix? Well, Pfizer, of course, as well as others who might make a profit from being middle men.



Here is a company facing lawsuit after lawsuit for the damaging effects of its drugs, now promoting a drug that in 2008 has been linked to seizures, violent accidents, depression and numerous cases of suicide. Heck, these lawsuits are so numerous, a quick internet search will show dozens of law firms that actually specialize in lawsuits for users/victims of Chantix.

When deciding what method to use in order to stop smoking, you have to ask yourself - Who is pushing me to use this particular method? What kind of individual is this? Can this person or organization be trusted? Does this person actually exist?

I've always made it clear on this blog that hypnosis is not the answer for everyone, and it in fact is not a magic pill. However, there are no deadly or harmful side-effects to using hypnosis... none whatsoever. Furthermore, the average hypnotherapist doesn't have a fraction of the budget Pfizer has... or the moral ambiguity... that allows it to go to absurd lengths to get anyone and everyone to use its product.

So go do a little search for the mysterious Chris James and see for yourself.

Chantix "The Worst Drug"

Here's another first-hand account of the dangerous psychotic side-effects of the anti-smoking pharmaceutical creation known as Chantix (and Champix in the U.K.).

Click the headline above or the link below for the full story.

Gardena, CA: For some patients, the two words go together all too well: Chantix suicide is not an abstract phenomenon for these people. In fact, it is a very real possibility. Mitchell W. says he was surprised by the Chantix side effects he suffered, especially since he had not experienced any side effects during an earlier round of the anti-smoking drug. While Mitchell did not even attempt to commit suicide, he certainly had thoughts about doing so. Luckily, he recognized what was happening and got help before it was too late. Sadly, some patients do not get help in time, and for their families Chantix and suicide are forever intertwined.



"I actually took Chantix in December 2006, for 3 weeks," Mitchell says. "I guess I didn't take it long enough to notice any problems, but after 3 weeks I was cut off by the government from having it paid for. So then, in 2008—I think I took it in about October—I took Chantix for 5 weeks. By the second week, Chantix made me so tired all day long that all I could do was sit in my recliner with my head back and my eyes closed. Every so often I would try to go to bed and sleep, but it wouldn't let me sleep.

"That went on for weeks and weeks until finally it messed up my sleep cycle so badly that I couldn't sleep at all at night. After 5 weeks of that, I was so depressed I was suicidal. I know all about that because I've been bipolar for 30 years plus, so I made a run into my psychiatrist's office. She took me off Chantix, but because of my HMO, I couldn't check into the psychiatric hospital and keep myself safe until my new meds kicked in."

Mitchell says that it took 3 months until he felt better. "It was 3 months of depression—severe depression. I had thoughts of suicide, of stepping in front of a big rig on the freeway or hanging myself from the bridge. Things like that. I've got 30 years with my illness, so I've learned the triggers and what they mean and how to ignore them."

Click here for the full story.

Chantix Problems in Britain

Found this article yesterday and thought I'd share the most interesting bits with you here. It actually details problems with Chantix all over the world, not only in the UK.

Click the headline above or the link at the bottom for the full article.

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The controversial smoking cessation drug known as Chantix in the U.S., was introduced by Pfizer as Champix nearly two years ago in Great Britain. The drug is known generically as varenicline in both countries and, in Great Britain, about 400,000 prescriptions have been written says BBC News’ online site. Internationally, says the BBC, about nine million prescriptions have been written.

The BBC explains that Chantix is a nicotine-mimicking drug that enables the body to reduce its urge for cigarettes while also reducing its withdrawal symptoms. However, in studies, the drug did not provide increased efficacy over other methods of smoking cessation. Despite this, notes the BBC, Pfizer earned over $883 million from the drug in its first year.

In Britain, according to the piece, over 3,000 people have “complained about adverse reactions to Champix,” with nearly 200 reporting suicidal reactions, 16 attempting suicide and 10 succeeding in committing suicide.

The BBC investigation led to similar findings in the U.S. with one man creating a night-long scene of fighting with his girlfriend and with a handgun, causing an armed, police stand-off. All this occurred after the man, an Iraq vet with post-traumatic stress, had taken Chantix for only a few days.

The BBC also discussed a father of three who killed himself with a shotgun to his mouth, another man who killed himself with a shot to the head, and a mother who hanged herself. All three were on the drug and none had prior psychiatric history.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) said it linked 37 suicides to Chantix.

Meanwhile, MedPageToday.com, also reported that Chantix has been linked with over 1,000 adverse events that include 50 deaths, in the first quarter of this year alone.

Since its approval in 2006, Chantix has been associated with 3,325 reported serious injuries in this country that include 112 deaths, the institute said, according to MedPageToday.com. Because the FDA’s post-market surveillance system is voluntary, the report may be underestimating actual figures.

Click here for the full article.

Chantix and Suicide

Here's an article with first-hand information about the dangers of Chantix and how it can affect you psychologically. This, along with the lawsuits currently being brought against the drug in both the US and the UK (marketed there are "Champix," perhaps because it's supposed to turn you into a "Champ"), paints a pretty scary picture of what could happen if you begin taking it.

This is a drug so dangerous that it has been banned by the FAA, as well as the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, mainly because it has been linked to seizures that cause a driver (or potentially a pilot) to lose control of his vehicle.



My recommendation, as always, is to find a way to quit smoking that doesn't involve putting more drugs into your system. I know, I know... that seems like a crazy idea in today's world... but there it is.

Taking a dangerous drug to cure an addiction to a dangerous drug simply doesn't make sense.

Here's a portion of the article. The link to the full article follows below.

Chantix Suicide a Real Possibility
November 22, 2008. By Heidi Turner

Mound, MN: Amy M. can tell you that the possibility of a Chantix suicide is very real, especially for people who already experience depression. She was on Chantix for just over a week when she began suffering serious side effects. Amy has since stopped taking Chantix, but says she is worried about other people who may be severely affected by the drug.

"Before I started taking Chantix, I called the doctor. I have borderline personality and anxiety disorder and depression. I am being treated for all of them and I'm doing fine. I see a counselor and the only medication I was on was 50 mg of Zoloft. I read all the side effects of Chantix and told the doctor that it sounded a little risky, but she wanted me to try taking it anyway.

"So, I started on August 21, 2008. On August 29, 2008, I called the Chantix hotline because I had that support system in place. I was a frantic mess. They [the Chantix hotline alerted the health department to Amy's situation and passed along their notes] wrote down that I had irritability, I was screaming and crying, I was out of control and depressed, I felt like killing myself and I was yelling at everyone around me. I was afraid to eat and I could not sleep. There was probably much more than that, but I do know that I wanted to kill myself and I was out of control. I don't remember everything I said because I was so out of it, but I know I was frantic.

"Then, on September 2 [after moving up to 2 Chantix pills a day] I really went out of control. I called my mom and she told me to get to the ER because I told her I wanted to kill myself and I was screaming and crying. I went to the ER and they asked me if I would kill myself. I said that I would not, which was why I had gone to the ER, so they gave me Ativan. The doctor felt it was safe to let me go because I was not psychotic. I was to take one Ativan every 8 hours until the Chantix was out of my system. Two days after the Chantix was out of my system, I was 100 percent back to myself.

"I would not recommend this drug to anybody. I have heard good and bad about and I am very afraid that it will take someone's life. If this can happen to me, it can happen to multiple people. I can't believe how bad it is. It's not good."

Click here for the full article.

Great American Smokeout is Today

Today marks the 33rd Annual Great American Smokeout, an event originally intended to raise awareness of the dangers of smoking, which is a good thing. Unfortunately, the American Cancer Society's website is built to funnel wannabe ex-smokers into NRT (nicotine replacement therapy) and even drugs like Chantix.



There is a brief paragraph on hypnosis on the site, but it's on a secondary page and is mentioned almost as an afterthought... sort of like "well, the results of hypnosis are inconclusive, but hey... if you want to try it go ahead."

Now, it's become sort of a mission of mine to point out the dangers of Chantix, and to an extent, the other prescription drugs created to assist with smoking cessation. In spite of the warnings on the labels and in commercials, the public remains largely unaware of just how serious the side-effects can be.

As you can find elsewhere on this blog as well, Chantix is currently involved in multiple lawsuits related to users who committed suicide shortly after taking it. There have also been cases where seizures have occurred and led to auto accidents, which is why the Federal Aviation Administration banned its pilots from using the drug earlier this year.


Regardless of the outcome of these lawsuits (which, if like other lawsuits brought against Pfizer and the other Big Pharma giants, will likely end in settlements), the plain truth is that it simply isn't worth the risk.

There are just too many other ways to quit smoking that don't involve imbibing chemicals that interact with your psychology.

So, if you want to quit smoking, cross Chantix, Zyban and Wellbutrin off your list. You are strong enough and resourceful enough to quit without them.

You don't need NRT, either. There is overwhelming evidence that the majority of the addiction to smoking is mental, not physical. NRT methods only address physical symptoms; they do nothing to address the myriad associations you have with smoking, nor do they address your beliefs and attitudes related to smoking, which are powerful factors in determining your long-term success in becoming a non-smoker.

To put it simply - your body isn't nearly as addicted to cigarettes as is your mind. Once the mind forgets about the habit, whatever physical attachments remain are insignificant. It's just like going to the movies and, while absorbed in the story, forgetting about smoking until the movie is over and you exit the theatre, There is no battle with will power; no cravings or withdrawal.

When you deal with the mental aspect, quitting becomes far easier. For those with a sincere desire to quit, and who are through making excuses or rationalizations, the mental adjustment is enough to get through the stressful situations or other negative emotional experiences that would otherwise lead to relapse.

To be fair, the American Cancer Society's website does recommend counseling sessions for smoking cessation. However, it also says that the greater the length and frequency of the sessions, the greater your chances for success. That's just not true.

Whenever I discuss my clients' experiences, please keep in mind that I am not endorsing hypnosis as a magical cure-all that works 100% of the time. The truth is that what is discussed and covered during a session of hypnotherapy, in combination with the techniques employed, is what determines the individual's success.

That said, the majority of my clients are successful quitting after one session lasting approximately 1.5 hours. This success has been measured over time, with many of them now smoke-free for three, four and five or more years. They haven't had another puff after that initial session.

Remember that when you see another commercial telling you that, because you've been smoking a long time, it should take a long time to quit.

Nonsense.

Your mind is the most powerful tool you have at your disposal. So if you've chosen today as your stopping point, don't give your brain a chemical cocktail of pharmceutical drugs; instead, let it operate at its maximum capacity and lead you to success naturally.

Hypnosis is one of many ways to achieve that outcome. Find one that suits you and you'll be on your way to success.

Anti-Smoking Drug Linked to 10 British Suicides

It seems that these stories are coming by far too often. Drugs which are supposed to treat depression and anxiety are causing people to become depressed and kill themselves.

I'll have more on this later. For now, here's the original story from the London Daily Mail:

--------------------------

By JO MACFARLANE
Last updated at 9:59 PM on 08th November 2008

Health chiefs have revealed that ten people have committed suicide after taking a controversial anti-smoking drug linked to depression.

The disclosure by the Government’s drugs watchdog is the first time officials have revealed the link between Champix and suicide in this country. Earlier this year, US authorities announced they were investigating 37 similar cases there.


Omer Jama with his nieces. It is thought he committed suicide as a result of taking the stop-smoking drug Champix.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) website says a total of 24 people taking the nicotine-replacement have died, of whom ten took their own lives.

A further 213 claimed they had experienced suicidal thoughts and 407 said they were suffering depression.

There is no evidence that Champix has been a factor in any of the deaths. However, some experts are concerned that the drug, used by almost half a million people in Britain, may cause depressive thoughts and mood swings.

Last April an inquest heard how TV producer Omer Jama, 39, slashed his wrists eight weeks after starting a course of pills. A toxicologist told the hearing: ‘There is a possibility he could have been influenced by the side-effects of the drug.’

Click here for the full story.