Any Way To Reverse Long-term Chantix Side Effects? (Page 11)

My mother took Chantix several years ago in an effort to quit smoking. Well, she quit for a year. During that time, however, she became unbearably depressed. She has no history of depression.

She consulted a doctor several times and tried 3 different prescriptions, 1 of them being Zoloft. She stopped because she said they made her feel like she was just in a constant haze. She hasn't been to a doctor or a psychologist since then. In the mean time, she started smoking again because she thought that it would make the depression go away. It didn't.

Because of her experience with the 3 prescriptions, she is unwilling to go back to a doctor, and dismisses any notion of going to a psychologist. Our family has pleaded with her to keep trying, even if she has to tell whoever she sees that she won't try any drug for fear of the side effects; even if her only option is therapy, we want her to at least see someone. She is reluctant.

This side effect of major depression has persisted for years now, long after she stopped taking Chantix. Does anybody have any advice, or experience with the reversal of such severe side effects? My mother, and the rest of my family, is terrified that this is permanent, and she is terrified of the possibility that another prescription will result in even worse side effects.

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REPORT

I have been taking Chantix for over 2 years daily. I still smoke 3 or 4 cigarettes a day just to fit in my evening beer group. I asked my doctor how long I should take Chantix and he said as long as your insurance pays for it. They pay the full amount. Do I need to worry about any long term effects from this long term use?

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Anybody there to answer my question posted on 11/04/2016?...

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Little Hope
It is now been 4 years since your original post. My wife took Chantix in 2010 and I believe suffers from depression caused by the Chantix. I am wondering how your treatment has helped you.

Frank

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I feel the same way I definitely feel different since taking chantix I have had anxiety issues, suffer from major mood swings & depression since taking chantix. I am thankful it has been 4 years since my last cigarette but the after affects suck never had issues like this before taking it

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Was on champix almost 4 years ago now. Yes I ended up quiting. But since then have experienced high blood pressure which I never had before quiting. I also went through major ups and downs in my moods while on it. Many suicidal thoughts. Experienced the vivid dreams/nightmares which have never gone away again. There is also a possible link to my mother having a tia while on the drug

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I smoked for 33 years. Took Chantix close to four months. Ramped up from 0.5mg to 1.0mg to 2.0mg over approximately seven weeks. Stayed at 2.0mg for two months and quit during that time. My mood changed to agitation and anger. I raised my voice to my wife for the first time in 13 years and began losing interest in activities. I decided to immediately wean down to 1.0mg for a week then stopped. Then, the severe depression set in. I lost my job and eventually my wife filed for divorce. I was treated for depression but I do not tolerate drugs very well so the talk therapy had to do. To this day, I am struggling with depression and all the symptoms. There is definitely a connection here related to Chantix that major pharma does not understand or is unwilling to admit. The standard line is something about the benefits of quitting smoking outweighs any side effect.

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Frank, since I posted my first post, I have not heard a reply from John either, but some of us are still here to help

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Arthur,
I am saddened to say, that we havent heard from Laura since the last time she posted to my comments, and I have tried to track her down, but to no avail. which is a shame, because she spoke to us with much knowledge, and had so much information to share with us I am sure.

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MM,

You sound like myself, and my own experiences with this drug, I am also ADR, I suffer with adverse reactions to most drugs. I think my original post is number 44, look for it and try what I have used, it alleviated the whole depression buzz, the severe darkness, the dreams, and the like. I feel for you mate, but there is hope. There are countless reports of Chantix or Champix causing marriage break ups, and severe depression, you are not alone. To save you the trouble of looking back, but I hope that you do, the herb I took is called Rhodiola Rosea... look it up mate. I am here if you need help.

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MM,

Do a little research and try finding some Rhodiola Rosea - Take no more than a 1000mg a day, you only need 1 per day. It will help you get back to close to normal... I suffer with ADR, sounds like you do as well, ADR = adverse reactions to drugs.. I'm allergic to 90% of prescribed drugs... There is help out there, mate, so, keep your chin up and focus on the light at the end of the tunnel. Sometimes just being able to man up and tell people how you feel works. I am assuming you are male... I am also here if you need some advice, Im no doctor, but I have experienced this depression and severe darkness, to be honest, if it wasn't for my daughter, I know that i wouldn't be here.. Find something to focus on matey, and just keep a strong focus on that, and work towards your higher purpose. I am here... Blessed be

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Well. I stopped Chantix and am back to. A pack a day. I am going to start Chantix again. One or the other is going to kill me.

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Mitch, I took chantix for 11 days before being ordered off them by the pharmacy head and my doctor. I continued to smoke up until just last year, when i found out that i now have COPD... I think I'd rather not have smoked at all lol..

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Yeah. It is a choice of 2 evils. I also have COPD. I wish I could back up 40 years and I would never smoke. But... we get one chance at this thing called life.

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Mitch, you're in exactly the same boat as me. I also have COPD.. it sucks big time huh...

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I have taken Champix quite a few times over the last 6 years, as it's the only thing that can help me stop for a while. Now I only need to take it for a week and I will stop smoking and stop taking the pills. I stop taking them asap because they completely mess up my digestive system. It causes me to go from super happy and normal to "I don't care about anything" "everything and everyone is stupid" complete mental derangement in just a few days. They say your stomach is your second brain, perhaps the drug kills off all your good gut bacteria or causes inflammation that destroys their habitat. I'm not a scientist or a doctor but I think it's worth looking into more. It has been well documented now that there is a huge connection between mood and mental issues and the gut. I'm self medicating with good Probiotics and trying to eat healthy, easy to digest food that's not processed. Trying to take an Ayurvedic approach to healing the gut.

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Professor David Healy has told the truth.... Pfizer kills people around the world.

Source: "Smoke & pfizer get in your eyes", Rxisk.org. Web. 12 September 2012

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Not sure if you'll see this but how did the doctor say you can rebuild serotonin levels?

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5 Natural Ways to Boost Serotonin

1. Diet:

Ditch the processed food that drains your stores and provides nothing in the way of nutrition. Limit high-sugar foods or simple carbs – such as white rice or flour – that create “false happiness” for short periods of time before causing your system to crash.

If you have issues with maintaining serotonin, avoid caffeine as well since it suppresses production of the hormone. Drinking plenty of water will keep you hydrated as well.

A good rule of thumb is protein three times every day and lots of colorful fruits and vegetables. Adding serotonin-producing foods such as wild seafood, organic meats (especially turkey) and eggs, beans, nuts, peanut butter, bananas, flaxseeds, and dark chocolate to your daily intake, is how to boost serotonin from the inside out.

2. Exercise:

Even when it’s cold or you’re stuck inside, you can dance in your office or follow along to a yoga video to get your body moving. It causes a spike in tryptophan which leads to more serotonin.

The effect of working out – even low impact – lasts for hours after you’re done!

3. Reduce Stress:

The presence of chronic stress means an excess of cortisol (the stress hormone) pumping through your body. Not only does cortisol deplete serotonin, it leads to chronic inflammation that is the root cause of many serious diseases. Lowering your physical, mental, and emotional stress is vital to your entire body.

An excellent B-complex vitamin may help you better deal with everyday stresses. Vitamin B6 is important for the manufacture of serotonin, melatonin, and dopamine – all hormones that contribute to overall mood.

4. Sunlight:

Serotonin levels are highest during the summer months and in tropical climates. During the winter months and for those who live in a perpetually cloudy or cold environment, serotonin levels can drop dangerously low.

Bringing as much light into your indoor space and taking a vitamin D3 supplement may alleviate the symptoms of seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

Getting 15 minutes of sun exposure on your bare face and hands during the morning or late afternoon will boost vitamin D levels naturally, which signals the production of serotonin and dopamine.

5. Positive Activities:

Listening to music, treating yourself to a massage, practicing twenty minutes of meditation, or expressing yourself creatively are excellent ways to sooth stress, calm the body, and boost serotonin.

Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to rest so your body can recuperate from the daily wear and tear you probably experience in our modern world. Try to get eight solid hours every night for optimal benefit. Spend time with friends and loved ones, engage in conversation, or take up a hobby that has always interested you.

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Laura - I really wish i could get more information from you. I had anxiety before taking Chantix but since then (more than 5 years ago) I haven't been the same - my depression gets worse every year to the point I can't hold a job anymore. I am desperate for help and don't know what to do anymore.

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Champix is causing problems in the brain. Many drugs and poisons are enzyme inhibitors, varenicline is an enzyme inhibitor. Inhibitors are molecules that decrease enzyme activity. Activators are molecules that increase activity. Both RDA and DNA are nucleic acids, which are base pairs nucleotides as a complementary language that can be converted back and forth from DNA to RDA by action of the correct enzymes. A DNA sequence is read by an RNA polymerase, which produces a complementary, antiparallel RDA strand. As opposed to DNA replication. In enzymatic reactions, the molecules at the beginning of the process, called substrates, are converted into different molecules, called products. Almost all chemical reactions in a biological cell need enzymes in order to occur. The set of enzymes made in a cell determines which metabolic pathways occur in cell. Metabolic pathways are series of chemical reactions occurring within a cell. In each pathway, a principal chemical is modified by a series of chemical reactions, enzymes catalyze these reactions, and often require dietary minerals, vitamins, and other cofactors in order to function properly. This is why it is like playing poker, with peoples lives. If you have a mutation gene, or a vitamin deficiency, it can make champix not work how it should, interferes with transcription of the gene, resulting in a deficiency of the protein encoded in that gene. Once brain cells die you don t make them again. This is why people need to have a gene analysis done before they take this tablet, because without one, you would not know who it is going to affect and who it is not.

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