Chantix - Drug Information And Side Effects (Page 5)

How long does chantix stay in your system? Could it still be affecting me after 9 months?

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years of smoking was not the culprit of what happened to my husband while on chantix...it was chantix. I totally agree with Happiernow

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First off, the person I responded to was talking about health effects that were clearly related to what happens to people who smoke for years. I am a Medical Technologist of 33 years so I've seen the effects of smoking. COPD, heart attacks, strokes, cancer, emphysema, peripheral arterial disease (PAD) etc. It is not uncommon for health problems to manifest after they quit smoking. I didn't intend any offense. I took Chantix for three months and it saved me from a 25 year habit. I had none nor do not have any effects from the medication but know that ALL medications have risks. You just have to weigh the benefits against the risks. I quit 5 years ago and I read the package insert but decided it was worth the risk. I'm thankful for the drug and I recommend it but possibly have a psychological eval done before hand to see if there are any tendencies towards these terrible side effects.

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Please, do not judge my heart.You do not know my heart or how I intended what I said. I said NOTHING wrong. You should give me the respect of voicing my own opinions even if they differ from yourself. This is the United States and I have freedom of speech.

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You are correct it is free country still and other people have the right to disagree with you and disagree that Chantix has helped them. You said... "You just have to weigh the benefits against the risks. I quit 5 years ago and I read the package insert but decided it was worth the risk. I'm thankful for the drug and I recommend it". How fortunate for you that your own experience with Chantix was positive. My first experience with Chantix was also postive. I'm sure people who have ended up with permanent brain damage or the family members of suicide victims do not feel so fortunate or have the same outlook on Chantix as you do. A doctor once told me "If 3 out of 4 people quit smoking but one ends up in a psyce ward- the benefits still out weigh the risks". I disagree with that. I strongly disagree with that. My heart pours out to people that have been effected in a negative way by this "wonder" drug. Taking Chantix was one of the scariest things that has happened to me in my life. In my heart I know this is a very dangerous drug regardless of how many people have quit smoking because of it. I feel obligated to warn others of the "risk" they take because there are no commercials with brain damaged non smokers explaining how Chantix helped them quit. Or rather the family member of a suicide victim explaining how their loved one quit...not just smoking but life too. This message has been brought to you by a very thankful Chantix survivor.

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My experience with Chantix has been relatively the same as everyone else's I guess. The only difference is that it seems to have lost all effect in the 3rd month. There was no more resistence to finishing a cigarette. I stopped taking it completely about a week ago and I'm holding a full prescription until I feel it's out of me completely. Maybe when I try again, it will have the same effectiveness that it did at the beginning.
Yes... I was agitated, angry, had very vivid dreams (some really weren't so bad.. just vivid). I endured nausea and sleeplessness but I knew that would happen GOING IN, so I just allowed for it.

I'm just hoping that it will start to work again if I stay off of it for a while.... and this time, instead of cutting WAY down, I have to quit. Has anyone else noticed that it lost it's effectiveness after a while?

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I have the same issues as you. How do you feel now at this point and how long did these side effects last for you? Please email, thanks

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Kim-I was very excited to read your posts. My husband took Chantix for approximately 1 month and never quit smoking. He went off the med approximately 3 weeks ago. We have been together for 5.5 years, we bought a house together 1 year ago, married in August and are expecting our first baby together in October. My husband seemed to get increasingly angry soon after starting Chantix. He also seemed to slowly start losing interest in the baby and I. 2 weeks ago he left. He took off one night and has not come back. He has texted me maybe 10 times in the last 2 weeks and will not answer my phone calls. This Tuesday while I was out of town he came to the house and took most of his stuff. He still will not talk to me. He talks to his mom occasionally and all he can tell her is that he is unhappy and he cannot define why he is unhappy. He will not answer phone calls from some of his best friends. He will not tell anyone where he is staying, he tells them that they do not need to know. It seems like he has lost all emotions. This is a man that is normally very caring and compassionate. He is very close to my family and he is having nothing to do with them at all. We were married 8 months ago and he wiped tears from his eyes when I walked down the aisle. It is very hard to believe that he could just lose all feeling for me and the baby, especially when he was excited about having the baby. Your posts give me hope that eventually his brain might return to what it was before and he might be able to enjoy life again.

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Rachel,
I sincerely hope that he will come back to his senses soon for you and your child's sake. What does his Mother think of this? I did call my husband's doctor and let him know about his mood changes. Like your husband, mine was very caring before Chantix and thankfully is back to his normal self again. I do know what you are going through.....my life was a living hell for 2 months as I am sure yours is now, especially with a small child. My heart goes out to you and I will keep you in my thoughts. Hang in there! Please do call Pfilzer regarding this matter....every call may help to wake them up. You can reply or talk to me anytime you need to.

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Hi Kim
Unfortunately I found out this last week that my husband has moved in with another woman. I will be seeing a divorce attorney. His behavior is still eratic and he is offending friends with some of his posts on facebook about random things and kinda violent things. His mother is very worried and agrees that he is not mentally right at this time. He has never cheated on me before or treated his friends this way. I believe that the Chantix is playing a role in this as he used to have pretty strong morals. I did report to his doctor my concerns and hopefully they will attempt to address it at his next appointment. I am angry with him for cheating but I do not wish him harm I just hope that he will be able to get control of himself enough to be able to be a dad to his child. I to really hope that this drug will not be on the market for much longer and hope that people think twice before taking it. I do wonder if it affects Men and Women differently. It seems like women have a lot of anxiety and horrible dreams in this forum and it seems like men have become depressed and withdrawn from things. Either way I don't believe that I would take the chance with this drug if I were a smoker, and my husband didn't even actually quit smoking when he was on this.

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I am so sorry Rachel. It doesn't seem that he is the same man at all. How long was he on Chantix before the "evil twin" appeared? It took 2-3 weeks for my husband to change and 6-8 weeks for him to reappear after stopping Chantix. I took Chantix a few years ago and it gave me horrible dreams and insomnia...didn't really sleep....after 3 weeks I stopped taking it. I don't know if your husband is still taking it or if not, how long he's been off. Hang in there!

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I see in your previous post the length of time he was on and when he stopped taking it...I wasn't quite awake yet

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Chantix or Champix as sold in Australia gives me crazy dreams, restless leg syndrome, and erectile disfunctioning whilst on the pill. Takes me about 6 months for my body to return to normal.

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IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING TAKING CHANTIX PLEASE READ THIS. I tried Chantix in September 2007. At the time, I was 44 years old and had a job heading up a research laboratory in a major Pharma company (I have a PhD and had always been professionally successful). I was divorced but had a happy 14 year old daughter, many friends and close family members. My house was clean and fairly organized. I had smoked since I was a teenager and really wanted to stop. As a teenager in the 70's I had used a number of recreational drugs and as an adult I enjoyed alcohol. Nothing prepared me for the catastrophic consequences of Chantix. I actually received two Chantix prescriptions end to end but never finished the second one. I began to lose all pleasure in normal life activities, started drinking too much and too often due to a sudden massive increase in feelings of depression, anxiety, anger and loss of motivation. It is now June of 2013. I still smoke, I have been largely unemployed since the end of 2007, my daughter moved to her father's in November of 2012 in despair, I do not talk to friends very often and do not like to go out. My house is a disaster. My financial situation is bleak. Whereas I used to have very high standards in terms of personal hygiene and maintaining my personal appearance I now usually wash my hair in the sink and mainly stay in the living room rather than go upstairs at all even to shower. Stopping drinking for over six months did not help. Given that I had experience with other drugs in my youth (even some of the real nasty ones like methamphetamine, PCP and LSD, used for alot longer than I used Chantix) and had about 25 years of succeeding in all of the areas of life essential to survival and happiness following this recreational drug use, I really believe that Chantix has permanently changed me into a different person. I am still trying to fix things but it is hard to shake the feeling that nothing matters. What I think Chantix can take away from some people is the feeling that what you do in life matters and the will to survive. I also feel that Chantix had a significant impact on my mental / intellectual function and acuity. As a scientist I would love to have a control of myself-identical experiences with the exception of Chantix exposure to truly be able to prove that this was the pivotal factor. After reading the posts in this forum I guess I will try harder to get things back on track. I appreciate all of the experiences folks have posted on this site and wish you all well.

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A good friend of mine, Danielle Collin, of lancaster Ny, used chantix and it made her suicidal!!! She complained to the company and they settled with her no problem!!! $300,000 bucks later!! write to her if you like to know more info! Im sure she will share!! 120 steinfeldt 14086

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After 3 weeks of taking Chantix I experienced the first seizure of my life. That was 9 months ago. I've experienced confusion and forgetfulness since then. Recently, I've awaken with 2 episodes of "altered mental status" so severe I was taken to emergency. I remember nothing from these episodes; I was told I was doing and saying pretty strange things. Complete medical workups showed nothing except that I'm in great health for my age (60 yrs). I'm no doctor, but I'm sure the Chantix is still affecting with my brain.

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My husband started Chantix last October for 30 days. He whole demeanor changed after the 3rd week of taking it. He became bitter and angry, talked about divorce. Lost all interest in things he once loved, including me and family. Strangely he really didn't think his behavior was off. He finally starting getting back to his old self in March, but there is still something missing from his spirit. We don't talk much about it now....I don't think he knows how he really was and does not remember. Also, although we can not prove it, he developed a weak left sided heart muscle which they diagnosed as cardio myopathy with an injection fraction of 45. He had no heart problems prior to this. I am sure they will blame his years of prior smoking. The only good thing is that he did quit smoking. I went through pure hell for 4 months because of Chantix and always in fear that the evil Chantix twin will come back.

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I read this about your husband and he sounds like me. I took Chantix 4 years ago, been smoke free since but I have become angry, have fits of rage, became less affectionate to my beautiful wife and now find myself one outburst from divorce. Never violent just anger and rage. I also find myself thinking of suicide more and more but I'm being proactive about it and seeing my doctor tomorrow.
I was always considered calm, collected and patient with others and NEVER aggressive. Now I'm like dr Jekyll and me hyde. They say Chantix can't affect you after 4 years but seriously, it affects the chemical balance of the brain. There are thousands like me and none of us know where to turn. Not like anyone is gonna admit any of this

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Oh my, I am sorry to hear this. Have you seen a doctor? My husband is a lot better, but now and then I see what I refer to as the evil twin. No passion left. Please keep me updated....

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Saw doctor yesterday, Took lots of blood, ordered a CAT scan. Put me on a low dose of Celexa for now. Amazing how your husband sounds just like me. The evil twin and all. Has he done anything besides stop Chantix?

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YES! I had a seizure in my third week and was taken off Chantix in November. I had my second recognizable seizure in August and my third in September. I understand now that I've been having small seizures all the time (when a flashback made me violently ill or I suddenly became aware of pee running down my legs, seriously!). It has been 10 months for me and it's not getting better.

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