Chantix: Bad News

[297point1]

A tip of the hat to the folks at ISMP for doing this analysis.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43187290/ns/health-health_care/

The short of it:
- Some 150 suicides (more than doubling those previously known) were among 589 delayed reports of severe issues turned up in a new ISMP analysis on Chantix use
- “We’ve had a major breakdown in safety surveillance,” said Thomas J. Moore, ISMP senior scientist.
- FDA acknowledges ADR reports were being sent to the FDA through improper channels
- Pfizer denies wrongdoing

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[rph3664]

I don't know how that stuff ever got on the market. It's one of those things that sounds like a good idea, but IMHO wasn't.

 

[spacecowgirl]

This bums me out. I have hardly used this in anyone, I tend to use NRT +/- bupriopion, but I hate to see one fewer treatment in something that is a much of a health threat, if not more, than all the other meds focused on CVD.

 

[MindOverMatter]

Yeah, this might be the nail in the coffin for the drug.

 

[CAPharmacist97]

what is the suicide rate for people who use wellbutrin?

 

[Ackj]

I don't know how that stuff ever got on the market. It's one of those things that sounds like a good idea, but IMHO wasn't.

Just a small anecdote, but I've had 3 patients quit by using it as directed. Have heard several "friend of a friends" quit using it too. Never personally heard of somebody committing suicide from it.

Also, I always wondered if a big part of the suicidality isn't the patient being so on edge from craving. Maybe not externally, where they're chewing through pencils, but internally, something is just off from the withdrawl that isn't being addressed

 

[Trankuil]

I honestly never would have recommended chantix to anyone trying to quit smoking. Besides, isnt it out there as a "last resort" type of therapy anyways?

 

[Ackj]

I honestly never would have recommended chantix to anyone trying to quit smoking. Besides, isnt it out there as a "last resort" type of therapy anyways?

Yeah, definitely should be far down the line, since it's not something you just take and suddenly you'll want to quit. You have to be pretty dedicated to the idea. Most insurances won't even cover it without some sort of step therapy including NRT and sometimes even a counseling program.

 

[TexasPhysician]

Yeah, this might be the nail in the coffin for the drug.

I doubt it. Depression has always been a known side effect of the drug. Patients need to be monitored while taking it, but it still has it's place. It is quite effective compared to alternatives currently.

How many psychiatric drugs do you know that make people immune to suicide? There is even Black Box warnings that anti-depressants increase suicide rates.

 

[p-rog]

I quit smoking using chantix a few years ago... It seemed to work great- I haven't smoked since (excluding the occasional hookah episode a couple times a year). Because I was a low income student in pharmacy school at the time, I got it free of charge and never tried NRT or anything else. The only AE's I experienced were the vivid dreams. I don't feel that I suffered any depression exacerbation and definitely no suicide ideation or anything like that.

Too me it's still a pretty good drug. I'd recommend it to some of my patients.