The Dangers of Chantix and the Side Effects It Can Cause

In Riverside County California, a team of Riverside injury attorneys are starting to hear of more and more personal injury cases involving the anti smoking drug Chantix. It has been hailed as a revelation in the fight to quit. However in 2007, the FDA stated that there may well be a link between the 'quit smoking' drug and serious neuropsychiatric symptoms

So what is Chantix and how does it work?

Chantix (otherwise known as Varenicline) is made by the drug giant Pfizer and was originally approved after testing back in 2006. It is taken in tablet form and works by blocking the receptors in the brain, the very same ones that tells us that smoking is a 'pleasurable' thing. Under normal circumstances these receptors carry dopamine to the brain which releases a feeling of pleasure and relaxation. However by working on the receptors the dopamine cannot reach the brain and this feeling of pleasure is eliminated. This should then cause the body's dependence on nicotine and the 'great' feeling it gives off to cease. Because this was one of the first drugs that didn't have some form of nicotine in it, Chantix was hailed as a 'wonder drug' for smokers who want to quit.

So what are the side effects?

In 2007, after the drug had been on sale for approximately one year, the FDA started to receive some alarming figures. They received 491 reported cases of suicidal thinking and behavior, 420 of which were located in the US. Out of these 420 cases, there were 34 suicides. Because the drug suppresses brain receptors, (the same ones that deliver pleasure and happiness) it is understood that Chantix may heighten depressive tendencies, especially in those that have already been diagnosed with some previous form of the illness. Even those that had no known neuropsychiatric illness reported that they were experiencing frequent mood swings. If in the state of California, you have become depressive and you feel that it may be down to taking Chantix then you should call an experienced team of Riverside injury attorneys, who can help.

On top of this, there were also reports of people that were taking Chantix were experiencing feelings of sudden drowsiness. This affected their ability to operate machinery or drive. This prompted the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to issue a warning stating that the drug might well affect the ability to drive a vehicle or operate machinery in a safe manner. The Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) also banned the use of the drug amongst air traffic controllers and pilots.

Healthcare experts have been notified by the FDA to closely monitor any patient who is taking the drug. If you have experienced bouts of sudden drowsiness, then it is important to report it to your physician immediately. You might also want to consider contacting a highly skilled team of Riverside Injury attorneys if you have developed any of the following symptoms:

• Attempted suicide whilst taking Chantix
• Experienced sudden aggression and have caused injury to others or indeed yourself
• Experienced physical injury from a fall or accident caused by vision disturbances, black-outs, seizures or any other problems
• Suffered personal injury as a result of any abnormal behavior whilst taking Chantix.

A number of lawsuits have already been filed against the drug company Pfizer, some have been successful and some are ongoing. The majority of these cases state that the drug company failed to warn potential users and indeed the medical profession of the side effects that the taking of the drug may cause. The litigations also claim that the drug company (Pfizer) failed to do adequate research before rolling out the product.

As at 2011, Chantix is still marketed and sold in the US, although there are warnings present on the packet of the possible side effects. This is a 'little too late' for the 34 people that have died because of the drug and calls for an outright ban are in place. If you feel that you or indeed a loved one have suffered because of the drug, then it is imperative that you contact a team of injury attorneys Riverside, who are well versed in dealing with such cases.