European officials first alerted the F.D.A. in 2007 to problems associated with Chantix. In September of that year, Carter Albrecht, a keyboard player from the pop-music group Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians, was killed by a neighbor who complained that Mr. Albrecht was banging on his door, ranting. Mr. Albrecht’s girlfriend blamed Chantix, which she said had made him hostile.
The widely publicized event led to a cascade of similar reports and close scrutiny by F.D.A. safety officials, who have now received 98 reports of completed suicides and 188 reports of attempted suicides among those taking Chantix.
As officials looked more closely, they found to their surprise that Zyban has similar associated risks. The agency received 14 reports of suicides and 17 reports of attempted suicides among those taking Zyban.
The widely publicized event led to a cascade of similar reports and close scrutiny by F.D.A. safety officials, who have now received 98 reports of completed suicides and 188 reports of attempted suicides among those taking Chantix.
As officials looked more closely, they found to their surprise that Zyban has similar associated risks. The agency received 14 reports of suicides and 17 reports of attempted suicides among those taking Zyban.
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F.D.A. Orders Suicide Warnings for 2 Stop-Smoking Drugs - NYTimes.com
I took Chantix for 11 days a few years ago to quit smoking. It was one of the most horrifying experiences I’ve ever had. I had a migraine for 10 of those days, and for the last three I had dreams so realistic I didn’t know if I was awake or asleep.
A few weeks later, a doctor told me I should have pushed through, and they side-effects would have gone away eventually. Great advice, apparently.
