newsdoctor's Blog

Pfizer released a new anti-smoking drug last May and it's proving to be very effective. A doctor I talked with says it's helping about half the smokers quit on the first try. It's a prescription drug and 3-month course is recommended. It doesn't have nicotine like the gum or patch.. but it lessens the craving and blocks nicotine. I interviewed one woman who had been smoking for 45 years. She took Chantix and hasn't had a cigarette in 3 months and insists she doesn't miss them. The only side effect she noticed was some insomnia.. a side effect nicotine withdrawal can also cause..

Common side effects include nausea, sleep disturbances and mood changes. The FDA sent a letter to doctors last November urging doctors to monitor their Chantix patients closely for any changes in feelings or mood. The FDA recently issued a health advisory and Pfizer changed its label to warn of the potential of psychiatric symptoms such as suicidal thoughts and behavior. As part of ongoing safety evaluations, the FDA and Pfizer are reviewing about 450 reports of serious side effects. The company adds that there is no evidence Chantix caused the problems, but it can't be ruled out in some cases. Patients are urged to tell their doctors about any history of mental illness before trying the drug. There have been more than 4-million prescriptions of Chantix.