BEWARE OF CHANTIX

[lola2]

After smoking heavily for the better part of 25 years, I made a commitment to quit.
Although I am glad to be 2 years smoke free, I destroyed my life in the process of quitting, and I am here in hopes of stopping other people from quitting the way I did. I unknowingly poisoned my body to help myself quit. I trusted the Pfizer drug Chantix because it was FDA approved, later to learn that Chantix would cause neurological problems. I only took a 2-month supply of Chantix, spread over 3 months, ending in March of 2007, but the adverse reactions are extremely bad to this day!
It starts with all over joint, muscle and bone pain, then it led me to further damage, such as neuropathy, and a partially paralyzed right foot, and severe myopathy. The damage mimics M.S., but no M.S. was found on a brain scan.
Not just me, but there are hundreds of others online complaining about the same reactions from Chantix, but the FDA doesn't care. Obviously they are on Pfizer's payroll too.

[looper606]

Hey there, just lurking and not trying to troll/dredge up old news.

My brother in law tried Chantix for smoking cessation about 2-3 years ago. He definitely was experiencing some of the emotional side effects and quit taking it. Last December he was diagnosed with ALS. He is only 32 years old and his health is declining rapidly. I fear that he may not be able to physically "stand up" in my wedding this autumn. Thankfully he is about a month into being cigarette free and this is alleviating some of his symptoms.

He is going to a medical center in Dallas that specializes in ALS/MS and other neurological disorders. When he saw people on internet forums suggesting a link between Chantix and ALS, he mentioned this to his doctor. The doctor said there is no connection. I am willing to believe this too, but I appear to be the third person on various forums to mention a link between the two. I worry that someday coincedence will become correlation.

I am not a "big tobacco" plant. My father passed away from lung cancer this summer. I have never been a smoker, but if I had been, then watching someone on their death bed because they were a smoker is just about the most powerful cigarette deterrant a person could experience.

[pojo]

Wow...what a topic...can't believe some people can be so narrow minded.  Well...I smoked for 39 years..2 packs a day and quit almost 1 year ago (in 3 days it will be 1 year).  I also used Chantix for 3 1/2 months but unlike some folks...I had NO side effects..no vivid dreams or anything.  HOWEVER, I have read of people who have had severe side effects including heart attacks and/or strokes, suicide, depression and even death in otherwise healthy (and younger than me) people.  

I find it ridiculous for anyone to say that they don't believe something because they don't personally know anyone that experienced the same thing..."Just because you can't see it...don't mean it's not true"...kinda narrow minded I would say.  After-all...people believe in things they can't see all the time...God for instance...hmmmm there's a thought.

Would I recommend Chantix to others:  No I wouldn't....I am not qualified to do so...that's a doctor's job or some other medical professional.  When people ask me how I quit...I tell them...when they ask me about Chantix...I tell them MY experience and advise them to talk to their doctor about it and to check into it first.  I am certainly not qualified to recommend ANY drug to anyone and unless you have MD or Phd behind your name--or some other medically qualifying initials...NEITHER ARE YOU!