Champix 5: No Wonder Drug
by Chris Holmes
*Update: If you or a loved one has suffered a bad reaction to Champix and you are based in the U.K., you can report it to the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) here. The more people do that the clearer the true picture will become. Protect others! Report it.*
Until recently I was advising smokers to Google “Champix Suicides” if they wanted to hear the truth about this dangerous - and largely useless - medication. Nowadays, all you have to do is Google “Champix” and those warning sites are already appearing on the first page, along with all the shameless promotions and internet ‘pharmacies’ selling the stuff.
It was the Mirror group of newspapers that first announced the decision to make Champix available on the NHS here in the U.K. I just visited Mirror.co.uk and found that they list a total of four articles about Champix published by them since May 2007. They appear on the site like this:
1) NHS pill to stop smoking A pill to help smokers quit will be available on the NHS within weeks… (May 31st 07)
2) Anti-cig tablet - The Verdict Two Mirror readers tell how the wonder drug worked for them… (June 1st 07)
3) Quit cigs pill alarm A pill that helps smokers kick the habit is being probed over possible links to suicidal thoughts… (Nov 28 2007)
4 Man ‘killed by anti-smoking drug’ A grieving wife claims her husband killed himself after taking a new anti-smoking drug… (Jan 21 2008).
Quite a neat summary, isn’t it? Notice how the Mirror played their part in hyping it, though? Calling Champix a “pill that helps smokers kick the habit” as if that were simply a fact - when in truth at least 80% will still be smoking a year later, unless of course they have killed themselves. And referring to it as a “wonder drug”, once again perpetuating the myth of the magic pill and encouraging smokers to try it.
Of course, those people at The Mirror don’t make the news - let’s be clear about that. They just hold up a mirror to reality, don’t they, hence the name. They’re not influencing anyone, are they? I notice they didn’t call it a wonder drug any more in the fourth article, though. But don’t worry: there’ll be another “wonder drug” along soon, to distract you from the disturbing fact that the last one has been killing people, and didn’t work for the majority anyway. Check out the evidence here.
Now - those of you who checked out that link above - apparently that BBC reporter has been told that Champix out-performed “alternative” methods in scientific trials. The reporter is actually referring there to the pharmaceutical alternatives, not any type of Alternative Medicine. It is not hard to out-perform NRT or Zyban, which have long-term success rates of only 6% and 12% respectively. Hypnotherapy is far more successful than Champix, and without the risks.
Notice too how Pfizer try to muddy the waters with regard to the side-effects, talking about “nicotine withdrawal” and “underlying psychiatric problems”? No, their nasty little pill is screwing people’s brains up, and they’ll deny it as long as they can, that’s all. Look at the vast sums of money they are raking in - quite a lot of it is NHS cash, which the NHS can ill-afford - and the damn stuff doesn’t work for most smokers anyway! It is obscene.
That is why it is so good to see that sufferers are beginning to hit back, and encourage other to do the same. Follow this link to hear how Tim Wilkinson feels about Pfizer’s attitude to sufferers like himself and what he intends to do about it. Scroll down the Champix article to find the Comments below, they are in date order and Tim’s first comment is dated October 2008: (3 posts: Oct 5th, Dec 4th and 14th 2008)
Anyway, watch this space. I predict that the Champix death toll will go on rising, the court cases will pile up, and the newspaper reports will get grimmer and grimmer… just don’t take the damn stuff, folks. Doctors, don’t prescribe it - it isn’t safe and doesn’t work well enough to be worth the risk. Hypnotherapy, the Allen Carr method and acupuncture all work better than Champix, Zyban or NRT - that is a fact, and the longer medical authorities and pharmaceutical companies seek to deny that, the worse will be their credibility in the long run. Truth Will Out.
Oh, by the way - one or two comments have suggested this site is just self-promotion… if that were true, why would I mention the Allen Carr people and acupuncturists? I have no connection with either. I want smokers to be fully aware that there are other choices that don’t involve risk and are more effective anyway - take your pick, just don’t take the pills. And if you want to help, spread the word. Either way, feel free to comment - your post will appear on the site within 48 hours max. If the “Leave a Reply” box isn’t visible below this post, click on the word “Comments” below. All views welcome.
Filed under: Champix/Chantix, Drugs on Trial, The Campaign by Chris
Please, PLEASE DO NOT start taking Champix!
I had heard about all the warnings, but being desperate to try anything to help me stop smoking, I convinced myself I would be able to deal with any side effects. I couldn’t! I began having terrifying panic attacks, something I had never suffered from before, I became neurotic and paranoid, and I was constantly bursting into tears.
I did lose the craving for a cigarette, but at what cost, I felt I was losing my mind. I gave them up after a month, but then had to go on a short course of valium, until this evil drug was out of my system.
I am still determined to quit smoking, and have now purchased a book and cd to help me.
I sincerely beg anyone who is considering taking Champix, please DONT.
Josephine, thanks for the warning - I hope you are now making a full recovery from all of that.
Another Champix-user told me they were given Valium to stop panic attacks whilst still taking Champix. Has Champix ever been tested for safety with Valium as a combination? No, of course not.
You are not at risk from Champix now it is out of your system, Josephine, and I’m not suggesting that a short course of Valium is risky. But that other doctor who just prescribed both at the same time, when there have been NO TRIALS AT ALL to test the safety of that combination, was quite prepared for the patient to be a guinea pig in that respect, when she was already having a bad reaction to the first drug. I think that is irresponsible.
Good luck with your book and cd! If the problem persists just find a hypnotherapist that specialises in smoking cessation. For more info on that go to http://www.centralhypnotherapy.com
By the way, I have been a full-time practising hypnotherapist for nine years now, and I can assure you that there are no risks involved in the hypnotherapy process, and it is a very successful method.
I to have had my life ruined because of taking champix i have been having panick attacks and no longer like being on my own. I have been suffering with depression for the last 2 years since taking champix and i now take propranol and citlpam to calm me down i wouldnt advise anyone to take these tablets its not worth it. It was the worst thing i have ever done in my life its ruined not just my life but my partner and my 3 childrens as well, I am currently seeking guidence from a solicitor but as you no its hard to fight against big companys like that on your own if anyone else as been through similar things could you get in touch with me at suzanne.liverpool@hotmail.co.uk
My partner started to take champix 4 weeks ago. About a week ago we went to our friend and had few drinks, he had few glasses of vodka. Afterwards, when we were at home we started to fight I slapped him and he hit me many times, blood went from my nose and was nearly everywhere. The strange thing is that my partner was never violent toward me, this was the first time he ever hit me. I was in a terrible shock and called police. He spent 2 days in custody and were put before sheriff court. Why there was nothing on champix leaflet saying that it may have an additive effect with alcohol? I believe that this is what happened as since he started taking 1 mg 2 a day he started to be verbally aggressive and he used to be also verbally aggressive when he had too much vodka. If anything was on the leaflet he would decide not to drink. Any idea how to sue them, which company would be/is interested in doing it? We live in Scotland. Thanks in advance for any cues.
What I forgot to write is that when he was in custody and was off champix, he had hallucinations, first he heard a crying child (even thought that I come there with our daughter), then he heard some sex like vocalizations and thought that it’s me having sex to make guards let me to see him.
About 3 months ago i started taking champix to give up smoking. After 2 months I have the odd strange thing happen to me the first thing was I woke up with a sore foot as if I had broke it. I had to take time work as i was unable to walk on it I thought it was particularry strange as i work in IT and never moved from my computer chair the whole weekend, to find I had a foot I could not walk on. The next thing i noticed was that I was completely sleeping the wrong way around on my bed i found this weird but then it came to me a few days later that I must be sleepwalking. This is something I very rarely do but have done it the odd time in childhood. it had been 6 weeks using champix and I decided that this must have been the thing that has been causing the sleepwalking. I also noticed that I was starting to feel depressed I had suffered from depression 2 years before taking champix but was better. At the time I put this off thinking it was just the money worries of christmas coming up. Anyway middle of November I went out for a few beers with work colleages for a christmas night out had about 6 pints. Which would be no problem for me usually.
I stopped taking champix the day before going out as I thought this was down to all the strange sleepwalking and my mood being weird.
Anyhow to cut a long story short I came home started fighting with everyone in the house from flicking children in the head pushing wife trying to punch stepson and walking about the house with a knife which I have absolutely no memory of. I have a good relationship with everyone in the house and now my life is ruined as obviously police were called as I scared the whole household. I’ve missed christmas with my wife and still awaiting the verdict of the 6 charges which I have pled guilty to as I have no memory of anything, just waking up in a police cell and ‘waking up’ like I was sleepwalking when the police arrived.
I would advise anyone not to take champix it’s not worth it it’s ruined my life, my loving relationship with my wife and any carreer prospects that I might have had as i’m probably going to be classed as a section 1 offender for flicking a child in the head. Don’t take champix it’s not worth it!!!
If anyone has details of a lawyer that has any experience in champix please let me know I would love to sue them for all the damage they have done to my life.
Steven, I must apologise for the delay in moderating (approving) your post: I have been unable to access the site until today for reasons that would take too long to explain, but I’m back now.
You’re not the first person to ask me about legal avenues; there are certainly actions under way and I believe some class actions are being prepared which you can probably learn more about by googling the question. You are certainly not on your own, and your particular experience is not unique either. If you read all the champix posts on this site and on other blogs you will find many, many others.
Why should you be going through all this hell when the death of Carter Albrecht in the States raised these problems in 2007 for Christ’s sake? Pfizer’s sick greed and utter callousness is to blame for everything happening like this in 2008, 2009… is it going to carry on causing this mayhem all the way through 2010 as well?
Everyone - every normal sensible person who is naturally horrified by all this - link up! Spread the word! Warn doctors, warn smokers, report the damn drug, sue the bastards, get it withdrawn! CHAMPIX IS EVIL! No exaggeration, in fact anyone promoting it is also responsible for what has happened to Steven and so many others - damn the lot of you, you heartless, greedy corrupt bastards.
Worked for me.
Over twenty cigarettes a day for twenty years and after ten days on the course I haven’t smoked since and that was over two years ago.
The only side effect I had was a bit of nausea.
I smoked for a long time and quitting was literally impossible. I tried all of the stop smoking tools but not one helped me stop. Then I discovered the e cigarette. The e-cigarette uses a nicotine fluid that contains just nicotine. No toxic substances at all. They have literally changed my life.
And guess what? The last government was about to ban them in June. Not sure what this new political collaboration is going to do about that - we shall see.
The problem is, they’re competition for the drug companies that make NRT products. They want a monopoly of the nicotine products market, strictly for the pharmaceutical giants, you see.
By the way Cinthia, although I’m not against the e-cigarette at all - any enemy of the drug companies is a friend of mine - I have to point out nevertheless that nicotine IS in fact a toxic substance - in fact it is one of the most toxic substances humans have ever voluntarily ingested. One single drop of liquid nicotine injected into your bloodstream would kill you stone dead. Not that you would do that, of course.
The e-cigarette is safer than tobacco. For sure. Enjoy!
i started champix seven days ago and i have never felt so ill, my mood is very low and i am being violently sick . I have suffered from depression in the past so i telephoned my g.p for advice.I was promptly told my the nhs cessation lady at my g.ps to continune with the tablets as there is no link between my low moods and these pills and that the sickness and sleepiness will wear off. After reading champix forums on the net and feeling like i do i have decided these pills are too risky for me.
At this point in the Great Champix Global Experiment I find that terrifying. I have known about the connection between serious mood changes, suicide attempts and actual suicides since the summer of 2007. That’s three years ago, and this so-called ‘advisor’ is telling you there’s no link, and you should keep taking the suicide pills?
Val, have a read of the comments following my original “Champix/Chantix” post, and those following “Champix Chantix 4 - Enough Already” - in fact, print them off and make her read all those horror accounts before her stupid, ignorant advice KILLS SOMEBODY.
Val, you’ve done the right thing, but I’m sorry to have to tell you that if you already had a history of depression and it’s on your medical record, then they ignored the prescribing guidelines when they gave you Champix.
I wish you a speedy recovery, please keep us posted.
i have had depression, but both my doctors and the nhs cessation adviser told me they would be fne and both told me i was at no risk what so ever. i have an appointment next week with the adviser so i will print off the accounts of others and ask her why my medical history was ignored .Both my gp and nhs adviser were well aware of my history, but they still went for the hard sell of champix, telling me i probably wouldnt quit on nrt and this pill would work best.
prescribing guidelines?? i’ve had severe depression for years, controlled with medication, currently taking champix, in week 3 of the course, off cigs for over a week after years of heavy smoking. My doctor never raised any concerns about my depression and taking this drug.
And if you read all the comments following all ten of my posts on Champix, and the comments on smokers’ blogs and health blogs inviting comments on Champix, you will hear that over and over and over again.
It’s sheer negligence, and anyone with a medical history of depression or mental health issues who wasn’t warned or (worse) was falsely reassured should complain.