Posted on 05/22/2008 1:37:36 AM PDT by neverdem
The Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday it would no longer permit pilots or air traffic controllers to use the smoking cessation drug Chantix, citing potential side effects that could pose a threat to the safe operation of aircraft.
The Food and Drug Administration issued a public health advisory in February, saying that some Chantix users had developed a variety of serious psychiatric symptoms, and that some had committed suicide.
An F.A.A. spokeswoman, Laura Brown, said the agency had approved the use of Chantix for airline pilots and flight controllers last year, but was notifying 150 pilots and 30 air traffic controllers known to be using it that the drug was no longer acceptable and should be discontinued.
Ms. Brown said the decision was based on emerging data on the drug, including a report from a watchdog group, the Institute for Safe Medication Practices, linking Chantix to a wide array of health and safety problems. They include accidents and falls, potentially lethal heart rhythm disturbances, heart attacks, seizures, diabetes and various psychiatric disturbances.
The institute’s findings, which were based on an analysis of adverse events reported to the F.D.A., said that from May 2006 through December 2007, there were 227 reports of suicide attempts or suicides, 397 cases of possible psychosis and 525 reports of hostility or aggression. Those reports included 28 suicides and 41 mentions of homicidal thoughts, 60 cases of paranoia and 55 cases of hallucinations.
The data, the report said, “provide a strong signal” that the risks of treatment with varenicline, the active chemical in Chantix, have been underestimated. This year, Public Citizen’s Health Research Group, another consumer watchdog organization, had called for a black-box warning — F.D.A.’s strongest drug alert — on Chantix.
Chantix, made by Pfizer, was approved in 2006 for sale in this country and...
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Wonder how long it stays in your system after quitting it.
“Looks like I picked a bad week to quit smoking.”
oh, I’m too thrilled to be rational about this
DAYUM!
Puleez hit all the lists, including
eric
I like Eric’s lists, even when I strongly disagree with his contributors.
Chantix or nicotine?
Boeing Tests Avenger Solid State Laser Weapon
FReepmail me if you want on or off my health and science ping list.
During my last visit to the doctor, he got on my case about smoking and wrote me out a script for Chantix, saying that I should give it a try. I told him I would consider fill the script after reading up on Chantix’s side affects. Guess I need to read no further. Anybody got a light?
This is interesting. I used the drug to quit smoking back in Nov. It worked fantastic for me. No desire to smoke after three days on the stuff. I quit smoking and taking the drug after one week. I have a suspicion that these side effects manifest in folks who take the drug on a longer term basis like months.
Smoke ‘em if ya got ‘em! I want my pilots in tip-top shape when I have to fly. Give ‘em a shot of single-malt, a cigar, and fly the friendly skies.
People have to realize that anytime that you put a chemical in your body, there is always the POTENTIAL for an adverse reaction; there is no perfect drug. And unfortunately, there will always be a small subset who have a SERIOUS adverse reaction. Having said that, many more people usually can take the drug without many problems.
It’s risk vs. benefit. I don’t smoke, but I have co-workers who have done very well on Chantix; it seems to be a lot more effective than other treatments.
I started a drug several weeks ago that can cause permanent neurologic damage - CellCept. There have been 10 documented cases of this drug causing a condition called “progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy”. However, the risk of losing my newly transplanted kidney is far higher than getting PML, so I’ll take my chances.
Next time you see your doctor and he writes a script for Chantix just tell him No “I’m thinking about taking some flying lessons - FAA won’t allow it”
My brother had your experience, helped him quit with no side effects; I had the bad one.
I tried it for 13 days. Nausea, intense sleepiness, depression, overall weirdness. I thought I might adjust, but it got worse. Very scary and miserable experience.
Good news is Pfizer says it’s giving me my money back - and it’s an expensive drug.
>>I have a suspicion that these side effects manifest in folks who take the drug on a longer term basis like months.
I don’t think so, not in my case for sure, it was bad from the start, although it did get worse until I stopped taking it.
My advice would be if it’s bad the first few days, stop and get your money back.
I took it. Made me eat non stop and made me prone to anger and violence.
I wrote a prescription for Chantix for a friend in February. It worked great for about 6 weeks. About that time she called me despondent. I talked her in off the ledge and instructed her to stop taking it immediately. She said that it’s almost a case of “Kill me now or kill me later.”
That sounds like the symptoms I had when I quit smoking, except I didn’t take Chantix.
I developed SEVERE depression within two days of starting Chantix. The depression lifted when I quit taking it.
But it worked very well for my wife.
This was clearly the result of the drug.
The Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday it would no longer permit pilots or air traffic controllers to use the smoking cessation drug Chantix, citing potential side effects that could pose a threat to the safe operation of aircraft. The Food and Drug Administration issued a public health advisory in February, saying that some Chantix users had developed a variety of serious psychiatric symptoms, and that some had committed suicide.Were any of them from Saudi Arabia or Egypt?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.