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MEDICINE HELPS SOME KICK HABIT
Quit-smoking pill a miracle to some, a source of worry to others
Date published: 11/11/2007
BY DONYA ARIAS There's still no wonder drug that will magically erase your cravings for cigarettes, but a fairly new tool in the smoking cessation arsenal is helping some local smokers quit. Chantix, approved by the Food and Drug Administration in May 2006, is designed to block nicotine receptors in the brain, essentially removing the pleasure associated with cigarette smoking. Some smokers are skeptical after having tried other cessation aids, including the prescription antidepressant Wellbutrin (bupropion hydrochloride), also marketed as Zyban, which is reported to help ease nicotine cravings and withdrawal symptoms. But others have found that after a few weeks on Chantix, they can walk past a doorway crowded with smokers and not feel the least urge to light up. "I haven't seen a drug work as well as Chantix," said Fredericksburg thoracic surgeon Dr. Timothy Sherwood. "But it requires motivation on the part of the patient. The patient has to want to quit." The medication is pricey and not covered by all insurance plans. Common side effects include nausea, trouble sleeping, constipation and vomiting. Jeff Surplus of Chancelorsville said the medication helped him finally kick the habit this year. "The stuff works GREAT," he said in an e-mail. "Eventually, you don't even think about lighting up." Although the medication has been prescribed to more than 3 million smokers since spring 2006, its lacks long-term safety data and has come under scrutiny since the high-profile death of Texas musician Carter Albrecht, a former keyboardist with Edie Brickell & New Bohemians. Albrecht's family members believe the drug led to his death by causing the normally easygoing Albrecht to turn aggressive and irrational. Albrecht died Sept. 3 after being shot by a neighbor who believed the man banging on his door--Albrecht--was a violent intruder. Earlier, according to news reports, the well-regarded musician had attacked his girlfriend. The drug's manufacturer, Pfizer, said in a statement that aggression, moods swings and abnormal thinking have been reported in Chantix users "infrequently" (meaning in between 1 in 100 and 1 in 1,000 people taking the medication). The rate of those side effects in the clinical trials among patients taking Chantix was comparable to those taking a placebo. Pfizer added, "It is important to note that a vast body of medical literature has shown that smoking cessation, with or without treatment, is associated with nicotine-withdrawal symptoms and has also been associated with the exacerbation of underlying psychiatric illnesses." Pfizer recommends "behavioral support" along with the medication, such as their cravings hotline available from 8 a.m.-midnight at 877/CHANTIX (242-6849) and online support tools at chantix .com.
It works
(posted by
, Nov. 11, 2007 8:31 pm)
I myself have taken Chantix. I took the medication for one month. As of today I am 1 year of being smoke free. I must say you really need to have your mind set to quit first. And I will not tell people to quit as like myself you need to do all yourself. Try Chantix.
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