Chantix Blog

Imagine if you grow old, are lying down in a hospital’s bed in a very weak condition with many infusion hose on your hand, catheter, oxygen hose from your nose, cables that connecting your body to monitor of heart rhythm reader and many tablets and capsules to drink on the side of table. That must be a terrible situation that you can ever imagine. This is because the only small thing that called “cigarette” which gives you such a disaster life.

In the cigarette contains so many toxic substances that will damage the whole body organs, and give you many possibilities of getting diseases. These diseases namely: asthma, blindness, bladder cancer, diabetes type 2 and many others.

From the health care provider, they offer a three combination ways on how to quit smoking: 1. Lifestyle Changes, 2. A quit Program, 3. Medications. The Lifestyle changes is for example to avoid places, people that make you smoke, ask people around you not to smoking, change your facebook status into “I’m quitting smoke” word, this is a way in order to motivate you, and if it is needed have a sugerfree gum or low calorie snacks. A quit program of smoking you can actually get may information, consultation and support from health care provider, and call them free on 1-800-QUIT-NOW. They have experts to design you a complete packages program to quit smoke. And the last is medication, which commonly are nicotine, buproprion and varenicline. Although these medications have their side effects, but if it is as prescribed it’s still safe to be consumed.

Testimonial: I know there is controversy about the public chantix, but I have been smoking for more than 50 years. It never occurred to me to stop smoking, or will stop.

My doctor told me firmly I should try to quit. The next year, he prescribed Chantix.

I filled the prescription, but in my mind I had no intention of quitting. The information with the pills said I did not have to stop smoking immediately; I could pick a stop date and start the meds and work up to that date.

I never picked a date because I didn’t think it would work. I would just have to tell my doctor and family that I’d tried again and failed. You can’t imagine my surprise when it started working!

After several weeks, the drug took away that absolute panic I felt when I thought I couldn’t have a cigarette. That panic is what kept me from quitting in the past.

I gradually started to lose interest in lighting up, or would light up and take two puffs and then put it out. I moved my smoking area outside and just never went out there to light up.

It has been more than two years. I do not smoke anymore. That is a downright miracle! So when you report the side effects, keep my story in mind. Chantix can help some people quit without causing suicidal thoughts or other bad side effects. I am still in shock that it worked for me!

Reply: Congratulations! Quitting smoking is the best thing you can do
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for your health.

Chantix does help people stop smoking. It has some potentially serious side effects, however. They include suicidal preoccupation, depression or panic, agitation, anger or violence, paranoia and hallucinations.

Q: I’ve had a cold and have been coughing and stuffed up for days. I have read that using nasal sprays can be addictive. Cough medicines are not helping much either. I would prefer some natural approaches that don’t cause rebound congestion. What can you suggest?

A: The usual ingredient in cough syrup, dextromethorphan, is no better than placebo for kids and only modestly effective for adults (Journal of Family Practice, October 2009). Natural alternatives that may provide some relief include tea made of thyme or ginger. Elderberry and Chinese herbs such as Andrographis or Astragalus also may be helpful.

Q: I have been treated for an overactive bladder by two urologists. I took several different prescription medications with no relief but many side effects.

I told my doctors that I have noticed that if I take two Advils at bedtime, I get through the night without going to the bathroom.

The urologists had never heard of this, but they said there should be no problem with two Advils daily. Do you agree?

A: A double-blind study in Urology (October 2008) determined that men with enlarged prostates had half as many nighttime bathroom trips when they took Celebrex. Advil and Celebrex are both NSAIDs. However, they could raise blood pressure, increase the risk of heart attack or cause stomach ulcers if taken long term.

Testimony: I burned my thumb on a pan of roasted veggies. I remembered your advice and reached for the tamari soy sauce. (I had a low-sodium variety.)

To my dismay, when I applied it to my thumb, it didn’t work to ease the pain as it has in the past. I was puzzled and tried it a few more times, but got no pain relief.

I looked in the cupboard and spotted Bragg Liquid Aminos (a substitute for soy sauce, also made from soy beans) and sprayed some on. I got instant relief, and I mean instant! I was back to my knitting in half an hour.

Reply: Thanks for the clue. Most readers have reported that soy sauce eases the pain of a burn, but it may require a certain amount of sodium. Bragg Liquid Aminos has 30 percent to 40 percent more sodium than low-sodium tamari. A serious burn should get medical attention, of course.

Testimony: I am a 39-year-old nurse who is experiencing drastic hair loss. I started taking atenolol for high blood pressure about four months ago. One month after beginning the med, I started slowly losing my hair.

I am sometimes afraid to brush my hair for fear that it will all come out. It comes out so easily. I worry about it every day, though I’m sure that the constant worry also contributes to even more hair loss.

I have asked the doctors that I work with, and their only advice is to start exercising and try to get off the atenolol altogether. I am going to take that advice, because my biggest fear is losing my hair.

Reply: No wonder you worry. Losing a lot of hair is not a pleasant experience.

As you have concluded, atenolol is probably the culprit. What’s more, there is considerable controversy about the effectiveness of atenolol for treating hypertension (The Lancet, Nov. 6, 2004).

A surprising number of medications can cause hair loss as a side effect. We have listed many in the Guide to Hair and Nail Care we are sending you. We also are including our Guide to Blood Pressure Treatment, with a number of scientifically supported nondrug approaches.

If diet, exercise and other natural approaches are not adequate for blood pressure control, there are other medicines for hypertension that may be less likely to cause hair loss.

Q: I have found that drinking Earl Grey tea for a few days seems to trigger nighttime leg cramps. I used to use special soap my sister brought back from France. Her friend in Paris swore that putting it under the sheets would eliminate the cramps, and I find it helps.

When the fragrance seemed to disappear, I started using a very fragrant body lotion. It relieved my leg cramps the same as soap. I think, for me, it’s a form of aromatherapy.

A: Your report is the first we have heard of soap under the sheets being a leg-cramp remedy in another country. We have heard from many readers in the U.S. who find this approach helpful.

Earl Grey tea can cause muscle cramps in susceptible people (The Lancet, April 27, 2002). This is because the flavor (oil of bergamot) can interfere with potassium moving in and out of muscle cells.

Joe Graedon is a pharmacologist. Teresa Graedon holds a doctorate in medical anthropology and is a nutrition expert. Write to them in care of their Web site: www.PeoplesPharmacy.com

The new year has arrived, new hope has arrived and there was a new resolution. Many people who want to quit smoking in the new year. This is the perfect time for smokers to quit, along with the new year and the aid and medicines.

Only less than 5% of smokers who successfully quit smoking without any preparation, relief and a definite goal (cold turkey). Only less than 5% of smokers who successfully quit smoking without any preparation, relief and a definite goal (cold turkey). These statistics are not to be feared, but it should make people who want to quit smoking in order to better prepare yourself, get help in quitting smoking.

Based on the reports that combine health agency guidance counseling with anti-nicotine drug standards, will produce results 3 times better. This happens because they learn what makes them go back to smoke, rather than treating dependence on cigarettes.

Someone had to leave nicotine replacement tools and immediate treatment. Many people who have quit smoking with chantix medication.

CHANTIX contains no nicotine, but it targets the same receptors that nicotine does. CHANTIX is believed to block nicotine from these receptors. CHANTIX is different than most other smoking cessation products.

For counseling or support help while quitting you can contact the North Dakota Quitline at 1-800-quit-now. There are also countless Web sites to help smokers learn how to live life without cigarettes.

Most people think that quitting smoking will make them unhappy, but the study said that many people give up smoking because they are more happy than when they smoked.

Many people fear failure if they quit smoking, they will be smoking again. Smokers are very difficult to imagine how their lives after not smoking anymore, but actually quit smoking in the beginning of a day they do not smoke.

Believe me, the new study explains that after quitting smoking will be happier person. There is only one condition, do not smoke today and do not inhale a cigarette.

What happens to our bodies when we have to stop smoking? After we smoked several years, there will be damage to our bodies and stop smoking is a must. After 20 minutes we stop smoking, the healing process to work. Keep up to stop smoking.

here is some helpfull article: Long Term Benefits – 5 to 15 Years

Pfizer has presented data which claims that significantly more smokers with mild-to-moderate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who are treated with Chantix/Champix quit the habit compared with those on placebo.

The study, presented at American College of Chest Physicians annual meeting in San Diego, involved 499 adults suffering from mild-to-moderate COPD, who had smoked an average of 10 cigarettes or more per day in the year before enrollment. The participants, who had smoked for an average of 41 years, had a high level of nicotine dependence.

The primary efficacy endpoint was to compare 12 weeks of treatment with Chantix (varenicline) 1mg twice-daily to placebo and to evaluate abstinence from smoking for the 40 weeks after the treatment period. The data showed that during weeks 9-12, 42.3% of those on Chantix remained abstinent compared with 8.8% on placebo and at the end of 52 weeks, 18.6% on varenicline were still not smoking, versus 5.6% on placebo.

Pfizer noted that Chantix was generally well-tolerated in the study, with treatment-emergent serious adverse events of 2.8% versus 4.4% in placebo. Briggs Morrison, senior vice president, at the company’s Primary Care Medicines Development Group, said that the trial “is just one of several planned and ongoing studies of varenicline that we hope will enhance the medical community’s understanding of this important medicine”.

Launched in May 2006, Chantix has had a tricky time of late. Earlier this year, the US Food and Drug Administration said that the treatment should include a boxed warning, highlighting the risk of changes in behaviour, “depressed mood hostility, and suicidal thoughts”.

Sales have been disappointing and third-quarter turnover of Chantix fell 15% to $155 million, down 22% in the USA.

By Kevin Grogan

By Shannon Pettypiece

Oct. 20 (Bloomberg) — Pfizer Inc. said third-quarter profit rose 26 percent, beating analysts’ estimates, as the world’s biggest drugmaker continued to cut jobs in preparation for its acquisition of Wyeth.

Net income increased to $2.88 billion, or 43 cents a share from $2.28 billion, or 34 cents, a year earlier, the New York- based company said today in a statement. Profit excluding certain items was 51 cents a share, beating by 3 cents the average estimate of 15 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg.

Revenue declined 3 percent to $11.6 billion, topping analyst estimates by $200 million. Pfizer completed its $68 billion purchase of Wyeth this month adding the pneumonia vaccine Prevnar and expanding its business into over-the-counter medicines. Pfizer is counting on products gained from Wyeth to help offset losses in two years when generic copies of its top- selling Lipitor cholesterol pill enter the market.

“The Wyeth acquisition has investors focused on the future,” said Catherine Arnold, an analyst with Credit Suisse Group AG in New York, in a note before the release of earnings. “Pfizer brands are under pressure as expected, illuminating the strategic importance of the Wyeth deal. Cost saving efforts will be closely watched as they portend synergy potential.”

Pfizer shares rose 2 percent to $18.36 in trading before the open of New York Stock Exchange.

19,000 Workers

Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Kindler plans to fire more than 19,000 workers to trim costs. The drugmaker has already eliminated more than 5,400 positions this year. Since acquiring Wyeth on Oct. 15, Pfizer said it will close three Wyeth sites in Pennsylvania and one in New Jersey. Pfizer also plans to make research cuts in the next 30 to 60 days.

The drugmaker raised its earnings forecast to between $1.45 and $1.50 a share, the statement said. The new guidance includes the impact of the Wyeth purchase. Excluding certain items, the company expects to report earnings per share of $2 to $2.05, compared to a previous estimate of $1.90 to $2.

Sales of Lipitor, the world’s best-selling medicine, fell 9 percent in the quarter to $2.85 billion. Demand for the cholesterol drug has been falling since 2006 when generic copies of a rival pill, Merck & Co.’s Zocor, came on the market.

Pfizer’s second best-selling treatment, the pain pill Lyrica, generated $708, an increase of 5 percent.

Revenue from Chantix, used to quell nicotine cravings, dropped 15 percent to $155 million. Use of the drug has declined since U.S. regulators issued their strongest warning saying Chantix can cause suicidal behavior and other mood disorders.

Viagra sales fell 8 percent to $466 million. Pfizer has started a new advertising campaign for the erection drug that focuses on getting men over the fear of talking to their doctor about the condition.

To contact the reporters on this story: Shannon Pettypiece in New York at spettypiece@bloomberg.net.

Pfizer will restart TV advertising for its Chantix anti-smoking drug on Sunday, nine months after voluntarily putting the campaign on hold as worries about a link between the medicine and suicidal thoughts and actions grew.

The spots run 90 seconds–30 seconds more than the ones Pfizer (nyse: PFE – news – people ) ran for just four months last year–and hew to the same narrative as the old one, using a race between a tortoise and a Belgian hare to dramatize the fact that quitting smoking that favors the slow and steady–and that Chantix can help.

Side effect information takes up 41 seconds of the advertisement, with about 20 seconds devoted to a warning that patients taking Chantix should stop taking it if they experience agitation, suicidal thoughts or suicidal behavior. Pfizer says the role of Chantix in those symptoms is “not known.”

“Some people think the drug has been withdrawn from the market,” says Veronique Cardon, team leader of U.S. marketing for Chantix. “More importantly, a lot of people haven’t heard of Chantix yet.”

The new campaign shows how pharmaceutical companies are trying to adapt the marketing of their products to a climate of hair-trigger concern over drug safety. But Pfizer faces other hurdles in launching Chantix, too. Its own communications to Wall Street before Chantix went on sale described the anti-smoking market as prone to dramatic sales spikes and stomach-heaving drops.

The drug’s success is particularly important as it tries to match the success of older medications like Lipitor, which loses patent protection in just three years. Pfizer shares have fallen 25% in 12 months.

Safety controversies only make that tougher. When ads are pulled because of new and serious side effects, some reappear in a longer form with more detail about the new risks, says Ruth Day, director of the Medical Cognition Laboratory at Duke University. This also happened with ads for Celebrex (also a Pfizer drug) after it was linked to an elevated risk of heart disease.

Written by Richard J. Wilbur
Thursday, 01 October 2009 17:04

In 2007, 19.8 percent of adults in the United States were cigarette smokers, which is the lowest percentage ever recorded. Although it’s a great achievement, it still means 43.4 million U.S. adults smoke. Cigarette smoking is the most important preventable cause of morbidity, mortality and excess health care costs in the United States.

From 2000 to 2004, cigarette smoking caused an estimated annual average of 443,595 deaths and cost $193 billion dollars per year in smoking attributable costs. Smoking is responsible for 95 percent of lung cancer, the vast majority of chronic lung disease and is a significant risk factor for heart disease, as well as other cancers. At $4 per pack, the cost of the cigarettes alone can easily be more than $2,500 a year.

Preventing smoking and providing effective treatment to help smokers quit will remain a public health priority for the foreseeable future. In support of this goal, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently published the clinical practice guideline entitled, “Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence: 2008 Update.”

The new guidelines present evidence that counseling by a physician, even lasting three minutes or less, increases the odds for prolonged abstinence. Higher intensity counseling lasting greater than 10 minutes doubles the abstinence rate compared to minimal counseling. Tobacco cessation treatments are cost-effective and have been shown to reduce health-care costs. The number of effective medications for tobacco dependence treatment has increased to seven approved medications: Chantix, Wellbutrin SR, and Nicotine replacement therapy in the form of patch, gum, lozenge, inhaler and nasal spray.

If you smoke, when you see your physician, he should ask you two questions. The first is, “Are you willing to make a quit attempt now?” If the answer is no, he should offer to help at another time when you are more motivated. If the answer is yes, you and your doctor should set a quit date and move on to the second question: “What worked or did not work when you tried to quit before?” If you have no idea, your doctor should offer advice about strategies that generally do work. This likely will include the use of one or more of the approved medications for treatment.

Recent studies show that Chantix appears to have the greatest efficiency after three to six months. The most common adverse effect of Chantix is nausea, which at the maximal dosage occurs in about one-third of treated individuals. However, most of the nausea reported was mild and treatment discontinuation due to nausea occurred in only 3 percent of patients.
If your attempt at quitting is unsuccessful, don’t give up. Less than 40 percent of smokers try to quit each year and among those who make a quit attempt, few remain abstinent after one year. The true nature of tobacco use is that of a chronic disorder similar to other diseases such as diabetes and COPD. Relapse is expected.

Successful treatment should take a long-term view of the relationship between you and your physician and should incorporate encouragement, counseling and effective drug therapy at every opportunity. Permanent abstinence is the goal of treatment but is usually achieved only after multiple cycles of remission and relapse. If after reading this article you feel that now is the time for you to make a quit attempt, call your physician RIGHT NOW. You might have saved your own life.

Researchers Find No Clear Evidence of Self-Harm Risk From Antismoking Drug

By Salynn Boyles
WebMD Health News
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Oct. 1, 2009 — The antismoking drug Chantix has been linked to suicide and suicidal thoughts, but a new study shows that if such a risk exists it is likely to be very small.

Researchers from the U.K.’s drug regulatory agency and the University of Bristol compared the incidence of suicide and self-harm among smokers taking Chantix to that of smokers using the drug Zyban or nicotine-replacement products to help them give up cigarettes.

Last July, the FDA announced it would require labeling for Chantix and Zyban to include its strongest safety message, warning that people taking the drugs should be closely watched for signs of suicidal thoughts, hostility, and depressed mood in users.

At a news briefing, an FDA official said 98 suicides and 188 suicide attempts had been reported among people taking Chantix since the drug was approved for sale in the U.S. in 2006.

Fourteen suicides and 17 suicide attempts had been reported in users of Zyban, which contains the same active ingredient as the antidepressant Wellbutrin.

Using data from a medical registry with roughly 3.6 million people living in the U.K., epidemiologist David Gunnell, PhD, and colleagues identified 80,660 adults who were prescribed smoking-cessation products between September 2006 and May 2008.

About three-quarters of the prescriptions were for nicotine-replacement therapies, including patches, inhalers, gum, tablets, or lozenges. Slightly fewer than 11,000 prescriptions were for Chantix and around 6,400 were for Zyban.

Using electronic medical records, the researchers searched for evidence of fatal and non-fatal self-harm, suicidal thoughts, and depression over the period in which the treatments were used up until three months after the last prescription was filled.

After controlling for known risk factors for self-harm and depression, the researchers found no clear evidence of an increased risk of self-harm, suicidal thoughts, or depression in Chantix users or users of any of the other products.

“This is the first study to look at this question in detail, and the results are largely reassuring,” Gunnell tells WebMD. “Our best estimate is that if there is an increase in the risk for fatal and non-fatal self-harm associated with [Chantix] the risk is likely to be very small.”

Gunnell says larger studies are needed to further quantify the risk. “Any such risk has to be balanced against the risks associated with continuing to smoke.”

The study was paid for by the U.K.’s drug regulatory group, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

It was published today in the journal BMJ Online First.

In a statement issued Thursday afternoon, a spokeswoman for Pfizer Inc., which markets Chantix in the U.S., told WebMD the company considers the overall risk-benefit profile of the drug to be ‘favorable.”

“Given the significant public health risks of smoking, Chantix is an important treatment option for adults who want to quit smoking,” Pfizer’s Sally Beatty noted.

She added that the company is conducting clinical trials of the drug in patients with psychiatric disorders as well as other patient populations.