Wednesday 6 April 2011

Champix Strikes Again?

From the BBC.

A man suspected of killing his wife and two daughters may have been taking anti-smoking medication with possible anger side effects, an inquest heard.

Andrew Case, 33, was found dead along with wife Vicki, 31, and their two girls Nereya, one, and Phoebe, two, at their home in Fordingbridge, Hampshire.

The inquest heard Mr Case had been prescribed 28 anti-smoking Champix tablets before the deaths last year.

It was told they could have possible depression and anger side effects.

Mr Case was dispensed a further 56 tablets by a chemist on 23 July last year, the day the family had returned from a week-long holiday to Weymouth, Dorset.

The inquest heard the original prescription packet was found empty in the house and only 28 of the extra tablets were found.
Sadly, this kind of story isn't much of a surprise where Champix (Chantix in the USA) is concerned.

The smoking cessation drugs Chantix and Zyban must now carry a boxed warning — the strongest type possible — about the risk of serious mental health problems, including depression, behavior changes and suicidal thoughts, the Food and Drug Administration announced Wednesday.

For Chantix, the FDA has received 98 reports of suicides; for Zyban and bupropion, the drug's generic name, 14. There also were 188 reports of attempted suicides by Chantix users, 17 by smokers trying to quit with bupropion. Nicotine-replacement products haven't generated similar reports, Rosebraugh said. (from 2009)
Yet it's still doled out like candy by our tobacco-terrified NHS. In fact, ex-Policy Exchange idiot Henry Featherstone, in his heroically incompetent report Cough Up, last year advocated Champix (clinical name Varenicline) being given out in even more willy-nilly fashion!

Varenicline is the most cost-effective treatment option in the NHS Stop Smoking Service. Studies consistently demonstrate it to be superior to any other therapy, but it is only used in 20% of cases. Varenicline should be offered as first line drug treatment for all patients wishing to quit smoking
The hypocrisy and, yes, evil of these pharma-backed anti-smoking freaks never ceases to beggar belief. While on the one hand furrowing their brows in righteous concern about harmless e-cigs, they seem simultaneously able to completely ignore mounting evidence of the deeply harmful - and sometimes dangerously violent - effects from using Champix ... a drug they endorse wholeheartedly.

It would appear that the precautionary principle only applies when they feel like it, and never when it threatens pharmaceutical interests.

Sorry to bore you, but I must reiterate. It was never about health.

UPDATE: Tobacco control advocate Michael Siegel explains why Champix should be banned immediately.


11 comments:

RB said...

We should all dose up on Champix, pop round the Houses of Parliament Bar, kick their heads in and blame the drugs

RB said...

Except for Philip Davies of course - I'll buy him a pint.

Wow - just noticed that the word verification random word for posting this is "anger" - how apt!!

Anonymous said...

Good idea RB i'll bring an axe !
No no a chainsaw !
Hi honey iiiiiim hooooome !

James Higham said...

After that, I need to go outside for a puff.

Ciaran said...

People take that kind of stuff? That's ridiculous. If you actually *want* to stop smoking, you just stop, it's very simple. If you don't, no amount of pharmaceuticals will help in the long run.

Anonymous said...

Why is this being officially called a "treatment option" when there is nothing to "treat"? It's a load of hogwash such a drug was ever invented in the first place. This whole idea is no different than the organizations accused of "treating homosexuals" years ago until gay groups all fought back and became reconsidered normal. Smokers need to undergo the same routine now and fight the same uphill political battle, re-establishing normality again, in every sense of the word. It's a damn shame that in less than ten years we've gone from normal to abnormal just because someone invented a drug and needed to artifically create an "abnormality" in order to push it.

Anonymous said...

The reason that there are some 'success' stories with Chantix is that the smoker commits suicide !!
One less smoker with every suicide probably gives the makers the 'quit rate'

Anonymous said...

RB @ 15:03

As well as being a non-smoker, the locally-exalted Philip Davies is also a non-drinker - all the more reason to admire his position on these issues of basic freedom.

But I'll have his pint instead - cheers, RB.

Anonymous said...

On a pharma associated vein (no pun intended), I watched this on TPUC the other day.

http://www.tpuc.org/content/cancer-forbidden-cures

Makes you think really, big pharma have destroyed all "alternative" cancer cures, cancer drugs are their biggest business and yet they pump people (up until fairly recently) with vaccinations containing that non carcinogenic shiny metal....mercury.

Hmmm, hate to think it...but when that much money is involved.....

Anonymous said...

See

http://tobaccoanalysis.blogspot.com/2011/04/chantix-why-black-box-warning-is-not.html

Dick Puddlecote said...

Ta for the heads up, Anon. Worth an update for future record, I think. :)