Prevent Disease – by April McCarthy
Learning to stop smoking is not easy. You cough. You fidget. You crave. All you want is a cigarette. Just one. You want to go back to the day that you started this process and live that day over. But these days, your doctor can offer you a lot more help in the form of smoking cessation drugs. Yes, that’s right, they can even double your chance of quitting. There are just a few caveats, but no biggie. Besides increasing your hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts, they’ll also elevate your risk for other psychiatric disorders, not to mention bring down your gastrointestinal, metabolic, nervous, endocrine, immunological, renal, respiratory and cardiovascular systems. But hey, at least you’ll quit smoking right?
The side effects from these drugs are so bad that The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said that medications such as varenicline (Chantix) and bupropion (Zyban and generics) must now carry a “black box” warning that they can dramatically increase the risk of psychological side effects including serious neuropsychiatric symptoms such as serious suicidal thoughts which lead to attempted suicide.
Some side effects are so serious that they can easily be considered as more of a hazard to long-term health than smoking itself, especially due to the amount of body systems involved and the severity of psychiatric symptoms affected.
The “black box” warning means that the makers of these drugs must list side effects in any advertising and will not be able to air “reminder ads,” which highlight a drug’s name but don’t mention the condition it treats. The warning won’t have an effect on “help-seeking ads,” which mention a condition, but not drug names–like the one dissected in the AdWatch video below.
ADDITIONAL SIDE EFFECTS
Gastrointestinal
Gastrointestinal (GI) side effects have frequently included nausea (7.2% to 40%), flatulence (6% to 9%), constipation (5% to 8.5%), upper abdominal pain (2% to 7.7%), dry mouth (4% to 6%), abdominal pain (5%), dyspepsia (5%), vomiting (1% to 5%), and GI reflux disease (1%). Diarrhea, gingivitis, dysphagia, enterocolitis, eructation, gastritis, GI hemorrhage, mouth ulceration, esophagitis, gastric ulcer, intestinal obstruction, acute pancreatitis, and gall bladder disease have been reported. At least one case of cholecystitis has also been reported, in addition to case of peritonitis and a case of hemorrhoids and rectal prolapse.
The most common side effect associated with varenicline in clinical trials was nausea. Nausea was typically transient and described as mild or moderate in intensity; however, some patients experienced persistent nausea throughout treatment.
Psychiatric
A 63-year-old male with stable bipolar disorder experienced a manic episode coincident with varenicline (the active ingredient contained in Chantix) therapy. The patient was admitted to an inpatient psychiatric unit and met criteria for a manic episode. He began exhibiting manic symptoms one week after initiating therapy with varenicline 1 mg twice daily for smoking cessation. Varenicline was stopped upon admission. Within one week of admission, he was euthymic, without manic or psychotic symptoms.
A 42-year-old female with a 17-year history of schizophrenia experienced exacerbation of schizophrenia coincident with varenicline therapy. She had been prescribed varenicline 2 mg for 5-days to help her stop smoking. The patient’s mother reported a 5-day psychotic episode that began with increased activity. After she was advised to discontinue varenicline, she had no further exacerbation.
Psychiatric side effects have included insomnia (19%), abnormal dreams (9% to 13%), sleep disorder (2%), and nightmare (2%). Anxiety, depression, emotional disorder, irritability, restlessness, aggression, agitation, disorientation, dissociation, decreased libido, mood swings, abnormal thinking, bradyphrenia, euphoric mood, hallucination, psychotic disorder, suicidal ideation, and erratic behavior have also been reported. Depressed mood, agitation, changes in behavior, and suicide have been reported during postmarketing experience. At least one case of varenicline-induced manic episode has also been reported, in addition to a case of exacerbation of schizophrenia.
Nervous system
Nervous system side effects have frequently included headaches (10.3% to 19%), dysgeusia (8%), fatigue, malaise, asthenia, somnolence, and lethargy. Attention disturbances, dizziness, sensory disturbance, amnesia, migraine, parosmia, psychomotor hyperactivity, restless legs syndrome, syncope, tremor, balance disorder, cerebrovascular accident, convulsion, dysarthria, facial palsy, mental impairment, multiple sclerosis, nystagmus, impairment of psychomotor skills, transient ischemic attack, visual field defect, and drowsiness have been reported.
The New Zealand (NZ) Intensive Medicines Monitoring Programme (IMMP) identified a series of 13 reports of memory impairment in patients taking varenicline. This case series adds to cases of memory impairment reported by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) from FDA datasets who postulated that vasoconstriction or vasodilation could be the underlying mechanism.
Respiratory
Respiratory side effects have frequently included influenza (3.2% to 5.8%), rhinorrhea, dyspnea, and upper respiratory tract disorder. Epistaxis, respiratory disorders, asthma, pleurisy, and pulmonary embolism have also been reported.
Dermatologic
Dermatologic side effects have frequently included rash and pruritus. Hyperhidrosis, acne, dermatitis, dry skin, eczema, erythema, psoriasis, urticaria, and photosensitivity reaction have also been reported.
Metabolic
Metabolic side effects have frequently included increased or decreased appetite and anorexia. Hyperlipidemia, hypokalemia, hyperkalemia, hypoglycemia, and increased weight have also been reported.
Hematologic
Hematologic side effects have included anemia, lymphadenopathy, leukocytosis, thrombocytopenia, and splenomegaly.
Cardiovascular
Cardiovascular side effects have included angina pectoris, arrhythmia, bradycardia, ventricular extrasystoles, myocardial infarction, palpitations, tachycardia, atrial fibrillation, cardiac flutter, coronary artery disease, cor pulmonale, abnormal electrocardiogram, acute coronary syndrome, hypertension, hypotension, peripheral ischemia, and thrombosis.
Endocrine
Endocrine side effects have included thyroid gland disorders and diabetes mellitus. At least one case of pituitary hemorrhage has also been reported.
Ocular
Ocular side effects have included conjunctivitis, dry eye, eye irritation, blurred vision, visual disturbance, eye pain, acquired night blindness, transient blindness, cataract subcapsular, ocular vascular disorder, photophobia, and vitreous floaters.
Hypersensitivity
Hypersensitivity side effects including seasonal allergy (2.6% to 5.9%) have been reported.
Genitourinary
Genitourinary side effects have included abnormal urine analysis, polyuria, nocturia, urine abnormality, urinary retention, menstrual disorder, erectile dysfunction, and sexual dysfunction. At least one case of ovarian hematoma has also been reported.
Musculoskeletal
Musculoskeletal side effects have included arthralgia, back pain, muscle cramp, musculoskeletal pain, myalgia, arthritis, osteoporosis, and myositis.
Renal
Renal side effects have included nephrolithiasis, urethral syndrome, and acute renal failure. At least one case of elevated blood creatinine has also been reported.
Immunologic
Immunologic side effects commonly reported have included nasopharyngitis (35.9% to 51%), bronchitis, sinusitis, fungal infection, and viral infection.
Hepatic
Hepatic side effects including abnormal liver function tests have been reported.
Other
Other side effects have included tinnitus, vertigo, deafness, Meniere’s disease, chest pain, influenza-like symptoms, edema, thirst, chest discomfort, chills, pyrexia, increased muscle enzyme, and hot flash. At least one case of feeling abnormal has been reported, in addition to a case of elevated aspartate aminotransferase, two cases of elevated alanine aminotransferase, and one case of elevated blood bilirubin.
Sources:
fda.gov
consumerreports.org
drugs.com
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Smoking is lethal?? hmmmmmmmmmmm. I guess that’s why my aunt and my dad both died at the young age of 95. smoking finally killed then. 🙄
by the way. neither one of them had any sign of cancer.
They were smoking before the toxic chemical ‘additives’ were introduced.
your right #1. I quit American tobacco when the gov. forced tobacco companies to treat their product with a flame retardant, which is a polymer / carcinogenic.
Kewpie doll for the man! 🙂
here are 18 other reasons quit american tobacco.
http://www.trueactivist.com/18-dangerous-ingredients-the-tobacco-companies-do-not-want-you-to-see/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TrueActivist+%28True+Activist%29
I know. Sent it in, but it wasn’t posted. Copyright, probably.
Yes Paul and #1, these tobacco giants “freebase” their tobacco like a coke freak boils up a rock of crack from powder. Highly addictive and toxic, I think I’ll test that theory.
Go GREEN, Millard… 😉
With purple veins and a crystalline texture #1. Even you would be jealous. Don’t think that digger didn’t reveal a few secrets of the proper upbringing of plants.
GDP
GDP?
NOT Gross Domestic Product… LOL
Grand Daddy Purple.
American Spirit Cigarettes….The dark blue box…100% natural, even the paper and the filter…
And if you want to quit, its called Tabex. Its illegal in the U.S. but you can order it online. I know two people who ordered it and got it, and they both stopped smoking in less than a week.
IBOGAINE, is a tree root from Africa. It cures addictions. 90% success rate and it cures you within a week…I know, because I have sent a freind or two there, and a loved one, and they all were cured. Also illegal in the U.S. You have to go to Mexico, Costa rica, Canada etc. Here in the U.S. they put heroin addicts on methadone, which is worse than heroin, but the rockefellers have the patent on methadone…go figure.
“American Spirit Cigarettes….The dark blue box…100% natural, even the paper and the filter…”
Started smoking them last summer.
smart move. #1 😎
I roll my own! 😆
hi Millard. Have been thinking about doing that too.
I’m about to go that route too, Millard.
Hey guys, I’m not talking tobacco.
😆
Pipe’s much more economical, I’ve found.
Hate seeing all that wasted smoke off the lit end.
A pipe’s OK but there’s nothing that can beat a handsomely rolled doober! Digger could spin one up while driving down the road. There’s something added to the experience as you draw the smoke through the unburned particulate that can’t be experienced smoking a pipe.
haha I bet he could Millard. 🙂
#1
you are suppose to suck that extra smoke from the lit end into your nose while you pass the bone.
Light the edge of a tightly packed bowl, draw SLOWLY, and cover the bowl with a nickel before ANY smoke can ‘escape’.
Top shelf is pricey… 😉
LOL
My preference is a water pipe (bong). 😉
That’s my brother’s favorite, too, Angel.
Never did catch on with me, though. Highly UNtransportable, for one thing.
You got me drooling now #1!
I do roll occasionally, Millard.
But only with waxed papers.
Bong water, you’ll never get the smell out of anything it gets spilled on.
LOL Yes, that is gross Millard. You have to keep the water&pipe clean. Nice with an ice cube added… even better filled with a bit of whiskey or bourbon. Got to keep it clean though. Nothing worse than old water. Yuck! Stanky, disgusting stuff…
Yes, you’re right #1, rolling is much more transportable. 😉
The grossest thing I’ve ever witnessed was watching a guy drink the gunk in a spittoon on a $20 bet. To this day, the thought turns my stomach. I throw out a challenge to anyone that can stoop to that level of grossioddity!
That would “Gag a Maggot”, Millard. Eugh!
“Gag a maggot” Have you experienced the maggot factor? It usually involves dead flesh. Not ordinarily a good experience.
😯 How did we get HERE? LOL
Yes, Millard, I have. Not pretty.
I was using it jokingly. It was a slang phrase we used back in the late ’60’s/’70s+ (in TX) to refer to something gross/ disgusting/repulsive/made you want to barf.
My ‘health care’ provider wanted to put me on Chantix (many years ago, before I knew about Big Pharma), but luckily, it was too expensive, so I passed (WHEW!!!).
I use to smoke the American Spirit brand. That is until R.J. Reynolds bought them out.
what do you smoke now Rota?
They gave this crap out in the navy. I knew a few people who got schizo from it. I know a person in NorCal that used it too and it made him get really looney and emotional.
The best way i have found to quit is to not do it anymore.
will f-in power. Every time you get a craving think about how you are a slave and are not in control of the most basic thing in this life.
That worked for a couple years and now I smoke the black AmSpirits. lol
Well Nottoobitter, I’ll quit smoking when I’m dead. Until then, smoke ’em if you got ’em.
Paul, sorry it took me some time to reply. I smoke the “Drum” brand. It comes either in a pouch or can. Also, you must roll them by hand, which is good practice for when I need to roll a doobie! I buy the pouch so it doesn’t turn stale on me before I finish it. I also had to find a store that moved it quickly. For if it sat too long on the shelf, it could be stale.
thanks Rota. good information. 🙂