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Chantix, Zyban mental health risk for smokers
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Smoking still an issue, despite medication warnings
Could anti-smoking drugs affect mental health?
Chantix and Zyban may harm a person’s mental health. This is based on a study by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). They reported that nearly 100 suicides and almost 200 attempted suicides have been recorded since Chantix became a marketed public drug. In Zyban users, 14 suicides and 15 attempted suicides occurred. No findings were attributed to the use of nicotine patches.
Although the relationship between the drugs and suicides is not completely clear, they could also be attributed to underlying mental disorders in patients. During initial clinical trials before the approval of Chantix and Zyban, psychiatric disorders were not considered. Phzier claims they will begin to test Chantix on schizophrenia patients. Also, several of the suicidal patients were still smoking, suggesting that the deaths may not necessarily be attributed to nicotine withdrawal.
The FDA isn’t telling people to stop taking the medications. They still feel that“Smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease, disability, and death in the United States and we know these products are effective aids in helping people quit.” For now, the FDA is requiring that warnings be placed on both Chantix and Zyban boxes, asking consumers to monitor major changes in behavior such as hostility, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts.
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