Overview
You should be commended on your commitment to quitting smoking. It’s an unhealthy habit that reduces your lifespan, there’s no two ways about it. Perhaps you’ve tried quitting before and failed, and maybe you’ve used lots of different products to try and quit and they’ve all let you down. Whatever your reason, you’d have to be pretty desperate for a solution in order to consider using Chantix.
The Claim
Chantix claims to be a prescription medication to help adults quit smoking. They claim to contain no nicotine in their product. That’s all they can really claim, because the statistics are rather disappointing. Turns out that there is less than a 50-50 chance that this will work for the average user. This can definitely get chalked up as a pharmaceutical fail.
The Side Effects
There are so many adverse side effects associated with Chantix that their advertisement sounds more like a warning rather than a promo.
Smoking has its own side effects, but they pale in comparison with what Chantix does. Also, it’s not fair to list causing cancer as a side effect of smoking, because we’re not comparing Chantix to smoking, we’re comparing Chantix to other smoking cessation products.
Some of the side effects of Chantix are feeling nauseated, unable to sleep, having a headache, having strange dreams, being gassy, a change in your taste buds, being constipated, having stomach pains, having heartburn and indigestion, perpetual dry mouth, having nightmares, feeling drowsy, being lethargic, having low energy, having a runny nose, not wanting to eat, vomiting, having trouble breathing, exhibiting suicidal behavior, aggression, psychosis, and other peculiar behavior.
But wait, there’s more: showing the signs of having a stroke including changes
in your vision or speech, feeling weak or numb in one arm or leg, having chest pain which may lead to a heart attack, having high blood pressure, having an allergic reaction of the skin, anemia (low red blood cell count), migraines, tinnitus, vertigo, thyroid trouble, dried out eyes, night blindness, arthritis, higher cholesterol, gingivitis, psoriasis, diarrhea, cataracts, stomach ulcers, sexual disorders, osteoporosis, and more.Full list of side effects, as seen in their own commercial:
The Cost
The cost is not really a financial one, but rather the cost done to your body. There’s just too many risks involved in taking Chantix to even wonder how much it costs.
The Commitment
You still have to be commited to using Chantix, even though it is a prescription drug. You can get additional counseling and support while you’re on it, in order to increase your chances of success. It’s not like it is just pop a pill and you’re done, like Viagra. You actually have to overcome urges, and have your family and friends support your decision, or you’ll end up like the 64% of the people that aren’t able to quit using Chantix.
Evaluation
With all of the science they have behind them, and all of the side effects that could potentially come with using it, Pfizer can only boast a 44% success rate. That’s less than half the people that use it! What’s even more startling is that 18% of the people that took a sugar pill were successful! That is absolutely amazing. That is the power of belief right there. These people were given a placebo, with absolutely no chance of side effects, and 1 in 5 of them were successful in quitting smoking because they simply thought they were given something that might be effective.
Shame on Pfizer for aggressively pitching a drug with so many side effects and such a low success rate. If the success rate were in the 90% range it still wouldn’t even be worth taking the risk. Shame on the FDA as well for allowing a product like this to reach the consumer market, and basically treating humans like guinea pigs.
While it is always a great idea to stop smoking, you have to weigh the pros with the cons. There’s no point in turning yourself suicidal, or potentially experiencing any number of the aforementioned side effects. Life is more than just quantity, it’s also quality, so don’t put yourself though all of that torture just to get something that works less than half of the time.
Chantix is a horrible drug, and should be avoided at all costs. It flat out doesn’t work in most cases, and Pfizer openly admits that on the Chantix website. When you take all of the side effects into consideration, the decision is easy.
Our Recommendation
Don’t take Chantix. There are several other smoking cessation solutions out there that are all natural, and not pushed and promoted by the the giant pharmaceutical corporations.
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View Comments
It worked marvelously for me. I was smoking more than a pack a day and fine with that. It was really financial reasons I decided to quit. I wasn’t fully committed so I liked that you could dwindle down. I started slowly cutting out the habits- ie while driving while drinking coffee, and finally I just didn’t need or miss them. My only problem right now is my mouth and tastebuds feel funny - I’ve lost the sense of taste (not fully) which may be on purpose. And perhaps it will keep me away from other vices like sweets and junk food! I’m smoke free for just a few weeks now but so far nothing is triggering the desire for one. Hope the taste comes back!
I swear by it!! I wouldn't have quit if it wasnt fir Chantix! Never had any problems...i was totally done within the 1st week of the 3rd month. That was Aug 3, 2010 abd I havent smoked or had the urge since!!!
You shouldn't really be put off by the rather frightening list of side-effects that come with this drug. I take anti-depressants and they come with a similar list, but they work just fine. However, Quitting smoking isn't, I believe about a chemical dependancy. I know that the chemicals in cigarettes are powerfully addictive, but I believe the real thing we are addicted to about smoking (and yes, I am a smoker) is the routine involved around smoking. We smoke as a way placing divisions in life, little sign posts here and there that give us a sense of time and completion. Its learning other ways to do this that is the key to quitting.
I’ve worked for a general practice physician for many years so I’ve had the ability to hear reviews of countless medications. Chantix is no exception. When first released, people flocked to the doctor looking for that magical cure that would make quitting smoking painless. So, the results? I’d have to say the reviews were 50/50. Many complained of side effects strong enough to cease use of Chantix. The most common reported were strange dreams and nightmares. As for those who completed the course, they were so happy with the results. It was one of those medications that people loved or hated. It did work though. Success rates were almost 100% for those that completed the treatment. It is most definitely worth a try if you are looking for an aid to stop smoking.
I have used Chantix and have had amazing results with the product, and this is after 18 years of smoking 2+ packs per day. Although the $200 price tag hurt the wallet a bit, I am glad that I was able to stop smoking. Once I began using Chantix the results were almost immediate. After just the third day of use I was craving cigarettes less and I actually felt a lot better. I tried to smoke a cigarette the fourth day and it made me sick. Although some people wouldn't find this beneficial, it was great for me to experience this sensation with the cigarettes I had come to love for so very long. I truly believe if you have the desire to stop smoking Chantix is an amazing product to use that will help you accomplish this easily.
I tried Chantix three years ago to quit smoking. There are some side effects, but the worse and oddest is the nightmares. You would wake up with bizarre nightmares. These do go away in time. Does Chantix work? It did work for myself as I haven’t smoked for almost three years now. I gained around twenty pounds, but I can breathe better. My insurance didn’t cover the cost for Chantix so I had to pay out of pocket and it is very expensive. You almost think to yourself it would be cheaper to smoke, but in the long run it isn’t. Chantix does work to stop smoking completely.
I took Chantix a number of years ago to quit smoking and it worked great. I had quit once before with the patch for 14 months. Yes I had extremely bizarre dreams but I think that was the worst of it. I know some folks who reacted badly and stopped using it. The side effects are numerous but this is not a drug you take forever and if you read the adverse side effects list of many drugs they are no different. The difference in the patch and Chantix is that I did not replace food/candy/gum for smoking like I did with the patch (major weight gain). What Chantix does is make you aware of what part of your smoking is habit and what is addiction. Chantix takes away the addictive element so you then can focus on the habit part (without the nicotine withdrawal). Worked for me. Few months of Chantix is better than still smoking!! PS it is expensive - costs about a pack of cigarettes a day and I did not have insurance coverage for it. (Still trying to figure that out...)