Taking a pill to ease the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal has proved to be very popular, not to mention successful, for many smokers. The FDA has now received enough reports regarding changes in behavior and mood in people taking Wellbutrin (buproprion) and Chantix (verenicline) that they have made the decision to place a boxed warning on the packaging of these drugs.
Chantix users have experienced more symptoms than Wellbutrin users, according to the FDA. Since these drugs have come on the market, there have been 98 suicides and 188 attempted suicides in people using Chantix, and 14 suicides in Wellbutrin users with 17 attempts. Other symptoms experienced include:
Behavioral changes
Depression
Hostility
Agitation
The FDA states that the rate of these symptoms remains low and does not recommend that people discontinue the drugs. Instead they emphasize that physicians prescribing these drugs should monitor their patients closely when they begin taking the drug, and also for a period of time after discontinuation of these drugs. In a few cases, symptoms have persisted after discontinuation.
The drug manufacturers will be conducting studies of the rates of these symptoms in patients using these drugs, including patients who have pre-existing psychiatric illnesses.
Related Links:
- Video: Medications That Help You Quit from Health Guru
- Varenicline from Medline Plus
- Public Health Advisory: FDA Requires New Boxed Warnings for the Smoking Cessation Drugs Chantix and Zyban from the FDA
