Chantix Commercial!!!

Just saw a Commercial for Chantix. Scary stuff! I don't smoke or use Tobacco, but the list of Side Effects they talk about is some pretty serious stuff.
Maybe folks should just keep smoking if the alternative is becoming a Psychopath?

I don't want to run into one of these Chantix Zombies on my daily drives.

I always find that interesting.
"Here is the 1 thing that this medicine is good for. Now let me spend the remaining 40 seconds of the commercial telling you about how this is going to kill you. "

blackbrandt said:

I always find that interesting.
"Here is the 1 thing that this medicine is good for. Now let me spend the remaining 40 seconds of the commercial telling you about how this is going to kill you. "

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Exactly!! I do not understand why there have been so many prescription drug ads lately. It's like oh yea I can remember the name of the drug and what it is for. You have to see a doc. for your problem and to get the stuff anyway. Like you said first 20 seconds explaining what it is for and the other 40 seconds explaining the side effects and you should not take it if you have this or that.

The worst symptoms are when it is combines with alcohol. That is why it is banned in pilots.

blackbrandt said:

I always find that interesting.
"Here is the 1 thing that this medicine is good for. Now let me spend the remaining 40 seconds of the commercial telling you about how this is going to kill you. "

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THIS. "This drug (that you can't legally buy) is great for this! But it might do this, this, this, and this. And it might kill you. And you shouldn't take it if you have this, that, our this other thing. Or that thing. But yeah, buy this drug!"

Nate

TopRamen said:

I don't want to run into one of these Chantix Zombies on my daily drives.

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You probably already have...As Chuck said it's banned for Pilots (and, also Truck Drivers) but, i tried it.

The ONLY side effects i encountered were:

1. Made the taste of the cigarettes slightly *odd* but, yet not uncomfortable...
2. NON STOP URINATION!

Like:

1. "Make a HOLE firetruck coming through!"
2. "Dude you just took a Wee wee like five minutes ago!"
3. Flashers on going to the shoulder...like 18 wheels coming to a stop on a shoulder NOW!:surprised:
4. "Man...you look like your losing weight!"
5. "You've lost your normal radiant color Trucker!"

Remember that scene towards the end of *Strange Brew* where Bob Mckenzie drinks an entire vat of beer and, burps out the side wall of the vat to p*$$ out a fire next door at a building engulfed in flames with the Fireman enroute to the scene?

That was me....Quit using the drug two weeks into the program and, i wasn't even up to full dosage yet. I would rather try to quit a Heroin addiction cold turkey. At least they could strap me to a bed.

There are lots of medications out there. Some drugs have rare side effects that, if you knew, would make you stop them immediately and/or soil your britches. Almost all drugs can causes death. This includes pot (which we still do not know all the long term side effects)' Tylenol, and aspirin.

I discuss all common side effects, but I could spend 4 hours per patient discussing everything that could possibly happen.

I have written 1000s of scripts for Chantix and have never seen anything outside of mild anxiety, foul taste, and sleep changes. I counsel every patient to avoid alcohol. If this is a problem (avoiding alcohol), the patient leaves without a script.

Do you have toe nail fungus? Take this pill. Your liver or kidney may shut down but you will have nice toe nails. The best one is death is a side affect.

Chuck, sometimes i wish you were my doctor...

I didn't know a human body could contain such a large quantity of water.

For short periods of time, that is.

I guess if you die taking the stuff, your problem is solved. oh and if you have side effects, they can give you something to take care of them and if you have side effects from them they can give you something to take of them and if you.......................................

I am 47. I used to take Liptor, but I exercised my way off of it. I only take celebrix for 2-4 months out of the year and it is on week before and after each physical fitness test.

The real p*$$er is watching million$ of dollar$ worth of television commercials for products that the directed demographic cannot purchase, and then making out that check at the pharmacy for your dying mother's prescription (for 7 pills that had questionable benefit) for over $1300.

In an earlier thread, it was mentioned about car insurance... If they'd stop spending millions telling me how much I'll save by switching carriers, I'd be saving a hell of a lot more.

I used Chantix to quit smoking and It worked GREAT!! I've been smoke free since April of 2009 and loving it. The only side effects I noticed were weird (and I mean weird) dreams
and (to me) it made cigarettes taste awful. I still can't stand the smell of cigarettes. I did not experience any kind of zombie state or other strange side effects.
I do, however know several people who found Chantix effected them adversely and couldn't take it

cherokeej said:

snip... In an earlier thread, it was mentioned about car insurance... If they'd stop spending millions telling me how much I'll save by switching carriers, I'd be saving a hell of a lot more.

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Advertising works. It's fairly essential. Advertising does not make goods or services more expensive in any significant way. A typical corporation's advertising budget is drawn from revenue and generally speaking comprises anywhere from 2 to 10%, depending on what's being sold. Sure, it can go over that, particularly for smaller business's and start-ups—people have to know what you selling and how it can help them. If a company has no presence (advertising) how are you going to know they're there?

Back to Chantix, I tried it out and it worked for me. I had no side effects except that contrary to MALBAR's experience, my dreams got downright boring and normal (whatever that is).

I see no problem with all the drug advertising on TV because there are also plenty of ads for lawyers to help you sue the drug company when you die.

It is interesting that the US is one of only a few countries that allows drug advertising. Wonder how much doctors appreciate all the questions they get. Usually towards the end of those ads they say "ask your doctor about..."

Tronman said:

I see no problem with all the drug advertising on TV because there are also plenty of ads for lawyers to help you sue the drug company when you die.

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I died so I want to sue!!!!

TopRamen said:

Just saw a Commercial for Chantix. Scary stuff! I don't smoke or use Tobacco, but the list of Side Effects they talk about is some pretty serious stuff.

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At one time there was a prescription drug ad airing that was intended for women wanting longer eyelashes! The list of possible side effects made me wonder how desperate someone would have to be to take the stuff.

Advertising for prescription drugs is part of what drives the high cost of healthcare. All of the messaging to "Ask your doctor about blah blah blah" creates pressure on doctors to prescribe medications that are not always necessary or appropriate. The decisions about what medications to use should be made based on sound medical reasoning, not marketing messages.

cwbullet said:

Almost all drugs can causes death. This includes pot (which we still do not know all the long term side effects)' Tylenol, and aspirin.

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I know that NSAIDS like aspirin can cause ulcers and possibly result in death that way. Aspirin can also thin blood which is a problem for some people and could even result in death under certain circumstances.

Tylenol can damage the liver and the kidneys, and I guess that could result in death.

I've never heard of an example of pot resulting in death. I thought in order to have a lethal dose, you would have to ingest POUNDS of cannabis, an amount so large that it is a practical impossibility. What is the mechanism by which pot could result in death?

I have this fantasy of making a film... Perhaps it starts out with a young adult TV show, then it goes to commercial... The rest of the film takes place during the commercial break... A single ad for this new miracle drug... The kind that can solve this one condition but has a list of side effects that is long enough to finish the (full length) movie... after the credits roll, the 2nd portion of the TV show starts...ends, and goes to a commercial break.

XYZ can cause hair to grow on palms, blindness, irrationality, psychosis, scoliosis, neurosis, hair loss, loss of hearing, migraine with auras, nosebleeds... death

ThirstyBarbarian said:

Tylenol can damage the liver and the kidneys, and I guess that could result in death.

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Just to clarify: Tylenol commonly causes liver damage. Although it is possible, I have never seen a patient with kidney damage from tylenol. It is exceptionally rare. NSAIDs commonly cause kidney damage.

ThirstyBarbarian said:

I've never heard of an example of pot resulting in death. I thought in order to have a lethal dose, you would have to ingest POUNDS of cannabis, an amount so large that it is a practical impossibility. What is the mechanism by which pot could result in death?

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I have seen lung cancer in chronic pot smokers. It is theoretically worse for the lungs, but who knows. You don't see a pot smoker smoking 3 packs per day. My intent was not to say pot causes death. I was trying to say the side effects of long term use are scary. It theoretically could cause death in high doses, but it has never been found to happen in adults. The does is too high in adults and they usually pass our or vomit before a toxic level. The psychiatric side effects will keep me away. I do not need apathy or to worry that I might wind the lottery with "long-term cannabis consumption tied to increase risk for schizophrenia".

We will not know long term side effects of pot for a while, but I am sure some of our new legalization efforts will reveal the results sooner or latter. Before folks write back that your friends in college smoked a lot and is not the CEO of "x" company, remember that an N of 1 is not scientific study.