Chantix Causes Depression

Hey, y'all--

Because of fear of legal ramifications, I can't publish this as an article in the newsletter, but this is my blog and I can say anything here, and I do want to warn you against taking Chantix if you have bipolar disorder. I have taken it twice now, and have quit smoking twice on it now, so I can tell you it does work to help you quit smoking. BUT, and that is a very big BUT... I firmly believe that it causes depression in people who have bipolar disorder.

Now, you know I am no doctor, scientist, researcher, or even a therapist. I'm nobody, really, except someone with BP who has tried Chantix twice, and gone into a BP episode twice because of it. Yes, I quit smoking, but was it worth it? The first time, I ended up in the hospital in a full fledged manic episode (following the depressive episode from the Chantix) -- that was last May, and you might remember it -- became psychotic and scratched my arms till they bled.

This second time I can almost time it to the day that this depression was due to the Chantix. I have been seeing a new therapist, and complaining about depression, to the degree of a bipolar episode. She checked her notes, and voila! Same time period as I started the Chantix! But here is the real proof -- within 48 hours after stopping the Chantix, I was completely NORMAL again! Myself! ME! No after-effects of the depression -- it just miraculously disappeared!

The thing was, was that my therapist and I could not find a trigger for the depressive episode, which made us think. I have ALWAYS had a trigger for my episodes -- something specific we could point to that caused the episode. But this time we could not find one single thing. Like I said, except for the Chantix.

So here's my theory (for whatever it's worth). Bipolar disorder is a chemical imbalance of the brain -- one of those chemicals is dopamine. Chantix works by blocking the dopamine receptors in the brain -- that's how it helps you quit smoking -- if you don't enjoy smoking any more, you'll quit smoking -- that's their theory. So my theory is that, in people who already have a chemical imbalance, it will cause an even further imbalance -- causing them to go into a depression (since you are messing with their "happy" chemical).

And I am proof. Not once, but twice. And I know I'm not the only one. Good Morning America did a piece on it, about that musician who got killed over it (see bipolarcentral.com Featured Article of the Week), and asked for input, and there's all kinds of people saying it got so bad for them when they took Chantix that they became suicidal! Some people even did kill themselves when they were on Chantix. These kinds of comments are all over the internet now.

Maybe it's happened to you, too. If it has, if you have bipolar disorder and you took Chantix, and it made you depressed, suicidal, or psychotic, I'd like to know. I'd like to know I'm not the only one, is what I mean.

I am so much better since I went off the Chantix. I called Pfizer and logged a report about my experience. I feel like myself again. I have more energy, and no more depression. My work is more productive. I feel happy again! I really do believe it was the Chantix that caused my depression.

Anyway, I'd love to hear from anyone who had the same experience.

Remember that God loves you and so do I,
Michele