Smoking is a medical condition and there is one drug that is promoted in print media. Champix is a selective nicotinic acetylcholine receptor partial agonist that is designed to give smokers another option to quit. It activates nicotine receptors in the brain while blocking nicotine from attaching to them. These actions limit the release of dopamine, the substance that gives the pleasurable effect of nicotine.
However, articles have been spreading regarding the side effects of this drug specifically neuropsychiatric symptoms. They reported 6 patients in the US who use varenicline committed suicide.
Side effects of varenicline are published in the package insert and to date, no neuropsychiatric adverse events related to the drug have been reported to BFAD.
2 Comments
Permalink
Tsk tsk! This is scary!
Permalink
I personally believe that this is just a negative publicity by the tobacco industry against Champix.