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Anxiety and Panic due to Chantix
My 19 year old son took chantix for 3 months and did quit smoking. Any smoking around him causes him to break out in violent hives. He had been off of it for 5 months and right after he stopped taking it he began having numbness and dizziness. His blood work identified a postitive ANA that neither his primary care doctor nor a specialist has not been able to identify the reason why. Three weeks ago he started having panic attacks and anxiety. He is in his first year of college and has to withdraw because of these symptoms. The family doctor has finally agreed that these symptoms are negative effects of the chantix and he needs to go on anxiety med and see a counselor. I have read on other blogs that other users are still fighting symptoms after years off that drug. Has anyone else been fighting the effects of this awful drug? We are emotionally devastated to see what was once a strong, healthy, active young man turn into a bundle of nerves and anxiety.
I took chantix in 2008 quit smoking for 11 months then started having anxiety and panic attacks its 2017 never been the same since.. And never had anxiety or panic attacks before chantix
iagree, everyone reacts differently to taking chantix and even though i have quit for over a year and a half one of those many times i tried it.i always found that eventually the desire to smoke always becomes back to overwhelming at some point. so it is either that i am suffering from some sort of generalized anxiety, which I've dealt with on and off all my life, weakening me at times or... the chant has a permanent affect on you're brain chemistry forever!. I'm going to have genetic testing done to try and figure out why absolutly no anti depressant or ant phycotic always have terrible side effects on me. and to see if chantix contents have some terrible effect on my brain possibly also. ill get back with everyone what the findings are.
I took Chantix in July 2013 and have suffered sever side effects, General Anxiety Dissorder, Seizure like symptoms, Aggression, Panic attacks, sleeplessnes, etc. It has ruined my life, I am now applying for dissability, I can no longer drive or ride in cars or be in public and sometimes my family without heavy medication. I am also currently filing to extend the SOL 90 days past July 2015 and speak to a judge about extending it until more research is done on long term side effects. Please if you could help in any way it would be appreciated!
Did your son ever get better. I now am dealing with the same symptoms and I've been off the drug for over two months.
I feel for your son! I Took Chantix for 2 weeks and quit smoking. Then 2 weeks later had 2 severe Aniexty attacks that landed me in the ER. That was 3 years ago.. I have had a panic attack daily since then and always feel like im dying and never want to be alone.. I wish your son luck and hope there is help for everyone that has taken this drug and had these horrible side effects!!!
I have been off of chantix for over a year and am still living with severe anxiety.i now take prozac and valum to help with the anxiety .
I printed out your testimony on your friend and my son was so amazed on how he felt EXACTLY like you she explained she felt - the same feelings, the same thoughts, the same fears and thought patterns on what was all happening. He said that it was like she were explaining his life - the big eye opener is the fact that yes, the med did cause some ugly side effects, but it is not anything that some hard work, mind reconstruturing and and strong will can't change. We both felt much better. He has been trying to get out - he played basketball out in front of the house for about an hour Monday (it has been warm a few days here in Pa) - and said that he felt wonderful after that. I think it was the first real smile I have seen in 4 weeks. He is still not driving, but tomorrow night he goes to the therapist and I am hoping that they klick and they get down to working on the right things... I think my son will open up because I think there are things he wants to say but being his mom just does not feel comfortable saying them. I am ok with that as long as he has someone to talk to. He also has been complaining have his mouth going numb - anybody every hear that being associated with panic or anxiety? I took him to the dentist to rule out any type of infection and he said that his teeth and gum were perfect - no infection, no disease. It is a mystery why rubbing his tongue along side of his top teeth causes his mouth and tongue to go numb? But I am hearing that anxiety can cause some strange symptions. Well, wanted to let you know how helpful the information was to my son - he was very excited to know that someone went through a similar experience and is doing well now. Some of the thinking on his part must be centered around will I ever get better? And you have helped to provide a lifeline of hope,
Thank you so much for taking the time to write down the information on your friend. Sounds the same with the before being healthy and the after being "different." It has provided me with a good direction to help him focus on mind over matter. I keep repeating to my son that he is stronger than the effects of that drug, and slowly I think it might be sinking in. You know, I was so angry in the beginning about the chantix side effects that I would not even entertain the idea that his addition to nicotine - and going off it - could have contributed to the anxiety/panic. I am trying to think more logically and less emotionally - which I hope will help to encourage him. I am counting the days until he sees the therapist. I am worried about the avoidant behaviors - I can hear when he talks that he does not want to be around people. Coming from the boy voted most friendly last year in high school, it makes me start thinking that I am going nuts! I am so confused sometimes on what is best between understanding and tough love. I want to push him but don't want to stress him out that he gets worse. I guess it is a learning experience for us all. He does say to me that he thinks I must be the most understanding mom out there and how lucky he is. We are a close family, he has an older brother who is concerned about him also. The lexapro is going well, he only had stomach upset once. He has not noticed any significant difference but the doctor did say 2 weeks and he has only been on it 1 week. We continue to support him and thank all of the wonderful people who have been writing on this posting - you all support me. I am amazed how the goodness in people to share and communicate information can make me feel not so alone. Thanks to all.
Hehe i'm sorry, we don't have the same definition of new. In the science community something new can be something that have been discovered and investigated for 15 years old and when the news come out it's like ''A new blablabla newly discovered blabla'' you know what i mean hehe... Sorry if it stuck you but thanks for the clarification. I approve the information here must be as accurate as possible.
Just wanted to clarify something in this thread...not a big deal, but it stuck out to me, and I like to make sure the the info we give out is as correct as possible. Lexapro is not actually a "new" drug on the market. It was approved by the fda in Aug 2002, so, it has been around for over 7 years now. It was manufactured as a "cleaner' version of Celexa, with the intentions of hopefully having the helpful therapeutic effects of Celexa, but without all the side effects.
Unfortunately, many people who TRULY cannot tolerate Celexa (not just the presence of the initial side effects) usually have trouble tolerating Lexpro as well.
Just wanted to clear that up...hope your son gets better soon. It sounds like you guys are doing everything you can for him. Just watch his "avoidant" behaviors. People with panic disorder and severe anxiety quickly develop avoidant behaviors as a response to the fear reaction (like you mentioned with his driving)...and that can lead to agoraphobia, when one can basically become "housebound" in varying degrees b/c they are too fearful of leaving their "safe place" in case of a panic attack. It sounds as though he is exhibiting some of those behaviors, which is why it is very important for him to try to push thru those fears as much as possible...and not try to avoid situations that are uncomfy for him. It is not easy...very difficult as a matter of fact....but working thru it is vital and can prevent agoraphobia from becoming another thing for him to overcome.
MedHelp has an "Agoraphobia" forum, I think that info would greatly benefit you as well, if you want to read thru some threads. I also have a few journals on my profile about it.
Best of luck to you and your son.
Unfortunately, many people who TRULY cannot tolerate Celexa (not just the presence of the initial side effects) usually have trouble tolerating Lexpro as well.
Just wanted to clear that up...hope your son gets better soon. It sounds like you guys are doing everything you can for him. Just watch his "avoidant" behaviors. People with panic disorder and severe anxiety quickly develop avoidant behaviors as a response to the fear reaction (like you mentioned with his driving)...and that can lead to agoraphobia, when one can basically become "housebound" in varying degrees b/c they are too fearful of leaving their "safe place" in case of a panic attack. It sounds as though he is exhibiting some of those behaviors, which is why it is very important for him to try to push thru those fears as much as possible...and not try to avoid situations that are uncomfy for him. It is not easy...very difficult as a matter of fact....but working thru it is vital and can prevent agoraphobia from becoming another thing for him to overcome.
MedHelp has an "Agoraphobia" forum, I think that info would greatly benefit you as well, if you want to read thru some threads. I also have a few journals on my profile about it.
Best of luck to you and your son.
I'm sorry about my late response, I have been out of town for work. Anyhow, before my friend (she was 23) took the drug she was fine. She had no history of mental illness or depression. She said she never had suicidal thoughts or anything of that nature; however, after about 6 weeks on the drug, she said she experienced wild mood swings. She said she would go from being completely enraged to sad and sorrowful within 10 minutes. She then told me that she feared harming herself. She had to remove all knives, cords, shoelaces, etc from her apartment -- she said she felt a loss of control and helpless. She quit the medicine after a month or so (along with smoking), but one day at work (after quitting the medicine) she said she just got so anxious that she had to be taken to the ER. After that episode, she said she felt immense fear and panic. She wouldn't leave the house. She was having the suicidal thoughts still. Finally, she visited her doctor and he prescribed her leave off work and that's when she started to see a psychiatrist. She refused to try any other medicine, though, so she focused mainly on cognitive therapy-- that is, the restructuring of thoughts.
She said other things made her feel at ease. For instance, she felt better when she realized that not all of her reactions were due to the drug, some of them were due to actual nicotine withdrawal. She explained to me that she had built this drug up to be some almighty assailant in her head and she began to see it as unbeatable-- she said that was one of her biggest mistakes. She had to take a step back and realize that, yes, the drug was causing her to have odd reactions, but that doesn't mean it should be forever. She said she had to shake herself out of the victim role and understand that she was still in control and that this drug wasn't strong enough to alter her life forever. She also learned in therapy to assume responsibility for her past addiction and get over it. She explained that she felt like an idiot for smoking in the first place and she felt like a bigger idiot for having to take a drug to quit-- she said she was having a hard time forgiving herself, because she felt like it was her fault-- her therapist had her focus on accepting all of her decisions and moving forward.
As far as cognitive therapy, she learned how to calm herself down. She also learned how to ride out these panic attacks (we live in California, so this was explained to her like "riding out an earthquake"). Her therapist also forced her into states of panic, so that she would become desensitized to the feelings of anxiety. Everything that she feared, her therapist made her confront-- after about 6 months of this treatment, she is doing so much better. She still goes to therapy, but she isn't on any medication. We have gone to many concerts together, the beach, bars, etc since her incident and she never has any moments where she feels panicked or nervous and if she ever does, she knows she can tell any of us and we will all understand and help her through it. That also brings me to support. As a sufferer from anxiety myself, I feel best when I know others around me understand what's going on with me, and I know they are going to be there to help me if I do feel anxious. You seem like a great mom and i know it seems scary-- I think anyone who suffers from anxiety for the first time feels horrible. The anxiety is exacerbated by thoughts of "Oh god, I'm nuts!" and things like that. I know as a mom it's probably hard to sit back and watch him go through this, but anxiety isn't life stopping. Everyone has hurdles in their life, this just happens to be his. Anxiety is not terminal - remind him of that. And that the drug he took is just a drug-- his body and mind had a bad reaction, but our bodies and minds are built to be resilient and he can bounce back from it.
As far as school is concerned, I would have his doctor write him a note excusing his withdraw. Mental health issues should be a valid reason for dismissal. I would definitely contact a local paper with your story if they are unwilling to give him time to recuperate- that's almost inhumane.
I hope it gets better!
-j
She said other things made her feel at ease. For instance, she felt better when she realized that not all of her reactions were due to the drug, some of them were due to actual nicotine withdrawal. She explained to me that she had built this drug up to be some almighty assailant in her head and she began to see it as unbeatable-- she said that was one of her biggest mistakes. She had to take a step back and realize that, yes, the drug was causing her to have odd reactions, but that doesn't mean it should be forever. She said she had to shake herself out of the victim role and understand that she was still in control and that this drug wasn't strong enough to alter her life forever. She also learned in therapy to assume responsibility for her past addiction and get over it. She explained that she felt like an idiot for smoking in the first place and she felt like a bigger idiot for having to take a drug to quit-- she said she was having a hard time forgiving herself, because she felt like it was her fault-- her therapist had her focus on accepting all of her decisions and moving forward.
As far as cognitive therapy, she learned how to calm herself down. She also learned how to ride out these panic attacks (we live in California, so this was explained to her like "riding out an earthquake"). Her therapist also forced her into states of panic, so that she would become desensitized to the feelings of anxiety. Everything that she feared, her therapist made her confront-- after about 6 months of this treatment, she is doing so much better. She still goes to therapy, but she isn't on any medication. We have gone to many concerts together, the beach, bars, etc since her incident and she never has any moments where she feels panicked or nervous and if she ever does, she knows she can tell any of us and we will all understand and help her through it. That also brings me to support. As a sufferer from anxiety myself, I feel best when I know others around me understand what's going on with me, and I know they are going to be there to help me if I do feel anxious. You seem like a great mom and i know it seems scary-- I think anyone who suffers from anxiety for the first time feels horrible. The anxiety is exacerbated by thoughts of "Oh god, I'm nuts!" and things like that. I know as a mom it's probably hard to sit back and watch him go through this, but anxiety isn't life stopping. Everyone has hurdles in their life, this just happens to be his. Anxiety is not terminal - remind him of that. And that the drug he took is just a drug-- his body and mind had a bad reaction, but our bodies and minds are built to be resilient and he can bounce back from it.
As far as school is concerned, I would have his doctor write him a note excusing his withdraw. Mental health issues should be a valid reason for dismissal. I would definitely contact a local paper with your story if they are unwilling to give him time to recuperate- that's almost inhumane.
I hope it gets better!
-j
With anxiety knowledge is power, it is extremely important that he gets a lot of information about it and way to fight it and support from everyone and i'm glad you are so supportive with him. It would be a good idea to have a private talk with his girlfriend to tell her everything about anxiety and how it is important to be supportive with your son.
I'm glad i helped you somehow. Don't hesitate to write me a message if you have futher question.
Best regards,
M4
I'm glad i helped you somehow. Don't hesitate to write me a message if you have futher question.
Best regards,
M4
Thank you for the information on lexapro. He says that he is feeling good which is better than what he was saying before. I explained about the vit D and getting outside in the sun - sitting in a dark room is not going to get him better. With that said, he went with his girlfriend to lunch - he did not want to but forced himself. He said it was ok but he was afraid. It is so strange to hear him talk that way considering he was hardly ever home before this all happen. We were excited that he took this first step and tried to encourage him keep on going. We are trying to build his confidence that things will go back to "normal" with time. Thanks for the vit D info, I will look into the luminotherapy, it sounds like a faster way to get the vit D level up.
Concerning Lexapro, some people reported a sudden kick in after several weeks, like some kind of miracle and some reported a gradual but positive onset after several weeks. It depends on your son and most importantly his enviroment.
One thing i would sugest to your son for the vitamim D deficiency is milk and luminotherapy.
Luminotherapy means light therapy and usually involves half-hour sessions in front of a bright lamp (10 000 lux), specially adapted to treat seasonal depression. The principle is simple: light exposure slows down melatonin production, fighting sleepiness and depression. The light reaches the brain through the retina of the eye, as nerve impulses, to alter hormone levels, which in turn reset your body clock and boost your immune system. Some doctors and health farms offer luminotherapy as a treatment, but there are also special lamps on the market for home use.
And did you know sun a the best source of vitamin D? So it will be a good thing if your son go out often and im sure ixed with luminotherapy it will help A LOT!
Best regards and good luck with Lexapro!
M4
One thing i would sugest to your son for the vitamim D deficiency is milk and luminotherapy.
Luminotherapy means light therapy and usually involves half-hour sessions in front of a bright lamp (10 000 lux), specially adapted to treat seasonal depression. The principle is simple: light exposure slows down melatonin production, fighting sleepiness and depression. The light reaches the brain through the retina of the eye, as nerve impulses, to alter hormone levels, which in turn reset your body clock and boost your immune system. Some doctors and health farms offer luminotherapy as a treatment, but there are also special lamps on the market for home use.
And did you know sun a the best source of vitamin D? So it will be a good thing if your son go out often and im sure ixed with luminotherapy it will help A LOT!
Best regards and good luck with Lexapro!
M4
Thank you very much for the information on lexapro. He is starting on a half a pill, and next week goes to a full pill, I did google it and read that stopping it cold turkey is a bad thing and will make sure that he is aware of that. The doctor did say that it will take 2 to 3 weeks before it kicks in. He has not driven or gone out in 3 weeks - knowing what you know about the med, will he all of a sudden start feeling like he wants to do things? Or does it gradually work its way up to one day he will feel different? His therapy starts 11/11, so maybe after that we will see some changes? Since he has been staying in his panic and anxiety has been to a minimum - is that because he has not been doing anything?
We just got a call from the specialist and the doctor said that his Vit D level is low. Have you ever heard that this could contribute to the anxiety and panic? He is going to take ergoclaciferol once a week for 8 weeks.
Thanks so much for your responses - you have no idea how much help it provides.
We just got a call from the specialist and the doctor said that his Vit D level is low. Have you ever heard that this could contribute to the anxiety and panic? He is going to take ergoclaciferol once a week for 8 weeks.
Thanks so much for your responses - you have no idea how much help it provides.
Lexapro is good too if he have no side effect... it's way better than Celexa or the terrible Chantix. Lexapro is good for depression aswell as anxiety. And there are less side effects with Lexapro. But i wonder why the doc didnt talk about Wellbutrin since its common for those who stop smoking but i guess Lexapro will do just fine since it have the anti-anxiety and anti-depressor effect... It's a great new drug but you should know about that: Escitalopram ( Lexapro ) discontinuation, particularly abruptly, may cause certain withdrawal symptoms such as "electric shock" sensations (also known as "brain shivers" or "brain zaps"), dizziness and irritability. Talk to your doctor before quitting as will reduce the dose gradually. And Lexapro can take a quite a while to take effect so it,s not uncommon that doctors prescribe anti-anxiety meds like benzos ( Ativan , bromazepam ) to deal with the panic attack and general axiety before Lexapro kicks in.
Hope your son will be well soon.
Hope your son will be well soon.
Hi. Could you ask your friend what exactly she did to relieve the anxiousnes? Was she on meds and how often did she go see a counselor? How was she feeling prior to that and what symptoms did she have? I would appreciate any information she would have. It might make our minds less fearful if we knew of her successes. The college is being cold hearted about withdrawal and that does not make this any easier for my son. Thanks so much - any information would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks for the information. His doctor put him on lexapro. He actually did quit smoking and it wasn't until he went off Chantix that the anxiety and panic attacks began. We did not know what it was at that time and he has been getting blood work and seeing doctors for months now - finally the light went on when we started researching the side effects of chantix. He has not driven in over 2 weeks because he had one panic attack coming home from school that scared him badly. I don't know what to do for him except be supportive. He said that when he thinks about it too much or lets his guard down, that is when he gets the panic and anxiety - I can't wait for him to start seeing a therapist. Well thanks again for your advice.
I would try Buspar first since it's only an anxiolytic with almost no side effect since unlike benzos and many anti-depressant its not hypnotic, anticonvulsant, muscle relaxant and amnesic. Since anxiety seems to be a major part of you son's problem i suggest BuSpar or if it's really to help with the quit smoking thing maybe Wellbutrin is more appropriate since it acts as a norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake inhibitor, and nicotinic antagonist. Which might be helpful for someone who stop smoking.
Basicly Buspar for the anxiety and Wellbutrin for the stop-smoking aid... it can aswell help with anxiety...
Hope this was helpful and stay away from Chantrix =P
Basicly Buspar for the anxiety and Wellbutrin for the stop-smoking aid... it can aswell help with anxiety...
Hope this was helpful and stay away from Chantrix =P
Thank you so much for your response. I was checking for a while and then gave up thinking that no one was going to respond. I feel so much better that you know someone who recovered from the anxiety from using chantix. My son is taking med and will see a therapist in 3 weeks. Your words are very encouraging that we need to deal with this positively and that he can overcome this set back. The more I read the better I feel that anxiety can be managed and not a life stopper.
I have read the other postings and they were also a great help. One nailed it to say that I should have done some research and regret that daily.
Thanks to all!
I have read the other postings and they were also a great help. One nailed it to say that I should have done some research and regret that daily.
Thanks to all!
Go to Google and look up "Chantix side effects." Most frightening. The next time a doctor prescribes any medication for any reason whatsoever, check the internet and with your pharmacist. Doctors are not chemists an never seem to consider the adverse effect of what they give their patients. I took one medication that almost killed me. Now I only trust me and a competent pharmacist.
I had a friend who took that and quit smoking; however, she too, found herself a nervous wreck. She was even forced to take a 2 month leave from work. However, after seeing a therapist and focusing on cognitive restructuring for a good 6 months, I am happy to report that she is doing fine. She is back at work and experiencing a lot less anxiety.
What you have to remember is that anxiety is not unbeatable. It might seem like the abyss, but it's really not. The moment you start treating it like it is the end of the world, that's when it overcomes you like it's the end of the world. Remember to stay positive for yourself and especially for him. Millions of people overcome anxiety; it's not an impossible feat. I used to experience it severely and I have since learned to harness it and channel it in many other ways. A lot of history's greatest minds were anxious :)
Just keep positive and treat it as a common cold. It will get better-- it just takes time, support, and positivity.
-j
What you have to remember is that anxiety is not unbeatable. It might seem like the abyss, but it's really not. The moment you start treating it like it is the end of the world, that's when it overcomes you like it's the end of the world. Remember to stay positive for yourself and especially for him. Millions of people overcome anxiety; it's not an impossible feat. I used to experience it severely and I have since learned to harness it and channel it in many other ways. A lot of history's greatest minds were anxious :)
Just keep positive and treat it as a common cold. It will get better-- it just takes time, support, and positivity.
-j
i don't know what to suggest to you. i do know that this drug is absolutely over prescribed. i don't know what percentage of the population experiences extremely negative reactions to this drug...but i do know that there are a large number of bad stories related to it. my opinion of chantix is that it should be last resort, not front line treatment. for some people chantix makes the addiction less than what it is without chantix...it makes it easier to quit. the problem is that it doesn't deal with all aspects of addiction, including addictive personalities and the behavioral habbits of smoking.
anyway, i am not entirely sure what to suggest...but i'm glad you shared this. people should be aware of the risks and give it their very best try at quitting before resorting to it. see...another problem with chantix is that if you do quit, 6 months down the road you're still going to have the same urges as someone who hasn't taken the chantix, but it may be harder to deal with them.
anyway, i am not entirely sure what to suggest...but i'm glad you shared this. people should be aware of the risks and give it their very best try at quitting before resorting to it. see...another problem with chantix is that if you do quit, 6 months down the road you're still going to have the same urges as someone who hasn't taken the chantix, but it may be harder to deal with them.
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