I
was listening to TV the other day.
Don’t really watch much TV.
Perhaps I will as I get older but for now it’s mostly news shows and
Comedy Central. I was washing the dishes when I heard this ad for a medication to help you stop smoking. I was vaguely interested. Smoking is bad. Stopping is hard. I understand how addictive nicotine is. The MOST addictive substance,
right? More addictive than
heroine, cocaine, morphine. I
heard that it is even more addictive than caffeine. No laughing matter.
Everyone
in my family smoked at some time when I was a kid. My parents and their friends smoked or were in the middle
of quitting for a long time. I
remember plainly as a kid, my mom sending me to the drugstore with 35 or 40
cents. “Honey, go buy me some Winston Lights. The ones in the
box, not the pack. There is an
extra nickel there so you can buy a candy bar.”
Sure. Good deal. It was only a couple blocks away. And a nickel candy bar back in the day was huge.
The
guy behind the counter never questioned that I was buying it for my mom. He’d slip it into a little paper sack
along with my big old Butterfinger and give me some change back. Yessir. Those were the days.
So
I was listening with mild interest to this commercial for CHANTIX. The actual advertisement for the
product was brief. You know, it is
a prescription medicine that helps people 18 and older to stop smoking. [Tim: Because no one under 18 wants to
quit more than likely. Because
when you’re under 18 and you start to smoke you think you’re going to live
forever. When you are under 18 you
defy death by starting to smoke in the first place. You know it causes
cancer. But that doesn’t
matter. Because when you are under
18, and you might get cancer when you are in your 60’s or 70’s… that’s a
lifetime away. 60’s and 70’s are
only theoretical when you are under 18.
60’s and 70’s are old people.
And when you are that young, you are never
gonna get that old. But I digress…]
So
you can take CHANTIX to help you stop, but
of course the ad goes on to say that you would also benefit from a
“quit-smoking program, and/or counseling during your quit attempt.” I’m thinking the quit-smoking program
and/or the counseling alone just might do the trick without CHANTIX.
That
was about the gist of the ad part.
I thought that it might be a little difficult to get it since it is a
prescription drug. You’d have to
lean on your doctor a bit probably to get him/her to prescribe it. But the pharmaceutical companies must
count on that a great deal, otherwise, why would they advertise it on
primetime? Those ads must be
expensive. You’d have to sell an
awful lot of CHANTIX to pay for just one ad. Many smokers-with-the-intentions-of-quitting would have to
pester their doctors a lot to pay for that tiny little ad.
And
then came the precautions. I thought about jotting them down but the guy with the voice spoke so quickly that there was
absolutely no way. Luckily I googled it and there they were. I’ll reprint them here but as you read
imagine a guy with a silky smooth voice, a guy who get paid for being this
voice, reading this text all ultra fast.
Some people
have had changes in behavior, hostility, agitation, depressed mood, suicidal
thoughts or actions while using CHANTIX to help them quit smoking. Some people
had these symptoms when they began taking CHANTIX, and others developed them
after several weeks of treatment or after stopping CHANTIX. If you, your
family, or caregiver notice agitation, hostility, depression, or changes in
behavior, thinking, or mood that are not typical for you, or you develop
suicidal thoughts or actions, anxiety, panic, aggression, anger, mania,
abnormal sensations, hallucinations, paranoia, or confusion, stop taking
CHANTIX and call your doctor right away. Also tell your doctor about any
history of depression or other mental health problems before taking CHANTIX, as
these symptoms may worsen while taking CHANTIX.
Whoa! Some people
have had suicidal thoughts and actions while taking this? And I thought the effects of smoking
were bad. I have been around
people quitting cigs before. It’s
bad. I get it. But… anxiety,
panic, aggression, anger, mania, abnormal sensations, hallucinations, paranoia,
or confusion? Who would want to go through
that?! I mean it’s only a
possibility, right? But there are more
precautions. FAR more…
Do not take CHANTIX if you have had a serious allergic or
skin reaction to CHANTIX. Some people can have serious skin reactions while
taking CHANTIX, some of which can become life threatening. These can include
rash, swelling, redness, and peeling of the skin. Some people can have allergic
reactions to CHANTIX, some of which can be life threatening and include:
swelling of the face, mouth, and throat that can cause trouble breathing. If
you have these symptoms or have a rash with peeling skin or blisters in your
mouth, stop taking CHANTIX and get medical attention right away.
That is a LOT of possible
symptoms! Look at that list! Serious stuff too. I mean I could deal with some redness. But swelling of the face, mouth and
throat? Peeling skin or blisters
in your mouth? That seems like a
nasty list of side-effects (possible side-effects). You’d have to be some kind of desperate to chance all of
that. But there is so much more…
Tell your doctor if you have a history of heart or blood
vessel problems before starting CHANTIX, or if you have a history of these
problems and have any new or worse symptoms during treatment with CHANTIX. Get
emergency medical help right away if you have any symptoms of a heart attack.
The most common side effects of CHANTIX include nausea
(30%), sleep problems, constipation, gas and/or vomiting. If you have side
effects that bother you or don't go away, tell your doctor. You may have
trouble sleeping, vivid, unusual or strange dreams while taking CHANTIX. Use
caution driving or operating machinery until you know how CHANTIX may affect
you.
Who likes nausea? People get nauseas when they quit on
their own. Can you imagine the
nausea if you added another layer on top of the normal quit-smoking
nausea? And 30% of the folks who
try this get sick to their stomachs.
That’s a lot. Now vivid or
unusual dreams might not be that bad.
I’m surprised with all of the other DANGERS they even threw that
it. I don’t remember my dreams all
that often. That might actually be
a benefit.
Using caution while operating
machinery or driving? Heck, most
people over 18 DO DRIVE, right?
What kind of caution are they talking about? Just being aware that this medicine might mess you up a
little bit, so exercise a bit more caution? Or designated driver level of caution?
CHANTIX should not be taken with other quit-smoking products.
You may need a lower dose of CHANTIX if you have kidney problems or get
dialysis.
Before starting CHANTIX, tell your doctor if you are
pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or if you take insulin, asthma medicines, or
blood thinners. Medicines like these may work differently when you quit
smoking.
2 comments:
You'll really enjoy this parody Saturday Night Live did on Chantrix. They obviously found the ad as terrible as you did.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/08/snl-chantix-parody-side-effects_n_1192612.html
A drug for every ailment, real or imagined. That's what we get for keeping profit in pharmaceuticals!
Ruthie
Post a Comment