The investigators analyzed reports submitted to the Food and Drug Administration?s Adverse Event Reporting System from 2004 through September 2009. they found that a relative handful of drugs (about 30 out of nearly 500) were associated with reports of homicide, thoughts of homicide, physical assault, physical abuse or other aggression toward others.
The stop-smoking drug varenicline (Chantix) led the list. The scientists noted that ?Varenicline had the strongest association with violence by every measure used in this study.?
Readers of this column also have reported violent reactions in people taking Chantix. The first report to our website (January 2008) linked this behavior to alcohol combined with Chantix: ?I live in the U.K. on Christmas Eve, my boyfriend had been using Chantix for some months. He was drinking and went berserk for no reason, assaulted me and destroyed my apartment. … As far as I know he has no past mental-health problems or history of violence.?
Another reader offered a surprisingly similar report: ?My brother took Chantix for about a month, went berserk, beat his wife with no provocation and then called the police. He has no recollection of the incident and had visual hallucinations before this bizarre and tragic episode. His wife of 19 years divorced him, he?s now homeless, and he?s facing multiple felony charges.?
Although Chantix does help many people stop smoking, those who take it should be alerted to the official warning in the prescribing information: ?the patient should stop taking CHANTIX and contact a health care provider immediately if agitation, hostility, depressed mood, or changes in behavior or thinking that are not typical for the patient are observed … ?
There also is mention of ?psychosis, hallucinations, paranoia, delusions, homicidal ideation, aggression, hostility, anxiety, and panic, as well as suicidal ideation, suicide attempt, and completed suicide.?
Chantix is not the only drug linked to suicidal thoughts or aggressive behavior. after years of controversy, the FDA required manufacturers of many antidepressants to include a special black-box warning about the potential for such drugs to trigger suicidal thinking or behavior.
The new study identified 11 of these drugs as also associated with violent acts toward others. a reader of this column reported her experience on fluoxetine (Prozac): ?After a month, wild thoughts came into my mind, especially while driving. I wanted to ram into other cars to show them they shouldn?t drive so rudely. I wanted to get a gun and kill a co-worker who irritated me.?
Americans have a hard time accepting the idea that a drug could drive someone to aggression. Personal responsibility is a strong value in our culture. To live up to it, though, people need to be informed when violence could be a side effect of their medication.
Question: Recently, I did something I think might be very harmful to me.
One of my doctors gave me a prescription but accidentally left a blank slip attached below it. One of my other doctors had stopped giving me a certain prescription, so I wrote it up myself and signed his name. The pharmacy filled the prescription.
I realize now that I might have broken the law. I am so afraid that the police or the sheriff might come after me that I?m about half-crazy with fear.
A friend of mine said that the pharmacy files prescriptions away and keeps them for a limited time. Is that true? does the pharmacy send a notice to the doctor when it fills a prescription?
I will NEVER do this again. (The prescription was not for a narcotic.)
Answer: Forging a prescription is fraud and is considered a felony in most states. Even though the medication in question was not a narcotic, this is a very serious violation. That said, it is highly unlikely that the pharmacy would notify the physician that it filled the prescription. The prescription will be kept on file for several years.
You may escape detection this time, but never try such a dangerous stunt again. Not only is it illegal, but it could be very bad for your health.
Q. please send me any information you have on sleep. I suffer with insomnia, as do my friends. We have all tried zolpidem. it sometimes helps me drift off to sleep, but it doesn?t last more than a few hours. after that I am like a treeful of owls again, wide awake.
Over-the-counter sleep aids don?t work at all or cause the men in my group discomfort from prostate problems. We would like to know more about Sonata, Rozerem and other sleep aids.
A. part of the problem may be the generic formulation of zolpidem (Ambien). Many readers report that certain generics are less effective than others.
Zaleplon (Sonata) is a short-acting sleeping pill that can be helpful for people who wake in the early hours of the morning. if they have at least four more hours to spend in bed, it can help them fall back to sleep.
We are sending you our Guide to getting a Good Night?s Sleep for more information on zolpidem, zaleplon and ramelteon (Rozerem), plus non-drug approaches. anyone who would like a copy, please send $3 in check or money order with a long (No. 10), stamped (61 cents), self-addressed envelope to: Graedons? People?s Pharmacy, no. I-70, P.O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027. it also can be downloaded for $2 from our website: peoplespharmacy.com.
Q. I take aspirin for arthritis pain. It?s the only painkiller that works for me, but sometimes if I have a headache, the aspirin doesn?t seem to work.
A fellow worker suggested that I eat a chocolate candy bar when that happens. Though I was skeptical, I tried one. The combination worked, and it has ever since. What?s in chocolate that helps? It?s great that something so delicious is a painkiller!
A. Many over-the-counter headache remedies contain caffeine along with aspirin and acetaminophen. this combination can be quite effective for migraines (Headache, March 2006).
Although chocolate does not have much caffeine, it does contain a similar compound called theobromine. perhaps the theobromine is working together with aspirin to ease your headache pain.
We should note that some people with migraines report that chocolate triggers their headaches, so this delightful remedy may not work for everyone.
Q. do you know of any home remedies for help in relieving symptoms of eczema? when humidity is low, my skin condition is aggravated something awful. it gets dry, itchy, red and ugly where it cracks and peels.
A. this time of year is exceptionally rough on skin conditions such as eczema or dry skin. There are many remedies that may work together to ease symptoms.
One reader had success by putting Pepto-Bismol on the itchy patches. others report that old-fashioned Noxzema skin cream can ease symptoms. another moisturizer, CeraVe, also has supporters.
We have summarized these and many other options in our Guide to Skin Care and Treatment. anyone who would like a copy, please send $3 in check or money order with a long (No. 10), stamped (61 cents), self-addressed envelope to: Graedons? People?s Pharmacy, no. SL-28, P.O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027. it also can be downloaded for $2 from our website: peoplespharmacy.com.
Some readers also find oral supplements helpful. Old-fashioned additions such as cod-liver oil and brewer?s yeast have provided some people with good results; others use probiotics as well as fatty-acid supplements such as borage oil or hempseed oil. Oolong tea has been tested scientifically and found to be effective in treating eczema (Archives of Dermatology, January 2001).
Q. I frequently have heartburn when I eat spicy foods. Recently, a bartender offered a concoction of club soda and bitters. He mixed six drops of bitters with a shot glass of soda. it worked instantly to relieve my heartburn. I now keep bitters and soda at home, and it is effective every time.
A. Bitters have been used for hundreds of years to improve appetite or relieve indigestion. they contain an extract of herbs and barks. Bartenders use a few drops of bitters in certain mixed drinks such as Bloody Mary, Manhattan, mojito or Old-Fashioned.
Q. I want to let you know about something that stunned me. I have suffered from restless leg syndrome (RLS) for nearly 35 years. a friend casually mentioned that pie cherries had helped her leg pain and thought maybe they would help my RLS.
I was skeptical, since I have tried many treatments, including medications. I had been on Mirapex for years and recently had to increase the dose. Nevertheless, RLS was troubling me day and night.
I started eating pie cherries (about two dozen with their juice) each day. I have not had RLS for two weeks since I began.
A. Thanks for sharing your story. People also tell us that pie cherries may sometimes ease gout pain.