Dying to Quit

Last month the FDA came forward and said they had received dozens of reports of people committing suicide while they were taking the smoking-cessation medicine Chantix. They also said they had received hundreds of reports of people attempting suicide or having other suicidal behaviors. According to their statement, it appeared increasingly likely that this was a direct result of the medication. Kind of a poor trade-off, if you ask me.

Chantix is a relatively new medicine, and has already been plagued by reports of adverse effects before now. Even in the pre-marketing trials, it appeared to be somewhat dangerous; but because they knew there was such a demand for what it does, the makers (Pfizer) went ahead with marketing it.

Chantix works by binding to the same receptor sites in the nervous system that nicotine binds to. Unfortunately, these receptors sites have a depressant effect on the functioning of the mind and body, and nicotine users have a lot more of them than non-users. As a result, a sudden cessation of smoking can leave people feeling extremely depressed or anxious, and Chantix appears to worsen these symptoms, to the point that people are killing themselves over it
(the usual reaction, when unmedicated, is just to start smoking again).

I've heard over and over, from people who had the background and experience to know, that smoking is a harder addiction to break than cocaine or heroin. Fortunately, Chantix is not the only substance in the world that fills and blocks the nicotinic receptors. In herbal medicine, Lobelia has been used for this purpose since long before we knew what receptors were. Rather than causing a depressed feeling, it tends to cause a sense of calm and (in a worse-case scenario) sleepiness. Calamus root also strongly binds to these sites. Niacin, found in a variety of natural substances, affects the same sites in a more subtle way.

Other herbs, such as scullcap and motherwort, can help with some of the cravings and withdrawal symptoms that come from smoking cessation. Herbs that induce sweating can help get the nicotine and related substances out of the body. Exactly which of these are used and in what manner will differ, depending on the person's constitution and habits. but all of them are blessed with a good history of safety and effectiveness.

In closing, I'd like to say that Tobacco is a sacred and powerful herb. The costs for using it lightly-- or casting it aside lightly-- can be deadly. It is a powerful drug that should be treated with great respect, or left alone. Bearing this in mind, I've helped scores of people stop smoking over the years, and although a few may have picked the habit back up later, none have resorted to suicide in an attempt to quit.