Q. Last night my boyfriend became so violent I was afraid he was going to hit my 22-year-old daughter or me.
He threatened to burn down our home and he tried to kick me out. I just realized that he started changing in the last two weeks right after he started taking Chantix to quit smoking.
He has never acted like this before. He was so threatening and said such cruel and hateful things.
I read on your Web site about possible violence and aggression from a combination of Chantix and alcohol. My boyfriend drinks beer. As soon as he gets home from work I’ll tell him to stop taking Chantix. There needs to be a warning about this drug. If nothing else, this frightening reaction can ruin relationships that were going beautifully.
A. Some people taking Chantix have become violent. We have heard from others that alcohol may aggravate aggression linked to Chantix.
Even without alcohol, this stop-smoking drug may trigger extreme emotions. One woman wrote: “I took Chantix exactly as prescribed, and within two days, I was a changed person: irritable, with wild mood changes, yelling and screaming at everyone. I would even become violent with close family when things didn’t go my way.”
Find more stories about psychological reactions to Chantix at www.peoplespharmacy.com.
