Family of father-of-three who took his life after taking drug to help him quit smoking calls for the controversial medication to be banned

• e-mail

The grieving family of a father-of-three who took his life after he was prescribed the anti-smoking drug Champix has called for the medication to be banned.

Jim Leventis, a 43-year-old Australia Post manager from Sydney, fell into a deep depression marked by vivid nightmares soon after he was prescribed the drug to quit smoking, his ex-wife Michelle Leventis said.  

Weeks after discontinuing the drug and with no change in symptoms, the previously 'happy and energetic' family man took his own life in July last year. 

Jim Leventis, 43, (left with his daughter, Taylah, right) fell into a deep depression marked by vivid nightmares soon after he was prescribed Champix to quit smoking, his ex-wife said

The grieving family (pictured) of a father who took his life after taking the anti-smoking drug Champix has called for the medication to be banned. Pictured from left to right: Nicholas, Michelle, Taylah and Christian Leventis

'Jim would tell me that he was having terrible, vivid nightmares. He also had chronic insomnia while on Champix and felt down all the time,' Ms Leventis told nine.com.au.

Ms Leventis, who divorced from her husband four years ago but remained close friends and co-parented their three children, said she was alarmed at the noticeable effect the drug seemed to be having. 

Even when her former husband stopped taking the medication after six weeks, the insomnia and depression continued, she claimed. 

'He was up all through the night and would survive on very little sleep. He would call me sometimes at 1am or 2am in the morning out of pure desperation, crying out on the phone, telling me that he didn't know what to do and that he just wanted to sleep,' Ms Leventis said. 

Michelle Leventis, (pictured) who divorced from her husband four years ago but remained close friends, said she was alarmed at the noticeable effect the drug seemed to be having

Mr Leventis made the first attempt on his life just five weeks after he had stopped taking Champix in November 2016 and ultimately took his own life on July 20, 2017. 

Possible side effects such as depression, changes in mood, sleeplessness, difficulty concentrating and suicidal thoughts are listed by pharmaceutical company Pfizer.

However, the warnings are not included on the drug's packaging, leaving patients to seek information online or ask a pharmacist.

In the last five years, Champix has been linked to 20 deaths by suicide in Australia and has been related to 244 reports of adverse events, according to the Therapeutic Goods Administration.

The drug works by blocking the effects of nicotine in the body and helps to reduce craving and withdrawal symptoms.   

Possible side effects from using Champix such as depression, changes in mood, sleeplessness, difficulty concentrating and suicidal thoughts are listed by pharmaceutical company Pfizer

'You and your family or carer need to pay special attention to your mood, behaviour and thinking while you are taking Champix,' the product information reads. 

'Some people have reported changes in behaviour, thinking or mood when they start taking Champix. These may include depression, anxiety, agitation, feelings of aggression, mood swings, seeing, hearing or sensing things that are not there, thoughts of self-harm or self-harm. Worsening of these symptoms has also been reported in people who already had mental health problems'.  

Earlier this month, the TGA issued a safety alert for doctors about Champix and its risk of neuropsychiatric side effects.

A coronial inquest last year into the suicide of 22-year-old Queensland man Timothy John found Champix had contributed to his death after he had been taking the medication for eight days.  

It was recommended that warning labels be put on the drug's packaging and all states should introduce toxicology tests for the drug on every person who dies by suicide. 

Timothy John's mother, Phoebe Morwood-Oldham, has been campaigning for better warnings about the drug for the past five years and believes adding a warning label on the front of the drug's packaging could potentially save more lives. 

A coronial inquest last year into the suicide of 22-year-old Queensland man Timothy John (left) found Champix had contributed to his death 

'I know for a fact that none of this would have happened if Jim had never taken that drug Champix for those six weeks. His life drastically took a turn for the worse in such a short space of time,' Ms Leventis said.

'I would like to see Champix taken off the market altogether. I realise that like all medication, some people suffer from the side effects of using them and some do not. We are talking about thoughts of suicide though, and one more death from the use of this drug is one too many'. 

Ms Leventis said her former husband was not warned about any side effects of the drug by his doctor and only sought information online when he began experiencing vivid nightmares, insomnia and feelings of depression.

She also said she believed if the side effects had been communicated, he would not have decided to use the drug as he had lost his older brother to suicide. 

Pfizer said it was making changes to add warnings about the possible side effects of Champix inside its packaging and from November a Consumer Medicine Information leaflet would be included inside the box.

'Pfizer takes the safety of its medicines very seriously and is committed to ensuring the appropriate communication of important safety information to health care professionals and patients,' a spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia.  

'I know for a fact that none of this would have happened if Jim (left) had never taken that drug Champix for those six weeks. His life drastically took a turn for the worse in such a short space of time,' Ms Leventis said

Richard Kidd, chair of the Australian Medical Association's Council of General Practice, said Champix's potential side effects were serious but it was also a very effective drug and he had prescribed it to hundreds of patients.  

'The side effects (of Champix) should be taken seriously and that needs to be balanced with the fact that Champix is for some people life-saving. They are addicted to a poison that is going to kill them and in some cases kill them quite soon,' Dr Kidd said. 

However, he agreed that doctors needed to warn patients about the potential risks associated with the drug and the small chance of neuropsychiatric side effects. 

Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.