Zyban

bupropion

Zyban is used to help people stop smoking by reducing cravings and other withdrawal effects. Bupropion is used to treat major depressive disorder and seasonal affective disorder. Bupropion is a tablet you take to reduce your craving for tobacco. The way it does this is not entirely known. Bupropion does not contain nicotine and does not help you quit smoking in the same way that nicotine replacement therapy does.

Zyban is a nicotine-free quit-smoking aid. Instead of nicotine, it contains the same active ingredient as the antidepressant medication Wellbutrin. It works by boosting the levels of several chemical messengers in the brain. With more of these chemicals at work, you experience a reduction in nicotine withdrawal symptoms and a weakening of the urge to smoke. More than a third of the people who take Zyban while participating in a support program are able to quit smoking for at least 1 month. Zyban can also prove helpful when people with conditions such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema decide it's time to quit.

How to take
The recommended and maximum dose of Zyban is 300 mg/day given as 150 mg, twice daily. Dosing should begin at 150 mg/day for the first three days followed by an increase to the usual dose of 300 mg/day. Treatment should be initiated while the user is still smoking and a target date for smoking cessation should be within the first two weeks of Zyban treatment. Zyban therapy should continue for 7 to 12 weeks, depending on the effect of the therapy. If the user has not reduced smoking by the seventh week of Zyban therapy, it is unlikely that he/she will quit during that attempt and Zyban therapy should be discontinued.

Side effects
Side effects cannot be anticipated. If any develop or change in intensity, inform your doctor as soon as possible. Only your doctor can determine if it is safe for you to continue taking Zyban. The most common side effects are Dry mouth and sleeplessness. These are generally mild and usually disappear after a few weeks. If you have difficulty sleeping, avoid taking Zyban close to bedtime and ask your doctor about reducing your dosage.

More common side effects may include abdominal pain, abnormal dreams, anxiety, constipation, diarrhea, disturbed concentration, dizziness, joint pain, increased cough, itching, nasal inflammation, nausea, nervousness, rash, sore throat.

Zyban is contraindications in patients treated with Wellbutrin or any other medications that contain bupropion, in patients with a current or prior diagnosis of bulimia or anorexia nervosa, in patients taking mono-amine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) and in patients who have shown a hypersensitivity to bupropion. Patients who have taken MAO inhibitors must wait at least 14 days between the discontinuation of MAO inhibitor therapy and the commencement of Zyban therapy.

Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine. Symptoms of a bupropion overdose may include seizures, muscle stiffness, hallucinations, fainting, fast or uneven heartbeat, shallow breathing, heart failure, or coma.

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take the medicine at the next regularly scheduled time. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.