Zyban
Zyban is a name for the generic drug bupropion hydrochloride. Zyban (Bupropion) is used to treat nicotine addiction directly.
Originally it was marketed as an anti-depressant drug. Later it was discovered that Zyban is an effective quit-smoking aid. In 1997, the FDA approved Zyban to be used as a smoking cessation aid. Zyban works at the neurological level, reducing the craving for nicotine in any form. It is important as this discovery could open the door to finding similar molecules for treating much more serious addiction problems, such as cocaine and heroin, etc.
You should start taking this medicine while you are still smoking. You should wait several weeks before your symptoms improve. The target date for smoking cessation is normally within the first two weeks of Zyban treatment.
Zyban tablets should be swallowed whole with water - do not chew, crush or break them. The recommended and maximum dose of Zyban is 300 mg/day given as 150 mg tablets, twice daily.
The therapy continues for 7 to 12 weeks, depending on the effect of the therapy. If the patient hasn't reduced smoking by the seventh week of the therapy, then it is useless to continue the therapy.
Bupropion can be used in combination with motivational support techniques. When taking Bupropion is combined with such replacement therapies as the nicotine patch or nicotine gum, it increases the chances for long-term success with smoking cessation.
Zyban should be used with caution if you have impaired kidney function, impaired liver function, alcohol abuse, history of psychiatric illness, diabetes, high blood pressure (hypertension), etc.
Zyban is forbidden for people undergoing abrupt withdrawal from alcohol or benzodiazepines (eg diazepam, temazepam),people with a history of anorexia nervosa, with a history of bulimia nervosa, with a history of bipolar disorder (manic depression) and people who have taken a monoamine-oxidase inhibitor antidepressant (MAOI) in the last 14 days, for pregnant and breastfeeding women.
Zyban can affect individual people in different ways. Here are some side effects of this medicine: difficulty in sleeping (insomnia), headache, concentration disturbance, tremor, dizziness, anxiety and agitation, dry mouth, disturbances of the gut such as constipation, nausea, vomiting or abdominal pain, fever (pyrexia), sweating, rash or itching, increased heart rate, increased blood pressure and others.
It is important to consult your doctor and discuss using Zyban as a quit-smoking aid. He/she will know your medical history and be able to help you make an informed decision about what is right for you.