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p>Nicotine is a drug with high addictive properties and it is easy for the body to get addicted to it. Smokers will tell you that it is very difficult to stop smoking , and to complicate matters, smoking is both legal and socially acceptable. It is a daunting prospect to quit smoking and it is important to come up with a plan to stop smoking. Think about the reasons why you want to quit and about the long-term benefits.
A stop smoking pill is used to reduce the craving for cigarettes or to reduce the effect of withdrawal symptoms. Two popular stop smoking pills are Zyban and Wellbutrin. Zyban is actually an anti-depressant pill and it releases endorphins by stimulating the pituitary gland. The endorphins boost energy levels and make a person feel good. Most of these pills use Bupropion hydrochloride to combat withdrawal symptoms.
The normal course runs for over 8 to 12 weeks. Individuals who stop too soon or who take the pill intermittently will not get the benefit from the treatment since its effect is accumulative.
The pill should be taken for at least a week during which you should continue to smoke. You should plan to stop smoking during the second week. If you have not stopped smoking by the seventh week of Zyban therapy, it is unlikely that you will quit during that attempt and Zyban therapy should be discontinued.
Zyban is only available on prescription and should therefore be only taken under medical supervision. There ARE side effects associated with this drug, the most common being dry mouth, insomnia, weird dreams and either an increase or decrease of libido! Other side effects noted are also irritability, anxiety, depression. The problem is that some of these side effects overlap with the withdrawal symptoms of nicotine. It might therefore be difficult to say for certain which effects are caused by the pill and which by the withdrawal symptoms of the tablet.
Other side effects are also skin rashes, feeling spaced out, feelings of aggression. This is especially exacerbated when combined with the intake of alcohol. Since it makes general good sense to stop drinking alcohol while trying to quit smoking this should be taken to heart!
The drug should be avoided by people who are suffering from stomach disorders like anorexia or bulimia. This drug was initially used for treating depression hence it should not be taken by people who are on medication, especially those who are using monoamine oxidize inhibitors for treating depression. Nowadays it seems as if the drug is primarily used to stop smoking. On the AskPatient database Zyban is cited over 200 times for being used as a Stop Smoking pill and only a handful of times for depression.
Based on the descriptions from the experiences of people taking this pill, I would suggest that you rather look towards a more natural way of quitting smoking since the side effects of using this pill looks to be worse than the withdrawal symptoms of simply quitting....
Author: Christine Anderssen
Previous article: 26 January 2007
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