A Non-Nicotine Pill Designed To Help You Quit Smoking
By Phil Conran
Even as you are reading this article, new medications are emerging to help smokers quit. In fact, there is a new prescription pill that's designed to do just that. Of course, it's still not a magic pill. It doesn't eliminate urges to smoke. Those urges still requires a serious effort to overcome.
This pill is Zyban, the trade name for a sustained-release tablet form of bupropion hydrochloride. This same drug, bupropion hydrochloride, has long been sold as an antidepressant, under the trade name Wellbutrin SR. Now it's being marketed as the first non-nicotine prescription treatment for smoking addiction.
How does the pill work for smokers? The drug boosts the body's levels of two "brain chemicals," dopamine and norepinephrine - the same thing that occurs with nicotine. Actions of these chemicals in the brain give people a sense of energy and well being. Nicotine produces the same feelings.
According to the advertisements, using bupropion allows smokers to get the same feeling, while weaning themselves off nicotine. For many people, this helps to reduce withdrawal symptoms and lessens the urge to smoke. But like other nicotine replacement products, the pill should be used in combination with a quit-smoking behavior modification program.
In one study, the non-nicotine pill helped more smokers to quit than the nicotine patch. Using both the pill and the patch was even more effective, but the combination poses the risk of increasing blood pressure.
Zyban is usually taken twice a day - one pill in the morning and one in the early evening. It takes about a week for the pill to reach an effective level in the body. So smokers must start taking the pill before they quit smoking. Then you set a Quit Day within one to two weeks after starting treatment. Most smokers then take the pill for a total of seven to twelve weeks.
The non-nicotine pill is available only with a doctor's prescription. It's especially important to get a doctor's advice, because Zyban is certainly not right for everyone. The drug is not recommended for:
* Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding.
* People with a history of eating disorders, such as bulimia or anorexia nervosa.
* Anyone who is currently taking or has recently taken a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAO) medication for depression.
* People already taking Wellbutrin, Wellbutrin SR, or other medicines that contain bupropion hydrochloride.
* People who have a seizure disorder, such as epilepsy.
Caution: Seizures disorders are a special concern. Bupropion is known to cause seizures in approximately 1 out of every 1,000 people taking bupropion hydrochloride. Although this is a small risk, it may be an important factor for people deciding whether or not to use this drug. Other common side effects include dry mouth and difficulty in sleeping.
Author Details:
Phil Conran writes for various web sites including information portals such as Simply Top's Free Article Directory, information junkie and the A-Z of.com
Source: The A-Z of Smoking
NOTE: This article may be reproduced ONLY if this note, the author details, source and ALL links remain in place and active.
Articles About Smoking
Smoking
Stopping The Fag - Health Concerns And More!
Preferring Wellbutrin - Controversial Method To Stop Smoking
Ways To Stop Smoking - Why Some Of Them Work And Why Some Do Not
Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT)
Cigarettes
Nicotine Gum
Be a Non-Smoker
Quit Smoking
Quitting Smoking 1
Quitting Smoking 2
Hypnosis To Quit Smoking
Hypnosis To Quit Smoking
NRT
Nicotine Patches
Nicotine Anonymous 1
Nicotine Anonymous 2
Smoking Dependency
Symptoms of Quitting
Symptoms of Quitting
Smoking Recovery 1
Smoking Recovery 2
Smoking Recovery 3
Passive Smoking
Cigarette Filters
Benefits Of Quitting
Emphysema
Non-Nicotine Pill
Stop Smoking
Weight-Gain
Smoking Habit
Body Of A Smoker 1
Body Of A Smoker 2
Cigars
Quitting Smoking
Smoking
Children & Smoking
Vitamins & Smoking
Depression Smoking
Your Last Cigarette
Temptations
Smoking Relapse
Smoke-Free
Quit Smoking
