Focus on Zyban

No matter what the symptom, modern medicine has developed a drug to treat it. Unfortunately, none of these drugs are without side effects, some of them not realized until years after they are approved by the FDA. In this edition of “Focus on…” we’ll look at the symptoms Zyban is designed to treat, the potential side effects current research indicates.

Zyban is sometimes used to help a smoker want to quit and lessen withdrawal symptoms when they do quit. Wellbutrin, Zyban’s anti-depressant cousin, was repackaged for this purpose when some clinical trials confirmed the anecdotal evidence that the drug lessens the desire for cigarettes in some patients. The drug is used to lessen the severity of certain withdrawal symptoms, irritability and anxiety to name a few.

The side effects of Zyban include sleep disturbances, weight loss, nausea, constipation and dry mouth, among others. Although rare, mania and suicidal ideation have been attributed to anti-depressant type drugs like Zyban. Zyban carries with it a risk of seizures, so anyone with a history of seizure activity probably should not take Zyban. This risk seems to be dose specific so doctors are warned not to prescribe more than 300 mg per day.

The first question you want to ask yourself is, “Do I really want to take a drug while I quit smoking?” If you are not comfortable with the potential risks of the drug, your answer should be no, no matter how much you want to quit. It is possible, and probably better, to quit without the use of Zyban. This will be easier if you develop a multi-faceted plan with your doctor addressing all the reasons you smoke.