Wellbutrin To Stop Smoking - Questionable Remedy

Among the various medicines used for smoke cessation, Wellbutrin is one of the most famous. This article delves into the pros and cons of using Wellbutrin to stop smoking.

If you are making an attempt to rid yourself of the smoking habit, then there are great chances that the name of Wellbutrin will be quite familiar to you. Several doctors prescribe Wellbutrin to stop smoking. People use this drug, without actually knowing what it does to the body. Wellbutrin is popularly considered to be an effective medicine for smoking cessation. But very few people know why this drug is effective, or whether there are any limitations to its use.

Wellbutrin is the brand name of the drug buproprion, also known as amfebutamone. In some places, Wellbutrin is also sold under the brand name of Zyban. The main use of this drug is as an antidepressant. In fact, as an antidepressant, it is very popular - it is currently the fourth largest prescribed antidepressant in the world.

The active component of Wellbutrin, i.e. buproprion works at reducing the effects of nicotine in the smoker. Nicotine is the main addictive principle of the cigarettes. It is the nicotine that causes the smoker to smoke again and again. Buproprion works at reducing these effects.

Also, due to its antidepressant properties, Wellbutrin can help the quitting smoker to face the withdrawal symptoms better. One common problem with smoking cessation is that it can cause obesity. Recent studies has shown that Wellbutrin is effective even in causing weight loss.

However, detractors of the drug maintain that the use of Wellbutrin to stop smoking may actually not be so effective as it is claimed to be. There are some experts who claim that the drug will not work in hardened smokers, and there is a tendency to return back to the addiction. Since it is medication to be taken orally, if one forgets a dose, or if the drug is unavailable, the anxiety pangs could be so strong that the person may be forced to smoke again. Wellbutrin has also been denounced as being no more than a placebo, which does nothing better than create a false feeling of de-addiction in the mind of the smoker, which does not last for a very long time either.

There are several contraindications of the drug that doctors need to check up on before making a prescription. Wellbutrin cannot be prescribed to people having problems such as epilepsy or eating disorders like anorexia nervosa and bulimia. Since the drug is metabolized in the liver, it is necessary that the person taking it must have a healthy liver. Wellbutrin is also not advisable for people with any kind of kidney problems, or those who are suffering from high blood pressure.

But the biggest risk of using Wellbutrin to stop smoking is observed in children and adolescents. It is found that continuous use of the drug can increase the risks of suicide. In fact, FDA has made it compulsory for all packets of the drug to carry a suicide risk warning.

The use of Wellbutrin is somewhat controversial, but it does remain one of the most popular treatment methods. It has a comparatively decent success rate in reducing the smoking addiction.

What Can You Do To Stop Smoking?

There are many things you can do to stop smoking. If you inspire confidence in itself, you might be able to use them to kill your smoking habit.

Rome wasn't built in a day, and nor can you give up smoking in a day. Quitting up an addiction such as smoking that you have probably built up over several years will certainly take a bit of an effort. And time, of course. But the moot point to remember is there are various options out there if you are diligent enough to carry them out till the very end, and not give up midway.

Almost everyone around you must be pressurizing you to give up your smoking habit. Now it is time to heed to them. Next time a person tells you to kick the habit, do not snap at them. But think about it coolly. If you give up smoking, you will certainly be out of the line of fire of a host of diseases - fatal cancer included - but you will also become more acceptable in society. Your partner might appreciate you better. Your smoking habit is not only shortening your own life, but it is taking its toll on the health of the people who live with you too. And that includes any children you might have in the family.

When you have thought about all the repercussions of smoking carefully, you must think about what can you do to stop smoking. Because now is the time to think of a therapy that would suit you. There are many out there, and you would do well to ask your doctor about them. Your doctor could put you on a whole therapy to pull you out of the habit. But, you must ask your doctor about each aspect of the therapy, so that you know how you are going to be treated eventually. Do not hide pre-existing conditions from your doctor, since some medications have their contraindications.

Your chemist might tell you about nicotine replacement methods that are available to control the harm cigarettes do to your body. These are actually nicotine products that do not contain tar, which cigarettes do. So, while you will not go cold turkey, you will also protect your body from harmful conditions. Again, you must think about this. Using nicotine to control an addiction that stemmed from nicotine in the first place is not a very good idea.

There is a surfeit of alternative therapies available today. There are herbal kits like SmokeRX and also therapies like acupuncture, acupressure, meditation and Yoga for strengthening your body and weaning it from the addiction. Get to know about these methods, for they are by far the safest.

You must not think - what can you do to stop smoking? The correct question must be, how can you do it? The best way is of course to change your lifestyle. Live a more active life, and engross yourself in activities that interest you. When you are socializing, take care not to succumb to cigarettes again, even if it just one fag. Tell your friends strictly that you have given up smoking. Build up the confidence within yourself, and you might also be able to inspire some of your smoker friends in giving up the habit.