Zyban, 150 mg, 10 tablets, Zyban 150 mg

Characteristics of the drug

The medicine is widely used to combat nicotine addiction.
However, its active ingredient, bupropion, was initially used for other purposes. This component is included in the category of atypical antidepressants and is an amphetamine. The medicine has a very powerful effect. It has 2 characteristic differences from similar drugs:

1. No nicotine.
2. Another principle of action is the reuptake of dopamine and norepinephrine. Other antidepressants work in the same way with serotonin.

The substance has been produced since 1997. It has a certificate indicating that it can be used to combat cigarette addiction. In the Russian Federation, Zyban is not registered as a drug. That’s why doctors rarely prescribe it.

Eliminating addiction with medication takes very little time and requires the help of a psychologist. In most cases, Zyban eliminates the urge to smoke and reduces the severity of symptoms that accompany quitting cigarettes.

Mechanism of action

The product has a pronounced therapeutic effect. The medicine is not a nicotine replacement medicine. Its effectiveness is ensured by the presence of bupropion in the composition. It is this substance that acts on the mechanism of addiction.

Zyban affects certain areas of the brain that are responsible for experiencing pleasure. It also supports dopamine synthesis. Due to the properties of an antidepressant, the medicine reduces the patient’s psychological discomfort when getting rid of a bad habit and prevents craving for cigarettes. As a result, the person loses the desire to smoke.

Compound

The main active ingredient of Zyban is the antidepressant bupropion.
Each tablet contains 150 mg of bupropion. In addition to the active ingredient, the product contains a number of auxiliary components. Their concentrations in each tablet are very small, so they do not affect the body. One tablet contains 200 mg of the active ingredient - carbamazepine.

To enhance the effect of its action and better absorption by the body, the following are also used in production:

• sodium starch glycolate;
• microcrystalline cellulose;
• magnesium stearate;
• povidone;
• sodium lauryl sulfate.

Indications

Zyban tablets are prescribed in the following situations:

• Getting rid of nicotine addiction.
• Prevention of relapses of depression.
• Treatment of depression of varying severity - the drug is used as part of complex therapy.
• Neuroses of various origins.
• Complex therapy for social phobia and anxiety – these conditions often accompany depression.
• Obesity and sexual dysfunction associated with depression.
• Attention deficit syndrome.
• Seasonal affective disorders.

Indications and contraindications:

Wellbutrin is recommended to be purchased to treat depression and maintain remission. The drug is also prescribed to prevent exacerbations and relapses of the disease.

Treatment with Wellbutrin becomes impossible in the following cases:

• The patient has allergies to any component of the drug.
• History of seizures.
• Stop taking sedative medications and alcohol.
• Use of products that also contain Wellbutrin.
• If the patient suffers from bulimia, anorexia.
• Use of MAO inhibitors.

To ensure that the treatment is as safe as possible, you should buy Wellbutrin only after consulting with your doctor. It is important to avoid self-medication.

Contraindications

The instructions for Zyban prohibit its use in the following situations:

• The appearance of allergies and individual intolerance to the components of the substance.
• The presence of convulsive disorders and epileptic seizures.
• Use of MAO inhibitors - there should be an interval of at least 2 weeks between the use of these drugs.
• Abrupt withdrawal of alcohol and sedative medications.
• The use of other drugs with the same active ingredient.
• A history of bulimia nervosa or anorexia.
• Age less than 18 years.

Contraindications for use

Do not forget that Bupropion is, first of all, a powerful antidepressant. Like any effective medicine, this generic has a number of contraindications. In particular, the medicine should not be used in the following situations:

• epilepsy;
• nephropathy;
• cirrhosis of the liver;
• diabetes;
• Parkinson's disease;
• age (from 60 to 18 years);
• severe allergies;
• increased seizure activity;
• nervous disorders (bulimia and anorexia);
• diagnosed brain tumor;
• severe depressive states with the presence of suicidal thoughts.

It is not recommended to use Bupropion simultaneously with the use of other types of antidepressants, anxiolytics, some antibiotics and steroid drugs. In this case, doctors recommend maintaining the required time interval, and only then using the generic.

Bupropion helps relieve withdrawal symptoms when quitting cigarettes

Experts do not recommend taking the medication during pregnancy and the lactation period. If the need for Bupropion is high enough, the nursing mother has to switch the baby to artificial feeding.

Application diagram

The medicine can be taken only as prescribed by a doctor. The course of therapy consists of 2 stages. First, the patient must take 30 tablets, then 90. The first stage lasts approximately 2 weeks. The second course of treatment lasts about 6 weeks.

To avoid a break between courses of therapy, you need to buy 90 tablets in advance. This will give confidence in strict adherence to the treatment regimen.

If insomnia occurs during therapy, it is not recommended to take the medicine at night. People who take 2 tablets per day are recommended to take one of them early in the morning and the second in the afternoon. The interval between taking tablets should be 8 hours.

First stage

At this stage, the instructions for using Zyban recommend taking 30 tablets. This must be done within 2 weeks. You need to take the medicine in the dosage prescribed by your doctor. Typically, experts prescribe 1 tablet of 150 mg once a day for 3 days.

Features of application:

Pregnant women are recommended to buy this drug only in cases where the expected benefit from use will be greater than the possible harm. Due to its ability to pass into breast milk, Bupropion is not suitable for women during lactation, therefore, if no other alternative is available, lactation should be discontinued.

Exceeding the maximum permissible dose is dangerous for the development of seizures. The following factors also provoke this risk:

• Damage to the brain or head in the past due to trauma.
• Neoplasms in the central nervous system.
• Treatment with medications that lower the seizure threshold.

Patients with risk factors should be treated with Wellbutrin with extreme caution. If seizures occur, therapy is stopped. The cost of not taking this recommendation seriously may be too high for the patient.

Precautionary measures

Zyban tablets can cause increased drowsiness. During therapy, doctors do not recommend driving a car or working with complex machinery.

The medicine can increase blood pressure and cause the development of angle-closure glaucoma. Before you start taking Zyban, you need to have your eyes examined. If symptoms appear in the form of nausea, blurred vision, or swelling of the eyes, you should immediately consult a doctor.

In some people, taking the medication provokes behavioral disturbances, depression, and thoughts of suicide. The doctor must be notified of depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorders and other mental disorders.

There are certain symptoms that you should immediately consult a doctor if they appear. These include the following:

• Depressive state, panic, increased anxiety;
• Suicidal thoughts or actions;
• Hallucinations;
• Mania;
• Aggression, anger;
• Increased anxiety;
• Any other behavioral disorders.

The simultaneous use of the drug with other medications may provoke an attack of epilepsy. Therefore, it is necessary to inform the doctor about all medications that you plan to take during the course of treatment.

Bupropion reviews

Before using any drug, even one prescribed by doctors, we most often look for its detailed description and, of course, reviews from people who already use it or reviews from other doctors.

Nowadays, very often reviews are written by ordinary people who are not interested in advertising. and by those who want to make money by selling this or that drug, so finding really useful reviews has to waste a lot of time.

We did it for you and collected some of the best (neutral, from professionals) reviews about bupropion, in my opinion.

According to user R-tour forum neuroleptic.ru

Bupropion, an amphetamine derivative, can give false positive reactions in the urine, BUT: by inhibiting the reuptake of dopamine, it simultaneously blocks its release (unlike amphetamine, which stimulates). This is associated with the normothimic effect of the drug, i.e. it is least likely to cause phase inversion.

Now Wellbutrin is registered in the Russian Federation, but is not yet available in pharmacies.

From the experience of use: 1. does not cause euphoria in the entire range of therapeutic doses (max. 450 mg/day)

2. valuable in narcology: it reduced the craving for taking any surfactants; when used simultaneously with legal stimulants and amphetamines, it significantly reduced their effect (a dopamine release blocker, apparently). It also prevented the onset of alcohol intoxication and subjective sensations when smoking cigarettes. BUT enhanced the psychotomimetic effect of cannabinoids, especially synthetic ones.

3. Negative side effects include: a sharp increase in depression and suicidal tendencies in the first 10 days of therapy. This side effect was well corrected by adding microscopic doses of norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (reboxetine - 2 mg/day or Ixel - 25 mg/day). One must be careful with the use of any blood pressure suppressants against the background of bupropion: norepinephrine uptake inhibitors, having anti-suicidal and anxiolytic activity, also increased body temperature to 37.5 (one case of such a combination)

The peculiarity of the combination of bupropion with an SNRI was that bupropion caused a strong feeling of chills, and the addition of microdoses of the mentioned SNRIs led to a feeling of heat (the patient opened the windows in winter, before that he constantly wrapped himself up and drank hot tea), but also to the relief of emotional undesirable effects. Although this combination led to persistent insomnia, for which zolpidem, zopiclone and mirtazapine (15 mg) were not effective). After 10-15 days I discontinued the IOZN, the anxiety-depressive symptoms did not return, apparently the anxiolytic effect of bupropion developed. Worked quite well with SSRIs, lamotrigine, mirtazapine and Valdoxan

In case of insomnia, for some reason, a good effect was observed when adding piracetam at 3.6-4.8 g/day.

The more long-acting bupropion, the better. Apparently this is due to the concentration of its main active metabolite, radafaxine. In the case of using drugs with rapid release, apparently, a significant part of bupropion (due to the short T1/2) has time to be eliminated before it is metabolized into active metabolites, while its slow entry into the portal bloodstream, apparently, gives the maximum concentration of metabolites and the minimum bupropion itself.

In the Russian Federation, you can now buy “generic Zyban” on the Internet on many sites where it is positioned as an anti-smoking drug. I came across several generics and measured the time it took for the tablet to dissolve in warm water: Nosmoq is an almost immediate release form (dissolved completely after half an hour), has the maximum number of side effects with minimal blood pressure effects.

Nofumar is a higher quality generic (dissolved in 3 hours). Unidep had the best modified release system (dissolved in 6-7 hours), and accordingly its tolerability was excellent. The antidepressant effect was observed after an average of 2 weeks (Unidep), which coincided with the time when the main side effects passed.

Still, I am a supporter of using the original Wellbutrin,

No matter how much they discuss bupropion, there is currently no alternative to it. It turned out to be effective in the monotherapy of bipolar disorder (with a rapid cycle, predominantly depressive episodes, including seasonal and rare, often blood pressure-induced, hypomanias), while many years of selection of various combinations of mood stabilizers and blood pressure did not give stable results (I did not supporter of prescribing antipsychotics, even if atypical ones are drugs of last choice).

By the way, since we are talking about dopaminomimetics: a good blood pressure and mood stabilizer is pramipexole (Mirapex). The action began in the same way - after 2 weeks, after the rather severe side effects in the form of nausea/vomiting, severe anxiety and melancholy had passed. Like bupropion, depression from Mirapex initially worsened. Like bupropion, Mirapex weakened the effects of alcohol, nicotine and opioids, and in combination with trazodone caused rare elementary “hallucinations” in the lateral visual field and acoasmas. One difference between Mirapex and bupropion: if the latter caused insomnia, Mirapex completely normalized early morning awakenings, which did not respond to treatment with mirtazapine and benzodiazepines (small doses were used). The withdrawal syndrome of Mirapex (3 mg/day) after a month's course was quite pronounced, lasting about a week (it was stopped in 4 days by adding mirtazapine 30 mg), manifested in “rebound” depression, decreased libido and significant erectile dysfunction that lasted about a month.

My conclusion from a small experience of clinical use: Mirapex and Wellbutrin in these few cases did not cause phase inversion in bipolar disorder, exhibiting the properties of mood stabilizers. The targets of bupropion were: reduction of energy potential, lack of initiative, desire to lie down, anxious-avoidant and psychasthenic behavioral patterns, dependence on other people’s opinions, reduced ability to defend one’s interests, sensitivity, defenselessness, lack of “moral strength” to maintain relationships with friends, master new information and technology, laziness, emotional detachment, absent-mindedness, lack of focus, moral hypochondria, hypohedonia, resignation to fate and derealization. Although the effect on the latter syndrome was weak and temporary. Vegetative symptoms include chilliness, poor cold tolerance, rapid asthenia, and periodic nausea. Also targeted were problems with concentration, which manifested themselves as difficulty comprehending written text, especially long sentences that had to be re-read many times, as well as difficulty understanding “complex” political information provided on television news. Moreover, the more effort the patient made, the worse the information was understood (a drop in prefrontal activity when trying to concentrate, signs of ADD), sometimes reaching a feeling of complete dullness.

As a result of using bupropion at a dose of 300 mg/day for 1.5 months, the following changes were observed in the clinical picture of different patients: “neurotic shortness of breath” completely disappeared, i.e. a feeling of “dissatisfaction with inhalation,” which has tormented the patient since ancient times. An interesting “pleasant” side effect was observed - an increase in the brightness of point light sources, such as car headlights, lanterns, New Year’s garlands, etc., the colors became unusually bright, “piercing”. For almost a month, increased yawning was observed, especially in the first 3 hours after taking the Nofumar tablet (apparently an increase in the concentration of bupropion itself). A feeling of increased strength and improved well-being was noted after 5-7 hours. Generics were prescribed in 2 doses of 150 mg, usually at 6 am and at lunch, Wellbutrin and Unidep - 300 mg in the morning. Wellbutrin had the greatest stimulating effect (insignificant), which is most likely due to the pharmacokinetics of active metabolites. As I understand, in some patients bupropion itself has a rather sedative effect, and its metabolites have an activating effect. When the dose was increased to 450 mg/day, one patient began to experience lower eyelid tics and myoclonic twitching of various muscle groups, as well as increased tone of the masticatory muscles. By the way, it is believed that such myoclonus has nothing to do with convulsive readiness and should not be considered as a predictor of probable seizure readiness. When reduced to 300 mg, these dopaminergic hyperkinesis disappeared. The antidepressant effect of bupropion was perceived as “natural”, “its own”, “not imposed” from the outside. The patient noted that the desire to stop treatment and stop taking all medications had passed. Some noticed that they noticed deviations from usual stereotypes in their behavior, for example, they chose a different route from the metro to home, albeit longer, but “more picturesque”, shyness decreased, it became easier to spontaneously start a conversation with a stranger, avoidance of eye contact disappeared - in-your-face during a conversation, planning improved, the “raking up” of old things began, bringing things once started to completion, “the house became tidy and comfortable.” The asthenia that was common in the old days when going shopping, and which occurred after a couple of hours, has passed, “now you can walk and choose all day long... and in the evening also... and so on.” The volitional control over the execution of necessary, although not particularly pleasant, things has improved. Memory improved, seemingly forgotten events began to be remembered. “The surges of causeless joy and euphoria stopped; on the contrary, the mood became the same, stable, equally good both in the morning and at night.” Signs of overexcitation were not observed in any case, although some patients noted that they became “irritable” in relation to certain people, but in a different way than during periods of mixed states “when everything was infuriating.” Rather, there was a righteous indignation at the encroachment on personal independence on the part of these people, and the subsequent “expression of dissatisfaction head-on without a twinge of conscience,” and “the feeling of personal righteousness was constantly preserved.” The feeling of “mental fatigue” has passed. There were complaints about “intolerance of boredom and monotony”, “I began to look for reasons to go out for a walk, or to meet someone.”

Thus, the drug targeted long-standing, stubborn symptoms... dopamine-dependent...

The drug exhibits both signs of agonism and signs of antagonism in relation to the dopaminergic system.

Side effects

The drug may cause unwanted reactions in the body. These include the following:

• Increased drowsiness;
• Dizziness;
• Excitement;
• Anxiety;
• Nausea and vomiting;
• Feeling of dryness in the mouth;
• Headache;
• Sleep problems;
• Discomfort in the abdomen;
• Tinnitus;
• Excessive sweating;
• Pain in the throat;
• Decreased appetite;
• Reducing body weight;
• Increased urination;
• Constipation.

Some adverse reactions can pose a real danger to humans. If you experience unexplained fears, pain in muscle tissue or joints, hallucinations, or rapid pulse, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Refusal to take the drug and consultation with a specialist is also required in the following situations:

• Rash and itching sensation;
• Fever;
• Hoarseness in the voice;
• Hives;
• Swelling of the tongue, limbs, throat, lips;
• Pain in the chest;
• Impaired respiratory and swallowing functions.

The drug may cause other adverse reactions. You should notify your doctor if you notice any suspicious symptoms. Improper use of a substance increases the risk of undesirable consequences. That is why it is so important to strictly follow the instructions and dosage.

Side effects

The most significant and dangerous side effect that occurs after taking Bupropion is epileptic seizures. They occur depending on the dose taken:

• in 0.1% of patients after taking 0.1-0.3 grams of the substance;
• in 0.4% after taking 0.3-0.45 g;
• 2% took 0.6 g of the drug.

During therapy with the drug, the following are most often observed:

• urticaria, local allergic reactions, rash, itching, increased sweating;
• anorexia, lack of appetite, sleep disturbances, anxiety and agitation;
• tremor, taste disturbances, ringing in the ears, decreased visual acuity;
• tachycardia, increased blood pressure, hot flashes;
• nausea, dry mouth, vomiting, constipation, pain in the epigastric region;
• chest pain, asthenia, fever.

Sometimes the following may develop: weight loss, depression and confusion, decreased concentration.

Rarely and very rarely observed:

• Quincke's edema, anaphylactic shock, bronchospasm, myalgia, arthralgia;
• delayed reactions resembling serum sickness;
• increase or decrease in blood sugar levels;
• dystopia, impaired coordination of movements, ataxia, memory loss;
• aggression, irritability, hallucinations, illusions, hostile attitude;
• anuria or increased urination;
• palpitations, orthostatic hypertension;
• convulsions, parkinsonism, paresthesia, fainting;
• increased activity of liver enzymes, hepatitis, jaundice;
• Stevens-Johnson syndrome, erythema, involuntary twitching of the limbs;
• anxiety, vivid dreams, delusions, depersonalization.

For insomnia that develops quite often, it is recommended to adjust the dosage or frequency of administration. The medicine should not be taken 2-3 hours before going to bed.

Overdose

Almost a third of patients experience symptoms of a substance overdose. Such phenomena occur when more than 450 mg of the drug is consumed. In this case, the following symptoms occur:

• Increased drowsiness;
• Nausea;
• Increased pressure;
• Lethargy;
• Epilepsy;
• Sinus tachycardia.

In case of excessive use of the drug, maintenance therapy is carried out. Your doctor may prescribe barbiturates or benzodiazepines intravenously. Activated carbon is also prescribed.

Where can you buy Wellbutrin (Bupropion), the price of which is affordable:

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• The opportunity to buy certified safe medicines from trusted manufacturers in Europe and India.
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Advantages and disadvantages of the drug

The key advantages of the substance include the following:

• High effectiveness in the fight against nicotine addiction.
• Reduced withdrawal symptoms.
• Reducing the risk of weight gain after quitting smoking.
• Short period of therapy.
• Low likelihood of adverse reactions.

Good results in eliminating addiction are achieved if the use of the substance was started a week before the expected cessation of cigarettes. This allows the body to smoothly adapt to the absence of nicotine. As a result, stress is reduced and withdrawal symptoms are alleviated.

The effectiveness of therapy is observed even among heavy smokers who consume 2 packs of cigarettes per day. The medicine acts on the brain and leads to the elimination of biochemical dependence.

The presence of additional components helps prevent sudden weight gain after quitting smoking, which is very important for women.

The drug is an antidepressant, eliminates mood swings, depression, and irritability. All these signs often accompany quitting smoking and cause noticeable psychological discomfort.

The disadvantages include the rather impressive price of Zyban. A package of 30 tablets will cost approximately $60-70. Another disadvantage is the likelihood of adverse reactions. Among them, it is worth highlighting headaches, stool disorders, dry mouth, excessive agitation, increased drowsiness, nausea and vomiting.

But these adverse reactions are extremely rare. The more important issue is the risk of addiction to Zyban. This sometimes happens when using antidepressants.

Another disadvantage of the drug is the threat of re-emergence of cravings for cigarettes after discontinuation of the substance. However, no medicine can provide a sustainable effect in the treatment of pathology.

Anti-smoking pills "Zyban": benefit or harm?

So, meet the new sensational drug. Known as Zyban, also known as Wellbutrin, also known as Bupropion. And its oldest name, which few people know, is “Amphebutamon”.

These are all the same anti-smoking pills, they are just produced under different names. Why does the same remedy have so many names? To make you understand this, I will tell you a story.

A young soldier comes to the first-aid post in a military unit. Before his eyes, the doctor breaks an aspirin tablet in two and says: “Drink this half for the head, and this half for the stomach.” So in the case of Zyban, this is an elementary marketing ploy.

Like all its many variations, this drug is an antidepressant. It is promoted by one of the world's oldest and largest pharmaceutical companies, GlaxoSmithKline. Zyban has been around since 1985. Remarkably, just a year later it was banned for use. The reason for this was numerous episodes of epileptic seizures in people who took it.

Subsequently, it turned out that the cause of such side effects was an overdose of this drug. Manufacturers waited three years, and already in 1989 anti-smoking pills reappeared on sale. This time, the instructions already indicated the maximum permissible dose - 450 mg per day.

However, the problem of side effects has not been solved. Numerous reviews from smokers have spoken about this. Zyban continued to cause tremors, sweating, tinnitus, diarrhea, nausea, and rash in people. And these are just the most harmless symptoms. If you are still interested in what other side effects Zyban has, you can read these materials (in English).

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The American Food and Drug Administration has required pharmaceutical manufacturers to include warnings on the packaging of antidepressants. It is enclosed in a black frame and informs that the drug can cause suicidal tendencies in patients under 25 years of age. And it’s also on the packaging of the drug we’re looking at today.

Poison your body with antidepressants or quit smoking “The easy way? It's up to you to decide!

Analogs

In case of intolerance to the substance, analogues of Zyban are prescribed. The most effective medications include the following:

• Prozac;
• Ludiomil;
• Trittico.

Prozac is a common medication that helps treat depression. It contains fluoxetine, which is the active ingredient. Prozac is produced in the form of capsules with a dosage of 20 mg.

Ludiomil is used to combat neuroses and stress. The composition contains the active component - maprotiline. It belongs to the tricyclic antidepressants. The medicine is released in tablet form.

Trittico is a medicine that helps fight depression. The active substance is trazodone. The activity of the drug manifests itself over a short period of time. Trittico helps cope with sleep disorders, increased anxiety, and fears. It is produced in the form of tablets.

What does Zyban treat?

Why do pharmaceutical companies even offer powerful antidepressants to people trying to quit smoking? Answering this question requires a brief background.

A few years ago it was “fashionable” to treat any illness (no matter whether it was obesity, migraine or depression) with antidepressants. Just remember Valium and Lydium, the mention of which many psychologists still shudder.

Let's look at the list of disorders for which Zyban (as well as its analogues Wellbutrin and Bupropion) is intended to treat. It includes:

• depression (including seasonal). This at least seems logical for an antidepressant;
• social phobia (anxiety disorder). According to reviews from patients (we are not talking about smokers yet), after taking Bupropion they experienced agitation - excessive emotional arousal, accompanied by a feeling of fear and anxiety. Agitation can manifest itself as a need to move or in the form of speech anxiety. A person simply cannot sit still; he pronounces words and sentences “automatically.” He cannot think normally and analyze the situation;
• sexual dysfunction;
• affective disorders;
• Crohn's disease;
• psoriasis;
• obesity. Antidepressants have traditionally been used to keep people who are struggling with excess weight in good shape;
• attention deficit disorder and hyperactivity disorder (which, in fact, are not diseases). Let's take a closer look here. The fact is that doctors and teachers did not notice much difference in the behavior of hyperactive teenagers. Well, since Bupropion didn’t help here, let’s try to distribute it as smoking pills. There is no logic at all. Nevertheless, an experiment was carried out. And it became shocking. The teenagers were divided into two groups. The first was given Bupropion, the second a placebo. As a result, more subjects in the first group started smoking. In other words, taking this drug later turned people into smokers;
• nicotine addiction (no matter how strange it may be, given the experiment described above).

How to quit smoking yourself at home?