Zyban is an atypical antidepressant used to treat disorders of the emotional-volitional sphere. Another point of application for Zyban is the treatment of nicotine addiction. Thanks to a special mechanism of action on the central nervous system, the drug makes it easier to quit smoking.
pharmachologic effect
The pharmacological action of zyban is due to the effect of bupropion on the body. Bupropion is not a homogeneous substance in its composition. In the body, it breaks down into several metabolites, each of which has its own effect on the cells of the central nervous system.
Bupropion is a selective norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake inhibitor. This means that the drug prevents the entry of the listed mediators from the synaptic cleft into the neurons. At the same time, the concentration of these substances increases and they more often bind to neuron receptors, which are also located in the synaptic cleft. The more dopamine and norepinephrine affect the receptors, the better the patient feels.
The development of depression is associated with a decrease in serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine in the brain. Bupropion increases the concentration of the last two mediators, which helps improve mood. However, these are not all the effects of the drug.
By acting on dopamine receptors, bupropion reduces hunger and helps combat obesity more effectively. In addition, the substance helps cope with nicotine addiction. Bupropion is able to bind to nicotine receptors, thereby deceiving the brain and helping to quit smoking tobacco.
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.
Indications
Many studies have been conducted to determine the effectiveness of Zyban in the treatment of a particular pathological condition. As a result, diseases for which it is advisable to prescribe this drug were identified. These diseases include:
- First episode of mild to moderate depression;
- Recurrent depressive disorder;
- Bipolar affective disorder, current episode of depression;
- Nicotine addiction;
- Obesity;
- Decreased libido, including those caused by other antidepressants;
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in adults.
Zyban has not been proven effective for other mental disorders. For example, a study conducted on reducing anxiety showed that Zyban does not have an anti-anxiety component. However, in some cases it can be used for social phobias.
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.
Contraindications
Zyban should not be prescribed for the following conditions:
- Epilepsy;
- Nervous tics, including Tourette's syndrome;
- Benzodiazepine tranquilizer withdrawal syndrome;
- Eating disorders;
- Oncological diseases of the brain;
- Arterial hypertension of the third degree;
- Renal or liver failure in the stage of decompensation;
- Childhood and adolescence.
In addition, taking Zyban with monoamine oxidase inhibitors is prohibited. There should be a gap of two weeks between taking these medications.
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.
Side effects
Side effects of Zyban mainly affect the nervous system. The most common of these are epileptic seizures, tics and hand tremors. The drug is especially dangerous for patients who already have seizures or other neurological disorders.
Another common complication is headache, dizziness, and nausea. These symptoms develop in the first days of use and soon disappear. Approximately 1% of those taking the drug may develop arterial hypertension, most often its isolated systolic variant. It does not matter whether the patient had this disease before taking it or not.
A rare side effect of Zyban is galactorrhea, which is the secretion of milk from the mammary glands outside of pregnancy or lactation. Another rare complication of treatment with this drug is toxic liver damage.
With long-term use of Zyban and sudden cessation of treatment, withdrawal syndrome is possible. Other side effects are currently unknown; post-marketing studies of the drug are currently underway to expand this list.
Possible side effects:
During treatment you may encounter:
- Allergic manifestations.
- Decreased appetite.
- Anorexia.
- Sleep disturbance.
- Increased anxiety.
- Tremor.
- Tachycardia.
- Increased blood pressure.
- Nausea/vomiting.
- Dry mouth mucous membranes.
- Constipation.
- Pain in the abdomen, chest.
- Asthenia.
- Fever.
- Depression.
- Confusion.
Several dozen cases of death have also been reported while taking Zyban. However, it is currently not known whether they are caused by the toxic effects of the drug or the cardiovascular diseases of the patients.
In order for the therapy to be as safe and effective as possible, it is better to buy and take Bupropion under the supervision of a doctor. In case of long-lasting adverse reactions, you should seek qualified medical help.
Instructions for use
Zyban is recommended to be used twice a day. The half-life of the drug is less than 24 hours, so it is fundamentally important to divide the daily dose into two doses 12 hours apart (see chart). Treatment should begin with a minimum dosage of 300 mg. To do this, just take one tablet in the morning and one in the evening.
Within two weeks, the dose can be increased to 450 mg per day. In this case, you can take two tablets in the morning and one in the evening, or two in the evening and one in the morning. You can also divide the tablet and take one and a half tablets in the morning and evening.
If necessary, after another two weeks the dosage can be increased again. The maximum permitted amount of the drug consumed per day is 600 mg. This level should not be exceeded due to the risk of side effects.
The drug can be taken regardless of meals. The tablets should be taken with a small amount of water.
The drug does not affect sleep and wakefulness. There are no restrictions on driving any type of transport. There is evidence of the development of dependence on Zyban and the occurrence of withdrawal syndrome when stopping its use. To eliminate the risk of developing this syndrome, you should stop drinking the drug gradually. You should start by reducing the dosage by 150 mg once every two weeks until you completely stop taking the drug.
Features of application:
One of the side effects of the drug Bupropion that can interfere with normal driving and other equipment is excessive drowsiness. For this reason, during therapy, avoid activities that require concentration. The cost of not taking this recommendation seriously can be high.
Due to the possible development of angle-closure glaucoma, the patient should have his eyes examined before starting treatment. In case of visual disturbances or nausea, it is important to consult a doctor immediately.
In people suffering from schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and other complex mental pathologies, Zyban can cause depressed mood and provoke suicidal thoughts. Before you buy Bupropion and start treatment, be sure to tell your doctor about any medical conditions you have.
Reviews
Kirill N .: “I took Zyban while quitting smoking. At first I didn't notice the effect. I wanted to smoke just as much as before, even my irritability increased a little. But I only had to hold out for a week, then the effect of the drug appeared. This is usually the hardest time, but Zyban helped me overcome it with ease. I almost didn’t want to smoke, I finally quit.”
Psychiatrist : “The use of Zyban in our country is very limited. This is a new drug that has a different mechanism of action from other drugs. It has not yet been studied enough and its use raises some concerns for the health of patients. In addition, the cost of the drug does not allow it to be used to treat most patients. At the same time, American colleagues are successfully introducing Zyban into their practice, so we can soon expect its distribution on the domestic pharmaceutical market.”
Content
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.
No. 3 – Allen Carr Tablets
Price: 1000 rubles
The main active ingredient in Allen Carr tablets is the well-proven ruby resin of sequoia. These tablets affect the regulation of nicotine balance, which is produced in the liver. After taking it, the human body is restored to the state it was in before smoking.
Based on numerous reviews from those who have taken Allen Carr tablets, it becomes clear that the drug really helps to quit smoking. The only disadvantage is the price, but if you count the total amount of money spent on cigarettes, this disadvantage can be considered insignificant. And the full course of treatment with their use lasts only 3 weeks.
Quit smoking now without gaining weight
No. 2 – Champix
Price: 3350 rubles
The main active ingredient of Champix is varenicline, which dulls the body's need for nicotine and prevents acute side effects that follow its lack when quitting smoking. With the help of this drug it is much easier to endure the period of withdrawal. Reviews from former smokers prove the effectiveness of these tablets. The course of treatment lasts up to 12 weeks, in the first week you need to take one piece up to 6 times a day, with each week the dose decreases.
The advantages of Champix are its effectiveness, proven by experts and thousands of former smokers. Disadvantages include the possibility of needing to repeat the course of treatment and the highest price among analogues.
nicorette
Application and dosage
Taking Zyban begins a week before the expected date of quitting tobacco, which allows you to gradually prepare the body to get rid of nicotine addiction. First of all, the craving for smoking decreases. Thanks to the excipients, Zyban also inhibits the weight gain that occurs when quitting smoking - which worries many quitting women.
"Zyban" is able to treat tobacco addiction, including in people who smoke more than ten cigarettes per day, influencing certain brain structures that form a biochemical dependence on nicotine. Its effectiveness has been demonstrated in clinical studies involving 7,000 patients.
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.
Only a doctor can prescribe the dosage after drawing up the clinical picture. It is strictly prohibited to prescribe the drug yourself, much less combine it with other psychoactive substances. The instructions for use for Zyban indicate that the following dosages are usually used: one tablet during the first week.
The tablet should not be chewed - just swallowed with water. Taking the drug is not associated with food intake. The duration of therapy is 12 weeks, the advisability of further use is determined by the attending physician.
Contraindications to taking the drug
But, like all antidepressants, Zyban is fraught with certain dangers. If you give up nicotine addiction, you may become addicted to the drug. Many who quit using Zyban noted that as soon as they stopped taking the medicine, the craving for smoking returned again. Another factor that makes it difficult to choose Zyban is its relatively high cost (although incomparable, of course, with the price of a healthy life), prescription (although any doctor will write a prescription without any problems) and most importantly, the lack of registration on the domestic market. pharmaceutical market. In Russia, it is only possible to buy a generic (analogue) of Zyban - bupropion.
The website has an article “Does Zyban pose a threat to the patient.” Highly recommended reading.
