The most effective quit-smoking aid (Zyban)

Member Name: krabople

Product:	Zyban
Date:	28/03/03 (2589 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: effective, easily available, easy to take

Disadvantages: bad side effects

"It won't work for me," I thought. "It's different for other people, they smoke because they're addicted. I just smoke because I'm bored. And no quit-smoking drug can cure that".

Zyban, also marketed as Wellbutrin, is a drug manufactured by company GlaxoSmithKline. It was originally intended as an anti-depressant, but in its trials it was discovered that Zyban significantly reduced the subjects' cravings for cigarettes.

I first heard of Zyban when I picked up a leaflet in my doctor's surgery. "30% of trial subjects using Zyban were still non-smokers a year later," it boasted. It sounded a bit too good to be true. But what really attracted me to Zyban was the fact that it was completely nicotine free. Therefore, unlike patches and chewing gum which I had tried countless times before, this time I could try quitting smoking and ridding my body of nicotine at the same time.

My fiancee was as anxious as me to quit smoking so we set a date - January 1st. A new start to 2003. We both paid a visit to our doctors. After a general briefing of side-effects, the doctor begrudgingly agreed.

We did not actually get the Zyban until new year's eve although you are supposed to begin taking the drug around two weeks before you intend to give up in order to give it time to regulate itself inside your system. However, the doctor told us this presented no extra danger so we kept to our original quit-date of new year's day. Being as it was our last day as smokers, we made a concerted effort to smoke ourselves stupid. That we did.

The big day came. Still hungover from the night before, coughing perhaps a little more than usual, we had little desire for a cigarette anyway. Much of the day passed unnoticed and the word "fag" hardly got a mention.

The next day things were slightly more difficult, but, surprisingly to both of us, any cravings we did get were small and

short-lived. The Zyban was certainly taking its effect, both of us feeling at all times as if we had smoked a cigarette just five minutes before.

The next day was work day. I was dreading it. Working in a office full of smokers, I was anticipating much stronger cravings. I was more than pleasantly surprised to find things no more difficult than they had been the day before, in fact I had no problem in watching my colleagues smoke their way through stupid amounts of money.

Things didn't really get any more difficult after that. Holding a coffee/beer in one hand without a cigarette in the other was at first a little challenging but after a while became second nature.

Now, almost three months later, me and my fiancee are still avid non-smokers. The money we save between us pays the main part of our rent. Inspired by our success my brother has also since given up with the aid of Zyban.

Side effects

There are, however, many side-effects to Zyban. These include nausea, insomnia, dizziness, dry mouth, headaches and depression (ironic seeing as the drug was once used as an anti-depressant) to name a few.

In rare cases it has also been linked to several deaths, including 19 across Canada where the drug was first introduced.

Zyban also caused us both nightmares, so much so we actually decided to stop taking the drug prematurely after just two weeks of the recommended seven-twelve weeks. By this time, however, we both felt confident we could remain non-smokers without the help of Zyban.

Overall

Balancing the rewards of being a non-smoker with the side-effects of taking Zyban, I would definitely recommend it as a last resort to giving up smoking. To anyone intending to use the drug, my suggestion would be to research the side-effects first. Although my doctor did read through a list of possible side-effects, there was no mention of possibly-related deaths nor of how common these effects ac
tuall
y were.

My advice: If you are serious about giving up and have tried the other, safer methods and failed, ask your doctor for Zyban. Just be aware that little is known about any long-term effects. Always consult your doctor before you take this, or any medicine.

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