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Quit Smoking Using Zyban

An addiction to smoking is generally difficult to overcome. The difficulty depends on how long you have smoked, how many cigarettes you smoke per day as well as genetic factors. For these reasons you may find it extremely difficult to quit smoking. Genetic factors can determine how susceptible someone is to nicotine addiction and those that are more susceptible may need more than willpower to quit smoking. There are medical aids to help quit smoking which address the body's dependence on nicotine but willpower is still required. This is especially important if you find yourself smoking for social reasons.

One of the top quit smoking aids is a nicotine patch. This is attached to the skin and slowly releases nicotine into the bloodstream. This has proved a popular method to aid people to quit smoking but another approach is becoming more popular. Many people are now trying to quit smoking using the drug Zyban (bupropion hydrochloride). Zyban was originally designed to be used as an anti-depressant and not as a quit smoking aid. During clinical tests, an interesting side effect of the drug was discovered. Many smokers participating in the trials found they lost interest in smoking cigarettes and found it very easy to quit. Further tests showed that the drug is in fact an effective quit smoking aid and has been approved for that use in the US since 1997.

Zyban does not work in the same way as a nicotine patch, by delivering nicotine to the bloodstream, instead it alters the brain chemistry in such a way that the desire for smoking cigarettes is significantly reduced so much so that many people have reported finding the thought of smoking completely unappealing after having taken the drug. Zyban does not deliver or control nicotine in the bloodstream. For best results, it is generally taken a number of weeks before you actually start to quit smoking as it takes time for its effects to start to work. Once you have been taking Zyban for some time you can stop smoking and hopefully find that it is easier than if you had tried to quit smoking without the use of an aid.

Naturally you need to remember that Zyban is a strong prescription drug which alters the brain chemistry. Researchers are not even exactly sure how it works, they only know that it does work for some people. You must seek your doctor's advice before taking Zyban and it is extremely important that it is not used in conjunction with any other drugs. Zyban does have a number of side effects which include dizziness, a dry mouth, insomnia as well as seizures, although this is rarer. You should also consult your doctor as to when the use of Zyban would not be appropriate such as if you have a history of seizures or if you are going to abruptly stop the use of alcohol.

Zyban, like any drug, should be used with caution and only with a doctor's prescription. However, excellent results have been found by smokers trying to quit smoking with an aid and Zyban is an excellent option.