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Drug Interactions
When you are taking Zyban, it is especially important that your health care professional know if you are taking any of the following:
- Alcohol or
- Antipsychotics (medicine for mental
illness) or
- Corticosteriods(cortisone-like medicine) or
- Fluoxetine (e.g., Prozac) or
- Lithium (e.g., Lithane) or
- Maprotiline (e.g., Ludiomil) or
- Theophylline (e.g., S
omophyllin-T) or
- Trazodone (e.g., Desyrel) or
- Ritonavir (e.g., Norvir)¡XUsing these medicines with Zyban may increase the risk of seizures
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Possible Side Effect
Side effects cannot be anticipated. If any develop or change in intensity, inform your doctor as soon as possible. Only your doctor can determine if it is safe for you to continue taking Zyban.
<
br> The most common side effects are:
Dry mouth and sleeplessness
These are generally mild and usually disappear after a few weeks. If you have difficulty sleeping, avoid taking Zyban close t
o bedtime and ask your doctor about reducing your dosage.
More common side effects may include:
Abdominal pain, abnormal dreams, anxiety, constipation, diarrhea, disturbed concentration
, dizziness, joint pain, increased cough, itching, nasal inflammation, nausea, nervousness, rash, sore throat
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Before Using This Medicine
A variety of conditions can predispose you to seizures, including:
- Prior head injuries
- Prior seizures
- Central nervous system tumors
- Cirrhosis of the liver
- Too m
uch alcohol
- Abrupt withdrawal from alcohol, tranquilizers, or sedatives
- Addiction to narcotics or cocaine
- Use of over-the-counter stimulants or diet pills
- Use of diabetes m
edications
- Use of antidepressants, major tranquilizers, steroids, or theophylline
If any of these apply to you, use Zyban with care. If you do have a seizure while taking Zyban, stop
taking the drug and never take it again.
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How should you take this medication?
Treatment with this drug begins while you are still smoking. Zyban needs about a week to reach an effective level in your body; so to improve your chance of success, you should not attempt to quit unt
il the second week of treatment. Set a firm date for quitting. If you are still smoking after that date, your odds of breaking the habit will be worse. You should keep taking Zyban for 7 to 12 weeks.
You can use nicotine patches along with Zyban. However, combining the two treatments can raise your blood pressure, so it's important to tell your doctor if you plan to use both. Do not smok
e while using a patch, because too much nicotine can cause serious side effects.
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Precautions while Using this Medicine
Your doctor should check your progress at regular visits, especially during the first few months of treatment with this medicine. The amount of Zyban you take may have to be changed often to meet the
needs of your condition and to help avoid unwanted effects.
Do not take Zyban within 14 days of taking an MAO inhibitor.
Zyban is sold under different brand names for different uses.
If you are already taking medicine for mental depression or to help you stop smoking, discuss this with your health care professional before taking Zyban. It is very important that you receive only o
ne prescription for Zyban at a time.
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What Is It
Zyban is a pharmaceutical, prescription antidepressant which acts directly on the brain and other nerve cells. It is also used to treat ADHD (Attention Deficit Disorder), Bipolar depression, chronic f
atigue syndrome, cocaine addiction, nicotine addiction, and lower back pain.
Zyban generally comes in 75mg and 100mg tablets. A sustained released form (Wellbutrin SR) comes in 100mg (blue),
150mg (purple), and 200mg (light pink) tablets. A new Wellbutrin XL comes in 150 & 300mg tablets (creamy white to pale yellow).
It has been associated with possible liver and kidney damage as
well as seizures in .4% of the population.
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