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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
dr-bob@uchicago.eduShown: posts 1 to 3 of 3. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by patrickm on November 4, 2000, at 15:27:02
I have come to the conclusion I am ready to quit smoking. I have spoke to several people about Wellbutrin and have heard good things. My doctor has prescribed Wellbutrin in 150mg.Has this really “helped” anyone quit and is there any side effects on this low of a dosage? Also I do like to drink beer and play darts, I have read to not drink. Is this true with this low of a dose? I haven't had a chance to ask my doctor. What about the darts? Seriously, any experiences or advice would greatly be appreciated. Is this something I want to get myself into?
Posted by R.Anne on November 4, 2000, at 16:34:07
In reply to trying to quit smoking with Wellbutrin SR, posted by patrickm on November 4, 2000, at 15:27:02
Hi. I got this info. from http://www.drkoop.com:
bupropion
Pronunciation: byoo PROE pee on
Brand: Wellbutrin, Wellbutrin SR, Zyban SRWhat is the most important information I should know about bupropion?
• Do not stop taking bupropion without the approval of your doctor. It may be 4 weeks or more before you begin to feel better, and you may require continuous treatment for quite some time. Talk to your doctor before you stop taking this medication.
• Avoid alcohol or drink it only in moderation while taking bupropion. Alcohol may increase your risk of having a seizure while taking bupropion. However, if you drink alcohol regularly before starting bupropion therapy, stopping all alcohol intake may also induce a seizure. Talk to your doctor about alcohol use.
• Do not crush, chew, or break the sustained-release tablets (Wellbutrin SR and Zyban). Swallow them whole. They are specially formulated to release slowly in your body. If you are unsure whether you have a sustained-release formulation, ask your pharmacist, doctor, or nurse.
• Do not take more than one product containing bupropion at a time (e.g., Wellbutrin and Zyban). Talk to your doctor if a second product containing bupropion is prescribed for you. Too much of this medicine can be dangerous.
There is more information on Wellbutrin SR at the site above that I mentioned. I quit 12 years ago and am glad I did. I don't miss it at all. I didn't use anything to quit but I didn't smoke a lot when I quit. I had cut down drastically by the time I quit. Good luck with quitting smoking. It's a great thing to do for your health! I suggest you quit the darts too! Just kidding, of course! ;-)
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> I have come to the conclusion I am ready to quit smoking. I have spoke to several people about Wellbutrin and have heard good things. My doctor has prescribed Wellbutrin in 150mg.Has this really “helped” anyone quit and is there any side effects on this low of a dosage? Also I do like to drink beer and play darts, I have read to not drink. Is this true with this low of a dose? I haven't had a chance to ask my doctor. What about the darts? Seriously, any experiences or advice would greatly be appreciated. Is this something I want to get myself into?
Posted by JohnL on November 5, 2000, at 6:38:13
In reply to trying to quit smoking with Wellbutrin SR, posted by patrickm on November 4, 2000, at 15:27:02
> I have come to the conclusion I am ready to quit smoking. I have spoke to several people about Wellbutrin and have heard good things. My doctor has prescribed Wellbutrin in 150mg.Has this really “helped” anyone quit and is there any side effects on this low of a dosage? Also I do like to drink beer and play darts, I have read to not drink. Is this true with this low of a dose? I haven't had a chance to ask my doctor. What about the darts? Seriously, any experiences or advice would greatly be appreciated. Is this something I want to get myself into?
Patrick,
Good for you. Go for it!The highest success rates in clinical studies were achieved with patients taking both Wellbutrin and nicotine replacement (patch) simultaneously.
Common early side effects that may diminish in time are dry mouth, headache, agitation, anxiety, constipation, insomnia, excitation or sedation. This doesn't mean you will have these side effects, it just means they were noted in trials. Everyone is different. Side effects usually diminish or disappear after several weeks.
It will be very difficult to tell if side effects you experience are due to the Wellbutrin or due to quitting smoking. The only one for sure that you could identify as Wellbutrin is dry mouth, if that happens.
I'm sensitive to drugs, and I know from experience 150mg is much too high for me as a starting point. Not so with everyone. Sometimes I think dosing instructions are too aggressive and can lead to noncompliance or early discontinuance. I think your chances would be increased by starting at half the minimum dose and work your way up slowly over a couple weeks. You may want to ask for a sleep med like Ambien to help get through the first week or two. Having a hard time falling asleep or staying awake half the night and then being exhausted during the day isn't going to help matters at all if you're trying to quit.
Wellutrin can make your cigarettes taste lousy. In addition to how it stabilizes brain chemistries associated with smoking, I think this is another mechanism that helps to stop smoking. On Wellbutrin, you just simply won't get the satisfaction you are accustomed to from a cigarette.
Though instructions say to avoid alcohol, you can drink responsibly if you want to. A couple beers never hurt anyone while taking Wellbutrin. With other drugs known for sedation, beer would cause over sedation. At very high doses of Wellbutrin (like 400mg or higher) alcohol could possibly add to the risk of seizure (a rare but possible side effect at very high doses). Neither of these are concerns at normal Wellbutrin doses. Just don't go overboard. Besides, if you're like me, nothing tastes better after a beer than a cigarette. So if you can cut down on the amount of beers you drink, it will be better all around.
The instructions say absolutely no throwing darts. It will increase the side effects. Just kidding. :-)
And lastly, it might not be a bad idea to recruit the services of a counselor. During the quitting process, a good counselor can be like a professional coach. A cheer leader. A fan. A source of tips and tricks. A teacher of effective coping techniques. Encouragement and positive reinforcement. It's a lot easier and more successful if you have a professional in your corner helping you out. Once a week for 6 or 8 weeks should do the trick.
John
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