Bupropion, (aka Zyban, Wellbutrin) is one of the most prescribed medications for smoking cessation. It is was primarily marketed as an antidepressant. From the FDA’s website, “The neurochemical mechanism of the antidepressant effect of bupropion is not known.” This little statement is true for most psychotropic drugs. They really don’t know how it acts on our physiology. What is known is that the drug affects neurotransmitters in the brain, such as dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin. In fact, it affects most of the major systems of the entire body. The first warning in the PDR is that this drug may cause suicidal ideation.
According to drugs.com, side effects of Buproprion (aka Zyban, Wellbutrin) include:
More common
anxiety
dry mouth
hyperventilation
irregular heartbeats
irritability
nervousness
restlessness
shaking
shortness of breath
trouble sleeping
Less common
buzzing or ringing in the ears
headache (severe)
skin rash, hives, or itching
Rare
confusion
fainting
false beliefs that cannot be changed by facts
having extreme distrust of people
seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not there
seizures (convulsions)
trouble with concentrating
Remember this drug was originally marketed to treat depression. It directly affects neurotransmitters in the brain, such as serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. Its biggest risk factor is for epileptic seizures. Psychiatric symptoms are also listed side effects. It affects almost every system of the body, GI, Uritogenital, Sexual function, Sleep, Cognition…You get the picture.
This is a major psychotropic drug that acts powerfully in the body, often in unwanted ways. Our pharmaceutically driven medical system would have you believe that there is a medication to solve every problem. The model here is one substance needs to be replaced with another substance; specifically, switch tobacco out for an antidepressant. There are much safer and more effective ways to stop smoking than using an antidepressant.
Hypnosis is safe, natural and it works. A Worldwide Neglect study reported that over 75% of those who quit smoking successfully did it unaided.
Successful smoking cessation is an attitude, a state of mind. Smoking is not a deficiency of any particular drug. You can quit smoking naturally, safely and successfully. Millions have before you. Take their lead.
For more information and a free consultation, call 415-488-0201.