Two Prescription drugs that can help you to quit smoking

There are two drugs that can help you quite smoking and these are Zyban and Chantix. We are going to look at them one by and see how they can help a smoker to stop smoking.

Zyban a drug that can help you quit smocking

Zyban is an antidepressant and smoking cessation aid. The drug works by inhibiting the reuptake of norepinephrine-dopamine. The drug also acts a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist.

Zyban reduces the severity of nicotine craving and smoking withdrawal symptoms. Treatment with Zyban lasts for 7 – 12 weeks with persons positively stopping smoking about 10 days during treatment. Zyban doubles the chances of a person to quit smoking after 3 months of treatment. Zyban does not cause weight gain which commonly occurs amongst people that quit smoking. Zyban has also been seen to prevent mood swings and anxiety during the withdrawal period.

Zyban is one of the few drugs that do not affect sexual dysfunction during treatment. Zyban has been seen to improve sexual desire and libido in patients being treated against anxiety.

Adverse effects of Zyban

Zyban should not be given to persons that suffer from epilepsy for it can cause seizure. The risk of seizure in patients is dependant on the dosage. Zyban has also been seen to cause hypertension in some patients (some who had never suffered from hypertension before). Since the drug can have an effect on the cardiovascular system Zyban cannot be prescribed to patients that have known heart conditions. Other rare adverse effects to Zyban have been reported such as liver toxicity and clitoral priapism. Patients using Zyban may experience mild side effects like increased sweating, tremor, dryness of the mouth, nausea and insomnia.

Psychiatric effect of Zyban

The FDA has made it a law that all antidepressant drugs should carry a warning stating the risk of suicide ideation in persons younger than 25. However Zyban has been seen to prevent suicide ideation in the majority of patients going under smoking cessation treatment.

Chantix a drug that can help you quit smoking

Chantix is a drug that is used to treat smoking addiction. Chantix stimulates nicotine receptors mildly than nicotine does so it helps reduce the withdrawal symptoms of a person going through smoking cessation treatment.  Chantix acts like nicotine but it does not greatly increase the release of dopamine as nicotine does. The drug competitively binds to dopamine receptors thus blocking the ability of nicotine to stimulate the mesolimbic dopamine system.

Chantix side effects

Common side effects to Chantix include nausea, headache, insomnia and hallucinations. Other known side effects though rare include change in taste, abdominal pain, vomiting, flatulence and constipation.

Persons using Chantix may experience increased suicidal ideation. The FDA strongly warns patients that Chantix may be associated with mood swings and change in behavior which may trigger suicidal ideas.

Chantix is not recommended for persons that may have cardio vascular diseases as it increases the chances of cardiovascular adverse events.