bupropion side effects

Smoking Reduction Therapy

Posted in bupropion side effects on December 15th, 2011 by Sharon – Be the first to comment

Nicotine Nasal Spray: Nicotine is absorbed rapidly into the bloodstream through a prescription nasal spray. The spray eliminates cravings and withdrawal symptoms when used. The FDA alerts the user to addictive properties inherent in the nasal spray and does not allow it to be prescribed for longer than 6 months. Side effects include: runny nose, sneezing, throat irritation, coughing, watery eyes and nasal irritation. Nasal spray is not recommended for those with allergies, asthma, nasal polyps or sinus problems. See your doctor for alternatives.

Nicotine inhaler- A prescription method developed in 1998. The inhaler is similar to smoking a cigarette, using a plastic tube that contains a nicotine cartridge. The quitter puffs on the inhaler to administer a nicotine vapor. Recommended dosage: 6-16 cartridges per day for up to 6 months.

Side effects: coughing, throat irritation, upset stomach.

These are the most expensive form of NRT.

The Lozenge- Nicotine lozenges are the newest NRT on the market. The FDA approved an over-the-counter smoking cessation aid in a lozenge called the Commit. The lozenge is available in 2mg and 4mg. As with the gum, the quitter administers as need and cravings surface. The manufacturer recommends a 12 week program, 1 lozenge every 1-2 hours for 6 weeks. Tapering off gradually by using one lozenge every 2-4 hours for week 7 through week 9 and one lozenge every 4-8 hours for the final two weeks.

The Commit manufacturer recommends:

“Stop all tobacco use when beginning therapy with the lozenge.

Do not eat or drink for 15 minutes before using the lozenge. (Some beverages can reduce the effectiveness of the lozenge).

Suck on the lozenge until it dissolves. Do not bite or chew it like a hard candy, and do not swallow it.

Do not use more than 5 lozenges in 6 hours, or more than 20 lozenges total per day.

Stop using the lozenge after 12 weeks. If you still feel you need to use the lozenge, talk to your doctor.

Do not use the lozenge if you continue to smoke, chew tobacco, use snuff or any other product containing nicotine (e.g., nicotine patch or gum).”

Side effects: sleeping problems, nausea, coughing, headache, heartburn, hiccups and flatulence (gas).

Despite the side effects, NRT has been proven to be an effective tool for smokers who decide it is time to quit. No one method is better than any other and the smoker/quitter can decide for themselves which method might help them the most. Is it that you need to replace the oral fixation that smoking provides and will be missed with the cessation of smoking? Is it important not to be reminded of smoking, using a once a day convenience??

Aside from NRT, there are also prescription medications you can ask your doctor about to assist you with quitting smoking. Some are used in conjunction with NRT. Bupropion (Zyban) and Varenicline (Chantix) are the two new prescription medications available. Zyban is an antidepressant and Chantix is specific designed to help you quit smoking. Ask your doctor what is right for you.

Eric Hartwell
http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/smoking-reduction-therapy-125457.html

Medication to Help You Stop Smoking

Posted in bupropion side effects on December 9th, 2011 by Sharon – Be the first to comment

There are many different medications, tools and techniques that you can incorporate into your plan to stop smoking. In terms of mainstream medicine, these primarily include nicotine replacement therapies (NRT) in the form of patches, lozenges, nasal sprays and gum. The primary concept behind these products is to provide an alternative to quitting cold turkey and allow individuals to slowly reduce their nicotine intake, thereby decreasing the severity of withdrawal symptoms. At the same time, switching to an alternative source of nicotine helps break the other behavioral habits that are a strong component of any addiction. In this way, you can get used to the changes in your daily routine that will come with giving up cigarettes, without having to deal with the side effects of nicotine withdrawal all at the same time.

Other medications such as Bupropion (Zyban) are also thought to help individuals through nicotine withdrawal, although the processes through which this works are not fully understood. Similar in composition to an antidepressant, this approach may contribute to an emotional calm that makes it easier to resist temptation through lessened agitation and anxiety during withdrawal. These drugs are not appropriate for everyone, and need to be discussed with your doctor in terms of effectiveness and potential side effects.

Traditional, herbal products can also be used to help you quit smoking. Teas, capsules, and patches are all available to assist you in a variety of ways. Herbs can reduce your desire to smoke by making cigarettes taste bad, as well as promote relaxation to help decrease the underlying stress or nervousness that may otherwise compel you to smoke. Herbs can also help cleanse, detoxify and flush out your system, reducing cravings and promoting recovery and improved general health. In some cases herbal products contain ingredients that act as substitutes for nicotine, effectively convincing your body that it is not missing the stimulants it has grown accustomed to. Explore your options in herbal formulations designed specifically for the purpose of stopping smoking to determine if these might be useful as a part of your individualized stop smoking strategy.

Depending on the severity of your addiction, the strength of your desire to change, and your general willpower, you may require more or fewer tools to help you along the way. Quitting smoking is different for everyone, and it is important to enlist as much help as necessary in order for you to achieve your goal. From conventional medicine, to alternative herbal remedies drawing on more ancient healing formulas, there are a number of choices for you to consider. Withdrawal is not easy, but it is temporary, so do not give up. It will not belong before you have made it over the first and most difficult hurdle, and from here on the road to better health will get easier and more straightforward as you go.

Mike Durand
http://www.articlesbase.com/quit-smoking-articles/medication-to-help-you-stop-smoking-80894.html

Lose Weight With Diet Pills

Posted in bupropion side effects on December 3rd, 2011 by Sharon – Be the first to comment

There are no two ways about it. Everybody wants to get slim to look beautiful. That is the new definition of beauty. No matter how attractive your facial features are, you have to be slim to be called beautiful. At the same time it is getting harder and harder to stay in shape mainly because our lifestyle is such that most of us do less physical work and our diet consists of high calorie junk food.
There are many ways people attempt to lose weight. Diets, pills, exercise are just a few of these methods. There are many diet pills that claim to help you get slim faster than the drop of a hat. You should be wary of such products since they can play havoc with your system. A very good example of such a weight loss pill is the Size Zero Pill. This particular pill is perhaps the latest on the weight loss circles but it is in fact, an approved FDA drug for horses and can have serious side effects on your health and can even prove fatal. It is imperative that you choose your weight loss or diet pill after careful assessment regarding its authenticity, side effects and price.

There are some completely natural and organic diet pills available that can help you slim down without any side effects. Moreover, they also help you reduce food cravings and suppress appetite naturally.

Diet pills aim to help overweight people  curb their hunger and therefore lose weight. They are invariably pharmacological substances, though herbal and other natural alternatives exist, too. If diet pills contain pharmacological agents, there is an issue of benefits vs. risks involved. Obviously, grossly obese patients with serious health risks caused by excessive weight do not have many options. However, many of the initially developed diet pills contained amphetamines. Examples of these were Dexedrine and Digoxin. These stimulants can increase heart rates to dangerous levels. Obese persons often have to reduce weight precisely because of existing or developing heart conditions. In this context, diet pills that contain amphetamines or similar stimulants present a definite risk. While they do curb hunger, they also disrupt normal sleep patterns, cause anxiety and are highly addictive. Their uncontrolled use leads to many serious problems. In fact, almost all diet pills work by disrupting some natural physical and even mental functions. This is an important point to remember.

Some active ingredients for diet pills in the recent past were phentermine and fenfluramine. These work by blocking certain metabolic feedback pathways that result in weight gain. Their use in combination apparently yielded considerable success, too. However, medical authorities took fenfluramine and its derivatives off the market when studies revealed that they could lead to heart valve damage. Topiramate and phentermine combinations are currently still in use. So are combinations of bupropion with zonisamide and naltrexone.

People tend to overeat for various reasons, many of which are psychological rather than physical. For this reason, there are pills that reduce excessive appetite because they correct a psychological or even psychiatric disorder. Again, these are not diet pills but do have the desired effect of helping curb appetite in overweight people.

Sandy Klocinski

The Truth About New Quit Smoking Drugs

Posted in bupropion side effects on October 31st, 2011 by Sharon – 6 Comments

One of two life-long smokers suffer and die from ailments caused by smoking. So there is a continuous struggle to make people give up this bad habit, and increase their life expectancy with all the means modern medicine has available today. This is why pharmaceutical companies are making sustained efforts to come up with new quit smoking drugs that reduce or neutralize the withdrawal symptoms and accelerate post-quitting cravings.

Two of the most famous and well-reputed new quit smoking drugs are Chantix and Bupropion. Both are non-nicotine medicines, that require a certain period of treatment in order to be effective and which should be supported by professional counseling sessions. Before starting using new quit smoking drugs, it is best to have all your medical investigations made and to have the doctor analyze your record.

Chantix is a new quit smoking drug that comes in tablet form. Produced by Pfizer, this drug was conceived for pregnant women and teenagers under 18 who have to quit smoking. It is varenicline tartrate derived and it is considered to have a superior rating smoking cessation than Zyban. The usual Chantix treatment lasts for 12 weeks, but administration of this new quit smoking drug can be extended to a longer period depending on the case.

Bupropion is considered another revolutionizing new quit smoking drug that enjoys great result in nicotine addiction cessation. Initially Bupropion was made to combat depression, but studies and trials have proved that it helps smokers’ wishing to quit. It is as effective as nicotine-based drugs, but it also prevents gaining weight. The most common side effects associated with the use of this new quit smoking drug is dry mouth and sleeplessness.

Studies were conducted on large groups of smokers to test responsiveness and efficiency of this new quit smoking drug, and the results were compared to those obtained by administration of nicotine based drugs, placebo and shots. It resulted that treatment with Bupropion is superior to nicotine administered transdermally.

Smoking is a hard bad habit to break, it takes patience, strong will and motivation to ensure the effectiveness of new quit smoking drug therapies. This is the purpose of taking a quit smoking counseling course, because it offers the psychological support that you need to get rid of smoking and all its side effects. Just think that after quit smoking drug treatment, you will be over unpleasant breath smell, tiredness, low immunity, persistent cough and so on.

Jonathan Fraser
http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/the-truth-about-new-quit-smoking-drugs-123590.html

Side effects of Bupropion?

Posted in bupropion side effects on October 28th, 2011 by Sharon – 2 Comments

I was curious of the side effects of the anti-anxiety/depression drug called Bupropion. I dont get horny anymore and can barely get it up and I’m 18 years old and I dont know what is wrong. Please help.

That is not one of the side effects of Bupropion – in fact, some doctors prescribe it to help improve sexual function.

Bupropion is not an anti-anxiety medication. It can increase anxiety, and that is listed as a possible side effect of it.

Different side effects of Bupropion (generic) vs. Wellbutrin XL? (Thinking of switching to generic but scared)?

Posted in bupropion side effects on October 26th, 2011 by Sharon – 4 Comments

I have been taking wellbutrin xl for about a year and 7 months. I was on 150 mg for the first 12 months, then 300 mg for the last 7. (I love it; I feel like I couldn’t have imagined a medicine that would make me feel so normal. Just… normal, and consistent, not "high" and no longer experiencing manic lows.) I have always used name brand because I could afford it and because my Dr. recommended it, and am hesitant about generics. The reason I’m hesitant is because I was on Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo (birth control) for a year or so, but the $60 copay was getting costly, so I switched to the generic… I had the worst depression I’ve had in 2 years, I ate literally 4 times what I eat on a normal basis, and was a psychotic mess. I would get depressed and hopeless for no real reason, every single day, and cried at least twice a day during that time. Without even really knowing why.. I was still on the Wellbutrin during that time but I may as well have been off of it. I thought I was just crazy, but then I went online and read other people’s experiences with that specific birth control and learned that many other people had this bad reaction to the generic, and ended up switching back to name brand. Needless to say, I did.
Anyway, so my co-pay for the Wellbutrin is $60 a month, and recently my Dr. has put me on other medications too so I want to cut costs and am thinking of switching to the generic (Bupropion)… But after a year & 1/2 of satisfaction with the name brand, added with my terrible experience with the generic of the birth control medicine vs name brand, I’m really scared to switch and wondering what other people’s experiences have been?
I don’t want to read drug facts, because I’ve done significant research already, I really just want to hear what other people have experienced from the generic, or from the generic compared to name brand. I realize that I need to weigh the options between spending the extra $ and the value of my health, etc etc, I’m not looking for advice, I’m just looking for other people’s side effects because that can give me an idea of how bad it may or may not be.
Please help… I don’t want to go through another experience like I did with my previous generic, so I could use some feedback.
Thanks!

This is a question you should discuss with your doctor. I take paxil and when I switched to the generic I started having problems. My doctor told me that some generics do not absorb as well as the brand name. With me we just increased the dosage of the generic and now I am doing very well.

Talk to your doctor!

Warning on Neuropsychiatric Effects from Smoking Cessation Drugs (Sept. 2009)

Posted in bupropion side effects on September 28th, 2011 by Sharon – 2 Comments

0 Warning on Neuropsychiatric Effects from Smoking Cessation Drugs (Sept. 2009)FDA is requiring that two drugs used to help people stop smoking carry new warnings about the risk of serious neuropsychiatric effects. The drugs are Chantix (varenicline) and Zyban (bupropion). The same warnings will be required for other bupropion products such as Wellbutrin, which are used to treat depression and seasonal affective disorder.

FDA’s analysis of adverse event reports shows that when neuropsychiatric symptoms occur, they usually develop during drug treatment, but symptoms can also develop after the drug is stopped. Some patients on these drugs who had no history of psychiatric illness experienced suicidal ideation and behavior for the first time. The drugs have also been associated with a worsening of symptoms in patients with pre-existing psychiatric disorders.

Healthcare professionals should advise patients to stop taking Chantix or Zyban and contact a healthcare provider immediately if they experience agitation, hostility, depressed mood, atypical changes in thinking or behavior, suicidal thoughts or suicidal behavior. If the drugs are stopped because of neuropsychiatric symptoms, patients should be monitored until the symptoms resolve.

Family members and caregivers also have an important role. They should watch for changes in mood or behavior in the person taking the drug, and contact the healthcare provider if they notice those changes. But it is also important for patients and caregivers to realize that nicotine withdrawal itself can cause behavioral changes, even in people who are not taking these drugs.

It’s important to remember that Chantix and Zyban can be effective in helping people to stop smoking, which can have significant health benefits. So these benefits have to be weighed against the small but potentially serious risk of neuropsychiatric effects from the drugs.

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What Are The Side Effects Of Quitting Smoking?

Posted in bupropion side effects on September 14th, 2011 by Sharon – 6 Comments

Another name for side effects of stopping smoking is withdrawal symptoms. And then there are side effects from the stop smoking aids depending on the individual and their addictions, which are used while trying to lesson the withdrawal symptoms. Fortunately, there are very few stop smoking side effects.

In fact, smokers who give up smoking become healthier while living longer as compared to those who fail to do so. They only have to battle a brief period when they give up smoking — the period when the withdrawal symptoms are most prominent, a time when they feel anxious, irritable, confused and depressed. They may also suffer from a slower heartbeat, increased appetite, and weight gain. However, all these can be controlled through proper counseling and exercises.

The reason for the withdrawal is the body demanding for its supply of nicotine. When going cold turkey, this period can range from 72 hours to two weeks of intenseness and pain, with the amount depending on the smoker and their addiction. The nicotine replacement therapy is especially useful in reducing the side effects as it feeds this hunger for nicotine.

The patient can use nicotine gum, nicotine inhaler, or nicotine patches to release small quantities of nicotine in the bloodstream to lesson the urge to smoke. Because the body is given this drug, it lowers depression and improves well being. They can also use alternative therapies like Tai Chi, Qi Gong, or Yoga to relieve stress and make life without cigarettes more bearable. Another possibility is the use of laser therapy that releases endorphins in the blood stream, making an individual feels better.

The 60% smokers who are most prone to side effects are those who suffer from depression, who usually are requiring extensive counseling and support from family members and friends. Many of them are put on Zyban, an FDA-approved drug that helps to reduce the urge to smoke and is also beneficial for treating depression among those who quit.

Known by the name Bupropion, it desensitizes the brain’s nicotine receptors, with seizures as its main side effects in less than one in 1,000. Other side effects, such as insomnia, dry mouth, and headaches are usually more common. Another side effect of quitting smoking is weight gown, usually putting on 5 to 8 pounds of weight, which should not be considered a dangerous side effect.

You should remember that smoking is much more injurious to health than gaining weight, which is controllable through exercise, dieting or Yoga. But you can’t undo the damage caused by smoking to your health. Your first priority therefore must be to give up smoking as you will feel better, healthier and more energetic in the long run.

Mike Singh
http://www.articlesbase.com/quit-smoking-articles/what-are-the-side-effects-of-quitting-smoking-84947.html

Budeprion side effects Report on antidepressant side effect

Posted in bupropion side effects on August 29th, 2011 by Sharon – Be the first to comment

0 Budeprion side effects Report on antidepressant side effecthttp://BudeprionSideEffects.com Free 20 page report listing 28 common antidepressants and their side effects. Pristiq, Cymbalta, Pexeva, Amitryptiline, Mirtazapine, Parnate, Nardil, Cipralex and more

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Are these side effects from bupropion?

Posted in bupropion side effects on August 24th, 2011 by Sharon – 1 Comment

so I’ve been on bupropion sr 150mg for the past 3weeks sense I tried to OD on ibuprofen and ever sense I’ve been taking it, it feeling like I’m in a dream like I’m the only real person and everone els isn’t real,it feels like I keep walking up and it’s like "oh sh*t where am i?". So idk if that’s usall or not. And I’m also on trazodone 50mg for sleeping.

Nausea, vomiting, dry mouth, headache, constipation, increased sweating, joint aches, sore throat, blurred vision,vertigo, emotional lability, hostility,strange taste in the mouth, or dizziness may occur.

Seizure is the most controversial side effect of bupropion, and was responsible for its initial withdrawal from the market. The risk of seizure is highly dose-dependent: 0.1% at 100–300 mg of bupropion, 0.4% at 300–450 mg, and 2% at 600 mg. For comparison, the incidence of the first unprovoked seizure in the general population is 0.07–0.09%. The risk of seizure for other antidepressants is as follows: 0.1–0.6% for imipramine, depending on dosage; 0–0.06% for amitriptyline, depending on dosage; 0.5% for clomipramine; 0.4% for maprotiline; and 0.2% for fluoxetine and fluvoxamine. Experiments on mice indicate that increased susceptibility to seizure is a general side effect of chronically using antidepressants that inhibit norepinephrine transporters, such as imipramine, desipramine and reboxetine. Clinical depression itself was reported to increase the occurrence of seizures two-to-sevenfold compared with the general population; in this light, the above statistics could indicate that low to moderate doses of antidepressants, including bupropion, may actually have an anti-convulsive action.

The prescribing information notes that hypertension, sometimes severe, was observed in some patients, both with and without pre-existing hypertension. The frequency of this adverse effect was under 1% and not significantly higher than that found with placebo. In a group of cardiac patients with depression, high doses of bupropion (400–500 mg/day) caused a rise in supine blood pressure but had no effect on pulse rate. No statistically significant changes in blood pressure or heart rate occurred in patients with or without heart conditions at a lower dose of 300 mg/day. In a study of bupropion for ADHD, a rise of systolic blood pressure by 6 mm Hg and of heart rate by 7 beats per minute (both statistically significant) were observed. A study of smokers hospitalized for heart disease found a 1.5-fold increase (close to being statistically significant) in subsequent cardiovascular events in the bupropion group, compared with the placebo group, but found no difference in blood pressure. Although the cardiovascular side effects of bupropion appear to be mild, it cannot be recommended for patients with heart disease, since the safety comparison with SSRIs (such as sertraline and fluoxetine, which may have a preventative effect after a myocardial infarction) is not in its favor.

In the UK, more than 7,600 reports of suspected adverse reactions were collected in the first two years after bupropion’s approval by the MHRA as part of the Yellow Card Scheme, which monitored side effects. Approximately 540,000 people were treated with bupropion for smoking cessation during that period. The MHRA received 60 reports of "suspected [emphasis MHRA's] adverse reactions to Zyban which had a fatal outcome". The agency concluded that "in the majority of cases the individual’s underlying condition may provide an alternative explanation." This is consistent with a large, 9,300-patient safety study that showed that the mortality of smokers taking bupropion is not higher than the natural mortality of smokers of the same age.

Other isolated adverse affects have been reported. Three cases of liver toxicity have been described, a very low incidence given the widespread use of the drug. A single case of clitoral priapism (clitorism) has been reported in the literature.

The common adverse effects associated with 12-hour sustained-release bupropion (with the greatest difference from placebo) are dry mouth, nausea, insomnia, tremor, excessive sweating and tinnitus. Those that most often resulted in interruption of the treatment in the same trial were rash (2.4%) and nausea (0.8%).