Zyban (Bupropion Hydrochloride) - Summary

ZYBAN SUMMARY

ZYBAN (bupropion hydrochloride) Sustained-Release Tablets are a non-nicotine aid to smoking cessation. ZYBAN is chemically unrelated to nicotine or other agents currently used in the treatment of nicotine addiction. Initially developed and marketed as an antidepressant (WELLBUTRIN® [bupropion hydrochloride] Tablets and WELLBUTRIN SR® [bupropion hydrochloride] Sustained-Release Tablets), ZYBAN is also chemically unrelated to tricyclic, tetracyclic, selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor, or other known antidepressant agents. Its structure closely resembles that of diethylpropion; it is related to phenylethylamines. It is (±)-1-(3-chlorophenyl)-2-[(1,1-dimethylethyl)amino]-1-propanone hydrochloride.

ZYBAN is indicated as an aid to smoking cessation treatment.

See all Zyban indications & dosage >>

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

Media Articles Related to Zyban (Bupropion)

Cardiologists Urged to Lead in Smoking Cessation (CME/CE, with video)
Source: MedPage Today Pulmonology [2012.05.05]
DUBLIN (MedPage Today) -- Cardiologists as a group have largely ignored tobacco as a modifiable risk factor, concentrating instead on hypertension and dyslipidemia, a pattern one Ottawa cardiologist calls "substandard care."

The Role Of Exercise In Life Expectancy, Smoking Cessation
Source: Smoking / Quit Smoking News From Medical News Today [2012.04.23]
Exercise may help smokers to quit and remain smokefree, according to new data presented at the World Congress of Cardiology. Moreover, exercise increases life expectancy in smokers and non-smokers alike...

Extensive Study Questions Previous Study's Analytic Methods Regarding Cardiovascular Safety Concerns Over Smoking-Cessation Drug
Source: Smoking / Quit Smoking News From Medical News Today [2012.05.07]
A popular smoking cessation medication has been under a cloud of suspicion ever since the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) published a study in July 2011 reporting "risk of serious adverse cardiovascular events associated with varenicline." Varenicline, also known as Chantix, blocks the pleasant effects of nicotine on the smoker's brain and lessens nicotine withdrawal symptoms...

Alcohol Consumption Decreased In Heavy-Drinking Smokers By Anti-Smoking Drug Varenicline
Source: Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs News From Medical News Today [2012.05.06]
The smoking cessation drug varenicline significantly reduced alcohol consumption in a group of heavy-drinking smokers, in a study carried out by researchers at the Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center at the University of California, San Francisco. "Alcohol abuse is a huge problem, and this is a big step forward in identifying a potential new treatment," said senior author Howard L...

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Published Studies Related to Zyban (Bupropion)

Does acceptance and relationship focused behavior therapy contribute to bupropion outcomes? A randomized controlled trial of functional analytic psychotherapy and acceptance and commitment therapy for smoking cessation. [2011.12]
This study evaluated a treatment combining bupropion with a novel acceptance and relationship focused behavioral intervention based on the acceptance and relationship context (ARC) model. Three hundred and three smokers from a community sample were randomly assigned to bupropion, a widely used smoking cessation medication, or bupropion plus functional analytic psychotherapy (FAP) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)...

Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial of an SSRI vs Bupropion: Effects on Suicidal Behavior, Ideation, and Mood in Major Depression. [2011.10.12]
Randomized controlled trials in depressed patients selected for elevated suicidal risk are rare... Depressed patients with greater baseline suicidal ideation treated with paroxetine compared with bupropion appeared to experience greater acute improvement in suicidal ideation, after adjusting for global depression.

Neural correlates of antidepressant-related sexual dysfunction: a placebo-controlled FMRI study on healthy males under subchronic paroxetine and bupropion. [2011.08]
Sexual dysfunction is a common side effect of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) like paroxetine in the treatment of depression, imposing a considerable risk on medication adherence and hence therapeutic success. Bupropion, a norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake inhibitor, is recommended as an alternative treatment without adverse effects concerning sexual arousal and libido...

Varenicline versus Bupropion XL for Smoking Cessation in Older Adolescents: A Randomized, Double-Blind Pilot Trial. [2011.07.20]
INTRODUCTION: Despite tremendous potential public health impact, little work has focused on development of evidence-based smoking cessation treatments for adolescents, including pharmacotherapies... Conclusions: These preliminary results support the feasibility and safety of conducting adequately powered, placebo-controlled efficacy studies of varenicline and bupropion XL for adolescent smoking cessation.

Bupropion and restless legs syndrome: a randomized controlled trial. [2011.07]
INTRODUCTION: Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a common neurological disorder affecting 10% of the population. Most antidepressants exacerbate symptoms; however, correlational studies have noted symptom improvement with bupropion. The purpose of the current study was to examine whether, in a controlled study, bupropion would improve the symptoms of RLS, or at least not exacerbate them... CONCLUSIONS: The data from our study suggest that bupropion does not exacerbate the symptoms of RLS and may be a reasonable choice if an antidepressant is needed in individuals with RLS. Larger studies that include titration of bupropion should be considered to determine if bupropion is appropriate for primary treatment of RLS, particularly considering the lower cost and favorable side effect profile compared with currently recommended first-line dopamine agonists.

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Clinical Trials Related to Zyban (Bupropion)

Wellbutrin XL, Major Depressive Disorder and Breast Cancer [Completed]

- To evaluate the efficacy of bupropion extended release (Wellbutrin XL™) in the treatment

of Major Depressive Disorder in women with breast cancer.

- To evaluate the tolerability of bupropion extended-release (Wellbutrin XL™) in these

patients

Zyban as an Effective Smoking Cessation Aid for Patients Following an Acute Coronary Syndrome: The ZESCA Trial [Recruiting]
Patients who continue to smoke after a heart attack have a 35% increased risk of a recurrent event or death compared with those who quit. Many patients attempt to stop smoking after a heart attack, but relapse rates approach 66%. A variety of smoking cessation aids have been shown to be effective for the general population. However, bupropion is the only non-nicotine replacement therapy shown to improve abstinence rates in healthy young smokers. Furthermore, nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs) are contraindicated in the immediate period following a heart attack because of the undesirable effects of nicotine. Although bupropion has been successfully used to reduce smoking rates in healthy young populations, its efficacy and safety in the setting of patients recovering from an ACS is unknown. These patients, if they continue to smoke, are at exceptionally high risk for recurrent cardiac events. If bupropion is effective in this population, it will have a major impact on secondary prevention of recurrent clinical events in patients who suffer a heart attack.

Do Treatments for Smoking Cessation Affect Alcohol Drinking? Study 2: Do Varenicline (Chantix) and Bupropion (Zyban) Change Alcohol Drinking? [Recruiting]
The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of smoking cessation medications on alcohol drinking.

Following 7 days of medication pre-treatment to achieve steady state levels, participants complete a laboratory session assessing alcohol self-administration behavior and a cue reactivity session assessing their reactivity to alcohol-related cues. Subjects are maintained on study medication for 4 weeks after the laboratory session.

The study is subdivided into three studies based on subject population.

Study 1A enrolls heavy drinking smokers (tested under nicotine deprivation). Study 1B enrolls heavy drinking smokers (not tested under nicotine deprivation), non-daily smokers, and nonsmokers. Study 1C enrolls smokers (not tested under nicotine deprivation) and nonsmokers who meet criteria for alcohol use disorders.

In Study 1A, volunteers are administered either varenicline (Chantix), bupropion (Zyban), or placebo. In Studies 1B and 1C, volunteers are administered either varenicline (Chantix) or placebo.

The Effect of Varenicline (Chantix) and Bupropion (Zyban) on Smoking Lapse Behavior [Recruiting]
The purpose of this study is to examine how smoking cessation medications (varenicline, bupropion) affect the ability to resist smoking and also subsequent ad-lib smoking in non-treatment seeking daily smokers.

Concurrent Bupropion / Varenicline for Smoking Cessation [Recruiting]
This study focuses on the first step in developing an algorithm for maximizing quit-smoking success based on an adaptive approach, which changes treatment from the initial NRT (nicotine replacement therapy) when that treatment alone may not be sufficient. These NRT "non-responders" are switched (in double-blind fashion) before the quit date to receive either varenicline (Chantix) alone or varenicline (Chantix) paired with bupropion (Zyban). Some participants who would otherwise have failed at their quit smoking attempt could be "rescued" by switching to alternative pharmacotherapies. The proposed study will evaluate the combination treatment against varenicline alone in an adaptive trial design

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PATIENT REVIEWS / RATINGS / COMMENTS

Zyban review by 38 year old female patient
		Rating
Overall rating:
Effectiveness:		Highly Effective
Side effects:		Mild Side Effects
		Treatment Info
Condition / reason:		Smoking Cessation
Dosage & duration:		150mg taken twice daily for the period of 4 Months
Other conditions:		None
Other drugs taken:		Birth Control
		Reported Results
Benefits:		The drug did exactly what it was supposed to do. It completely eliminated all nicotine cravings leaving only the psychological aspect to worry about. So if I kept myself busy, the thought of smoking would never even enter my mind.
Side effects:		For the first week or so, I was slightly hyperactive and had some trouble sleeping. That problem went away with some adjustment in the time I took the drug as well as with my bodies assimilation of the drug. I also had a mildly bad taste in my mouth. That too faded away.
Comments:		I expressed to my doctor a desire to try this drug to quit smoking. She prescribed it to me and I began taking it shortly thereafter. Before my 2 week quit date had even arrived, I noticed a marked decrease in nicotine withdrawl episodes. I just didn't need to smoke. I found I was started to smoke only when I thought I "should" - after dinner, right before bed and other habitual times. Once I stopped smoking all together, it was a relief to only have to battle my habits and not the withdrawl effects of nicotine as well.

Zyban review by 41 year old male patient
		Rating
Overall rating:
Effectiveness:		Highly Effective
Side effects:		Severe Side Effects
		Treatment Info
Condition / reason:		smoking
Dosage & duration:		150 mg taken twice daily for the period of 2 months
Other conditions:		none
Other drugs taken:		none
		Reported Results
Benefits:		it has done its job and i am smoke free now for 10 weeks
Side effects:		had random dreams for about 1 week,the worst thing was not reading the side effects of drinking alcahol,on one accasion had very little to drink and was verry hung over next day not knowing if someone had spiked my drink, the second time when drinking with mates on the town totally blacked out and have no recolection of 5 to six hours of where i had been or what i had done and sleeping for nearly a day being so tired as though you have not slept for a week
Comments:		i have stopped taking them now and still not smoking but would warn all to be aware of what the side effects can be its been about 2 week off them now and still feel a bit panicky drowsy at times

Zyban review by 28 year old female patient
		Rating
Overall rating:
Effectiveness:		Ineffective
Side effects:		Extremely Severe Side Effects
		Treatment Info
Condition / reason:		to quit smoking
Dosage & duration:		don't recall (dosage frequency: 1 per day) for the period of 10 days
Other conditions:		none
Other drugs taken:		none
		Reported Results
Benefits:		none
Side effects:		My side effects were severe depression, and alteration in personality. Do not take this drug, the side effects can be severe. I had no previous issues with depression, and as soon as I started taking this drug, I developed severe depression, and changes in my personality. Thankfully, my family noticed a change, and advised me and told me to stop taking Zyban. It took 2 years to overcome the depression and over 3 years to begin to feel like myself again. Stay away from this drug! If you want to quit smoking, butt out and stick to your guns. I quit, and it wan't the Zyban. I have been smoke free for 10 years, and depression free for 7 or 8. Someone should consider a class-action suit against the company which produces this drug. Based on other reviews I have seen, I am not the only one who had these side effects.
Comments:		I took this drug to quit smoking. I am a female and was 28 years old at the time.