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Wellbutrin or Zyban
by Brighty, Feb 22, 2000 12:00AM
A family member is seeking information on reducing cravings and depression since quitting heroin . She has already detoxed and it was recommended to try wellbutrin with an exercise program and counseling.. the whole well rounded package. This will be her initial alternative to trying methadone. What is best to try.. wellbutrin or Zyban?? Are they the same.. we understand that Zyban is a time release form of wellbutrin... but for this young lady's needs what would you recommend ? She smokes and views cutting smoking as a plus but not her primary concern at this time. Also please advise on dosages. Thank you.
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bupropion
PRONUNCIATION: byoo PROE pee on
BRAND: Wellbutrin, Wellbutrin SR, Zyban SR
What is bupropion?
Bupropion is an antidepressant medication. The exact way that bupropion works is unknown.
Bupropion is used to relieve symptoms of depression such as feelings of sadness, worthlessness or guilt, loss of interest in daily activities, changes in appetite, tiredness, sleeping too much, insomnia, and thoughts of death or suicide.
Bupropion is also used to help people stop smoking because it reduces withdrawal effects.
Bupropion may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.
Who should not take bupropion?
Do not take bupropion if you have taken a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine
(Nardil), or tranylcypromine (Parnate) in the last 14 days.
Do not take bupropion if you have epilepsy or another type of seizure disorder, or if you have ever been diagnosed with anorexia or bulimia. Bupropion may increase your risk of having a seizure if you have any of these conditions.
Before taking this medication, tell your doctor if you have any other medical conditions such as heart, liver, or kidney disease. You may require a lower dose or special monitoring during your therapy with bupropion.
Bupropion may be used to treat different medical conditions. You should not be taking 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.
Bupropion is in the FDA pregnancy category B. This means that it is unlikely to harm an unborn baby. Do not take bupropion without
first talking to your doctor if you are pregnant.
It is not known whether bupropion will harm a nursing baby. Do not take bupropion without first talking to your doctor if you are
breast-feeding a baby.
( regular, so to speak) is not time released and the medication reaches it's peak in the bloodstream pretty quickly. Wellbutrin(regular) has a higher risk of seizure. I did not learn why the *regular* would be prescribed rather than the time released. However, for the reduction of cravings he favored the time released. And *yes* the Zyban is costlier.
So, I am very grateful for the straightforward information in the above listings.