Bupropion (Zyban) for Quitting Smoking
How It Works
Bupropion is a pill you take to reduce your craving for tobacco. The way it does this is not entirely known. Bupropion does not contain nicotine and does not help you quit smoking in the same way that nicotine replacement therapy does. But like other medicines, it decreases cravings and Reference withdrawal symptoms Opens New Window.
Doctors also prescribe bupropion (under the brand name Wellbutrin) to treat Reference depression Opens New Window. But bupropion's ability to help people quit smoking is not related to its antidepressant action. It can help you stop smoking even if you do not have depression.
You begin taking bupropion daily, 1 to 2 weeks before you quit smoking. This builds up the level of medicine in your body. You take bupropion for 7 to 12 weeks after you stop using tobacco. You can take it for as long as 6 months to a year.
| By: | Reference Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: July 6, 2011 |
| Medical Review: | Reference Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine
Reference John Hughes, MD - Psychiatry |
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