It’s not fully understood how Zyban works, but it’s likely that it works on the part of the brain that is affected by addictive behaviour. By reducing the cravings associated with smoking cessation, this can help make the process that much easier. Using Zyban to quit smoking might not be suitable for everyone, but it can be of great benefit for many smokers who are struggling to quit.

As Zyban are slow release tablets, they need to be swallowed whole, without halving or crushing. Not swallowing whole will mean the active ingredient will be released in one go, increasing the risk of side effects and making the treatment less effective. It should not be taken near bedtime as it might cause insomnia, although it can be taken with or without food.

Instructions for Zyban will be included with the medication and these should be followed carefully to get the best out of the treatment. As Zyban is taken before you stop smoking, some forward planning is needed.

Take one tablet once a day for the first six days of treatment. Then on the seventh day, take one tablet, twice a day, eight hours apart (and not at a time close to bedtime). During the second week, carry on taking one tablet twice a day and stop smoking. This weaning on to the medication will help reduce the cravings once you start. After the second week, carry on the same dosage of one tablet twice a day, eight hours apart for a total of nine weeks.

If you haven’t managed to stop smoking during this time, your clinician will likely recommend another stop smoking method.

If you forget to take a dose, simply carry on with the next scheduled tablet. Do not take double the dosage to make up for the missed dose as this will only heighten the risk of side effects without any benefit to the treatment.

If you have taken too much Zyban you should seek immediate medical attention. Overdosing on Zyban can lead to a greater risk of seizures, which can be dangerous, so it’s important to properly track what you have taken and when the next dose is due.

Zyban may take up to seven weeks to become fully effective, so a little patience might be needed. Some people may need to reduce the dosage slowly when coming off Zyban, so it’s important to tell your clinician if you’re stopping treatment as they can advise the safest way to do so.

The most common side effect from Zyban is insomnia, which occurs in more than one in 10 users. This is why it’s recommended that you don’t take it before bed. Other, slightly less common side effects include: problems concentrating, mood changes, anxiety, tremors, nausea, headaches, digestive issues and a dry mouth.

The vast majority of people that use Zyban will not experience significant side effects, but it’s important that you know what the more severe issues are before starting treatment. The most common severe symptom is fits, which occur in less than one in 1,000 of users. If you do experience a fit, stop taking Zyban and seek immediate medical help.

Like seizures, allergic reactions to Zyban are very rare, occurring in less than one in 1,000 users. But if you do experience the following symptoms, seek immediate medical attention: rashes, problems breathing, swelling of the eyelids, mouth, throat and lips, blackouts and pain in the muscles or joints.

As mood changes are a relatively common symptom of taking Zyban, it’s possible you may experience depression during the treatment. While these are likely to subside over the course of a few weeks, you should discontinue use and report the effects to your prescribing clinician if you experience a significant change in mood. You should also seek immediate medical attention if you’re having suicidal thoughts.

There is some evidence that Zyban can be used as a weight management treatment, but it’s not precisely known why this happens. The effects are thought to be related to certain hormones in the body, such as dopamine.^[2] In fact, bupropion is one of the active ingredients in the weight loss medication Mysimba. 

EveAdam doesn’t prescribe Zyban as a weight loss method, it can only be prescribed as a stop smoking treatment.

The two most commonly used prescription treatments for stopping smoking are Champix and Zyban. Although both essentially help reduce the cravings associated with quitting smoking, they work in different ways. Zyban, as previously mentioned, is likely to work by affecting the part of the brain that’s related to addiction. Champix instead blocks how nicotine interacts with the receptors in the brain. Two different mechanisms, but with similar results, at least in the long term.^[3]

That’s not to say that they work the same for everyone. Finding the right treatment is specific to the individual, so there’s no one size fits all.

There are many stop smoking aids that can be bought over the counter. Most of these products work by replacing the nicotine without all the other chemicals that are found in tobacco. These include patches, gums, nasal sprays and lozenges. There are also vape products (E-cigarettes) that deliver the nicotine. Results from these NRT (nicotine replacement therapies) are positive, but some find they just prolong the addiction.^[4]

Cold turkey means to stop smoking without slowly reducing the intake of the substance that you’re addicted to. In other words, to just stop smoking. Some studies suggest this is the most effective method,^[5] but others suggest that treatments are more effective.^[6] Whatever you choose, having some support is key.

Not so much an alternative but something to use alongside treatments, support is often key to a successful attempt to stop smoking. This can be in the form of a group, an NHS advisor or even just a friend, whatever works for you. It’s recommended that before you quit you should speak with your GP about these options to give yourself the best chance at becoming an ex-smoker.