Zyban Tablet: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Precautions and Alternates

Quick overview

Zyban Tablet contains bupropion hydrochloride and is used as an aid to smoking cessation in adults aged 18 and older, alongside motivational support and counseling. It is not a nicotine product and is chemically unrelated to nicotine. Zyban is taken as modified-release tablets following a specific dosing schedule, and it carries important warnings, including a boxed warning for serious mental health effects.

What is Zyban Tablet

Zyban is a prescription tablet containing bupropion hydrochloride. It is not a nicotine product and is chemically unrelated to nicotine. It is used to help people stop smoking.

Zyban Tablet uses

• Aid to smoking cessation in adults aged 18 and older, used together with motivational support and counseling

Benefits of Zyban Tablet

• Helps with smoking cessation
• Reduces nicotine cravings
• Can lessen withdrawal symptoms
• Non-nicotine treatment option
• Can improve quit success when combined with behavioral support

How Zyban Tablet works

Bupropion blocks the reabsorption of two brain chemicals, noradrenaline and dopamine, which is thought to help reduce the urge to smoke, though the exact way it helps people quit is not fully known.

Zyban Tablet dosage

Start taking Zyban while you are still smoking, and set a target stop date within the first two weeks of treatment, usually in the second week. Swallow tablets whole; do not cut, crush, or chew them, as this can increase the risk of seizures. Leave at least 8 hours between doses. Zyban can be taken with or without food. Take your doses at the same time each day.

If you miss a dose, do not take an extra tablet to make up for it; wait and take your next dose at the regular time. Avoid taking a dose close to bedtime if you have trouble sleeping. Treatment is usually continued for 7 to 12 weeks, depending on individual progress. Do not stop or change your dose without talking to your doctor first.

Available forms and strengths

• Modified-release (sustained-release/prolonged-release) film-coated tablet

Side effects of Zyban Tablet

Common

• Dry mouth
• Trouble sleeping (insomnia)
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Nausea and vomiting
• Constipation
• Taste disturbances
• Tremor
• Difficulty concentrating
• Anxiety
• Sweating
• Rash, itching

Serious

• Seizures
• Severe allergic reactions (swelling of face/lips/tongue, difficulty breathing, hives)
• Serious skin reactions such as Stevens-Johnson syndrome or toxic epidermal necrolysis
• Severe high blood pressure
• Changes in mood, hostility, agitation, depression, or suicidal thoughts or actions
• Hallucinations, delusions, paranoia, confusion
• Irregular heartbeat or ECG changes
• Liver problems including jaundice and hepatitis
• Serotonin syndrome (when combined with certain other medicines)

Warnings and precautions

• Zyban carries a boxed warning for serious mental health effects, including depression, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, and completed suicide, during smoking cessation treatment.
• Zyban must not be taken by anyone with a current or past seizure disorder, as the medicine carries a dose-related risk of seizures. Do not take Zyban together with any other product containing bupropion, since this increases the risk of seizures. Zyban must not be combined with monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs); at least 14 days should pass between stopping an MAOI and starting Zyban.
• Zyban is not for use by people going through sudden withdrawal from alcohol or sedatives, as this raises seizure risk. Zyban should not be used by people with a current or past diagnosis of bulimia or anorexia nervosa due to higher seizure risk in this group.
• Zyban can raise blood pressure, sometimes severely, especially when combined with nicotine replacement therapy; blood pressure should be monitored. Zyban tablets must only be swallowed whole and taken by mouth; crushing, chewing, snorting, or injecting the medicine can cause rapid drug release and a higher risk of seizures or death.
• Bupropion may increase the risk of certain heart birth defects, though study results are inconsistent. It should only be used in pregnancy if the potential benefit outweighs the risk, and pregnant smokers should be encouraged to try quitting without medicine first. Bupropion passes into breast milk, so a decision must be made between stopping breastfeeding or stopping the medicine.
• People with kidney problems should use Zyban with caution, and a lower dosing frequency may be needed since the drug and its byproducts can build up in the body. People with liver problems should use Zyban with caution. Those with severe cirrhosis need a much lower dose and should use it with extreme caution.
• Drinking alcohol while taking Zyban should be minimized or avoided, as it may increase the risk of neuropsychiatric side effects or reduce alcohol tolerance. Suddenly stopping heavy alcohol use while on Zyban is not allowed because it raises seizure risk.
• Zyban can affect judgement, motor skills, and concentration, and may cause dizziness, so caution is needed before driving or operating machinery until you know how it affects you.

Storage

• Do not store above 25°C
• Store in the original package
• Store out of direct sunlight
• Keep in a tightly closed container

When to see a doctor

• Stop taking Zyban and get medical help immediately if you notice new or worsening depression, agitation, hostility, unusual behavior changes, or any thoughts of suicide or self-harm.
• Stop taking Zyban and call your doctor right away if you have a seizure; do not restart the medicine afterward.
• Stop taking Zyban and seek urgent medical attention if you develop signs of a serious allergic reaction, such as rash, itching, hives, fever, swollen glands, mouth or eye sores, swelling of the lips or tongue, chest pain, or trouble breathing.
• If you think you have taken too much Zyban, get emergency medical help right away.

Alternatives

• Wellbutrin
• Wellbutrin SR
• Wellbutrin XL
• Nicotine Transdermal System (nicotine patch)