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Respiratory System and Health

Quitting smoking, Zyban

Zyban, A New Drug To Kick The Nicotine Habit

By Dr. W. Gifford Jones

April 4, 1999

Are you a "smokaholic"? One who says "Of course I know the dangers of smoking. I haven't been living on Mars. But I enjoy smoking and if it's destined to kill me, so what?" If that's your attitude no one can stop you smoking. But for others, trying to break the nicotine habit, a new drug "Zyban", could save your life.

¡ Before any doctor gets on his white©charger, however, and starts preaching the gospel, he or she should be sure of one thing. How much good does it really do to quit smoking? After all, why give up a pleasurable habit if the rewards are only minimal?

¡ Most smokaholics and casual smokers have tunnel©vision about tobacco. They associate smoking strictly with lung cancer. — But there are several benefits for those who stop smoking. 30 percent of all cancers, 85 percent of chronic bronchitis and emphysema and 25 percent of coronary heart disease and strokes are due to tobacco. In effect, if you want to circumvent preventable disease there's no better way than by giving up smoking.

¡ There's another huge benefit. Unlike life insurance you don't have to die before your relatives reap the rewards. You get the profit. And it arrives quickly. ¡ For instance, the risk of succumbing to heart attack or stroke decreases after one single day of abstinence! You breath easier within a few days and if you have a smoker's cough this improves within one to two weeks.

¡ One year after quitting, the ex©smoker's risk of dying from heart attack decreases by 50 percent and continues to decline further. After five years the risk of stroke for an ex©smoker is the same as for those who have never smoked.

¡ What about lung cancer? After 10 years the ex©smoker's risk of dying from this disease is half that of a smoker. And after 10 to 15 years of being smoke©free the risk of death is about the same as for someone who has never smoked.

¡ You would have to be a die©hard smoker not to be impressed with this preventative package. But even if you are persuaded you've no doubt heard stories of friends who have repeatedly failed in their efforts to stop smoking. ¡ Why do smokers fail? The most popular method of giving up tobacco in North America is to quit "cold©turkey". But being the most popular method doesn't make it the most successful. It often ends up "kicking the cat". 3 to 4 percent are cured by this method.‘ 0*0*0* Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) has a better track record. NRT works by providing smokers with limited amounts of nicotine which help decrease withdrawal symptoms. Nevertheless, by the end of one year its success rate is only 12 percent.

¡ Zyban Sustained Release Tablets have the best track record and Zyban uses a different approach. It's a nicotine©free medication and works directly on the addictions centers in the brain.

¡ This drug was originally developed to treat depression. Then it was a discovered that patients who were not depressed were also helped by Zyban.

¡ Zyban minimizes withdrawal symptoms and cigarette cravings by affecting dopamine and noradrenaline activity in the brain. It's believed that these chemicals play a role in nicotine addiction

¡ Zyban is a prescription drug. Patients are prescribed 150 milligrams (mg) of Zyban a day for three days. They then take 150 mg twice a day for seven to 12 weeks.

¡ It's important to start Zyban one to two weeks before you decide to quit smoking, as it takes about a week for Zyban to reach effective blood levels.

¡ The most common side©effects are insomnia and dry mouth. Zyban should not be taken if patients have a history of seizures, alcohol dependence, or have suffered from anorexia nervosa or bulimia.

¡ It is also contraindicated for those who are taking medication to treat depression such as a monoamine oxidase inhibitor. And there are no studies that show Zyban is safe for pregnant or nursing mothers.

¡ How effective is Zyban? One study showed that Zyban was significantly more effective than the nicotine patch. 49 percent of patients on Zyban were smoke©free at four weeks compared to 36 percent on the patch. And after one year 23 percent were smoke©free compared to 12 percent using the patch.

¡ It is important for patients and their doctors to realize that psychotherapy along with Zyban gives the best long©term results. To provide this extra help Glaxo Wellcome, manufacturers of Zyban, have provided this 1©800©489©8424 number in Canada. Registered nurses will provide this supportive aid.

¡ Lastly, never, never forget that tobacco kills three times more North Americans every year than alcohol, AIDS, illegal drugs, motor vehicle accidents, suicide and homicide. If smoking cessation isn't "preventive medicine" I don't know what is.


W. Gifford-Jones M.D is the pen name of Dr. Ken Walker graduate of Harvard. Dr. Walker's website is: Docgiff.com

My book, �90 + How I Got There� can be obtained by sending $19.95 to:

Giff Holdings, 525 Balliol St, Unit # 6,Toronto, Ontario, M4S 1E1

Pre-2008 articles by Gifford Jones

Canada Free Press, CFP Editor Judi McLeod