I am thinking about asking pdoc to replace my zoloft with wellbutrin. i quit smoking before on it, and we have agreed that since my meds are helping so much that i will stay on them. So........ if I could get an added benifit... wouldn't I be silly not to take advantage of that? IDK.... the meds are working so well that I don't want to mess with them, but this should be ok... I think.

I just called Pdoc about it. i would need 200 mg. of wellbutrin cuz that's what worked before. If he does then I could start today! a little nervous about it though.

[faerie_moon_x]

I didn't know it helps with that. Does it help for everyone or is it just something that happened to help you? My mother in law smokes so much and although she wants to quit, uses her cigarettes as a crutch to get through stress to the point that she can't quit.

We've even not bought her cigarettes for several weeks and as soon as she can get them, she does. She's so addicted she picks up butts off the parking lot. It's a terrible, horrible addiction and it's killing her. She has a bad heart, trouble breathing....

[cocoabeans]

Yea, Wellbutrin helps with quitting smoking. They used to market it as a smoking cessation drug and called it Zyban. Zyban is the exact drug as Wellbutrin but I guess telling smokers their going on an antidepressant may have risked sales. Also lots of insurance won't pay for quitting smoking so getting prescribed Zyban means more profit (you know when you have insurance the insurance company doesn't always pay the ridiculous high drug costs and pay less even without increasing your co-pay). It doesn't work in the same way that Champix does and may be less effective over the long term but stabilizing the dopamine in a smokers brain makes em crave cigarettes a lot less.

[faerie_moon_x]

Originally Posted by cocoabeans

Yea, Wellbutrin helps with quitting smoking. They used to market it as a smoking cessation drug and called it Zyban. Zyban is the exact drug as Wellbutrin but I guess telling smokers their going on an antidepressant may have risked sales. Also lots of insurance won't pay for quitting smoking so getting prescribed Zyban means more profit (you know when you have insurance the insurance company doesn't always pay the ridiculous high drug costs and pay less even without increasing your co-pay). It doesn't work in the same way that Champix does and may be less effective over the long term but stabilizing the dopamine in a smokers brain makes em crave cigarettes a lot less.

This is very interesting. I wonder if she was everyon this one. She's had bipolar for about 16 years and I know she complains about a AD that she was on which caused her to gain weight, thus being less depressed....

She has no Rx coverage, though... so just something to think about for when she can get meds again.

[cocoabeans]

Wellbutrin is more likely to cause appetite loss not weight gain. That's one reason I stopped taking it. That and I couldn't sleep or even want to sleep most nights and I was sick of being medicted. In Canada we don't have a generic Wellbutrin XL but a months supply of brand is about 50 so, not too bad money wise. Only brand drug i ever took. Much cheaper than smoking even if she's adding a mood stabilizer. Of course, I haven't a clue what it runs in the US.

[thickntired]

Hi L&S,

Yay! I'm do glad you're giving it a go. I totally agree that Wellbutrin can be very helpful. I used that, nicotine gum and Valium for the insane craving times. I also chewed plastic stirrer sticks, drank lots of water to flush toxins, and practiced deep breathing/walking/Pilates. Just being in a gym helped remove the obsession of cigs

I love the CDC tobacco free page. Their graphic ads are very powerful and scary. If you like their Facebook page you can get daily posts. Last week a spokes woman, Debi, who smoked through a hole in her neck died at age 62.

Message me anytime!! I've been cig free for going on 9 months. And I read that 2 out of 3 bipolar's smoke. The next step for me was AA to get off drink & pot. Be very careful if you drink; it makes you feel like you can have just one cig which is bs.

Peace & Hugs,

TnT

Btw I gained weight, but the health benefits of quitting smoking is equal to a person losing 100 lbs. so go easy on yourself!