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Also known by the brand name Zyban, the drug works by interfering with the way your brain utilises neurotransmitters - the substances that transmit signals in the brain.
If you’re looking to quit smoking and are wondering whether bupropion could help - speak to a doctor online now.
Our GPs can talk through your efforts to quit, discuss specific challenges you’re facing and if necessary, prescribe medication like bupropion to help you kick the habit once and for all.
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Bupropion is taken orally, usually in pill form, and can help you to tackle your craving for nicotine.
Unlike nicotine replacement therapies, bupropion doesn’t contain any nicotine and why it’s so effective as an aid to quitting smoking still isn’t fully understood. However, it has been found to help reduce cravings and the effects of withdrawal.
It’s thought that its effectiveness is due to the drug interfering with the brain’s chemical ‘reward’ mechanism, which is triggered when people become addicted to substances like nicotine.
Bupropion is usually prescribed as part of a course that begins before you quit smoking and can continue for up to a year after you stop.
Talk to a DoctorBupropion has been found to be highly effective as an aid to quit smoking, but while it can help you deal with chemical cravings and the psychological issues caused by withdrawal, it can’t help replace the physical routine and rituals built up around your smoking habit.
As such, you may need to supplement bupropion with something to keep your hands busy and distract you in situations where you might have previously turned to cigarettes.
However, it’s ideal for those who want to cut nicotine out straight away, rather than risk prolonging their addiction with a nicotine replacement therapy.
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Several studies have found bupropion to be an effective aid for stopping smoking, when compared to both nicotine replacement therapies and placebos.
It’s thought that about twice as many smokers who take the drug will successfully quit, when compared to those that don’t.
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