Zyban and Chantix Medications to Quit Smoking
There are two FDA-approved drugs that have approval to assist patients with quitting smoking [4].
Zyban
The first anti-smoking drug is Zyban (also known as Wellbutrin) which was originally
approved for use as an antidepressant but then also got FDA approval to be
marketed as an aid to quitting smoking. It is in the Selective Serotonin
Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) class of antidepressants, and seems to work by
keeping a neurotransmitter (serotonin) around in the brain longer. It can
help decrease the craving for nicotine.
It is best used by first starting on Zyban and picking a quit date about two weeks after starting the drug. This gives the body some time to build up the medication in the blood before trying to quit smoking. Zyban may be used in conjunction with a nicotine patch [5].
Chantix
A newer medication, Chantix, has recently been approved by the FDA to help
smokers kick their nicotine addiction. Chantix is a designer drug that has
been developed to attach to the nicotine receptors in the brain. Chantix
is not nicotine, but if the nicotine receptor in the brain is filled, it
seems to cut the urge to continue to smoke.
When taking Chantix, it is not necessary to use nicotine patches to help gradually decrease the addiction to nicotine since the receptor for nicotine is already filled.
It is important to note that there is no one medication or approach to quitting smoking that works equally well for all people. Most research indicates that the most effective approach tends to combine a behavioral treatment (such as anti-smoking support groups or counseling) to address the habit of smoking with an anti-smoking medication [6] to address the physical dependency on nicotine.