I recently was taking Zyban to give up smoking. I've been smoking for about 10 years now and average 10 to 15 a day. As part of the package with my health authority you also have to go for 'counselling' or 'cessation sessions' with a group of other Zyban takers. This part was really helpful as anyone who has taken this drug knows that there are side effects. They vary between individuals, although there do seem to be some common ones, and the ferocity of the side effects also varied.
After about a week or so a rash began to appear and not long after my psorasis was the worst it has been in the 25 years I have had it. It spread so quickly it was hard to keep up with it and became dry, itchy and incredibly sore within another week. I was forced to stop taking the Zyban after about 2 1/2 weeks as I could no longer stand the sleeplessness, nightmares, mood swings and my skin as I couldn't function and was having to take time off work it was so bad.
I didn't manage to stop smoking at the end of the day, but I am going to try again, just using sheer willpower this time.
On the flip side, the others in my group who were taking have been fairly successful and have managed to stop. You do need willpower in addition to Zyban, there's no denying that, but the side effects were too great for me and I had to stop taking it. To be honest, smoking was the only pleasure for me during those two difficult weeks!
There are a long list of side effects that you will read about when you read the information in your packets. I have been to the doctor to report how it affected my psorasis, and apparently in Aberdeen alone there have been 4 people hospitalised because it has triggered such a bad attack. He only discovered this though when he phoned the hosptial to speak to the skin specialist. He intially found it difficult to believe that the attack had been triggered by the Zyban as it wasn't listed in the known side effects...
This sounds like a scare story, but it's more to inform people of potential problems that aren't currently listed or known about with Zyban. It is a new drug and it is teething problems. There was another lady in my group who also had psorasis, and although it inflamed it (which seems inescapable) she did have the problems I did. Luckily my skin was virtually clear when I started taking it, otherwise things could have been worse than they were.
It does work for some people so don't give up hope of quitting, it's just not for everyone and people need more information to make the decision to take it.
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Great opinion. I also smoke 10-15 a day and am running the London Marathon in three weeks - I still can't give up. I think it is all down to willpower at the end of the day
MISSBISHI 04.04.2001 15:16
Good luck with quitting the fags!
Ethak 04.04.2001 14:53
Good luck with trying to give up! Will power is a necessity but there are other less dangerous aids. Ask at your local chemists, chewing gum and patches might just give you that extra help that could make it easier to give up! They'll be able to help you about the side effects too.
Apr 4th, 2001
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