Medication Overview
Medication Overview
Last activity on January 15, 2025
Bupropion – ZYBAN
What it is
- 150mg bupropion hydrochloride (white) tablet
- This is a prescription-only medicine
- A letter of recommendation should be given to the client to present to the prescriber/GP
How it works
- Mechanism not known; reduces withdrawal and desire to smoke possibly by inhibiting neuronal reuptake of dopamine.
How it is used
- Set a quit date and start tablet use 1-2 weeks before this date.
- Treatment for 8 weeks
- Oral use; swallow whole, do not crush
Dose
- 150mg daily for 6 days then 150mg twice daily, at least 8 hours apart.
Contraindications
- Current, or history of, seizure disorder
- Abrupt alcohol/sedative withdrawal
- CNS tumor
- Use of irreversible monoamine oxidase inhibitors (allow 14 days)
- History bulimia, anorexia nervosa
- Pregnancy/breast feeding
- Severe hepatic cirrhosis
- History bipolar disorder
- Concomitant use of another bupropion containing product
- Allergy to bupropion or excipients
- People under 18
- See SPC for drug interactions
Cautions
- Moderate or severe renal impairment (1mg/day from day 3 for severe)
- History of seizures or other conditions that lower the seizure threshold
- Psychiatric illness
- In October 2023, an additional caution was added for patients with Brugada syndrome or risk factors such as a family history of cardiac arrest or sudden death. Clients within this category should be signposted to their GP for medical screening prior to being prescribed Zyban
Prescribing Guidelines
- Various pack sizes (30, 40, 50, 60 + 100 tablets/pack) one blister strip is 10 x 150mg tablets
- One weeks supply is 14 x 150mg tablets.
Side effects
- >1/10 patients experience insomnia
- Less common symptoms (>1/100)
- Rash/ urticaria
- Headache/dizziness
- Fever
- Gastrointestinal probs e.g. dry mouth, nausea
- Low risk (<1/1000) seizure Cautions Recommended dose of 150mg/day for
- Mild/moderate hepatic impairment
- Renal impairment
- Predisposing risk factors for seizures
- Elderly people (lower dose)
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