Wellbutrin/Zyban/Bupropion serious question

[grumpymonkey]

Hi everyone, I really hope you can help me. Been smoking for 15 years, the last 6 of which tried all the over the counter medications and nothing worked. I've heard so many success stories regarding Wellbutrin/Zyban/Bupropion (I'll just call it Zyban for short) however my GP will not prescribe it me due to my having bipolar disorder, yet what I don't understand is that an acquaintance of mine who I met in a BD forum was prescribed Zyban when she wanted to quit smoking! Perhaps this is because she does not take tricyclics to treat her BP, but I do? I cannot face cold turkey and nothing else works, so does anyone know of a reputable online place I could buy Zyban without prescription? Or is this a contradiction in terms? I don't want to endanger my health, so if I were to experience any decline in my mental health I would certainly stop the Zyban immediately, but I would at least like to give it a try. I hope that no-one is angered by this message, I mean no harm in it. Also apologies for poor english! Thankyou.

[bonnie]

Hi Grumpy,

I would not take something that your Dr. does not want to prescribe. There is a reason. We have a girl on here who is bipolar and she was taking Wellbutrin and had a very scarey reaction. She almost commited suicide. So I would not take that chance. She was lucky that she had someone around her who recognized what was happening. Once she was off the wellbutrin, she was okay. She by the way is still quit.

Please go to www.whyquit.com and learn about the addiction. The anticipation of quitting is worse than actually quitting.

I know cold turkey sounds scarey.. it was to me but now that I have quit, I realize that using an aid is hard for the first 3 days and then you have to withdrawal from that.

I hope you find the help you need.

Bonnie

[sagwa]

Welcome grumpy, As far as the Wellbutrin goes I asked my Dr to prescribe it when I had a bad reaction to the Chantix and he wouldn't give it to me because I was on another antidepressant, I used the patch and it worked just fine. Never, never take medication that isn't prescribed from your own MD. I had a co worker here at the hospital I work at and she mixed antidepressants and was found dead at her kitchen table one night!!!!! These are powerful medications and to be honest you can buy any drug online but that doesn't make it OK or SAFE! Best wishes and best of luck.

[moonflower]

You have certainly been placed here in a difficult situation, bless you, and I'm sorry to hear it. My advice would be, echoing others in this thread, to first of all reject the idea of going against your doctor's advice. Please don't mix drugs like that. Please note: I have tried Wellbutrin and Chantix in the past, and quit taking them prematurely (and started smoking again) because they really messed with my head and my psychological well-being. Without going into detail, suffice to say they effected me negatively so I quit taking them. Frankly, they scared me. They are major drugs.

I would also like to strongly encourage you to get another opinion. Find a physician or a naturopath, someone who can help you... There are so many different medications out there, and something might work with what you are taking. I am frankly disappointed with the doctor who seems to not be taking your desire to quit smoking very seriously -- and it's as if he/she isn't recognizing the struggles inherent in quitting smoking. You need someone who can work with you and give you some alternatives. All the best of luck to you!!! Let us know how things turn out. I am interested! Thanks for posting.

[slocum]

You need to talk to your Dr. about your confidence and responsilibity in taking the Zyban.
Cold turkey and the patch are still doable options.

Never give up giving up.

[ladymember]

DO NOT try it- Mixing zyban with your bipolar drugs can be really bad.

I tried Zyban once and had a terrible reaction..

I took it one day and the whole day my whole body shook from the inside out. I could not even get out of bed.
It was terrible.

[greenlover]

If your Dr. says no because of other meds then you'd better not-see what else he suggests if you can't face going cold turkey. Keep in mind quit aids are just that AIDS not magic potions to use for quitting its STILL up to you but aids do help.

[jwhitley]

I know this is a really old thread, but I have a comment in case a new person wanders onto it with the same issues. I tried Wellbutrin before I knew I was bipolar and it was AWFUL. I came very close to being suicidal (within a couple days) and that was without being on any other medications. I was taking it as an antidepressent, not to quit smoking even. It just make me chain-smoke in fact. This time around I'm not even going to bother with Chantix because of the other drugs I'm on. I do now have a scrip for Buspar which is a very light anti-anxiety medication and is not addictive like spam link would be. My doctor didn't have any problem with me taking it on a non-regular basis as needed, or even if I want to take it daily while I'm quitting. Unfortunately, those wonder drugs to stop smoking just aren't for everybody. I also keep stocked up on Nicorette. I've never tried the patch but so much of my addiction is mental hand-to-mouth activity that chewing gum seems to help give me something to do and keep my mind off it.

[ccloud22]

Just thought I would add to this thread with my own story. I was on Zyban for 2 weeks to help with my 20 plus year addiction. I can only describe last week as pure rage. Apparently my reaction to it was the opposite of what it should have done. I am off it now and finally am feeling 'normal' again. I am hoping that I can continue my quit without anything. So, for those who are researching this drug, this is just my story, but tell those around you to keep an eye on your behaviour and step in if needed. On a good note, my car that still smelled like stale cigs now smells like the nachos I threw at my boyfriend in one of my rages....

[Melissa21]

My friend has bipolar, depression and anxiety.. and takes meds for them all (im not exactly sure what). She was able to get chantix and did quit with the help of it. Although the full dose is 2 blue pills a day I believe she just stuck with 1 blue pill a day as she said it was enough for her to not smoke.. I think she cut it in half and took it twice a day.