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Zyban - is this a crock or what?

50 replies

expatinscotland · 24/03/2006 18:41

so they had this 'stop smoking' table set up in a shopping centre today. DH stops by. He has tried the patch THREE times - starting at 21mg. Full course. It did FA. He still craved fags like no one's biz and even smoked on the patch.

Gum, lozenges, inhalators. NO effect.

He's gotten rid of most of his 'triggers' b/c he has to go outside - out of the flat, two floors down, no covered area. If he's home alone w/the girls, he has to dress them up and take them w/you.

What he's left with is an intense physical additction. He's smoked rolling baccy for 11 years.

I thought, Zyban might work for him.

This drug is commonly used in the US - where lawsuits abound! - in conjunction w/the patch for smoking cessation.

With good results.

But we go today, and the chap tells us Zyban is an 'anti psychotic' - eh? I was told by a neurosurgeon that it was originally designed as an anti-depressant - and that the NHS will only give it to someone who has a 'medical' reason they need to quit b/c it 'can cause a heart attack'. Um, last I checked, smoking is major cause of coronary artery disease!

WTF?

He said, 'Can you go to group therapy?' Although, he started chuckling, admitted he was wearing a patch, and that all the groups he went to did nothing but made him want to smoke b/c all they talked about was smoking ciggies. He said, 'Yeah, I come away from them, take off hte patch, and smoke.'

Has anyone on here actually gotten to try Zyban w/o having nearly died?

I mean, wouldn't it make sense to try a case like him on Zyban rather than have a person like him wind up w/hypertension or diabetes II (both of which his parents, non-smokers, already have)?

OP posts:
expatinscotland · 25/03/2006 21:37

dh did all his patch courses on prescription, so yeah, he went to the GP. after the last one, they directed him to the NHS smoking cessation thingy they've got up here. he went to one group counselling thingy and he said - like the pharmacist - all that talking about fags made him do is want to smoke. so he did.

it's not for me, flossam, it's for dh.

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charliecat · 25/03/2006 21:41

how longs he been trying to stop for expat? it took me a couple of years to finally get my head round the fact that I couldnt have any more fags anymore and i really had to not have anymore, ever.
Had thousands of unsuccesssfull(SP???) attempts but have now been off them 1.4 years.
which is less time than what it took me to stop i guess, but i feel as cured as i can be...can you plop him on my thread till i natter in his ear???? Over on health...fag free few i think!

expatinscotland · 25/03/2006 21:43

3 years. 6 very serious attempts. Even the GP admitted he had an extremely strong physical addiction.

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charliecat · 25/03/2006 21:45

ok, what happens when he stops then? What sort of physical symptons does he have? IIRC another mumnetters hubby used to say he was going blind after a few weeks of cold turkeying but hes off the fags nowGrin
It turns your brain into a magnet for fags as you know...but what physical shit happens?

expatinscotland · 25/03/2006 21:47

he gets the vomits. badly.

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charliecat · 25/03/2006 21:48

really OMG...

Flossam · 25/03/2006 21:49

SOrry EPIS, when I say you I mean you both! Surely it is better for him to give up and at least try the treatment. If it affects him fine, quit it, but at least try it to get him off it!

charliecat · 25/03/2006 21:50

that has got to be...er...in his head though...surely...thats not the norm.

charliecat · 25/03/2006 21:54

\link{http://www.msnusers.com/FreedomFromTobaccoQuitSmokingNow/advice4newbies.msnw\hours of reading these posts got my head sorted} Poor man :(

expatinscotland · 25/03/2006 21:56

I think the group counselling and counselling and such has its place, particularly w/someone who has a really bad psychological addiction.

But all the men I've known who tried it said it stressed them out even more to talk about fags, and how much they craved a fag.

I'm beginning to think males and individuals in general have chemically different addictions.

Admittedly, mine was pretty psychological, I had 'triggers' that would leave me desperate to smoke - particularly alcohol.

Not him. He used to, but he had to break them all when he was a SAHD who had to leave the entire building to smoke and who had to tend to the child's needs first.

He's not a drinker - this is one of his first nights out in YEARS and otherwise he never drinks.

I told him to keep pestering that GP until they at least let him try it, b/c his health is at risk. His parents both had type II diabetes and hypertension, both normal weight and active nonsmokers. His dad got it when he was 45 and is now on an insulin pump at 59. The man still works a job as a church officer to keep active and keeps two dogs so he's forced to walk miles every day.

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expatinscotland · 25/03/2006 21:58

that's the other thing, charlie, he's not the online type. HATES the bloody net.

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charliecat · 25/03/2006 22:03

you can print a whole shit load of the stuff out if you want.
or download the important bits as a pdf file. A page a day would filter in.
Im thinking that all the time the doctors saying no mentally he can keep on smoking, justifying it saying the doctors an arse IYKWIM...I would ask to see another doctor, or really say look man im trying to save my live here, PLEASE let me try this, I understand the risks involved.
At the end of the day though if the zyban doesnt work hes STILL going to need/want to stop smoking :(
Bloody Fags :(

expatinscotland · 25/03/2006 22:10

i don't have a printer.

but honestly, i leave this up to him. this needs to be his decision. i never pester him about it.

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charliecat · 25/03/2006 22:11

can you point him at that link though, just once...from meGrin

expatinscotland · 25/03/2006 22:12

he has a learning disability and reading just isn't his fav thing to do, IYKWIM.

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charliecat · 25/03/2006 22:13

aw man :( Shove him back to the doctors surgery.

expatinscotland · 25/03/2006 22:15

he just needs to be a PITA. i told him, just go there again and again until they're sick of seeing you and let you try it.

seems silly to me. that damn drug was tested on MEN his age.

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charliecat · 25/03/2006 22:18

is he otherwise healthy? None of the things mentioned on the list below of people that shopuldnt take it?

expatinscotland · 25/03/2006 22:18

healthy as a horse.

for now. Sad

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charliecat · 25/03/2006 22:19

keep hassling then. Good Luck .

expatinscotland · 25/03/2006 22:20

i'll leave it to him.

i had it easy - i fell pregnant and got immediately sick nonstop. i mean, before i even knew i was pregnant.

it put me right off those fags.

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charliecat · 25/03/2006 22:22

lucky woman. I went to hell and back before coming to the conclusion that never having another fag was the only solution to my problem.
Nearly drove me insane getting to that point though!

expatinscotland · 25/03/2006 22:27

i actually had a few after having dd1. but i could take it or leave it after that and so i just left it.

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monkeytrousers · 29/03/2006 20:14

DP stopped smoking with it. He did say it gave him the most awful dreams, but after two days he never picked up another cigarette.

hoxtonchick · 29/03/2006 20:34

my dp also stopped smoking using zyban. it was an absolute nightmare for both of us, but worked.

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