Zyban/Wellbutrin to quit smoking and weight loss

I've been on Wellbutrin pretty solidly for 30 years. I've lost and gained with the best of them. But I wouldn't say it has anything to do with the medication.

gewel321 wrote: »

I am getting close to the end of my weight loss journey. My goal is 23lbs away. My whole purpose in loosing the weight (besides being healthier and all that) was that I want plastic surgery to remove all the excess skin (I started at 400 going down to 174).

To the point. In order to have plastic surgery I have to be nicotine free for several months. I am struggling with quitting so my Dr recommended Zyban which is the same thing as Wellbutrin. Side effects include weight loss or weight gain. Has anyone used this and have any feedback on how it affected your weight loss journey?

I've been taking Wellbutrin on and off (under normal circumstances, I need it more in the winter to help with SAD) for 20 years and have never heard of weight GAIN as a side effect. Every time I look it up, I only see an association with weight LOSS.

The SR (sustained release) is a little "speedy," which I find helpful. This is normally taken twice per day but I just take the AM dose so as to not interfere with sleep.

The non sustained release was too speedy. I didn't like XL, but do not remember why.

https://www.nami.org/About-Mental-Illness/Treatments/Mental-Health-Medications/Types-of-Medication/Bupropion-(Wellbutrin)

...Side effects with bupropion are generally mild and often resolve over the first 1-2 weeks of treatment as you continue to take the medication. The most commonly reported side effects of bupropion are headache, weight loss, dry mouth, trouble sleeping, nausea, dizziness, constipation, fast heartbeat, and sore throat.

Congrats on the loss @gewel321 !

My wife used Chantix to quit YEARS ago with no side effects. I used the nicotine patches, not a fan of pills per se.
But, as far as weight gain, I don't think its a side effect of the medication but a side effect of the quitting. First, people will try to replace the hand-to-mouth oral fixation with food. Can't put a cigarette in your mouth? How about an egg roll or a donut? Second, after you've stopped smoking for a few days to a few weeks, your sense of smell and taste comes back big time, so everything tastes AMAZING! I think that's where the real trap comes in if you ask me.

But, if I had to choose between smoking or quitting and quitting added a few pounds to me temporarily? I go with option 2 every day of the week.

You've lost weight so well, I just know you will find a way to kick the cigarettes to the curb! I'm 8 years cigarette-free and let me tell you, it does help with healing. I used nicotine gum for a couple of months, but the biggest help was taking up knitting. It kept my hands and brain busy during bad cravings. I knit pretty nice lace socks now. I had thought to take bupropion for depression this spring but changed my mind at the last minute. Good luck with your journey, and finding your way to quit!

I used Zyban to quit smoking 22 years ago. I didn't lose weight, but I think it kept me form gaining because as soon as I finished my course, I gained 30 lbs pretty quickly, but I think that was also due to the quitting smoking. Only real side effect I had was these awful muscle spasms when I made it up to the final dosage. I had to cut back to one pill, but it did help me quit. I was actually able to start cutting back so by the time my quit day came, I was already down to one or two cigs per day. The first day cig free was fine. The second day, I cried all day long; think it was psychological, like I was losing my best friend or something. Third day on was great. haven't had one since. You don;t hear too much about Zyban now that Chantix is out, but from what I hear about that, I would recommend trying the Zyban first. Too many people I know that have taken the Chantix had the crazy dreams and suicidal feelings.

Same thing happened w/ the muscle spasms when I took Contrave (one of the two meds in it is buproprion/Welbutrin). Unfortunately, the amount I had to cut back ton to keep the spasms at bay made me stop losing, so i stopped it.

Back in 2013/2014(?) My doctor put me on Wellbutrin to quit smoking. I did not have any depression-related reasons for taking the medication. Unfortunately, the medication caused me to develop depression/suicidal thoughts, but I was able to quit smoking. I quit the medication as soon as I recognized that it didn't put me in a good place mentally, and switched to gum (yuck, but no mental side effects).

If you don't struggle with depression, I would suggest looking into the medication and side effects so you are well informed.

https://www.healthline.com/health/bupropion-oral-tablet#about

https://med.unsw.edu.au/news-events/news/what-antidepressants-can-do-brain-not-depressed

I was given wellbutrin years ago for weight loss and depression. I was a smoker at that time as well, so possible yay! side effect.

yeah no.

for me, wellbutrin is like taking a piece of pez candy. had no effect on ANYTHING (intended or possible side effect)

everyone is different though. try it and see if it helps?

Hi there. New here. I have been on Wellbutrin for a month for the purposes of depression and adhd. I've lost a couple of pounds without counting calories or exercise mostly because I think it helps reduce my impulse to mindlessly snack. It doesn't take away my appetite and I still enjoy food, it just gives me the space to be more mindful about everything I'm doing, including meals and snacking. I think that could be how it might help with smoking too. It's not a quick fix and doesn't happen over night after the first pill. I've noticed a gradual improvement in my life since I a started taking it a month ago, which is what my psychiatrist told me to expect.

It has increased my heart rate and my BP just a tad, so if you have issues with either of those things, I would recommend doing your research.