Zyban and Chantix

Zyban and Chantix are two different pills that can be used as an aid to smoking cessation. The pills must be prescribed by a doctor after detailed evaluation. They both increase the chance to become smoke-free, but they are not miracle cures.

 
Along with the growing interest in smoking cessation, several pharmaceutical companies launched quit smoking pills to stop smoking.  In 2001, Zyban, which contains bupropion, and in 2006 came Chantix, which contains varenicline. Several new drugs are on the way.

Zyban
Zyban is a pill that works by reducing the urge to smoke and reducing withdrawal symptoms by a cessation. The pill contains no nicotine, but instead the substance bupropion. It affects the nervous lanes in the brain, which usually triggers symptoms of a cessation. Bupropion was originally developed and approved for the treatment of depression, but it turned out that some of the subjects quit smoking. Subsequently, Zyban been tested and approved for smoking cessation.

Chantrix
Chantix is a quit smoking pill like Zyban, which works by reducing the urge to smoke and reducing withdrawal symptoms by a cessation. The active substance in the pill is varenicline. The substance works by blocking the places in the brain which is affected by nicotine. This will minimize withdrawal symptoms. Varenicline is the first quit smoking pill, which is designed specifically for smoking cessation

Effectiveness
Smoking cessation pills are much newer than nicotine replacement, and is therefore not so many studies of effectiveness. In the studies that have been made, all smokers – in addition to the pills – also received advice on their cessation. Approximately one in four smokers are smoke-free after one year. Some studies suggest that quit smoking pills, and particularly Chantix, is slightly more effective than nicotine replacement, but others conclude that there are no major differences.

Recommendations
Cancer Society recommends that smokers who wants to quit smoking takes part in a smoking cessation course or gets individual advice of a smoking cessation by a counselor. Advice should include knowledge about medicines for smoking cessation, how they function and side effects in the short and long term. Recent research shows, that the risk of HPV transmission increases significantly in smokers, which increases the risk of developing cancer.
Since nicotine replacement is the most proven drug for smoking cessation, you should try it first. Quit smoking pills are good alternatives, but they both require a prescription. Physicians should consider whether there may be circumstances that talks against the use of medication.
Before using the quit smoking pills, visit one of the many quit smoking forums and ask for other peoples experiences with the different quit smoking aids.