Question:

I have been taking 300 mg. of Wellbutrin for the past two weeks. In general, I`m doing pretty well. However the last day or two, my cravings have gotten more intense. I would have thought that with less nicotine in my system they would deminish. If I take Wellbutrin for 6 months of being smoke free, and then stop taking it, will my cravings come back? I am also using 2-5 pieces of nicorette per day.

Answer:

Congratulations on your efforts to stop smoking! One suggestion is to increase your use of Nicorette gum for now to help address the increased cravings; for example, one to two pieces per hour in a scheduled dosage seems to be more helpful than using ad lib, according to recent research.The recommended duration of use of Zyban is 7-12 weeks; by that time, the physiological withdrawal from nicotine is over. You may still have cravings related to psychological factors like habit or stress relief. A behavioral program such as the Freshstart program of the American Cancer Society, or telephone programs offered by the makers of Zyban or Nicorette are very useful to help overcome cravings. Good luck!

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Go to the Smoking and Tobacco health topic.