Zyban (bupropion)

Side effects

Medicines and their possible side effects can affect individual people in different ways. The following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with this medicine. Because a side effect is stated here, it does not mean that all people using this medicine will experience that or any side effect.

- Difficulty in sleeping (insomnia)
- Headache
- Concentration disturbance
- Tremor
- Dizziness
- Anxiety and agitation
- Depression
- Dry mouth
- Disturbances of the gut such as constipation, nausea, vomiting or abdominal pain
- Fever (pyrexia)
- Sweating
- Rash or itching
- Increased heart rate (tachycardia)
- Increased blood pressure
- Loss of appetite
- Visual disturbances
- Chest pain
- Seizures
- Hypersensitivity reactions such as narrowing of the airways (bronchospasm), swelling of the lips, throat and tongue (angioedema), itchy blistering rash or anaphylactic shock

The side effects listed above may not include all of the side effects reported by the drug's manufacturer. For more information about any other possible risks associated with this medicine, please read the information provided with the medicine or consult your doctor or pharmacist.

How can this medicine affect other medicines?

It is important to tell your doctor or pharmacist what medicines you are already taking, including those bought without a prescription and herbal medicines, before you start treatment with this medicine. Similarly, check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any new medicines while taking this one, to ensure that the combination is safe.

There is a rare risk of seizures (fits) occuring with this medicine. This risk is greater if you take other medicines that can increase the likelihood of seizures in combination with this medicine. These include the following:

- antipsychotics to treat mental illness
- antidepressants
- steroids taken by mouth or injection
- theophylline
- antimalarials
- tramodol
- quinolone antibiotics, eg ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin
- sedating antihistamines
- stimulants
- slimming medicines.

This medicine must not be taken by pepole taking monoamine oxidase inhibitor antidepressants (MAOIs). At least 14 days should pass after stopping an MAOI (eg phenelzine, tranylcypromine, isocarboxazide) before starting treatment with bupropion hydrochloride.

Bupropion may increase blood levels of the following medicines. As this may result in an increased risk of side effects, your doctor may decrease the dose of these medicines if you are taking them with Zyban:

- certain antidepressants, eg desipramine, imipramine, paroxetine, citalopram
- antipsychotics, eg thioridazine, risperidone
- beta-blockers, eg metoprolol
- medicines for abnormal heart rhythm, eg flecainide, propafenone.

The following medicines may affect the blood level of bupropion:

- carbamazepine
- cimetidine
- clopidogrel
- cyclophosphamide
- ifosfamide
- orphenadrine
- phenobarbitone
- phenytoin
- ritonavir
- sodium valproate

There may be an increase in side effects if this medicine is taken with levodopa or amantadine (for Parkinson's disease).

The components of tobacco smoke can cause certain medicines to be removed from the body faster than normal. When you stop smoking, they are removed slower, so their blood levels may increase. Tell your doctor you are giving up smoking if you take any medicines, in particular:

- theophylline
- tacrine
- clozapine
- olanzapine
- pentazocine
- some benzodiazepines, eg oxazepam
- some beta-blockers, eg propranolol
- flecainide
- tricyclic antidepressants, such as imipramine
- fluvoxamine
- phenylbutazone
- dextropropoxyphene.

People with diabetes who smoke normally need more insulin, as smoking reduces the amount of insulin that is absorbed into the blood from an injection under the skin. Therefore if people with diabetes give up smoking, they may subsequently need a reduction in their insulin dose. Discuss this with your doctor.

Using nicotine replacement therapy in combination with bupropion (Zyban) is not currently recommended. However, if it is used with this medicine, your blood pressure should be monitored weekly.

Other medicines containing the same active ingredient

There are currently no other medicines available in the UK that contain bupropion as the active ingredient.

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