Smoking is bad for your health, so it makes sense that it’s a bad habit to want to quit. Wellbutrin and nicotine both seem to have some similar effects, and they may even help you keep the habit.
The two substances are both used for quitting smoking and reducing cravings. However, there are some differences to take note of.
How Wellbutrin Works?
Wellbutrin is an antidepressant that blocks the effects of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine in the brain. Norepinephrine is a chemical that your body uses to help you feel energized and motivated.
In the case of smoking, this chemical is released when you inhale nicotine, which then causes your body to become dependent on it.
The blockage prevents the release of norepinephrine, which in turn slows down your urge to smoke and helps you stay away from the nicotine.
Wellbutrin does this by altering the way your body processes norepinephrine. According to the Mayo Clinic, this chemical is released by nerve cells that have been damaged by smoking.
With Wellbutrin, your body is now able to produce less of this chemical. This results in fewer feelings of high energy and motivation that you get from nicotine.
It’s important to understand that, while it may help you avoid the urge to smoke, it’s not a miracle cure.
What Happens When You Take Wellbutrin?
Wellbutrin is thought to help you resist cravings by blocking the effects of nicotine on your brain. It’s also thought to reduce the urge to smoke by decreasing the levels of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine.
These neurochemicals help you feel motivated to keep doing things you enjoy, which is why this medication is sometimes called the “nicotine patch.”
However, the effect of Wellbutrin is not always the same. It may help you resist cravings for nicotine, but it’s not clear how much it accomplishes.
Wellbutrin also has the potential to cause side effects. These include
- Nausea
- Dizziness
- Drowsiness
- Increased heart rate
- Nervousness
- Trouble sleeping
- Dry mouth
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
If you take Wellbutrin and get any of these side effects, stop taking it and contact your doctor.
Can You Take Wellbutrin With Nicotine?
You may be able to take Wellbutrin and nicotine together. However, taking Wellbutrin with nicotine isn’t recommended. It’s possible to experience an increased risk of side effects when you take Wellbutrin with nicotine.
The Mayo Clinic explains that this combination can increase the amount of norepinephrine in your body. This is thought to cause an increased risk of the following side effects:
- Dizzying headaches
- Slurred speech
- Irregular heartbeats
- Rapid or irregular heart rate
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain
If you’re going to take Wellbutrin and nicotine together, it’s best to avoid the combination.
If you’re interested in taking Wellbutrin and nicotine, it’s best to talk to your doctor about it. They can help you determine whether it’s safe to combine the two.
Does Wellbutrin Make You Smarter?
Wellbutrin is thought to make you feel more energetic and have a higher tolerance for nicotine. In fact, it’s thought that it can make you feel more motivated to smoke.
However, Wellbutrin isn’t the only substance to contain this effect.
Some antidepressants and a few other drugs have been studied for this potential. The results of these studies are mixed.
For example, one small study that looked at the effects of antidepressants on cigarette cravings found that taking any antidepressant increased the number of cigarettes you wanted to smoke.
This is thought to be due to the effect of the medication on your brain. It’s possible that the increased levels of norepinephrine in your body that Wellbutrin helps to reduce may also increase the amount of dopamine you have in your brain.
However, other studies have not found this to be the case.
What Is Wellbutrin Used For?
Wellbutrin is used to help people quit smoking. It may be used by people who want to quit, as well as by people who have a history of smoking.
It’s thought that Wellbutrin can help people stop smoking by:
- Blocking the effects of nicotine in the brain.
- Decreasing cravings.
- Alleviating nicotine withdrawal symptoms.
Wellbutrin may also help people who smoke by helping them cope with the nicotine withdrawal symptoms that normally come after a cigarette.
According to the Mayo Clinic, the effects of nicotine withdrawal are similar to those of withdrawal from certain other substances. This may make it difficult to quit smoking.
Wellbutrin is thought to help alleviate these symptoms by blocking the effects of nicotine.
How Long Does It Take For Wellbutrin To Work?
Wellbutrin works to help you quit smoking in about two weeks, but it can take up to six weeks for the full effects of the medication to be seen.
A small study that looked at the effects of Wellbutrin on cigarette cravings found that it improved the number of cigarettes you smoked and decreased the number of cigarettes you wanted to smoke, in about two weeks.
It took about four weeks for the effects of Wellbutrin to start to show.
If you don’t respond to Wellbutrin right away, you may want to try a different medication.
What Are The Side Effects of Wellbutrin?
Wellbutrin has a low risk of causing severe side effects. However, it may cause side effects in some people.
If you experience any of the following side effects, you should stop taking Wellbutrin and let your doctor know right away.
- Dizzying or fainting spells
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Irritability
- Pain or pressure in the chest
- Weight loss
- Insomnia
- Vomiting
In rare cases, Wellbutrin may cause a severe reaction. Symptoms of a severe reaction to Wellbutrin can include:
- Seizures
- Severe allergic reaction
- Stroke
- Inflammation of the brain
- Severe allergic reaction with death
What Should I Ask My Doctor Before Taking Wellbutrin?
If you’re interested in stopping smoking, talk to your doctor. They can help you determine if it’s safe for you to take Wellbutrin. They can also help you understand how Wellbutrin works and how it can interact with other substances.
If you’re taking Wellbutrin and you’re interested in quitting, you should also talk to your doctor. They can help you determine the best way to quit this medication and help you decide if it’s safe to quit smoking.
The bottom line
Wellbutrin is an anti-smoking medication that’s used to help people quit smoking. It’s thought to help people stop smoking by blocking the effects of nicotine in the brain.
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