Too many drags I take
And I’m getting old
Things are different today
I hear every Canuck say
To quit this weed is such a bore
And if I smoke more of those
Marby Lights then my toes
Will turn up t’wards dem daisies for sure
I need to run helter-skelter
For a smoker’s little helper
It’s a little purple pill
And here it’s unavailable
Expat’s…pleeeeze
help stop the wheeeze
I’ll be your fan
If you tell me where
to get Zyban
Toesave, (great monicker for someone wanting to quit smoking) I recall some reports of problems with this drug but below is all Icould find. Sorry it doesn’t help you get your tabs. Anyone back in whatever land you’re from able to get and send it?
The seizures mentioned in the article are a known side effect and it is advised that anyone coming off alcohol or valium not use Zyban as it may enhance the likehood of a fit. Spooky.
HG
[quote]According to the Telegraph, Doctors in Great Britain monitoring the safety of Zyban, an anti-smoking drug, have reported the deaths of 18 patients who had been prescribed the medicine.
Since it became available on a prescription basis last June, 270,000 smokers in Britain have been given courses of the drug, which works by inhibiting the craving for cigarettes. The Telegraph reports that the British version of the FDA, the Medicines Control Agency, which is conducting an intensive monitoring program on Zyban, has received reports of 3,457 patients complaining of adverse reactions. There have been 73 reports of people suffering seizures. One of those was a Manchester ambulance driver who crashed when responding to an emergency call.
Australian Health authorities are investigating the deaths of nine Australians to establish whether their use of the controversial anti-smoking drug Zyban was a contributing factor. Canadian officials are also investigating the safety of Zyban, according to Health Canada data dating back to September 1999- there have been 407 adverse events related to Zyban, of which include three reported deaths.
In the United States, Zyban has been prescribed to more than 5 million smokers since it was approved by the FDA, as a prescription anti-smoking drug in 1997. Previously, it was available as an antidepressant under the brand name Wellbutrin. [/quote]
Thanks HG…I know the side effects and have actually used this drug (and the patch and the gum and the willpower and the guerrilla advertising) and Zyban works…unfortunately, I didn’t stay on them long enough and thought, much to my chagrin, that they would be available here. I have thought about having them sent from " my land" but worry about them getting seized by some over-zealous border thug. They do represent a substantial investment…somewhere in the 'hood of 40NT a pill. I need a six month supply…and all the Drs I’ve spoken with cannot find any mention of it or it’s generic sidekick, wellbutrin, in their PDRs. I was given Xanax by one well-meaning physician, and while I appreciate the opportunity to participate in glam-narcotics…I WANT TO QUIT SMOKING…I know I sound like a feeb for whining so much, and y’all are saying just do it (at the risk of copywrite {sic} infringement), but I am addicted to these buggers and it is like trying to quit breathing…which I know I will have great success at if I keep puffing away.
Toesave, we’re in the same boat - I too am literally dying to give these suckers up. Interested to know a bit more on how this stuff was effective. I must say that it seems strangely logical that an anti-depressant should help stop the urge to smoke!
Good luck.
HG
FWIW, the generic name is bupropion. Wellbutrin is the same drug, but it’s marketed for depression instead of smoking cessation. People often get their Drs to prescribe Wellbutrin instead of Zyban simply because insurance covers depression but not smoking cessation. I didn’t have seizures with Zyban and it did work for a while, but I had to stop b/c I had a horrible allergic reaction to it.
Have you tried Internet prescription sites? I don’t even know if that’s legal in Taiwan.
Not only did it work…I had a plethora of energy to go with it…my house was never cleaner. I started taking them…you need a prescription BTW, which kinda negates someone in the fatherland shipping them over come to think of it…I digress…I started taking them in conjunction with the patch…four days in, I thought I would try a day without the patch…never looked back…about a month later I moved here and my doctor had erroneously assumed I could get the scrip refilled here…I managed to hang on by my wits alone for about 2 months, but then the ineveitable happened…and well…at least they are only 50NT a pack and you can get a free lighter as well. I have so many lighters, I give them out as incentive prizes to my students 
.
Can you get it here?
I would like some too - the patch was not enough last time.
My wife went to medical school here in Taiwan, and many of her friends are pharmacists. I gave her the names you mentioned and she will check with her classmates for you.
I like smoking too much, but I guess I might like to quit. At least then I wouldn’t have to sit on the street outside of Starbucks, I could actually sit inside.
Please post any results. I’ve been off the ciggies for 3 years, but the wife can’t kick it by herself.
Yes, smoking is wonderful, oh so extraordinarily wonderful… the cigarette after a meal, or the first one of the morning with some guava juice or coffee. The one outside of work with the rest of the smokers. Hell, it’s a way to meet the other people in the company who don’t give you a second glance inside the building. I can’t imagine life without smoking, but it sure would be nice to get on the good side healthy again. I know what Toe Save means when he says it’s like trying to quit breathing.
So, I’d be interested in this drug, (although illegal in my country) or any other method people can suggest. I came here with some nicotine gum, but foolishly gave it away to curious Taiwanese friends who’d never seen it before. It did help while I had it, but tasted like sh*t.
When I’m sick though (just in case this forum’s going to turn into one for sharing advice on quitting smoking) and know I shouldn’t smoke if I want to get better, I carry one of those forearm strengthening rings, and chew heaps of Extra. It really works. Doesn’t help my mood though :?
You should be able to get nicotine gum and/or the patch in Taipei. I know they used to carry it at Watson’s. The flavored gum (orange or mint) still tatstes bad, but they’re a helluva lot better than the unflavored kind. If you smoke a lot, be sure to start with the 4 mg rather than the 2 mg.
Thanks Jeff…but as you may have read in my second post…I, and possibly others, am (are) beyond nicotine replacement therapy…I am in need of serious chemical intervention.
I took the Bupropion tip and ran with that. Apparently, this too is unavailable.
Taiwan does have a drug called Uxetine. I was unable to find much reference to this drug. Research did lead me to Fluoxetine. Not even sure if these two are the same. Some serious consideration must be given if Fluoxetine could be used…here’s what I found…what do you think?
mentalhealth.com/drug/p30-p05.html
What about Xanax as therapy? Could this work along the same lines as bupropion?
i’ve been on welbutrin twice. as you can guess, it isn’t foolproof. i was able to have some sent over by a Dr in the family. unfortunately, both the wife and i are going to try again soon, and with only two bottles left, i am going to combine with the gum…
Hobart, what was your wife able to find out from her classmates?
I quit a two pack-a-day habit about 10 months ago. I used the patch and lots of chewing gum. I found the patch to be great but rather expensive. I think in cost it was like smoking in Canada again. Anyways I think that the patch is pretty common here – though expensive; 1000 per week
Haven’t gotten a reply yet, might have to wait until the new year. Sorry guys. Will try to come through for you in time to help you stay true to your new year’s resolution.
[Original Subject: Smoking is good for work and concentration.]
I heard from chainsmokers that smoking helps them think and come up with brilliant ideas at work. It helps them to have better concentration.
This are the people who haven’t ended up with lung cancer. I got an uncle in hospital for kidney failure and another for throat cancer both attributed to the habit of smoking.
I read a novel by John Grisham sometimes ago about a young couple that involved in a tobacco company class action suit. they won big time and make use of the money to bring down the tobacco company.
I love this novel and it influence me to stop my habit of smoking.
regards
ax
As the resident…ahem…expert on this subject, I would say that the best part of smoking is the addiction. I would even go so far as to say that most smokers are addicted to the addiction more than the cigarettes themselves. When you get addicted to something, you have some weird kind of control over your own contentment. You have an artificial need that can be easily filled. Most of the things that we want or need, apart from food, are difficult to obtain. If you smoke, even if life turns to shit, you can just reach into your pocket for a little momentary, magic feeling of contentment. It also acts as life punctuation. When it comes to quitting, overcoming the nicotine is fairly easy. The hard part is giving up that control over your own satisfaction. The trick is replacing smoking with something that works in a similar way (most pick food) or becoming a little more enlightened.
The negative effects of smoking have been well publicised. The main benefits of smoking, and reasons why people smoke apart from addiction to nicotine, are enhanced short term concentration and appetite suppression. However, I suggest rather than take up smoking people adopt healthier ways to acheive these effects if they need to.