Introduction

If you are reading this, you probably performed a Google search on Zyban, Wellbutrin or Bupropion. Or, perhaps you stumbled across this page and are wondering what this is all about?

I will use this first post as an introduction. I am a 25-year-old female who will be 26 at the end of my 60 day quit smoking program with the assistance of Zyban.

Zyban is a pill that magically erases your desire to smoke –or so I hear. Zyban is the exact same drug as Wellbutrin and Bupropion. Bupropion is the generic/chemical form and Wellbutrin is generally prescribed for anti-depressant purposes. Overseas, most countries will only allow Bupropion to be prescribed as a smoking cessation aid. Even though all three have the same chemical make-up, most insurance companies will not cover Zyban as it’s marketed specifically for the purpose of smoking cessation. My insurance company covers both Wellbutrin and Bupropion but not Zyban. Apparently, United States insurance companies do not consider reducing the prospect of cancer, emphysema and all of those other diseases the Truth ads inform us about as worthwhile.

With that, I will tell you a little more about myself. As I said, I am about to be 26 years old. I reside in New York City. I grew up in Minnesota and relocated to NYC and, at the same time, picked up my smoking habit back in 2000. If you are into math, you probably just realized that I started smoking at age 18 and are muttering “WTF”. Yeah, I know. I was old enough to know better and started smoking at 18 anyway. For some reason, I was able to bypass all of the peer pressure and ignorance of being a preteen and never even tried a cigarette until after my 18th birthday. Yep. I’m an idiot.

Ironically, I was avidly against smoking my entire childhood and quite vocal about it. This is why I am adamant about my family not knowing. I gave my brothers a lot of shit about smoking all through their teens, ratted them out for the first time, etc. How can I let them know that this is what I’ve become? My parents have prided themselves on raising “one smart kid” who did not succumb to the vile beast of nicotine. How can I let them know that this is what I’ve become?

I’ve felt guilty and disgusted with myself the entire time I’ve smoked. Seven years is a long time to be ashamed.

My first cigarette was a vanilla cigarette. I tried it because I had turned 18 and it was a right of passage to take part in all that which 18-year olds can do (cigarettes, lotto, porn, etc.) Not knowing how to inhale correctly, I found it quite pleasant. The vanilla tasted good on my lips and I wanted more. I spent about a year as a novice smoker until I learned that I was not inhaling. Once inhaling began, I realized it was a “breath of fresh air” in times of stress. You know, took the edge off. Slowly, more stress came and social situations made it easier to form a habit. When I started, you could still smoke in bars in NYC and a pack was around $4.25.

Seven years later, you can no longer smoke in bars and a pack is around $7-8.00 (varying on which borough you’re in) and I’m at about a pack a day in a city where the Mayor hates smokers and the citizens are becoming more and more vocal about how disgusting cigarettes and YOU are. So, aside from cigarettes destroying my insides and outsides, smoking is also absorbing approximately $50/week out of my pocket and making me a target for additional snide remarks and haughtiness from the already rude and opinionated New Yorkers. Great.

Q: Now, why am I quitting and why am I using a pill to help me?

A: I had initially said that after 5years I would stop smoking. So, basically, I’ve been trying to quit for 2 years using various unsuccessful methods and this is what I’ve turned to.

Q: Now, why am I blogging about this method?

A: I am both enthralled and scared shitless by this drug. I have never taken a medication that alters your brain into thinking something unnatural. I’ve performed extensive internet research and have heard both horror and success stories. Even after all of this research, I still feel like I don’t have enough answers. I’ve been seeking out people who could give me detailed, first-hand experiences and have come up virtually empty-handed (with the exclusion of 3rd party acquaintance information). I figured I would document my experience not only for others, but for myself should any of my wiring go crazy while on this drug and to, hopefully, look back at as a proud non-smoker.

Today is Day 1. I am taking 1 pill a day for the first 3 days and 2 a day thereon.
I will develop this blog further, include links, etc. as time moves on. Feel free to correspond with me at anytime!


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