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Some anti-smoking drugs are actually just antidepressants sold under a different brand name. It’s literally exactly the same drug with a different name stamped

Some anti-smoking drugs are actually just antidepressants sold under a different brand name. It’s literally exactly the same drug with a different name stamped on the pills, but it’s easier to get people to take the drug if they think it’s a “pill to help you quit smoking” and not an “anti depressant”

jackhack 9y ago
anti-anxiety meds, to be precise. reducing anxiety reduces the drive to smoke. it was discovered ass a side-effect during clinical trials, that many subjects spontaneously quit smoking.
fatbird 9y ago
In my experience, they were quite upfront about the fact that it was an anti-depressant that had the effect of aiding quitting smoking, because it fairly obviously dealt with the predictable effects of trying to quit smoking: anxiety, depression, irritability. You're making it sound like a stealth SSRI channel, and it's not.
- yeukhon 9y ago
  I am not sure if all physicans have adequate training on psychoatic drugs, but giving SSRI to a patient with both bipolar and personality disorder can have very negative effects. So if a non-psychiatrist prescribing antidepressant to someone without adequate psychatric evaluation (and evaluation can be off too), you can end up making the patient ill. So if I were given SSRI to quit smoking, my mental health may get even more worse. Disclaimer: have bipolar and personality disorder.
  - fatbird 9y ago
    I understand. I also understand that even with a psychiatrist prescribing it appropriately, with full evaluation and diagnosis for depression, a particular SSRI can make the patient worse, not better. I've had friends spend years working through various prescriptions (and combinations) to find what worked, and it often included some hellish periods when they felt far worse until they hit on the right drug(s).
    - yeukhon 9y ago
      Yeah. In fact, I think psychotic prescription is a trial and error treatment. It sucks.
RantyDave 9y ago
In the UK, buproprion can only be prescribed for (cessation of) smoking.
- kps 9y ago
  What do UK doctors do about SSRI-induced anorgasmia?
bluepirate 9y ago
I was prescribed buproprion to help me quit tobacco. It was extremely effective. I don't think the reduction in aniexty was the main driver though. In my experience, I physically felt sick every time I tried to smoke. It was a really unpleasant experience, but it helped immensely.
freeflight 9y ago
That doesn't surprise me the least, there's quite a bit of evidence [0] that many smokers smoke to treat psychological issues. Which would also explain why some people have a much easier time kicking the habit while others struggle really hard just with the thought of giving up. As somebody who's been suffering from depression his whole life, atop a few other mental issues, it's really disheartening to realize how little we seem to actually know about how the human psyche and brain work. [0] https://slatestarcodex.com/2016/01/11/schizophrenia-no-smoking-gun/ https://slatestarcodex.com/2016/01/11/schizophrenia-no-smoki...

jackhack 9y ago

anti-anxiety meds, to be precise. reducing anxiety reduces the drive to smoke. it was discovered ass a side-effect during clinical trials, that many subjects spontaneously quit smoking.

fatbird 9y ago

In my experience, they were quite upfront about the fact that it was an anti-depressant that had the effect of aiding quitting smoking, because it fairly obviously dealt with the predictable effects of trying to quit smoking: anxiety, depression, irritability. You're making it sound like a stealth SSRI channel, and it's not.

yeukhon 9y ago
I am not sure if all physicans have adequate training on psychoatic drugs, but giving SSRI to a patient with both bipolar and personality disorder can have very negative effects. So if a non-psychiatrist prescribing antidepressant to someone without adequate psychatric evaluation (and evaluation can be off too), you can end up making the patient ill. So if I were given SSRI to quit smoking, my mental health may get even more worse. Disclaimer: have bipolar and personality disorder.
- fatbird 9y ago
  I understand. I also understand that even with a psychiatrist prescribing it appropriately, with full evaluation and diagnosis for depression, a particular SSRI can make the patient worse, not better. I've had friends spend years working through various prescriptions (and combinations) to find what worked, and it often included some hellish periods when they felt far worse until they hit on the right drug(s).
  - yeukhon 9y ago
    Yeah. In fact, I think psychotic prescription is a trial and error treatment. It sucks.

RantyDave 9y ago

In the UK, buproprion can only be prescribed for (cessation of) smoking.

kps 9y ago
What do UK doctors do about SSRI-induced anorgasmia?

bluepirate 9y ago

I was prescribed buproprion to help me quit tobacco. It was extremely effective. I don't think the reduction in aniexty was the main driver though. In my experience, I physically felt sick every time I tried to smoke. It was a really unpleasant experience, but it helped immensely.

freeflight 9y ago

That doesn't surprise me the least, there's quite a bit of evidence [0] that many smokers smoke to treat psychological issues. Which would also explain why some people have a much easier time kicking the habit while others struggle really hard just with the thought of giving up. As somebody who's been suffering from depression his whole life, atop a few other mental issues, it's really disheartening to realize how little we seem to actually know about how the human psyche and brain work. [0] https://slatestarcodex.com/2016/01/11/schizophrenia-no-smoking-gun/ https://slatestarcodex.com/2016/01/11/schizophrenia-no-smoki...