Monday, June 20, 2005

Things You Learn Reading The New York Times!

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/21/health/21beha.html?pagewanted=print

While reading an article about breaking an addiction to smoking (which was interest to me due to my dopamine shortage, even though I have never smoked), I came across the follow, amazing (at least to me) fact:

"One treatment for smoking addiction is bupropion, marketed as the antidepressant Wellbutrin, but also sold as Zyban for smoking cessation. Like nicotine, it increases dopamine transmission, but to a much lesser extent. It is thought to decrease the pleasurable effects of nicotine by pre-empting some of them.

Zyban seemed like a good option for Larry. But its cost, or the cost of any smoking-cessation treatment, for that matter, is generally not covered by health insurance. On the other hand, Larry's insurance would generously reimburse him if I wrote a prescription for Wellbutrin - same molecule, different name."

OK - so if you (or, more importantly, your wife/girl friend) aren't happy with the quality of your erection, increasing numbers of medical plans will cover one of many drugs for that - but when it comes to a drug that will stop you from killing yourself by smoking - according to the New York Times... most medical plans will not cover those drugs.

Is this correct? Can this be correct??

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

My name is Tricia Hurley and i would like to show you my personal experience with Wellbutrin.

I am 54 years old. Have been on Wellbutrin for 1 year now. Helps with depression. No weight gain like with Zoloft or decreased libido like with Prozac. I do think Prozac worked better and the only reason I went off it was my husband complained about that libido thing.

I have experienced some of these side effects -
Involuntary jerks of hands and legs. Feels like when you're about to fall asleep and suddenly jerk awake, but this is in the daytime. Often feel like adrenaline is flooding my stomach.

I hope this information will be useful to others,
Tricia Hurley