The Drug to End All Drugs (addicts get high one last time, then never want to get high again)

Village Voice ^ | February 18th, 2005 6:39 PM | Aina Hunter

[LowOiL]

(or nightmarish state, depending on the individual)

This in my opinion would be the only way this drug would be effective. If it could change the way the brain reacts to all drugs into just a negative reaction, then that would cure people fast.

and be the end of the LP party faithful here on FR....

[Xenalyte]

Wellbutrin and Zyban are trade names for bupropion. They're the same thing.

I've been taking Wellbutrin for a few years, and have had none of the effects you cite.

[exnavychick]

I have heard that the side effects vary from person to person, like with any other drug.

Thanks for the info...since taking it bugged me, I know not to bother with the googling for more info on bupropion.

[Celtjew Libertarian]

Wellbutrin and Zyban are both brand names for bupropion. I think the former is for when its used for depression and/or ADD; the later for smoking cessation.

I've used it for six or seven years now (for ADD and/or depression -- that's the diagnosis) and had excellent results, for the most part. But like any drug, different people have different outcomes.

[t_skoz]

"If it could change the way the brain reacts to all drugs into just a negative reaction, then that would cure people fast.

and be the end of the LP party faithful here on FR.... "


Yeah, because all people who believe in personal and economic freedom are on drugs! Too bad, bub, that there ain't a drug that makes addiction to power, tax $$, and government largess horribly painful! Then were would all the Free Republic CINO busybodies go for their rehab?!?!

[my_pointy_head_is_sharp]

Howard took Lotsof ibogaine and got Mash-ed.

[stilts]

My brother is a heroin addict. Several years ago I went with him to Baja to attend a clinic that had a controversial treatment. I forget the name of the drug but the gist of it is that they put you under and administer a drug that ends the physical addiction in 24 hours.

It worked. He was free of the physical addicition. We stayed around the clinic for a week and then headed back to the states where he immediately relapsed.

It is one thing to end the physical addiction, but if the psychological issues that led him to a life of drugs aren't addressed, then the rest is pointless. I don't doubt that a pill could be invented to end the physical craving, but it won't do a bit of good without therapy, a change of environment and an honest commitment on the party of the junkie.

[exnavychick]

From what I was told when I started taking it, Zyban was just a different marketing name for Wellbutrin (or at least it was the same basic drug). I am no pharmacologist, that's for sure. All I know is that it was a really terrible drug for me. Mr. Ex used it successfully, and with no trouble.

[Raycpa]

This happened to me with my engine that runs on water. The government stopped it even though I know the CIA tested it out and knows it works.

[rdcorso]

I read a little bit about this drug and it seems to give people the ability to see themselves and their lives in a different perspective.It's not something that could be abused because it gives the user severe headaches and the worst upset stomach imaginable.I don't know whether it's a good drug or not but if it works for people it should be used.

[IonImplantGuru]

"I tried it [Wellbutrin] during one of my practice quitting sessions, and thought it was absolutely wretched stuff. Insomnia coupled with technicolor dreams when I did manage to squeeze in a couple of hours, and zilcho effect on the cravings. Grrr!"

Interesting, because I'm having good success with Wellbutrin. My Doc started me on a lower dose (150mg daily) with instructions to do that for 2 weeks while trying to cut down on the amount I smoked. When I was ready for the big cold turkey (basically I smoked every bit of tobacco I could find in the house, car, etc. while resisting the impulse to buy any more) by running out of tobacco, I upped the dose to 300 mg and have been maintaining that level. I've been tobacco-free for close to 2 months now (I quit the day before Xmas eve) and am doing OK - though I will admit not feeling exactly the same as before beginning the Wellbutrin.

My plan is to take the 300mg for the full 60 days, then go back to 150 for a couple of weeks to wean myself from the Wellbutrin, after which I'll be 'drug free'.

Bottom line: my experience was not like yours! It's like just about any other substance; different folks will have different experiences. I will profess to being fairly resistant to big effects of drugs... in my wilder youth (shades of vintage GWB, eh?) I tried or used most of the recreational drugs out there, drawing the line at sticking anything into my veins or doing any of the BAD stuff like H, PCP and the like. I never freaked out on any of it, and none of that playing around had a lasting effect.

Good luck on quitting! I feel better already; breathing is easier, my cough is gone, food tastes better, etc. If I could do it after 40+ years of 1 or more packs per day, then so can you.

[IonImplantGuru]

I respectfully disagree that Californian's prison industry PAC is second to the Teachers Union. They were and are the single largest political donor in California.

Thanks for the clarification! It's been a few years since I lived in CA and I knew they were up there; I was just too lazy to do a data check before making my post. You simply make an even stronger case for the point I was trying to make.

[exnavychick]

Congrats!! My grandfather quit after smoking more than a pack a day for 35 years. He's my hero, and I hope that one day I can kick it for good...it's just too darn expensive, if nothing else. :)

[CyberAnt]

Your pregnant analogy doesn't work.

If you can use a drug to cure drug addiction - then the person would never use drugs again - and his emotional problems which caused him to take to the drugs in the first place would be more readily amendable to other treatment.

But .. if that were true for drugs - then a proper analogy for using sex the same way - would be to cure the person of sex addictions - not pregnancy.

[JDoutrider]

Like you, I tried wellbutrin. Having many years in the health field, I read the side effects etc, and decided I could safely take it...

Twenty four hours after the first dose my body went into uncontrollable seizures, thought I would go into grand mal.

Note to self...never take wellbutrin again!

[exnavychick]

Twenty four hours after the first dose my body went into uncontrollable seizures, thought I would go into grand mal.

Holy cow!!! I guess I got off lucky, then. I'm sorry that happened to you. :(

[Heyworth]

Congrats!! My grandfather quit after smoking more than a pack a day for 35 years. He's my hero, and I hope that one day I can kick it for good...it's just too darn expensive, if nothing else. :)

My grandfather quit smoking 50 years ago, when cigarettes went up to 25 cents a pack. He just refused to pay that much.

[freebilly]

Hunter S. Thompson has a sure fire cure for drug addiction. I understand he's been drug free for the past few days and has absolutely no cravings....

[muir_redwoods]

Suppose it works. Suppose an addict gets cleaned up on it. Suppose years later that former addict needs surgery or gets cancer and need powerful painkillers. What then? Does the change in the body's chemistry allow for it's use?

[Leto]

Well Ibogaine has been used in Africa for thousands of years without FDA approval, if folks just dropped dead from using it, they would have stopped.

1 reason it won't be used is the problem of making money off it. You can't patent a plant.

Withour a WOD a lot of money is drained from a variety of bureauracies. As we have seen over the years, bureauracies fight for their own survival even if the reason for their being no longer exists.