Posted by Abby on January 26, 2000, at 18:07:26
In reply to Friend moving to England-Med Questions, posted by Noa on January 26, 2000, at 13:33:37
> I have a friend who is planning a move to England and is concerned about her medications. She has symptoms of ADHD (unfocused, fidgety, attention problems) as well as dysthymia (low mood, poor self esteem). She has tried ritalin and dexedrine, both of which did nothing but make her sleepy, of all things. Then she tried wellbutrin, which addressed the depression, but not the ADHD. But when she learned she couldn't get wellbutrin in England, she decided to discontinue it.
>
> Questions:
>
> Is there a way to get wellbutrin in England?
>
> What other meds might be worth trying that one can get in England?
>
> Is there anything that would address both the depression and the ADHD? Or if not, what combo would be good (that can be obtained in England)?
>
> Thanks.I don't know if this helps, but here's some info. on Zyban the SR version
marketed for smoking cessation.Glaxo Wellcome plc announces that it has received approval from the Medicines
Evaluation Board in the Netherlands to market Zyban (bupropion hydrochloride), the
first nicotine free prescription medication for use as an aid to smoking cessation. This
represents the first regulatory approval for Zyban in the European Union. The
Netherlands will now act as the Reference Member State for the purpose of obtaining
approval in the other 14 countries of the European Union under the mutual recognition
procedure.Data from clinical trials have demonstrated that Zyban, administered as a tablet, is
twice as effective in helping people to stop smoking as other marketed treatments for
smoking cessation, including a nicotine replacement treatment. Figures from the US,
where Zyban has been available since mid 1997, indicate that the medicine has
enabled more than one and a half million people to stop smoking.Nicotine addiction is a medically recognised condition. Zyban is believed to exert its
effect by acting on the central nervous system’s addiction pathways, decreasing
craving and reducing the effects of withdrawal symptoms.A recent study indicates that 70 per cent of European smokers say they want to give
up. With more than three million tobacco-related deaths last year and an annual
global economic burden attributed to smoking of more than US$200 billion, smoking
cessation has become a major priority for the World Health Organisation (WHO). It is
estimated that the global market for smoking cessation is likely to exceed US$750
million in 1999.Glaxo Wellcome is a research-based company whose people are committed to fighting
disease by bringing innovative medicines and services to patients throughout the
world, and to the healthcare providers that serve them.Zyban is a trademark of the Glaxo Wellcome group of companies.
Your friend might try writing to Glaxo Wellcome directly as well.
I don't know what the British equivalent of the FDA is, but I know
they were very concerned about the seizure risk. A lot of physicians in the UK
think that was overblown. Maybe some people should
try to put some pressure on themAbby
Abby
poster:Abby
thread:19741
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000112/msgs/19752.html