Dr. Gnanasegaram is a psychiatrist, New Hampshire Hospital, Concord, New Hampshire, and a clinical instructor, Department of Psychiatric Medicine, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, New Hampshire. Dr. Stanciu is a PGY-5 addiction psychiatry fellow, Department of Psychiatric Medicine, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, New Hampshire. Dr. Ahmed is a PGY-3 general psychiatry resident, Department of Psychiatry, Nassau University Medical Center, East Meadow, New York.
Disclosures The authors report no financial relationships with any company whose products are mentioned in this article or with manufacturers of competing products.
When it comes time to select a medication regimen, for bupropion, consider starting the patient with 150 mg/d, and increasing the dose to 150 mg twice a day 4 days later.The target quit date should be 7 days after starting the medication. Monitor the patient for symptoms of anxiety and insomnia.
For varenicline, start the patient at0.5 mg/d, and increase the dose to 0.5 mg twice a day 4 days later. After another 4 days, increase the dose to 1 mg twice a day.Set a target quit date for 7 days after starting medication.Monitor the patient for nausea, insomnia, and abnormal dreams.
