Cytisine

Cytisine is a prescription only medicine used to help you stop smoking. This is a nicotine free quit aid. It reduces interest in smoking, the cravings and withdrawal symptoms. The medication will be most effective if you are fully committed to giving up smoking.

Smoking, whether a cigarette or vape, delivers nicotine to the brain. This highly addictive chemical works by promoting the release of dopamine in the brain  which is a highly addictive chemical. Nicotine promotes the release of dopamine (the happy hormone) in the brain, providing a sense of pleasure and reward from smoking. When you stop smoking, the brain releases transmitters which cause withdrawal symptoms such as craving, feeling anxious, irritability, and headaches. 

Cytisine acts on the same receptors that nicotine does reducing withdrawal symptoms, and replacing that reward that is usually activated from smoking. Making it easier to quit smoking by reducing that nicotine dependency. 

Cytisine is an effective stop-smoking aid that more than doubles the chance of quitting compared to placebo. It performs as well as or better than nicotine replacement therapy in many studies.

Start taking cytisine while you are still smoking. You should aim to quit smoking no later than day 5 of treatment.

Treatment should last for 25 days maximum. 

Cytisine is not suitable for everyone. You should not use cytisine if you:

• Are pregnant or breastfeeding
• Have a history of heart attack, stroke, or other cardiovascular issues
• Are allergic to cytisine or any of its ingredients
• Have severe kidney or liver disease
• Are under 18 years old
• Are taking certain medications which cause interactions
• Suffer from a thyroid disorder (such as hyperthyroidism)

Always consult a healthcare professional to check if cytisine is safe for you to take.

You may not experience any side effect at all; however, some people report mild to moderate symptoms, especially at the beginning of treatment. These side effects are often short-lived and may be due to stopping smoking rather than the medication itself. 

Possible common side effects:

• Dry mouth
• Difficulty sleeping
• Headaches
• Nausea
• Constipation or diarrhoea
• Irritability or anxiety
• Increased appetite and possible weight gain
• Fatigue

Less commonly, people may experience changes in heart rate or blood pressure, heartburn, abdominal pain, or sweating. Should you report any of these side effects read out to a healthcare professional. 

Please refer to the patient information leaflet for a full list of the side effects, cautions and contraindications.

If you are currently taking any hormonal medication such as contraception or HRT, then this may cause increased side effects from cytisine and reduce the effectiveness of the medication.

Treatment with cytisine is typically 25 days. Smoking should be stopped no later than day 5 of treatment. This is due to smoking causing possible adverse reactions with treatment. In the case of relapse and treatment failing, treatments should be completely discontinued and should not be restarted after 2-3 months. 

Cytisine is often compared to other stop-smoking medications like Champix (varenicline) and Zyban (bupropion). Like varenicline, cytisine works as a partial agonist at nicotine receptors, helping to reduce both cravings and withdrawal symptoms. However, cytisine appears to have a more favourable side effect profile, with fewer reports of nausea and sleep disturbance compared to varenicline. It also has a much shorter treatment course; just 25 days, versus 8 to 12 weeks for varenicline and Zyban.