title: The Adverse Effects and Treatment Results of Smoking Cessation Pharmacotherapy During Fasting/Non-Fasting State.
abstract: Cigarette smoking is one of the most common addictions worldwide. Muslim smokers reduce the number of cigarettes they smoke during Ramadan due to the long fasting hours.
  
  
  
  We aimed to share our experience in a smoking cessation clinic during Ramadan by analyzing the efficacy and adverse effects of once-daily dosing of bupropion or varenicline in a fasting group compared with conventional dosing in a non-fasting group.
  
  
  
  We analyzed 57 patients who attended our smoking cessation clinic during Ramadan of 2014 and 2015, and at least one follow-up visit. For the fasting patients, we prescribed bupropion or varenicline after dinner (once daily) as the maintenance therapy. We recorded demographic characteristics of the patients, fasting state, drugs taken for smoking cessation, and the dosage of the medication. At the first follow-up visit, adverse effects seen with the treatment were recorded. We conducted telephone interviews 6 months after the first visits of the patients to learn the current smoking status of the groups.
  
  
  
  Of the total 57 patients, 20 (35.1%) were fasting and 37 (64.9%) were not fasting. Fasting and non-fasting patients were similar for sex, age, smoking pack-years, marital status, educational status, and mean Fagerström scores (p >.05). Adverse effects and quit rates after 6 months of follow-up were similar between the fasting and non-fasting groups (p >.05).
  
  
  
  Although our sample size was small, we found no difference in the rates of adverse effects or smoking cessation using a single daily oral dose of bupropion or varenicline between a fasting group and a non-fasting group that received conventional dosing.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pulmonary Medicine , Koç University Hospital , Istanbul , Turkey.
authors.forename: Sinem
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iliaz
authors.affiliation: b Department of Pulmonary Medicine , Yedikule Chest Diseases and Thoracic Surgery Education and Research Hospital , Istanbul , Turkey.
authors.forename: Seda
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tural Onur
authors.affiliation: b Department of Pulmonary Medicine , Yedikule Chest Diseases and Thoracic Surgery Education and Research Hospital , Istanbul , Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet Atilla
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Uysal
authors.affiliation: b Department of Pulmonary Medicine , Yedikule Chest Diseases and Thoracic Surgery Education and Research Hospital , Istanbul , Turkey.
authors.forename: Efsun Gonca Uğur
authors.initials: EGU
authors.lastname: Chousein
authors.affiliation: b Department of Pulmonary Medicine , Yedikule Chest Diseases and Thoracic Surgery Education and Research Hospital , Istanbul , Turkey.
authors.forename: Elif
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tanriverdi
authors.affiliation: b Department of Pulmonary Medicine , Yedikule Chest Diseases and Thoracic Surgery Education and Research Hospital , Istanbul , Turkey.
authors.forename: Belma Akbaba
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Bagci
authors.affiliation: b Department of Pulmonary Medicine , Yedikule Chest Diseases and Thoracic Surgery Education and Research Hospital , Istanbul , Turkey.
authors.forename: Ayse
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bahadir
authors.affiliation: b Department of Pulmonary Medicine , Yedikule Chest Diseases and Thoracic Surgery Education and Research Hospital , Istanbul , Turkey.
authors.forename: Didem Gorgun
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Hattatoglu
authors.affiliation: b Department of Pulmonary Medicine , Yedikule Chest Diseases and Thoracic Surgery Education and Research Hospital , Istanbul , Turkey.
authors.forename: Mediha Gonenc
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Ortakoylu
authors.affiliation: b Department of Pulmonary Medicine , Yedikule Chest Diseases and Thoracic Surgery Education and Research Hospital , Istanbul , Turkey.
authors.forename: Sibel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yurt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016642:Bupropion / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018765:Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005215:Fasting; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012907:Smoking / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods*; D061485:Tobacco Use Cessation Devices; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000068580:Varenicline / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D018765:Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists; D016642:Bupropion; D000068580:Varenicline
keywords: Ramadan; adverse effect; fasting; quit rate; single dose; smoking cessation