Stop-smoking medicines contain one of four substances: cytisine, nicotine, varenicline or bupropion. For each of them, we give the result of a Cochrane analysis of 319 studies: the percentage of people who were not smoking after six months or longer, in groups using the medicine and in groups not using it.
Cytisine (Desmoxan, Tabex and Recigar)
Cytisine tablets and capsules contain 1.5 mg of the substance, whose current international name is cytisinicline. Cytisine stimulates nicotinic receptors in the brain more weakly than nicotine and takes nicotine's place in them, so withdrawal symptoms are milder and a cigarette smoked during treatment gives less pleasure. After six months, 13 percent of people treated with cytisine were not smoking, compared with 6 percent without medication.
Most cytisine products are sold without a prescription, and the whole course costs about PLN 40 to 78. For the first 3 days, the patient takes 6 tablets a day, and from day 21 to day 25 only 1 or 2. Cytisine is not used during pregnancy or breastfeeding or after a recent heart attack or stroke, and it is not recommended for people under 18 or over 65, because it has been poorly studied in these age groups.
Nicotine patches (NiQuitin and Nicorette Invisipatch)
A patch releases nicotine evenly through the skin throughout the day, in a smaller amount than a smoker gets from cigarettes, and in this way eases cravings. The NiQuitin patch comes in strengths of 21, 14 or 7 mg and is worn for 24 hours. Nicorette Invisipatch comes in strengths of 25, 15 or 10 mg and is worn for 16 hours. After six months, 8 percent of people using a patch were not smoking, compared with 6 percent without medication.
Patches are sold without a prescription. A full course of 24-hour patches lasts 10 weeks and costs about PLN 606 to 930, and the manufacturer advises against making it longer.
Nicotine gum, spray and lozenges
Nicorette Classic Gum contains 2 or 4 mg of nicotine per piece, Nicorette Spray 1 mg per spray, and NiQuitin MINI 1.5, 2 or 4 mg per lozenge. From these forms, nicotine is absorbed through the lining of the mouth faster than from a patch, so patients use them when a sudden urge to smoke comes, and a doctor may recommend combining them with a patch for a strongly dependent person. They are sold without a prescription. After six months, 9 percent of people using these products were not smoking.
Varenicline (Champix)
Champix is a prescription medicine containing varenicline at 0.5 or 1 mg per tablet. Like cytisine, varenicline partly stimulates nicotinic receptors and prevents nicotine from cigarettes from stimulating them fully. After six months, 14 percent of people treated with varenicline were not smoking, but in September 2026 we did not find it in the pharmacies we checked.
Bupropion (Zyban)
Zyban contained 150 mg of bupropion hydrochloride in a prolonged-release tablet and was available on prescription until its marketing authorisation expired in December 2023. Bupropion blocks the reuptake of noradrenaline and dopamine in the brain, which means nerve cells take these substances back up more slowly. According to the manufacturer, however, it is not known how the medicine makes quitting easier. After six months, 9 percent of people treated with bupropion were not smoking.