If you're a cigarette smoker and have made the decision to quit smoking, there are fortunately a number of medications that will help you to quit.
This is a short guide that will offer a few tips on a few stop smoking medications that are available and attempt to highlight the pros and the problems with each.
Some of the medications that are available to help you quit smoking include nicotine replacement products such as nicotine patches, nicotine gum, nicotine inhaler, nicotine nasal spray, and nicotine lozenges.
Even though all of these products except for the nicotine inhaler and nasal spray can be purchased over-the-counter without a prescription, they are still considered to be medications.
These nicotine products work by providing you with a controlled release of nicotine into your bloodstream. Once this nicotine enters your bloodstream it is carried away to your brain's receptors thereby helping you to control your cravings and urges for a cigarette.
What this helps you to do is to gradually weaning yourself from your nicotine dependence and to eventually eliminate your addiction to nicotine completely.
Some of the other medications that help you quit smoking include prescription drugs that are only available through your health care provider or doctor. These include quit smoking drugs such as Zyban and the newer Chantix.
Although Zyban and Chantix do not contain nicotine, they work to interfere with your body's craving for nicotine.
Let's take a look at prescription medications first and then we'll take a look at the nicotine-based medications that help stop smoking.
Prescription Based Medications That Help Stop Smoking
As you may already know, smoking cigarettes provides your body with nicotine. The reason that smoking is so difficult to quit is that your body becomes dependent on nicotine. Nicotine reacts with the receptors in your brain and causes a release of a chemical called dopamine. This is what results in the positive feelings you experience when you smoke a cigarette.
When you quit smoking cigarettes, your brain receptors are not releasing dopamine as before. This slow down in the release of dopamine results in withdrawal symptoms such as irritability, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and even anger.
Even though stop smoking prescription drugs like Zyban and Chantix do not provide you with nicotine, they also result in your brain receptors releasing dopamine. This mechanism works to decrease your nicotine craving and lessen your nicotine withdrawal symptoms.
Chantix goes one step further by actually blocking the nicotine receptors in your brain. This is thought to cause your desire for a cigarette to diminish as well.
Whereas Zyban has the same active ingredient, bupropion, as does the antidepressant Wellbutrin and was originally prescribed for depression, Chantix was specifically developed to help smokers quit smoking cigarettes.
Some of the side effects of Chantix are nausea, changes in dreaming, constipation, gas and/or vomiting. In fact it is estimated that up to 30% of the people experience nausea when first beginning Chantix.
Some of the side effects of Zyban are headache, nausea, vomiting, constipation, appetite changes, dizziness, andconfusion. And since this is an antidepressant drug, people under the age of 24 may experience suicide thoughts when first beginning.
Nicotine Based Medications that Help Stop Smoking
These products are designed to provide you with a controlled release of nicotine into your system. This nicotine enters your bloodstream and finds its way to the receptors in your brain that are responsible for dopamine production.
This nicotine replacement therapy provides the nicotine that would be otherwise provided by a cigarette. This enables you to slowly wean yourself from dependence on cigarettes that contain many harmful and dangerous toxins for both you and those around you.
These nicotine-based medications include gum, patches, nasal spray, lozenges, and inhaler. All but the inhaler and nasal spray are available over-the-counter without a prescription and can be purchased at your pharmacy or more conveniently online.
There are pros and cons to both types of anti-smoking medications that help stop smoking so be sure to consult with your doctor or health care provider when you have made your decision to quit smoking and start beginning treatment.
Also keep in mind that a support group can greatly increase your chances of stopping smoking and can be an important factor in helping you to remain a non-smoker.
This is a short guide that will offer a few tips on a few stop smoking medications that are available and attempt to highlight the pros and the problems with each.
Some of the medications that are available to help you quit smoking include nicotine replacement products such as nicotine patches, nicotine gum, nicotine inhaler, nicotine nasal spray, and nicotine lozenges.
Even though all of these products except for the nicotine inhaler and nasal spray can be purchased over-the-counter without a prescription, they are still considered to be medications.
These nicotine products work by providing you with a controlled release of nicotine into your bloodstream. Once this nicotine enters your bloodstream it is carried away to your brain's receptors thereby helping you to control your cravings and urges for a cigarette.
What this helps you to do is to gradually weaning yourself from your nicotine dependence and to eventually eliminate your addiction to nicotine completely.
Some of the other medications that help you quit smoking include prescription drugs that are only available through your health care provider or doctor. These include quit smoking drugs such as Zyban and the newer Chantix.
Although Zyban and Chantix do not contain nicotine, they work to interfere with your body's craving for nicotine.
Let's take a look at prescription medications first and then we'll take a look at the nicotine-based medications that help stop smoking.
Prescription Based Medications That Help Stop Smoking
As you may already know, smoking cigarettes provides your body with nicotine. The reason that smoking is so difficult to quit is that your body becomes dependent on nicotine. Nicotine reacts with the receptors in your brain and causes a release of a chemical called dopamine. This is what results in the positive feelings you experience when you smoke a cigarette.
When you quit smoking cigarettes, your brain receptors are not releasing dopamine as before. This slow down in the release of dopamine results in withdrawal symptoms such as irritability, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and even anger.
Even though stop smoking prescription drugs like Zyban and Chantix do not provide you with nicotine, they also result in your brain receptors releasing dopamine. This mechanism works to decrease your nicotine craving and lessen your nicotine withdrawal symptoms.
Chantix goes one step further by actually blocking the nicotine receptors in your brain. This is thought to cause your desire for a cigarette to diminish as well.
Whereas Zyban has the same active ingredient, bupropion, as does the antidepressant Wellbutrin and was originally prescribed for depression, Chantix was specifically developed to help smokers quit smoking cigarettes.
Some of the side effects of Chantix are nausea, changes in dreaming, constipation, gas and/or vomiting. In fact it is estimated that up to 30% of the people experience nausea when first beginning Chantix.
Some of the side effects of Zyban are headache, nausea, vomiting, constipation, appetite changes, dizziness, andconfusion. And since this is an antidepressant drug, people under the age of 24 may experience suicide thoughts when first beginning.
Nicotine Based Medications that Help Stop Smoking
These products are designed to provide you with a controlled release of nicotine into your system. This nicotine enters your bloodstream and finds its way to the receptors in your brain that are responsible for dopamine production.
This nicotine replacement therapy provides the nicotine that would be otherwise provided by a cigarette. This enables you to slowly wean yourself from dependence on cigarettes that contain many harmful and dangerous toxins for both you and those around you.
These nicotine-based medications include gum, patches, nasal spray, lozenges, and inhaler. All but the inhaler and nasal spray are available over-the-counter without a prescription and can be purchased at your pharmacy or more conveniently online.
There are pros and cons to both types of anti-smoking medications that help stop smoking so be sure to consult with your doctor or health care provider when you have made your decision to quit smoking and start beginning treatment.
Also keep in mind that a support group can greatly increase your chances of stopping smoking and can be an important factor in helping you to remain a non-smoker.
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