Best Method To Stop Smoking
For those who do not have access to the following medications or find such medications too expensive, you may consider skipping this post and continue reading the next few. Also, some people with certain medical conditions, which I will mention below, should not use such medications.
Nevertheless, for those who have access to these medications and who can use them, the evidence suggests that such medication improves the chance of quitting compared to people who attempt to quit without them. These medications will help you better control your craving for cigarettes and your withdrawal symptoms.
Your preference plays an important role in choosing which medication is best suited for you. It is pointless choosing a medication, which you will not take. You ought to feel comfortable with the decision and have reasonable expectation and confidence in using the medication correctly. If you do not wish to take a particular medication, you might want to discuss this with your doctor/nurse who can, as well, assist you. There may be benefits in using medication to help you quit, which your doctor/nurse can explain to you more completely.
If and when you do talk about this with your healthcare provider, it is important for you to evaluate the pros and cons of the options available to you, and actively take part in discussing and deciding what is in your best interest.
As well, if previously you were successful in quitting for a period of time with a particular medication, you might want to consider using this medication again. Reasons other than the medication might have caused you to relapse. So you might want to reuse that medication which may have helped you in the past and learn more about what previously has caused you to go back.
If, however, you have used an approved medication, which did not work for you, share that information with your clinician, so that he or she may be informed and can better assist you to explain why such an attempt did not succeed previously. Furthermore, if you were unsuccessful with a particular medication, you probably should consider not using it again, or, maybe adjusting the way in which you used it in the past. When discussing these medications with your clinician, issues of proper use, safety and additional advice are essential in choosing the right product for you.
Factors that would exclude you using a particular drug should be discussed with your healthcare provider.
For the most part, these medications are to be used for three months. Over a three month period, quitters will experience less craving and withdrawal symptoms when using such products.
As smokers, you already consume nicotine when you smoke tobacco products. For the most part, you will be able to tolerate medications, which contain nicotine (Nicotine Replacement Therapy – NRT) as these medications contain exactly the same nicotine that you would have consumed from your cigarettes, but without the 4000 or so other compounds, many of which are dangerous to your health. These products have been shown to be safe, provided they are used as recommended, and by people who do not have conditions that prohibit them from using these medications (to be discussed below).
By using nicotine replacement medication you will be able to gradually lower the level of nicotine in your body over the course of three months of daily use. This will ensure that there will be a gradual reduction in the nicotine level. A gradual reduction of nicotine will avoid a rapid drop of nicotine in your body. A rapid drop of nicotine can often cause withdrawal symptoms and the craving for tobacco.
By using nicotine replacement therapy, you will accustom yourself gradually to lower levels of nicotine. After three months of using these drugs you will no longer have nicotine in the body and you will have stopped smoking. The following are the most commonly found products, which are available in numerous countries.
The following five medications are referred to as nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) since they contain nicotine, but without the toxins found in cigarettes. When taken correctly these medications are safe. Speak to your doctor for more information about them.
Nicotine gum
Nicotine gum comes in two dosages: 2 milligram and 4 milligram. If smokers smoke 20 cigarettes or less a day, the 2 milligram gum is recommended. If smokers smoke more than 20 cigarettes a day, the 4-milligram gum is recommended.
It is important to use the gum correctly. The way to use nicotine gum is by the method termed “chew- taste – park”. You bite the gum five times, taste the flavour and then park the gum between the cheek and adjacent teeth. Biting into the gum releases the nicotine. The nicotine is then absorbed by the blood vessels lining the mouth.
After having placed the gum between the cheek and the teeth for five minutes, bite into the gum again five times, and, once again, place the gum between the cheek and teeth for five minutes. Repeat this process of biting five times and parking the gum underneath the tongue or between the gum and the cheek for five minutes for a period of 30 minutes. After 30 minutes discard the gum, because it no longer contains any nicotine. You can use one piece of gum every hour. The daily amount of gum recommended is 10- 16 pieces of gum per day over the course of 3 months.
It is important not to drink anything at the same time as you're using the gum. Drinking while chewing will wash the nicotine into the stomach where it is poorly absorbed. Also, if you chew nicotine gum like a regular gum, this will cause a rapid release of nicotine and increase saliva formation. Much of the nicotine will then be swallowed into the stomach where it is poorly absorbed.
Nicotine is absorbed by parking the gum between your cheek and teeth or underneath your tongue.
Some of the side effects of the gum may be soreness of mouth, hiccups and jaw aches. These are usually mild and can be corrected by using the gum properly. Avoid using the gum for more than 30 minutes in order to save your strength for the next piece. Also, patients with dentures or other teeth or mouth problems may have difficulties using this product.
As mentioned, the recommended period for usage of nicotine gum is three months. However, about 6% of users of nicotine gum can become longer-term users.
Some people may require using the gum for a longer period than the recommended 3 months period. Should that become the case, then that option is better than you re-starting smoking again. This is because the gum contains nicotine only, while a cigarette contains 4000 additional compounds, many of which are harmful.
Evidently, though, it is important that somewhere in the process of quitting, say, after three months of use, that you attempt to gradually reduce and wean yourself off the use of the gum. In order to decrease using nicotine gum, you may want to follow these simple steps:
- After three months of using the gum, begin to monitor the amount of pieces of gum that you have been consuming daily.
- Attempt to reduce the number of daily pieces of gum by at least 1 piece of gum per day and remain at that level for 1 week, so that you may become accustomed to a slightly lower level of nicotine.
- The following week try again to reduce your daily gum usage by 1 piece of gum per day.
- Once you have reached the last piece of nicotine gum per day, set aside three days where you will no longer use any nicotine gum.
- You may experience fatigue or lack of concentration or any other common withdrawal symptom. It is important, therefore, not to undertake any additional work during this period, if you can.
Always keep the nicotine gum handy just in case you feel a strong urge for a cigarette. It is always a better option for you to reuse the nicotine gum rather than restarting smoking. Another product that can help you deal better with withdrawal and craving for tobacco is the nicotine lozenge. To find out more, you can check out Best Method To Stop Smoking.
Related posts:
