Thursday, April 3, 2014

Medicine To Prevent Smoking

There are many reasons to quit smoking. The motivations to stop range from increased risk of diseases, such as cancer and pneumonia, to more practical reasons like high costs and odor. The decision to leave such a nasty habit is easy. Quitting, however, is difficult and many fail. Using one or a combination of several of the medicines available to help stop smoking increases a person's odds of success.


Nicotine Replacement Therapy


There are several types of NRTs (Nicotine Replacement Therapies). These medicines allow smokers to quit by slowly reducing the levels of nicotine in the bloodstream over a period of weeks rather than cold turkey. NRTs are available over-the-counter and come in gums, lozenges, inhalers and time-release patches. Even though these are readily available from most drug stores or drug sections of a department store it is still a good idea to talk to your physician before starting one of the NRT programs.


Prescriptions


There are several powerful prescription drugs to help ease the cravings for nicotine. These work by interfering with the receptors in the brain that are affected by nicotine. Your physician will have to prescribe these medicines because they are anti-depressants that also help regulate the mood swings common to people who quit smoking. These drugs include: Zyban, Chantix, Wellbutrin, Clonidine and Nortriptyline.


Dangers and Side Effects


The biggest danger of using nicotine replacement therapies is that the user will substitute the replacement for the cigarettes and never actually break the cycle of nicotine addiction. The most common side effect from NRTs is itching and rashes when using the patch. Users should remove the patch and stop using them if they experience these symptoms. All NRTs can cause bouts of insomnia and in some cases cause nightmares. Other milder side effects of NRTs include nausea, dizziness and light headaches. Typical drug side effects can occur with the use of prescription drugs and you should report any occurrences to your doctor.


Addictions


NRTs can be as addictive as cigarettes themselves. While they do help prevent, such illnesses as lung disease, because the user is not breathing in smoke, they are still supplying nicotine to the brain. Some users experience severe withdrawal symptoms when they stop using NRTs. The most common occurrences of withdrawals from NRTs occur when users continue to use the product beyond the prescribed length of time.









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