Congratulations on deciding to stop smoking! Now learn about some of the methods that can help you be successful in your quit.
First off, congratulations for making the decision to quit.
Quitting is a difficult, but rewarding experience. Give yourself a pat on the
back!
Everyone is different
There are many methods people can use to quit smoking. There
is no single “correct” method. You should choose the methods that have the
strongest appeal for you personally. Trust your instincts.
The more the better
The three basic types of smoking cessation aids are nicotine
replacement, the drug Zyban, and social support.
Studies have shown that when people use more than one type of smoking
cessation aid, their chances of quitting successfully increase. For example,
more people will be able to quit successfully by using nicotine gum and going
to a stop-smoking support group than by using nicotine gum without a group.
Nicotine replacement
There are many different harmful chemicals in cigarettes,
but nicotine is the one that causes the addiction. The purpose of nicotine
replacement therapy is to wean smokers off of nicotine slowly, by gradually
lowering the dose. Because cigarettes contain so many bad chemicals besides the
nicotine, using nicotine replacement is not as harmful for the body as smoking
is.
Nicotine replacement therapy comes in different forms. The patch, gum, and
lozenges are all available over the counter. An inhaler and nasal spray are
available by prescription only.
It’s important, when using nicotine replacement, to follow the instructions
that come with the product. Sometimes people will use the patch or chew
nicotine gum for a week or two, and then they think they don’t need to use it
any more, and they stop. That is a mistake! People who follow the directions
and use the nicotine replacement for the recommended full twelve weeks have a better
chance of staying successfully quit than people who stop using the product
early.
Some people balk at buying nicotine replacements because they are expensive.
But the best way to look at it is to compare the cost of the replacements to
the cost of cigarettes. Think of how much money you will save if you stop
smoking for the rest of your life! Not to mention how much money you could save
on health care for smoking-related problems!
The patch
The advantage of the patch is that it is easy to use. You change
it once a day, and then you can forget about it.
Some people wear the patches around the clock, but others take them off when
they go to sleep. Some people find that it affects their sleep or their dreams
if they wear the patch when they go to bed. It’s interesting that some people
report having bad dreams, but others have vivid dreams that they love while
wearing the patch!
If you are able to tolerate wearing the patch at night, an advantage of
doing so is that will help with the early morning craves.
The main disadvantage of the patch is that some people find it irritates
their skin. The best way to prevent that is to put the patch on a different
spot every day.
Nicotine gum
Nicotine gum is nice because you can control the dosage. If
you are hit with a craving, you can chew more gum to take care of it.
The biggest mistake that people make when using the gum is that they chew
fewer pieces than the instructions recommend. Your chances of quitting
successfully will increase if you use at least the minimum recommended amount.
You also have to follow the instructions about how to chew the gum, because
it’s not chewed the way regular gum is. You have to chew the nicotine gum for a
little while, then “park” it in your cheek for a while before chewing it again.
Otherwise, you’ll get too much nicotine in your system.
Lozenges
These are the newest of the over-the-counter nicotine
replacement aids. They are like candy. Like nicotine gum, with nicotine
lozenges you can control the dosage.
They appear to have few or no side effects, except that they may not be good
for people who wear dentures.
The inhaler and nasal spray
These are currently available by prescription only. For
people who have good prescription medical coverage plans, it might be cheaper
to use one of the prescription-only products than to use one available
over-the-counter.
Zyban
Zyban was originally an anti-depressant drug known as
Wellbutrin. Doctors noticed that some of their patients who had been taking
Wellbutrin had spontaneously stopped smoking. After that, the drug was
successfully tested for its smoking -cessation effects and repackaged as
“Zyban” when prescribed for that purpose.
Zyban works by reducing smokers’ desire for cigarettes. It may take a couple
of weeks for that effect to kick in, so you should start taking Zyban two weeks
before your quit date.
The anti-depressant effect of Zyban may also help some smokers get through
the emotional difficulties of quitting.
Zyban does have some side effects, though, and it isn’t for everyone. So if
you’re interested, do discuss it with your doctor (which you’ll have to do
anyway because Zyban is available by prescription only).
Social Support
Studies have shown that social support helps smokers quit
successfully.
Some people rely primarily or exclusively on their families and friends for
support. Other people prefer to join stop-smoking groups.
You can find a group or class in your area by calling the American Lung
Association, or by doing a web search.
You could also join an online support site. QuitNet.com is a very popular
site that operates in association with the Boston University School of Public
Health. You can join as a basic member for free. Premium paid memberships are
also available, but the basic free membership is fine for an individual. It’s
mostly corporations that enroll their employees in premium plans.
There are many other online support sites, including the Google Group,
(formerly newsgroup), alt.support.stop-smoking.
You will get the greatest benefits out of participating in an online support
site if you engage actively in the discussions, both seeking and offering
support.
Get off to a good start!
Studies have shown that if you make it through the first 24
hours of your quit without cheating, your chances of quitting for good are much
greater! So hang in there!
If at first you don’t succeed...
Many people have to make several attempts at stopping
smoking before they stop for good. It’s helpful if you don’t think of previous
attempts as failures, but instead think of them as learning experiences. Each
time you attempt to quit, you learn more about how to do it.