Stop Smoking

If you are addicted to smoking, you aren’t going to be able to stop smoking with ease. It’s a long and difficult process, and most people can only leave smoking after two or three attempts. But, there are various prescription medications and therapies that help in the process of smoking cessation.

Stop smoking medications

There are various prescription medications that are available to help you quit smoking:

Champix

Champix, active ingredient varenicline, is a nicotinic receptor partial agonist. It’s a non-nicotine therapy that acts on the brain in two different ways. It attaches itself to the nicotine receptors in the brain and prevents nicotine from reaching these receptors. Experts also believe that the action of Champix helps partially stimulate the same receptors. This helps in the release of dopamine albeit in smaller amounts compared to the dopamine released due to the action of nicotine. This helps reduce the cravings associated with nicotine and makes smoking cessation easier.

Zyban

Zyban, active ingredient bupropion hydrochloride), is a sustained-release pill, which helps in smoking cessation. The action of Zyban helps people abstain from smoking. How it achieves this remains largely unknown. It’s a prescription medication and taking these 150mg pills have been seen to help ease the process of quit smoking.

Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT)

Nicotine replacement therapy is a collection of various products that help deliver nicotine to the body. When a person stops smoking he/she suffers from severe nicotine withdrawal symptoms. NRT is a means of addressing the craving for nicotine experienced by a person who is trying to quit. The use of NRT products helps replace the nicotine obtained from tobacco with nicotine that is less dangerous to the body.

NRT does not remove the smoking urge completely but dampens this urge. When a person attempts to quit smoking there are various triggers that can prompt him to take up smoking again. The use of NRTs help break these smoking cues and help the smoker quit smoking comfortably.

• Nicotine patches - These are transdermal patches that release nicotine into your body directly through the skin. All you need to do is apply the patch to you arm and let it do the rest.
• Nicotine gum - As the name suggests, the nicotine gum is a type of chewing gum that helps deliver nicotine to your body. The tissues in the mouth help absorb the nicotine and deliver it to the bloodstream.
• Nicotine inhaler - A nicotine inhaler helps you inhale nicotine. When you take a puff from the nicotine inhaler, a nicotine vapour is released that is easily absorbed through the lining in the mouth and the throat.
  Other products that are a part of NRTs include nicotine lozenges, nicotine spray and nicotine sublingual tablet.

Various stop smoking products – The difference

There is a range of stop smoking products available in the market. While some are nicotine therapies, others are non-nicotine therapies. While the various prescription medications available for smoking cessation are non-nicotinic in nature, there are other products that work by delivering nicotine to your body. Prescription medications stop nicotine from reaching the nicotine receptors, while partially activating these receptors in order to release dopamine in the brain. This helps reduce the nicotine withdrawal symptoms linked to smoking cessation.

On the other hand, NRTs works by supplying “good” nicotine to the body, which does not have a detrimental affect on your body like nicotine from cigarettes and other tobacco products. While using NRTs, a smoker can quit smoking without being affected by the severe symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. There are also various herbal products that help you quit smoking. Typically, available in a pill form, these pills are made from herbal extracts. They are easy to take and have no associated side effects. When it comes to herbal pills; it’s important that you are aware about the efficacy of these pills. Otherwise taking these pills might turn into an ineffective exercise at best.

It’s important to note that smoking cessation is never easy at the best of times. So, you need to choose the right smoking cessation treatment that is going to be perfect for your needs and requirements.