Smoking & Treatment Options

Medications to Quit Smoking

Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT)

This treatment reduces dependency on nicotine by delivering it through less harmful methods, that is, through the skin in the transdermal method (nicotine patch) or through the oral or nasal tissues (nicotine gum, inhalers, and nasal sprays).

Nicotine patches (Nicoderm CQ®, Nicotrol®, and generic) are available over-the-counter. All patches are applied and worn in the same manner. At the start of each day of the treatment period, the smoker places a new patch on relatively hairless skin somewhere between the neck and waist.

Nicoderm CQ® is usually worn for 6 weeks for 16 or 24 hours a day at a dosage of 21 mg, then for 2 weeks at a dosage of 14 mg, then for 2 additional weeks at a dosage of 7 mg. Nicotrol® is worn for 6 weeks for 16 hours a day at a dosage of 15 mg.

People who have serious arrhythmia, serious or worsening angina pectoris, those with high blood pressure, depression, or asthma, or those who have recently suffered a heart attack should consult their health care provider before using a patch.

The most common side effect is a local skin reaction, experienced by 50% of patch users. This reaction is usually mild and easily treated by hydrocortisone or triamcinolone cream, or by rotating patch sites. Another common side effect is insomnia. In that case, the 24-hour patch may be removed before bedtime, or a change may be made to the 16-hour patch.

Nicotine gum (Nicorette® or Nicorrett Mint®) is available over-the-counter. The gum is chewed until a "peppermint" taste emerges and then held between the cheek and gums to allow the nicotine to be absorbed. It is alternately chewed and held between the cheek and gums for about 30 minutes until the taste dissipates.

Nicotine gum is available in 2 mg and 4 mg per piece doses. The 2 mg per piece gum is recommended for those who smoke less than 25 cigarettes per day and the 4 mg per piece gum is recommended for those who smoke more than 25 cigarettes per day. The gum is usually used for up to 12 weeks with no more than 24 pieces per day.

Nicotine gum therapy often fails if people chew too few pieces per day or do not continue chewing for a sufficient number of weeks. The U.S. Public Health Service recommends a fixed schedule of a minimum of one piece every 1–2 hours for at least 1–3 months.

Common side effects include soreness of the mouth, hiccups, indigestion, and jaw ache. Modifying the chewing technique can usually alleviate these effects.

Nicotine nasal spray (Nicotrol NS®) is available by prescription only. It is administered in one 0.5 mg dose to each nostril. Initially, the spray is administered in 1–2 doses per hour, and then increased as needed to relieve symptoms. A minimum of 8 doses per day and a maximum of 40 doses per day is recommended. Treatment usually lasts 3–6 months.

Ninety-four percent of people using nicotine nasal spray experience moderate to severe nasal irritation in the first 2 days of use. Eighty-one percent experience nasal irritation after 3 weeks, although the effect is much less severe.

Some users develop a dependency to nicotine nasal spray. About 15–20% of users reported using the spray for 3–6 months longer than recommended, and at a higher dose than recommended. Nicotine nasal sprays cannot be used in combination with other NRT (such as a patch).

Psychotropic Agents to Quit Smoking

Psychotropic agents (commonly used to treat depression) are sometimes used to treat nicotine addiction because they regulate receptors in the brain that are affected by nicotine.

Bupropion (Zyban®) is only available by prescription. Unlike nicotine replacement therapies, which typically begin on the smoker's quitting day, smokers begin taking bupropion 1–2 weeks before they quit smoking. The initial dose is 150 mg in the morning for 3 days, and then 150 mg twice a day, continuing for 7–12 weeks.

Bupropion should not be used by anyone with a history of a seizure or eating disorder. Patients who are using another form of bupropion or who have used a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) in the past 14 days also should not use bupropion. People taking bupropion should limit alcohol consumption.

Side effects may include hypertension, tremor, insomnia, and dry mouth. Zyban is not recommended for women who are pregnant or nursing.

Varenicline (Chantix®) is a non-nicotine medication that is available by prescription for smoking cessation. This drug attaches to nicotine receptors in the brain, helps block nicotine from reaching these receptors, and may reduce the release of dopamine triggered by nicotine. Varenicline also is taken for 1 week before the smoker's quitting day to allow the medicine to build up in the body.

Side effects may include nausea and vomiting, constipation, and difficulty sleeping. In some cases, a serious reaction can occur. Signs of a severe reaction include swelling of the face, mouth, and throat and redness, swelling, and peeling of the skin.

In 2009, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a black box warning for the smoking cessation drugs bupropion and varenicline. According to the FDA, these medications carry an increased risk for mental health side effects, such as depression, behavioral changes (e.g., hostility, irritability), and suicidal thoughts. Patients who use these drugs to stop smoking should be closely monitored while taking them and after the medication is discontinued.

In July 2011, the FDA updated labeling for Chantix to include new information about the effectiveness of the drug for people with stable heart disease and mild or moderate COPD who are trying to quit smoking. Studies have shown that Chantix is effective in these patients—in some cases, almost doubling the chance of quitting for at least one year. These same studies shown that a slight increased risk for adverse cardiovascular events is possible in people with heart disease who use Chantix.

Clonidine, a commonly used antihypertensive, is available only by prescription in oral and transdermal form. It has not been approved by the FDA for the treatment of smoking cessation and is used only as a second-line therapy if first-line therapies have been unsuccessful.

Clonidine doses vary from 0.15–0.75 mg per day (oral form) to 0.10–0.20 mg per day (transdermal form) and the duration of treatment varies from 3–10 weeks. Treatment begins up to 3 days before quitting or on the quit date. The patient puts a new patch (transdermal form) on relatively hairless skin between the neck and waist each week.

While clonidine is effective, its side effects limit its usefulness. The most common side effects include dry mouth, drowsiness, dizziness, sedation, and constipation. Because clonidine lowers blood pressure in most patients, any reduction in dosage must be done gradually over 2-4 days to reduce the risk for rebound hypertension, marked by a rapid increase in blood pressure, agitation, confusion, and tremor.

Nortriptyline (Nortriptyline HCl) is only available by prescription. This antidepressant has not been approved by the FDA for smoking cessation and is recommended only if first-line therapies have been unsuccessful.

Patients begin taking nortriptyline 10–28 days before quitting. It is taken orally in doses of 25 mg per day, increasing to 75–100 mg per day for 12 weeks. Side effects include sedation, dry mouth, blurred vision, urinary retention, lightheadedness, shaky hands, and constipation. Overdose with nortriptyline can have cardiotoxic effects and it should be used with extreme caution.

Psychotherapy to Quit Smoking

While drug treatments (e.g., nicotine patch, bupropion) can double women's chances for success when attempting to quit smoking, a combination of drug and psychotherapy can further increase the chance for success.

Cognitive and behavioral therapies are often practiced together for maximum effect in helping the smoker alter thinking and behavior. In both approaches, the smoker is encouraged to take an active role in analyzing and changing her thinking and behavior.

Cognitive Therapy to Quit Smoking

In cognitive therapy, thinking patterns that lead to smoking are identified and then altered for more healthy outcomes. For instance, someone who thinks "Smoking relieves my stress" will learn to think "I can relieve my stress another way." The therapist also gives practical instruction in biofeedback and other stress-reduction techniques.

Behavioral Therapy to Quit Smoking

Behavioral therapy helps people weaken the link between the stimuli that trigger habitual responses by prescribing specific acts or behaviors to replace smoking. For instance, a smoker may replace smoking with manual activities such as cooking or gardening.

Quit Smoking Support Groups

Support groups often incorporate elements of cognitive and behavior therapy, and have the additional advantage of providing a social network that encourages the smoker to quit. Women appear to benefit from participating in a support group and are more likely than men to join a group.

Health Effects of Smoking on Women & Children

Women, Children and Smoking Effects

Cigarette smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke have a number of harmful effects on women, unborn babies, and children.

Women who smoke are at increased risk for lung cancer and other types of cancer (e.g., cervical cancer, bladder cancer, kidney cancer), heart disease, and chronic lung disease (e.g., COPD, emphysema). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), smoking-related illnesses cause more than 178,000 deaths in women each year in the United States.

Smoking increases the risk for infertility and menstrual disorders, osteoporosis (bone loss), and vision loss associated with cataracts and macular degeneration in women. Women who smoke experience complications from surgery more often than women who do not smoke. Smoking also reduces survival rates in women who are treated for serious illnesses, such as breast cancer.

Women who smoke during pregnancy have a higher risk of stillbirth, premature delivery, and low birth weight. Infants born to women who smoke are at increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and for developing childhood asthma and allergies.

Exposure to secondhand smoke also can affect children's behavior and may cause depression and anxiety, rebelliousness, aggressive behavior, and learning disabilities. Children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy are more likely to begin smoking at a younger age than children of nonsmokers and are at increased risk for drug abuse and conduct disorders in adolescence.

Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking

Smoking Overview & Health Effects of Smoking

Tobacco has a negative effect on almost every organ of the body. According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, resulting in more than 443,000 deaths each year. Worldwide, recent studies have shown that tobacco is responsible for about 6 million deaths each year.

Cigar smokers and smokeless tobacco (chew or spit tobacco) users have similar health risks as cigarette smokers.

Secondhand Smoke

Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS)—or secondhand smoke—results in approximately 3,000 lung cancerdeaths per year in non-smokers. Secondhand smoke is what is given off by the end of the burning cigarette and by the smoker's exhalations.

Short-term Effecs of Smoking

Short-term effects of smoking include more frequent respiratory illnesses such as coughs, colds,bronchitis, and pneumonia. Among children and adolescents exposed to secondhand smoke, rates ofasthma, ear infection and lower respiratory infections are higher.

Long-term Effects of Smoking

The long-term effects of smoking are extensive. There are numerous diseases linked to smoking. Smoking can cause cancer of the mouth and throat and lung cancer, and can increase the risk for stomach (gastric) cancer, kidney cancer, bladder cancer, cervical cancer, and pancreatic cancer. About one third of all cancers are linked to tobacco use—and 90 percent of lung cancer cases are linked to smoking.

Smoking also causes chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, (e.g., emphysema, chronic bronchitis), which is severe lung damage. Smoking reduces blood circulation and narrows blood vessels, depriving the body of oxygen and increasing the risk for heart disease. Non-smokers who are exposed to secondhand smoke are 25 percent more likely to develop heart disease. Smoking also doubles the risk forstroke and increases the risk for developing cataracts.

Smoking poses additional health risks for women. It increases the risk for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and leads to loss of bone density (osteoporosis), increasing the chances of hip and spine fractures in postmenopausal women.

Women of childbearing age who smoke face higher rates of infertility and greater risks for complications during pregnancy. Smoking during pregnancy also increases the unborn baby's health risks (e.g., premature birth, respiratory illnesses, low birth weight). After birth, the risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) doubles for babies exposed to secondhand smoke.

Children and teens are especially vulnerable to the hazards of smoking. Because their bodies are not fully mature, smoking interferes with normal lung development in those who begin smoking as children or adolescents. Young people who smoke may become more strongly addicted to cigarettes and face an even greater risk for developing lung cancer than those who start smoking later in life. Every day, approximately 4,000 children under the age of 18 try a cigarette for the first time and 1,000 become regular smokers.

Teenagers who smoke are more likely to have depression or other psychological problems. They are also more likely to engage in other dangerous behaviors, such as using alcohol and other drugs.

Electronic cigarettes (also known as e-cigarettes) are battery-operated devices that often are designed to look, feel, and taste like tobacco cigarettes. These devices, which may be marketed to young people and sold as a safer alternative to smoking, contain nicotine, flavors, and other substances that are turned into a vapor and are then inhaled. In July 2009, several public health organizations, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), determined that e-cigarettes contain toxic chemicals and cancer-causing agents (carcinogens) and that health claims made by manufacturers of these devices are unproven.

Smart Smoke Now Smoking Everywhere - Quit Smoking and Improve Your Looks

Many years of research by reputable medical bodies has shown that:

• nicotine is more addictive for women
• women who smoke have twice the additional risk of heart attacks, strokes and lung cancer
• lung cancer kills three times the number of American women than breast cancer
• smoking is linked to early menopause
• the aging effect of smoking on the skin is worse for women

Smoking cigarettes accelerates the aging process. And this is proven! Smart Smoke Now Smoking Everywhere

Here's What Smoking Does to Women

Smoking Harms Your Hair

Smokers are 4 times more likely to have these problems with their hair. The chemicals in cigarettes starve your hair of oxygen and make it dull, lifeless and brittle. Smoking can cause your hair to break off. It can cause dull, lank and smelly hair. It contributes to hair loss, greying and balding.

Smoking Ruins Your Skin

It causes premature aging of the skin and ruins your complexion. Loss of skin glow and vitality. It causes premature facial wrinkling and leathery skin. Smoking can also lead to crow's feet. Smoking causes varicose veins. Your skin develops poor healing abilities. It can cause skin cancer. Improves chances of developing psoriasis. It slows your skin's healing rate.

Smoking reduces the amount of blood flowing to the skin and dries it out. It constructs the tiny capillaries that nourish the skin. Smoking prevents oxygen and nutrients from getting to the skin. Over time, this means the skin loses elasticity and gets more wrinkled. The appearance of wrinkled, pale and grayish skin is four to five times more frequent in smokers than non-smokers. In 1971 an extensive study showed that the facial skin of long-term smokers was so terribly wrinkled that they looked as if they were 20 years older! Talk about not aging well.

Tips to Improve Your SkinQuitting smoking improves the blood supply to the skin and gives previously pale skin a more 'natural' appearance. A smoker's skin is more apt to wrinkle because the skin's vitamin A content is low compared with that for a non-smoker. Vitamin A protects the skin against strong chemical substances that may damage or destroy it. Smoking also gets in the way of absorption of vitamin C - a vital antioxidant for skin protection and health By quitting, you will improve your skin tone and colour. You are less likely to get wrinkles around your eyes and mouth from squinting when smoke gets in your eyes and puckering up when you draw on a cigarette. 

The grayish color of the skin is one of the many problems caused by smoking. If you want to look fresh, "attack" the problem internally. Eat fruits rich in vitamin C and foods containing zinc. They stimulate the formation of collagen which is important for the skin. Eat wheat, oat flakes and fish - they are the main source of zinc. To replenish the lack of vitamin A, eat lettuce and carrots. Vitamin E is "responsible" for the youth of your skin. Exfoliate, get facials, use night creams, and take supplements and multivitamins. One of the best multivitamins on the market for smokers and those people who are trying to quit, is Smokers Choice(TM) MultiVitamins.

Nutritional support is a must if you are in this category. As most people know, smoking depletes levels of essential vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants from the body system. Smokers Choice(TM) is a vitamin and antioxidant supplement to address the nutritional needs of today's smokers, those who have recently quit & people exposed to secondhand smoke. Smokers Choice(TM) is specially formulated with powerful antioxidants. It has more of the ingredients shown to help your body fight the harmful effects of smoking.

And, it is designed to be safer for smokers than other products on the market. Smokers Choice(TM) is specifically designed to counteract the potential effect that smoking may have. This formula encompasses those nutrients known to be depleted by smoking and have been shown to be at very low levels in most smokers. By replacing these nutrients and adding other nutrients known to strengthen the natural immune system, you may be able to greatly reduce the risks associated with smoking. Smokers Choice(TM) contains no Beta-Carotene. Beta-Carotene has been found in multiple clinical studies to be potentially harmful to cigarette smokers. Yet, just about every multi-vitamin on the market contains Beta-Carotene. That's simply because those products are designed for non-smokers.

How to Quit Smoking Cigarette in 7 days?

One of the biggest problems faced by the masses worldwide is how to quit smoking cigarette. Even though there are a variety of techniques available in the market which claim to help you quit smoking today, but sadly none of these so called solutions are effective enough. The most commonly available solution which claim in helping you quit smoking cigarette are: gums, hypnosis, pills, therapies and even professional help.

Every person who wants to quit smoking today has experienced spending their money on such fraudulent solution. In the past, such solutions have been widely used by various producers to exploit customers by promising them that they can quit smoking today, but in reality such solutions are merely futile. In order to safeguard your hard earned money, you need to buy only those credible solutions which will in reality help you quit smoking cigarette. One of the most renowned solutions for quitting this hazardous habit is 'Quit Smoking magic'. It is a program which guarantees you to quit smoking cigarette in as little as seven days. 
However, if you think that this is a scam like any other fraudulent product in the market which seeks to offer similar solutions, then you should know that 'Quit Smoking Magic' comes with a complete refund policy.

As compared to other solutions such as Therapy, professional help, books and guides, 'Quit Smoking Habit' presents a fairly easy and comprehensive plan which is guaranteed to help you quit smoking today! With the help of 'Quit Smoking Magic' you would be able to quit smoking cigarette for good. Unlike other solutions, its effects doesn't stay for temporary basis, rather it helps in eliminating the wrath of smoking from its very foundation. Most importantly, other solutions also pose a great risk of side effects. These side effects include insomnia, headaches, dizziness, mood swings, irritation, various infections and in some worse cases it leads to internal bleedings as well. However, the program 'Quit Smoking Magic' does not have any side effects. If you want to verify this fact, then you can sign up for the free trial of 'Quit Smoking Magic'. By signing up for the free trial, you can get firsthand experience of this amazing program and thus understand it for yourself that all claims regarding 'Quit Smoking Magic' helping people quit smoking cigarette are actually true! 

Moreover, the most significant benefits of 'Quit Smoking Magic' include the fact that it is amazingly cheap. You can easily buy this life saving program for just $37. Alongside this amazing deal, you would also be getting 3 other programs for free! These programs include 'How to Whiten Your Teeth', 'End Bad breath', 'How to Clean Your Lungs'. 

So, all you need to do is try 'Quit Smoking Magic' free of cost for as long as 8 weeks. You can go through the entire program thoroughly and then decide for your own self if it is worth purchasing or not - However, we ensure that by the end of your analysis of the program, you wouldn't be disappointed!