Lifestyle changes
As you gradually wean yourself off nicotine, be prepared to experiences withdrawal symptoms as the brain chemical dopamine diminishes. You may feel moody, anxious or depressed, particularly in the first two weeks. Remember, exercise can help prevent these feelings, as can a variety of other activities. Take a warm bath, meditate, read and upbeat book or call a good friend. Many former smokers find deep rhythmic breathing helpful because it stimulates the sensation of smoking (you can learn how in yoga classes).
Medications
While quitting tobacco without any help from drugs is certainly preferable, doctors do now recommend certain nonprescription and prescription medications for those who've repeatedly tried and failed. The most popular are nicotine replacement products, which put low doses of nicotine into your blood without the cancer-causing contaminants. In fact, some people find that using two of these nicotine products at once (such as the patch and the inhaler) works better than one alone. Be aware that side effects are possible, so read instructions carefully and report any unusual symptoms to your doctor---regardless of which products you choose.
Follow this systematic withdrawal plan over four weeks and, with persistence, you'll have quit--hopefully permanently.
The vast majority of smokers who relapse do so during the two weeks immediately after quitting. When withdrawal symptoms are greatest. During this difficult time, try to focus on the positive things you're doing for your body. This timetable shows you just how quickly your health improves after your last cigarette.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TIME AFTER QUITTING HEALTH BENEFITS
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just 20 minutes Blood pressure and plus normalise.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8 hours Blood levels of carbon monoxide and oxygen levels return
to normal.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
24 hours Risk of heart attack drops.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
48 hours Nerve endings begin to regenerate, increasing your sense
of smell and taste.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
72 hours Bronchial tubes relax, improving your lung capacity.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 weeks to 3 months Lung function improves by up to 30%
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 to 9 months Less coughing; fewer colds and sinus infections; more
energy; and even greater lung capacity.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In studies, Zyban combined with nicotine replacement has the highest quit rate--and using them together is more effective and successful than either method alone.
Is there such a thing as a safe tobacco product?
In a word: no. Studies show that people who switch from regular cigarettes to those that are low-tar, light or low-nicotine not only inhale the same amount of car-cinogens but may even increase their cancer risk by smoking more--and inhaling more deeply and more often. And while cigars and pipes may appear safer than cigarettes, cigar and pipe smokers are still 50-70% more likely to suffer lung cancer than non-smokers. Smokeless tobacco is no better. Although you don't inhale it into your lungs, the chemicals do enter the mucous membranes in your mouth and upper air-ways, making you more likely to suffer cancers of the mouth, throat and oesophagus.
Procedures
Counselling provided by a smoking cessation specialist or a psychologist trained in this area has been found to help more than 25 percent of those who quit. It is especially effective when combined with nicotine replacement. Such counsellors give you tips on dealing with your new smoke-free lifestyle and teach you to control the triggers that encouraged you to light up in the first place.
Natural methods
There are no alternative treatments that have been definitively shown to help you quit smoking. However, many people swear by acupuncture, an ancient Chinese method in which thin needles are inserted at key points on your body. In addition to using the needles, the acpuncturist may also attach tiny staples or small pellets to the edge of your ear. You need to press on these whenever you crave a cigarette. Doing so is thought to stimulate a part of the brain connected with addictive behaviour, and it appears to defuse your recurring urge to smoke.
As you gradually wean yourself off nicotine, be prepared to experiences withdrawal symptoms as the brain chemical dopamine diminishes. You may feel moody, anxious or depressed, particularly in the first two weeks. Remember, exercise can help prevent these feelings, as can a variety of other activities. Take a warm bath, meditate, read and upbeat book or call a good friend. Many former smokers find deep rhythmic breathing helpful because it stimulates the sensation of smoking (you can learn how in yoga classes).
Medications
While quitting tobacco without any help from drugs is certainly preferable, doctors do now recommend certain nonprescription and prescription medications for those who've repeatedly tried and failed. The most popular are nicotine replacement products, which put low doses of nicotine into your blood without the cancer-causing contaminants. In fact, some people find that using two of these nicotine products at once (such as the patch and the inhaler) works better than one alone. Be aware that side effects are possible, so read instructions carefully and report any unusual symptoms to your doctor---regardless of which products you choose.
- The nicotine patch. Sold over the counter in varying strengths, the patch (NicabateCQ, Nicorette Patch, QuitX) delivers a steady dose of nicotine through your skin. As the weeks progress, you wear the patch less often or switch to one with a lower potency. Because it takes 2 to 4 hours to deliver the drug, the patch won't counteract sudden cravings. If you're a two-pack-a-day smoker, discuss using two patches with your doctor.
- Nictoine gum. This nonprescription gum (Nicorette, Nicotinell) allows you to gradually decrease the amount of nicotine you're getting while satisfying the need to have something in your mouth. you chew the gum until it releases the peppery-tasting nicotine, then you tuck the gum between your gum and check, allowing the drug to be absorbed through the mucous membranes. Each piece lasts about 30 minutes, and most people chew 10 to 15 pieces a day at first, cutting back to half that after two weeks. Because the gum itself can be addictive, it's important to stop using it after you have quit tobacco.
- Nicotine lozenges. Sold over the counter under the brand name NicabateCQ Lozenges, these lozenges come in different strengths and can be taken every 1 to 2 hours when you first give up cigarettes. Over time, you can allow a longer time between lozenges.
- Nicotine inhaler. A prescription product, the inhaler (Nicorette Inhaler) looks like a short cigarette with a plastic mouthpiece; it is intentionally designed to stimulate the act of smoking. A replaceable cartridge inside the inhaler releases small amounts of nicotine when you draw on it.
- Another non-nicotine aid for quitting is the antidepressant drug buproprion hydro-chloride (Zyban) marketed for smoking cessation. How zyban works is unknown, but it appears to alter the particular brain chemistry that affects cravings and depression.
Follow this systematic withdrawal plan over four weeks and, with persistence, you'll have quit--hopefully permanently.
- Week 1: divide the number of minutes you're awake by the number of cigarettes you smoke in a day. For example, if you wake at 7 a.m. and hit the sack at 11 p.m., you're awake for 960 minutes a day. If you smoke a pack a day (20 cigarettes), divide 960 (your waking minutes) by 20 (your daily cigarettes). Your answer 48, equals the number of minutes you wait between smokes. Based on your answer, create a daily smoking schedule. For example, using the hypothetical answer from above, you would smoke your first cigarette at 7 a.m. your next at 7.48 a.m., your next at 8.36 a.m. and so on. You can smoke only at these intervals (set a timer if necessary); if you miss a set time, you must skip the cigarette.
- Week 2: reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke by a third and then recalculate the amount of time between cigarettes based on the new number.
- Week 3: reduce the number of cigarettes again by a third, and again recalculate the time between smokes based on the lower number.
- Week 4: congratulations, you just quilt. Toss all of your smoking paraphernalia--your cigarettes (or pipe tobacco, cigars, snuff), your lighters, your matches, your ashtrays--in the rubbish. Now give yourself a reward.
The vast majority of smokers who relapse do so during the two weeks immediately after quitting. When withdrawal symptoms are greatest. During this difficult time, try to focus on the positive things you're doing for your body. This timetable shows you just how quickly your health improves after your last cigarette.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TIME AFTER QUITTING HEALTH BENEFITS
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just 20 minutes Blood pressure and plus normalise.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8 hours Blood levels of carbon monoxide and oxygen levels return
to normal.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
24 hours Risk of heart attack drops.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
48 hours Nerve endings begin to regenerate, increasing your sense
of smell and taste.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
72 hours Bronchial tubes relax, improving your lung capacity.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 weeks to 3 months Lung function improves by up to 30%
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 to 9 months Less coughing; fewer colds and sinus infections; more
energy; and even greater lung capacity.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In studies, Zyban combined with nicotine replacement has the highest quit rate--and using them together is more effective and successful than either method alone.
Is there such a thing as a safe tobacco product?
In a word: no. Studies show that people who switch from regular cigarettes to those that are low-tar, light or low-nicotine not only inhale the same amount of car-cinogens but may even increase their cancer risk by smoking more--and inhaling more deeply and more often. And while cigars and pipes may appear safer than cigarettes, cigar and pipe smokers are still 50-70% more likely to suffer lung cancer than non-smokers. Smokeless tobacco is no better. Although you don't inhale it into your lungs, the chemicals do enter the mucous membranes in your mouth and upper air-ways, making you more likely to suffer cancers of the mouth, throat and oesophagus.
Procedures
Counselling provided by a smoking cessation specialist or a psychologist trained in this area has been found to help more than 25 percent of those who quit. It is especially effective when combined with nicotine replacement. Such counsellors give you tips on dealing with your new smoke-free lifestyle and teach you to control the triggers that encouraged you to light up in the first place.
Natural methods
There are no alternative treatments that have been definitively shown to help you quit smoking. However, many people swear by acupuncture, an ancient Chinese method in which thin needles are inserted at key points on your body. In addition to using the needles, the acpuncturist may also attach tiny staples or small pellets to the edge of your ear. You need to press on these whenever you crave a cigarette. Doing so is thought to stimulate a part of the brain connected with addictive behaviour, and it appears to defuse your recurring urge to smoke.
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