Very few smokers can quit cold turkey because of the physical and emotional pain of withdrawal.  Cigarettes are made with addictive substances (tobacco and ammonia) that create cravings for continuation.  It’s not the high that smokers want to reproduce; it’s the pain they don’t want to feel from withdrawal.

Quitting options

One option for attempting to withdraw from cigarettes is to use drugs.  This approach is called NRT because the drugs are intended to block your brain from withdrawal symptoms.  However, there are negative side effects to any drug.

NRT

You could try alternate sources of nicotine such as nicotine gum, lozenges and patches.  The idea is to enable you to wean yourself on a gradual basis without going cold turkey on nicotine after going cold turkey on cigarettes.

Given the nature of nicotine’s chemical effect on our brains, it’s no surprise that other chemicals can loosen the addictive hold.

At the Mayo Clinic, for example, patients are provided with individually tailored regimens that mix and match nicotine-replacement therapy:

Bupropion (brand name Zyban) an antidepressant that curbs cravings by raising available dopamine.  Click here to see what Stop Smoking has to say about Zyban.  Zyban has its own site, www.zyban.com.

Chantix, a drug that blocks nicotine in the brain, eliminating smoking’s kick.  In 2006, smokers were handed this new weapon against addiction, Chantix, a drug that mimics nicotine and both eases withdrawal and prevents relapse.  It’s an effective med with one alarming risk.  The FDA warns there’s a “likely” link between Chantix and serious neuropsychiatric symptoms.

Is Chantix worth the risk?

The Federal Aviation Administration in 2008 removed the smoking cessation drug from the list of medications considered safe for pilots and air-traffic controllers after a study linked the medication to mental confusion and other problems that could put passengers at risk.  Other Chantix side effects include depression, agitation, suicidal behavior and blackouts. Chantix raises the risk for anyone who flies or drives a vehicle.  Be warned if you drive a car.

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