Are nicotine replacement therapies and other medications helpful?

Using medication in the beginning stages of quitting smoking can be very, very helpful. At this time, the use of medication is showing the highest rate of success, with the combination of the nicotine patches and the antidepressant, Zyban, having the highest rates of success. If you have been a heavy smoker, the use of medication is especially helpful. If you have been a light smoker, the use of medication is not necessary unless you have problems with strong cigarette cravings, depression, or anxiety. All medications that are currently approved for smoking cessation in the United States are intended for temporary use in the initial stages of quitting.

There are currently four types of nicotine replacement therapies (NRT's) available to assist you: the gum, patch, nasal spray, and inhaler. The gum and patches are available over-the-counter without a physician's prescription, and the nasal spray and inhaler require a prescription. In general, NRT's reduce the severity of nicotine withdrawal symptoms and cigarette cravings, and give you the time to establish new behavior patterns as you slowly withdraw from nicotine. The gum, nasal spray, and inhaler are self-administered, which means that you take them yourself and have more control over the dosage levels. The patches are not self-administered and deliver specific amounts of nicotine in a continuous way, keeping the nicotine levels in your blood at a more constant level than with the self-administered NRT's. It is very important not to cut the patches to reduce the dosage because the nicotine can ooze out of them and cause injury to your skin or sickness from nicotine overdose. If you want to use a lower level of NRT than your current patches provide, switch to a self-administered form of NRT.

One medication, that is not an NRT, has been approved for the treatment of smoking cessation, Zyban. Zyban is also sold under the name of Wellbutrin when it is used as an antidepressant. Zyban affects the neurotransmitters, dopamine and norepinephrine, and it produces a state of "alert-relaxation" similar to nicotine. It has shown to be particularly helpful for heavy smokers, especially when combined with the nicotine patches.

If you are considering using a medication to help you quit smoking, you should consult your physician before you begin. Even the over-the-counter NRT's can affect blood pressure and heart rate, and your physician should be alerted to the major lifestyle change that you are about to make. You should not feel ashamed to rely on medication to help you quit; rather, think of it as a sign of the degree of your commitment. It is far more important for you to quit smoking and succeed than to refuse very helpful assistance and fail. Only five percent of heavy smokers who quit cold turkey, without the use of any medicines, actually succeed in quitting. Your odds for success, especially if you smoke more than 15 cigarettes a day, are much higher with the help of these effective medications!