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How to Quit Smoking
Want to quit smoking? You're not alone. Each year, more and more people choose to quit smoking cigarettes. This explains the rapid increase of smoking cessation doctors in Las Vegas, NV and in other parts of the U.S.
Within hours of stopping cigarettes, your body starts to recover from the effects of nicotine and additives. Blood pressure, heart rate, and body temperature -- all of which are elevated because of the nicotine in cigarettes -- return to healthier levels. Your lung capacity increases and the bronchial tubes relax, making breathing easier. Poisonous carbon monoxide in your blood decreases, allowing the blood to carry more oxygen.
For many reasons, quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do -- for your short- and long-term health. Speak to smoking cessation physicians in Las Vegas, NV or your area for more information.
Is It Hard to Quit Smoking?
It's a challenge to quit smoking. How much difficulty you will have depends on several factors, including:
- The number of cigarettes you smoke daily
- The number of people you spend time with who smoke (parents, friends, and co-workers)
- The reasons you smoke (weight control, social situations, peer pressure)
Why Is Smoking So Addictive?
Blame nicotine, the main drug in tobacco, for your smoking addiction. Your brain quickly adapts to nicotine and develops a tolerance for it, meaning you need to smoke more to get the same rush you used to get with just one cigarette. And when you develop a tolerance to a drug, you're usually addicted. Did you know that nicotine acts on some of the same brain pathways as cocaine?
Tolerance happens when your brain tries to keep itself balanced. Chemicals from the cigarette make the brain release chemicals called norepinephrine and dopamine. If the brain releases too much of these two chemicals, the brain chemistry gets imbalanced and releases its own "anti-nicotine" chemicals when you smoke. These "anti-nicotine" chemicals would make you feel down, depressed, and tired if you were not smoking.
Over time, the brain learns to predict when you are going to smoke a cigarette -- and releases the "anti-nicotine" chemicals. These chemicals make you feel depressed and tired, so you think, "I need a cigarette!"
A "trigger" is anything your brain has connected with smoking. Everyone's triggers are different. Yours might include the smell of cigarette smoke, having an ashtray next to you, seeing a carton of cigarettes at the store, having certain food or drinks, ending a good meal, or talking with someone with whom you normally smoke cigarettes. Sometimes just the way you feel (sad or happy) is a trigger. One of the biggest keys to quitting smoking is understanding the triggers that make you crave smoking. Smoking cessation doctors in Las Vegas, NV and other areas can help work with you on an individual basis to help identify you particular smoking habits, and how to break them.
But I Really Want to Quit Smoking!
There are different ways to quit smoking. Some work better than others. The best strategy is to choose a method that will challenge you to quit, but also one that you can achieve. Get the support of smoking cessation physicians in Las Vegas, NV or other areas to help you active optimal success.
Here are some additional suggestions for ways to stop smoking:
- Cold turkey (no outside help). About 90% of people who try to quit smoking do it without outside support -- no aids, therapy, or medicine. Although many people try to quit this way, it is not always the most effective and successful method. Only about 10% of people who try to quit this way succeed on their first try.
- Behavioral therapy. With behavioral therapy and through various smoking cessation clinics in Las Vegas, NV, you visit a therapist who will help you find the most effective way to quit. The therapist will help you to identify your triggers, come up with ways to get through cravings, and provide emotional support when you need it most.
- Nicotine replacement therapy. Nicotine gum, patches, inhalers, and lozenges are nicotine replacement therapies (called NRT). Replacement therapy works by giving you nicotine without you having to smoke. You may be 50% to 100% more likely quit smoking if you use nicotine replacement therapy. But if you're under 18, you need to get your doctor's permission to use nicotine replacement therapy. This therapy works best when combined with behavioral therapy and lots of support from friends and family.
- Medicine. Some drugs, including Zyban and Chantix, are formulated to help people quit smoking. Your doctor must prescribe these medications.
- Combination treatments. Using a combination of treatment methods can increase your chances of quitting. For example, using both a nicotine patch and gum may be better than a patch alone. Other proven combination treatments include behavioral therapy through smoking cessation clinics in Las Vegas, NV and other cities and nicotine replacement therapy, prescription medication with a nicotine patch, and nicotine patch and nicotine spray.
Your New Rules for Quitting Smoking
There are some important things to remember when quitting smoking:
- Know your triggers and avoid them early on. Try to stay away from situations that normally make you feel like smoking, especially during the first three months. This is when you are most likely to start smoking again.
- Know that the first few days are the toughest. If you are quitting "cold turkey," the first few days are the hardest. You will probably feel irritable, depressed, slow, and tired. Once you get past those first days, you will begin to feel normal (but still have cigarette cravings).
- Don't give in to your craving to smoke. Every time you don't smoke when you have a craving, your chances of quitting successfully go up.
- Start a new activity with friends who don't smoke. This can increase your chances of quitting smoking.
Perhaps smoking is a real part of your identity and your life. Giving up a part of your identity is difficult. You may feel sad that you do not smoke anymore. This is a normal feeling. But remember that feeling sad may be one of your triggers.
Quit-Smoking Drugs and Nicotine Patches and Gums
What can help you quit smoking?
As per the specialists at smoking cessation clinics in Las Vegas, NV and other areas, quitting smoking is never easy. But a growing number of smoking cessation aids make it easier than ever for smokers to break their addiction to nicotine. Contributing greatly also are the support of smoking cessation physicians in Las Vegas, NV and in other cities throughout the United States.
Research suggests that medications and nicotine replacement therapies can double and sometimes even triple the chances that a smoker will successfully quit. Some of these treatments also help to minimize weight gain while quitting -- an important plus for many smokers who want to kick the habit.
With a growing number of options available, smoking cessation doctors in Las Vegas, NV and other doctors are now able to create personalized treatment plans tailored to an individual smoker’s needs and preferences.
What’s right for you? Here are stop-smoking aids and drugs to consider:
Nicotine Replacement Therapies
The idea is simple. To help smokers manage nicotine withdrawal, nicotine replacement therapies deliver the potent drug in ways that are far healthier and safer than cigarettes. Ideally, ex-smokers can gradually reduce the amount of nicotine or stop nicotine replacement therapy all at once after they’ve broken the habit of smoking. Even when used for long periods of time, nicotine replacement therapies are far safer than smoking. Quit rates range from 19% to 26%.
Is it right for you? If you’ve tried to quit before and failed because the craving for nicotine was too strong, nicotine replacement therapies may help. Gum, lozenges, and patches are available over-the-counter. Nasal sprays and inhalers require a prescription. Gums and lozenges are handy to use and offer something for smokers to put in their mouths instead of a cigarette. Some smokers prefer inhalers because the process of inhaling mimics smoking a cigarette. All of these forms are about equally effective and they can be used in combination. Indeed, evidence suggests that combining patches with inhalers, gum, or nasal sprays improves long-term quit rates. But you cannot continue to smoke while using nicotine replacement therapy. You must quit tobacco before you take alternate forms of nicotine.
Expert advice: “Don’t be in too much of a hurry to go off nicotine replacement,” says Scott McIntosh, PhD, associate professor of community and preventive medicine at the University of Rochester in New York and director of the Greater Rochester Area Tobacco Cessation Center. “One common problem we see is people stopping too early and then experiencing cravings that they can’t resist.” McIntosh recommends using nicotine replacement therapies for two to three months. And after you’ve stopped using them, he recommends keeping some gum or lozenges handy just in case you suddenly experience an intense craving.
Chantix (Varenicline)
Varenicline, the latest antismoking drug to win FDA approval, works by blocking nicotine receptors in the brain. It is sold under the trade name Chantix in the U.S. and Champix in other parts of the world. Chantix is usually prescribed for a 12-week period, with the option of another 12-week maintenance course. About 33% of smokers who use the drug successfully quit.
Is it right for you? Chantix is effective in lessening nicotine cravings and has helped many smokers successful quit. Unlike Zyban, it should not be used in combination with nicotine replacement therapies (unless under a doctor’s supervision.) In 2008, the FDA issued warnings about adverse side effects, including nausea, sleep problems, depression, agitation, and even suicidal thoughts. Researchers don’t know for sure whether some of the more serious side effects are caused by the drug or by nicotine withdrawal.
Expert advice: “If you and your doctor decide to try Chantix, it’s important to monitor your moods and alert your doctor immediately if you notice any change,” says Steven Schroeder, MD, director of the Smoking Cessation Leadership Center at the University of California, San Francisco. Some of the less serious but still unpleasant side effects of the drug, such as sleep problems and nausea, often go away over time.
Zyban (Bupropion SR)
Approved in 1997, Zyban acts on chemicals in the brain to ease nicotine withdrawal symptoms, making it easier for smokers to resist the craving to light up. The pills are usually taken twice a day for a period of seven to 12 weeks. Some ex-smokers may need to remain on Zyban for longer periods. About 24% of smokers who use Zyban successfully quit.
Is it right for you? Zyban is especially helpful for people with intense nicotine withdrawal symptoms. It can be used alone or in combination with nicotine replacement therapies such as patches or gum. The drug is not recommended for people with seizure disorders, bulimia, anorexia, or patients who have recently used a monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor. The most common side effects are dry mouth and insomnia. In rare cases, Zyban can worsen psychiatric symptoms such as depression and anxiety.
Expert advice: Zyban should be started a week or two before your quit date to tame nicotine withdrawal symptoms. Like all drugs, it should be taken as recommended.
Counseling and Support
Counseling and support groups have been shown to improve a smoker’s odds of successfully quitting. Counseling takes many forms, from a doctor’s advice to a formal smoking cessation program such as those offered by medical centers and community health organizations. Online support in the form of “quitlines” has also proved very helpful. Counseling typically includes advice on how to recognize smoking triggers, strategies to resist cravings, how to prepare for your quit day, ongoing support during the first few months of quitting, and other assistance. Counseling can be combined with all forms of smoking-cessation aids.
Is it right for you? Counseling and support is invaluable for almost all smokers who want to quit. Personal preference is the most important criteria, so choose the kind of program that feels right for you. If you thrive in the company of other people, look for a smoking-cessation program that meets in your community. If you want to go it alone, check out the growing number of online support groups and “quitlines.” Good places to start include the National Cancer Institute’s web site on smoking cessation or the North American Quitline Consortium. You can also call the federal government’s quitline at 800-QUITNOW, or seek out the services of smoking cessation clinics in Las Vegas, NV or a city near you.
Expert advice: The more support and counseling you receive, research suggests, the better your odds of success.
Fees for Smoking Cessation with Patient First Wellness Center
Initial Visit: $75
Follow-up Visit: $75
If you have questions or concerns, please call (702) 474-6300 for more information.
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