Anti Smoking Prescription

Smoking is one of the leading causes of preventable deaths. As a matter of fact, it causes one out of five deaths in the United States each year. Around 1,200 Americans die because of smoking everyday. Aside from the scare that people get from these mind-blowing figures, a lot of smokers would like to quit in order to look better. Cigarette smoking does have adverse effects such as premature aging, tooth decay, and hair loss. Some people would also like to have a better fitness level.

Whatever the reason is for quitting, there are now many support systems available in the market that can help a person to quit smoking. One of them is the stop smoking pill that is available in the market.

The New Stop Smoking Pill in The Market

Last May, a new stop smoking pill was approved by the Food and Drug Administration or FDA. This is the second nicotine-free quit smoking pill that has gained federal approval, adding to the limited pool of effective drugs for smoking cessation.

Varenicline was shown to help more than one out of five smokers to stop smoking after using it for a year. This stop smoking pill inhibits the feelings of pleasure that smokers feel when they light up a cigarette as well as the withdrawal symptoms associated with quitting. This product will now be available to the public under the brand name, Chantix. This new stop smoking pill should be taken twice a day for a minimum of twelve weeks in order to be able to quit smoking.

The First Nicotine-Free Stop Smoking Pill

The first stop smoking pill that was approved by the FDA in 1997 is Zyban, the brand name for a sustained-released tablet form of bupropion hydrochloride. Bupropion hydrochloride is the same drug that is used as an anti-depressant. This is sold under the name of Wellbutrin SR.

By boosting the levels of dopamine and norepinephrine in the body and inducing the same feelings that are brought about by the flow of nicotine in the body, this stop smoking pill can take away the need for a cigarette. Because this product can give a person a sense of energy and well-being, it’s very effective in reducing withdrawal symptoms and weaning people out of their nicotine addiction.

This stop smoking pill only works after the person has taken it for a week and has accumulated a sufficient amount of the drug in his body. It should be taken twice a day for a week before a person stops smoking. Most smokers tend to take this pill ten to twelve weeks longer in order to fully give up smoking.

Although the pills that are mentioned above are great for people who want to stop smoking, they should not be taken by women who are pregnant and breast-feeding. They can also be bad for people with a history of eating disorders like anorexia nervosa and bulimia. For these reasons, these stop smoking pills should only be taken with a doctor’s prescription.

One of the hardest things to do is stop smoking cold turkey style. Personally its not one of the best methods. If you’re looking to stop smoking maybe its not all about the technique, maybe its about personal reasons. It could be a close friend or family member that has had lung cancer that can scare you to stop smoking.

Sometimes if you see someone that you love or someone that you know suddenly come across lung cancer or any smoking related cancer it can really give you a big scare. It will either help you stop smoking of give you a good reason to start looking at stopping.

If you’re like me and need facts along with a good reason to stop smoking then you should know a few things about your body and the effects prolong smoking can have on your body now and in the future.

Below is a few pointers on some health benefits for people who are planning to quit smoking and it applies to people of ALL ages. Did you know that if you quit smoking it can decrease your overall risk of death (including all possible causes) by almost 50% in 15 years? This is something that already scares me.

Benefits To Your Cardiovascular

When you smoke the nicotine in gets into your blood and it causes your blood to thicken maybe even clot. If you stop smoking the risk of getting a heart attack is reduced by 50% and this is within a 24 hour period of quitting.

And the risk of having a stroke or a brian aneurysm is also decreased by a further 30% to 50% if you stop smoking right now.

Respiratory System Benefits

Your risk of getting lung cancer from prolong smoking is decreased by around 80% to 90% after 15 plus years from the day you quit. So this means that you chances of getting lung cancer is pretty high for the first 10 years. You’ll also be glad to know if you stop smoking right now, three months from today your smokers’ cough is most likely to disappear.

And if you stop smoking your lungs will stop ageing as fast. This is due to the sensitivity of your lungs and as you age so does your lungs however if you smoke a lot your chances of your lungs age faster is increased.

If you’re serious to stop smoking then you’ll need to have a really good reason or seek professional help. When you stop smoking you will extend your life almost immediately however some people are lucky enough to live their life smoking all they want and never get lung cancer. But who’s going to take that risk. Stop smoking today and save yourself.

Few things in life are as difficult as stopping smoking. The tobacco addiction has been compared to heroin addiction, though I have talked to counselors who work with heroin addicts and smokers and they have assured me that tobacco addiction, while strong, is not really as powerful or difficult to manage as heroin addiction. But one thing both addictions have in common, in fact, that all addictions have in common, is that once a human being is addicted to a substance, the addiction, though it may be managed, lasts for a life time. So if you are a smoker today you will be a smoker for life. You may stop smoking for years, but if you start to smoke, thinking you will smoke occasionally, then you will soon find yourself right back where you started, wishing you had never tried to smoke a little. It is the same as if you were managing an alcohol addiction, a reformed alcoholic can’t take “just one drink,” and a reformed smoker can’t take “just one puff.”

The worst part of stopping smoking is the immediate withdrawal symptoms which may vary from person to person, but are found in almost every incidence of smoking cessation. The first 72 hours are the critical hours when smokers find it the hardest to stick with the stop smoking plan. Therefore, it is important to look ahead and make plans for how you will deal with the symptoms. That should be the first step in your stop smoking program. Ask yourself, “What will I do if I crave a cigarette?” If there are times when you are more likely to smoke, like after a meal, while driving, while out drinking with friends, for instance, then you should plan ahead and think of ways to deal with those situations. Having a clear plan that you can fall back on will make your chances of quitting a lot better.

The old saying, “Those who fail to plan, plan to fail,” certainly applies to many misguided attempts to stop smoking. One mistake that smokers often make is thinking that they will think of something creative when the time comes to deal with a strong urge to smoke, or they ignore that possibility and disregard the danger of giving in to the urge to smoke. If you don’t manage your smoking habit, then your smoking habit will soon be managing you. Isn’t that what has been happening all along?

Very few people manage to stop smoking on their first try. It often takes several attempts before the smoker successfully handles the addiction. The reason for this is twofold. First, when you first try to stop smoking you don’t know exactly what to expect. You may have heard other people talk about their attempts and experiences, but since no two people are exactly alike, you still don’t know for sure how your attempts to stop smoking will feel or affect you. Secondly, since you don’t know what it feels like to stop smoking it is difficult to plan ahead for ways that you will deal with cravings and other urges that may occur.

Once you have attempted to stop smoking a few times you will know how your body reacts to nicotine deprivation and the psychological affect of giving up smoking. So it is wise to consider each attempt, whether completely successful or not, as a positive step toward stopping smoking. The first few attempts are trial runs, training efforts, and learning experiences. Each experience, no matter how painful or frustrating, can be looked at as a valuable lesson and that will help to relieve the frustration and disappointment of a failed attempt.

Another valuable resource that should not be overlooked is the advice of people who have been able to stop smoking and professional counselors who help with addictions. Their advice and support can help you to avoid some of the pitfalls. When you decide to stop smoking you are making one of the biggest and potentially life saving decisions of your life, so using every possible aid at your disposal makes good sense. It all starts with a good plan.

On May 11, 2006, the FDA cave its approval to the drug Pfizer’s new stop smoking drug, varenicline tartrate, or Chantix. Chantix offers an alternative to those who have depended on nicotine-base patches and gums to wean them from their nicotine cravings so that they can give up cigarettes.

The flaw in using nicotine products to stop smoking has always been that the former smoker never had any way to be certain that he or she had actually broken the addiction to nicotine. If the addiction remains, the nicotine cravings will eventually resurface, as they do in the majority of people who have tired to permanently stop smoking.

How Chantix Works

The new stop smoking drug Chantix, however, takes a different approach to the problem of nicotine addiction. It does what the nicotine gum and patches do, without their nicotine. The new stop smoking drug stimulates the brain to release small doses of dopamine, which lessen the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal; and it blocks the nicotine receptors in your brain, so that if you do succumb to temptation and light up, the warm fuzzies you feel won’t be nearly as warm or fuzzy as you are used to them being.

The theory behind the new stop smoking drug is that if the fun of cigarette smoking is gone, your desire to go out and drop your dollars on the weekly supply will go as well.

Chantix may be the new stop smoking drug, but it’s not the only one. The anti-depressant Wellbutrin was found to help smokers kick their habits, and reincarnated as the anti-smoking drug Zyban. But Chantix, as a new stop smoking drug, offers an alternative for those smokers who do not like the idea of taking an anti-depressant. With smoking having become the enormous public health problem that it is, anything which can help people give up tobacco is welcome.

Chantix, in addition, has been shown to limit the weight gain which so often accompanies smokers’ efforts to quit. The new stop smoking drug hasn’t been available to the public long enough to judge its success as a long-term answer for smokers, but trials have shown that over 40% of those who used it for the initial twelve-week course of treatment succeeded in quitting, and between 14 and 24 percent remained smoke-free after a year.

How To Take Chantix

The new stop smoking drug is taken once a day in pill form for the first part of the twelve week treatment, and then increased to twice daily. Gradually increasing the dosage is designed to reduce the risk of side effects, which have included nausea and vomiting, sleeplessness and strange dreams, and a change in the taste of certain foods.

Because the new stop smoking drug has FDA-approval, you may find its cost covered by your health insurance.

It is also important to keep in mind that these stop smoking drugs are not magic pills that can instantly wipe out that habit which you’ve been stuck with for years. These stop smoking drugs can only help when you’re ready to take the correct path and decide never to look back.

How long have you been smoking? Whether it’s twenty years, thirty years, or maybe longer than you can remember, you’ll be glad to know that even “career smokers” can improve their health when they stop smoking and feel better almost immediately.

You’ve probably heard negative comments from other smokers, like: “Why should I stop now? I’ve been smoking my entire life,” or “My lungs are already damaged beyond repair. Stopping smoking now won’t make any difference.”

Fortunately, those beliefs are myths. With a little perseverance, will power, and maybe some outside help if needed, you can kick your smoking habit and reverse a good deal of the damage. Many smokers are surprised to learn that health improvements can occur within a matter of days.
Experience Immediate Results When You Stop Smoking

While most ex-smokers will tell you the first week is the hardest, they fail to mention the immediate health benefits from stopping smoking. Smokers are often so focused on their addiction and withdrawal symptoms that at first they might not realize the positive changes taking place in their bodies.

These are some common changes that occur within the first three days of stopping smoking:

1. Drop in pulse rate and blood pressure- Smoking has been known to increase the risk of high blood pressure. Within days of stopping smoking, most people experience a drop in their overall blood pressure and heart rate.

2. Increase in energy- After breaking your smoking habit, you should notice an increase in energy. Former smokers who suffered from fatigue often see an improvement in energy and stamina.

3. Nicotine elimination- In a matter of days, nicotine is eliminated from the body. The result is a boost to your senses. Foods will seem tastier than before and you’ll be more aware of both fragrant and foul smelling odors.

4. Breathing improvements- As changes occur in the bronchial tubes, breathing will become less of a chore. You’ll find your breathing will get lighter and more relaxed.

5. Carbon monoxide reduced- Smokers have an unhealthy level of carbon monoxide in the blood. In less than a day after stopping smoking, carbon monoxide levels will start to decrease, resulting in an increase of oxygen in the blood.

6. Lung cleansing- After carbon monoxide is removed from the blood stream, the lungs begin a much needed cleansing process. The heavy tar buildup that has accumulated in the lungs slowly starts to clear.

7. Healthier skin- Did you ever notice how some smokers have a dull, pasty complexion? By stopping smoking, you can improve your skin tone and reduce and prevent wrinkles.

Long Term Health Benefits From Stopping Smoking

Since smoking takes a gradual toll on your body, it’s unrealistic to expect all health improvements to occur overnight. Although you might not feel like a million dollars right away, rest assured that by stopping smoking now you’ll eventually experience major health improvements.

Here are some of the long-term benefits of breaking your smoking habit:

1. Less coughing- If coughing and hacking are a part of your daily routine, over the next several months these problems should decrease or be eliminated as the oxygen level in the lungs increases.

2. Easier exercise- Forget about huffing and puffing just to get up the stairs. Stopping smoking will improve your circulation, thus making exercise and everyday chores much simpler.

3. Fewer heart problems- Did you know smokers are at a greater risk when it comes to heart attacks? Thankfully the chance of having a heart attack will slowly start to decrease upon stopping smoking. After about ten years off tobacco, most former smokers no longer have an inflated risk for a heart attack. Even smokers who have already suffered from heart problems can reduce their risk of an additional heart attack by stopping smoking.

4. Reduced risk of lung disease- Perhaps the most common reason for stopping smoking is the fear of lung cancer. It’s true that the lungs take the most time to recover from cigarette smoking. But generally after a period of about ten years, most smokers will have reduced their chances of developing lung cancer by fifty percent.

Increase Your Life Expectancy… At Any Age

Whether you’re 35, 50, or 70 years old, the time to stop smoking is now. While younger smokers may tend to recover better from the ill effects of smoking, people of all ages can improve their overall health and increase life expectancy.

The key to success is to stop smoking before any serious health complications arise such as lung cancer or emphysema. However, if you have been diagnosed with either of these conditions or some other tobacco related illness, you can still boost your chances of recovery by stopping smoking immediately.

While receiving treatment for a serious illness, your body needs to be in the healthiest state possible. The sooner you stop smoking, the sooner your stress levels will decline, boosting your immune system to ward off life threatening diseases and conditions.