European Respiratory Society (ERS) expert, Prof. Riccardo Polosa, has answered questions on what causes addiction, how to quit smoking and the benefits of anti-smoking drugs available for patients and the general public. All questions were provided by the public in reply to our Smoking and the lungs factsheet, which can be found at: www.european-lung-foundation.org The European Lung Foundation (ELF) is the public voice of the European Respiratory Society (ERS), a not-for-profit medical organisation with more than 10000 members in more than 100 countries. The ELF is dedicated to lung health throughout Europe, and draws together the leading European medical experts to provide patient information and raise public awareness about respiratory disease.
You know you’re not doing yourself any favors by continuing to smoke, yet despite your best intentions, the first thing you do each day is light up a cigarette. If you’re wondering whether you’ll ever be able to quit, consider this. Smoking – nicotine – is addictive, and with any addiction, quitting brings with it withdrawal symptoms. You can conquer these.
There are many ways to quit smoking. There is the “cold turkey” method where you simply decide to stop. You throw away your cigarettes and you just quit – cold turkey. This method is appealing to many people because they seem to be able to get it over with quickly. Withdrawal symptoms will occur, but as long as their mind is firmly focused on the desire to quit, it is very successful.
There is also the “cutting back” method, in which you set a timeframe during which you will smoke less than you have been in the past. Once that time period has ended, you decrease even further and proceed incrementally through more timeframes at lesser and lesser amounts of smoking until you finally reduce the amount you smoke to zero.
At first glance, this cutting-back method may seem like the easiest way to quit, however it may be harder than it looks. Studies have found that often when a person has cut back, they eventually go back to smoking as much as they were before the quit attempt started.
Another way to stop smoking more easily is to use stop smoking aids – or nicotine replacement – in order to manage the cravings for this addictive substance as the smoking decreases. Nicotine aids popularly come in the form of stop-smoking gum, or nicotine patches that apply to the skin and supply small amounts of nicotine through the skin into the bloodstream.
More recently, there has become a stop smoking aid available in pill form that helps to block the receptors in the brain, decreasing the need for nicotine. There are potential side effects to this pill, but it appears to be very effective in helping smokers quit the habit.
So, what steps can you take to make it easier to quit smoking? Keep a journal of any activities, events, or stresses that seem to trigger a need for a smoke. For instance, when you find yourself absolutely craving a smoke, make a note of what things you were focused on leading up to the event. Then on a regular basis keep track of what seems to trigger this behavior.
Once you have chosen a method to quit smoking, whether cold turkey, cut-back, or through the use of a stop smoking aid, keep another journal in which you describe the results. Have the symptoms or cravings improved? Are they worse?
If you are taking a stop smoking aid, keep a record of what you take and when. Is it helping with the cravings? Are there any side effects? Keep track of when side effects occur and how severe they are. Having this information handy will give you an objective view of how this aid is assisting with your efforts to stop smoking.
Setting up journals like the ones described here is easy to do. You can use a paper worksheet, a computer word processing program, or even a spreadsheet program like Excel.
You owe it to yourself to take an active role in managing your own health. Smoking is not simply detrimental to your health. It has the ability to kill you in so many different ways, that is has become one of the greatest poisons of all time. With a proper approach, it can be controlled and eliminated, but you need to use every tool at your disposal to be successful in quitting smoking.
Jason Jantzi writes for www.Health-Kit.com and is a specialist in researching treatments for pain and discomfort. Download a free Quit Smoking Health Kit from http://www.health-kit.com/health/quitting-smoking/ and get the best help quitting smoking today.
About Champix – its manufacturer and its other names (Chantix)
Manufactured by Pfizer, Champix Varenicline is only available on prescription. Smoking cessation with Champix helps curb nicotine cravings and reduces withdrawal symptoms. In addition, it aids in reducing the pleasure associated with smoking.
Champix affects the nicotine receptors in two ways – firstly it imitates nicotine and attaches itself to the receptor to give the same pleasure like that of nicotine and secondly it blocks nicotine from attaching to receptors as Varenicline binds to the receptors more tightly. As Champix does not contain nicotine like some other quit smoking aids, it is non-addictive in nature. This helps you quit smoking without having to resort to other forms of nicotine.
Champix, known as Chantix in the US, is the first new prescription drug for smoking cessation treatment approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in a decade. Designed to help smokers quit smoking, it is now available as Chantix in the US pharmacies.
Comes in the strength of
Champix comes in a weekly dose pack and the starter pack lasts for two weeks. The starter pack includes 0.5mg tablets and 1mg tablets, which are coloured white and light blue respectively. This helps in easy recognition.
The recommended standard dosage for Champix is as follows:
Week 1
Day 1 – 3: Take one white Champix 0.5mg tablet once a day.
Day 4 – 7: Take one white Champix 0.5mg tablet twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening.
Week 2
Day 8 – 14: Take one light blue Champix 1mg tablet twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening.
Weeks 3 – 12
Day 15 – to end of treatment: Take one light blue Champix 1mg tablet twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening.
After 12 weeks of treatment, if you have stopped smoking, your doctor may recommend another 12 weeks of treatment with Champix. This will increase your chances of stopping smoking long term. For this course take one light blue Champix 1mg tablet twice a day.
Normally, this is the standard dosage for quit smoking, recommended by doctors. Always take Champix after eating and with a full glass of water and do not double dose if you miss a dose, just continue as normal.
Ingredients of Champix
Champix 0.5mg and 1mg tablets contain the equivalent of 0.5mg and 1mg of the active ingredient Varenicline respectively.
Each tablet of Champix contains the following other inactive ingredients:
Cellulose – microcrystalline
Calcium hydrogen phosphate
Croscarmellose sodium
Silica-colloidal
Magnesium stearate
Opadry Blue, Opadry Clear and Opadry Clear as a coating
Side effects of Champix
Champix helps most people give up smoking, but it may have unwanted side effects in a few people. All medicines can have side effects. Sometimes they are serious, but most of the time they are not. Some common side effects include:
Headache
Difficulty sleeping
Sleepiness
Abnormal dreams
Dizziness
Weakness
Constipation
Bloated feeling
Indigestion
Flatulence
Dry mouth
Nausea (feeling sick)
Stomach discomfort
Increased appetite
Changes in taste
Some rare side effects include:
Tremor
Increased muscle tension
Abnormal co-ordination
Abnormal heartbeat
Severe c hest pain
Disturbed vision
Pain in the eye
Shortsightedness
Sensitivity to light
Blood in vomit
Red blood in stools
Abdominal pain
Mouth ulcers
Pain in the gums;
Skin rash
Reddening of the skin
Itching
Wheezing (difficulty breathing or shortness of breath)
Seizures or fits
Fainting
Swelling of the face, lips, mouth, tongue or throat
Severe sudden onset of itchy swellings on the skin
Severe skin reaction with painful red blisters with chills, fever, aching muscles and generally feeling unwell
After stopping Champix you may notice an increase in irritability, urge to smoke, depression, and/or trouble sleeping. This does not happen in everyone. However, if this does occur you should talk to your doctor.
Online availability of Champix
Champix is available in many countries including the UK, the US, and recently it was approved in Japan and Australia also. You can buy Champix from a local pharmacy or seek an online source to get it. It is easier to buy Champix online so many internet users prefer this method to procure Champix.
This smoking cessation drug is available in all licensed pharmacies in many countries of the world. You can buy it after doing a consultation with a doctor. Champix is also available online and you need to follow few simple steps if you opt for this method. This process starts with an online consultation from any licensed clinic and requires you to fill in an online questionnaire with your medical details. You should provide correct details about your condition in the questionnaire as this serves to help the doctor judge your eligibility for taking Champix
Online reviews for Champix and success rates
Champix was launched in a blaze of media glory and claimed that 44% of people would stop smoking while taking the drug. Champix quadruples the chances of smoking cessation in smokers who would otherwise quit smoking cold turkey. Champix also has double the success rate as compared to Zyban.
Some of the online reviews for Champix are:
‘I am on day 14 of Champix. I smoked my last cig on day 7. It felt great putting that last cig out. I have to say though I have started feeling really sick. I would say this started on day 11 and have been really tired from the start and as a lot of people have said a little spaced out. I will stick these out until the end because as far as I am concerned it is worth the sick feeling if I am never to put one of those awful things in my mouth again. Good luck to everyone taking Champix.’
‘I feel delighted that finally I have something to help me with this awful addiction that has controlled me for the last 30 years. I tried the patch and the Zyban and the cold turkey routine and was miserably disappointed each time that I failed. Now I have this great confidence that this time I will do it. I have no cravings, no increase in my appetite and I don’t feel depressed. If anything I feel great and excited because this time I think I have it licked.’
‘It does still require some will power, you do get cravings but I would say that they are very weak and that hey are few and far between. Stops the effects of smoking and reduces the nicotine cravings from day one. I naturally cut down without even trying. I went from 30 per day to less than 5 within 2 days of taking Champix. Stopped smoking on Day 9 without any trouble. Now on day 22, the smell of ciggies offends me to the point it makes me feel sick. Dreams are vivid and random. Has made me a little spaced out. But other than that, it’s all been plain sailing.’
Ways to quit smoking
There are several ways to quit smoking. There are the medical, non-medical as well as herbal products that aid in smoking cessation. Some anti-smoking products contain nicotine in small amounts. These nicotine based anti-smoking medical aids include:
Boots NicAssist Patch
Nicorette Gum
Nicorette Inhaler
Nicorette Microtabs
Nicotinell 24-hour Patch
NiQuitin CQ Mint Lozenge
NiQuitin CQ 24-hour Clear Patches
Some non-nicotine anti-smoking medical aids include:
Champix
Zyban
Some non-drug based medical aids include:
Acupuncture
Hypnotherapy
Other methods include:
Will Power
Cold Turkey
Remember, it may not always be easy to quit smoking, but with patience and persistence you may emerge as a winner.
Webmaster associated with online clinic “HealthExpress” this site provides various information on Champix (Varenicline) and helps people in curing Smoking Cessation, resources are available on site HealthExpress.co.uk.
Be frank enough when I ask you a couple of questions…how many times have you asked people about the remedies on how to quit smoking?, how many times have you made a promise to your girlfriend that you’ll never smoke again but failed to live up to that promise?
Smoking is something that is hard to quit… it’s a natural urge that is difficult to quell! We love smoking to keep ourselves relaxed; we smoke in social gatherings or let’s say we smoke because we love to do that! In other words, it becomes challenging on our part to resist the temptation of igniting the matchstick! We may have worked on innumerable ideas to help us quit smoking but in vain. Now, try hypnosis for smoking cessation and see the miraculous results that follow.
With hypnotherapy a person is taken to a drowsy state where the hypnotherapist establishes a contact with the inner mind of the person. This is believed to be the perfect solution to the question “how to quit smoking”. This method popularly known as the smoking cessation hypnosis mesmerizes as well as convinces a smoker to quit smoking.
Hypnosis of smoking cessation is termed as a scientific method and any skilled professional can administer it. But then, it would be unwise on your part to adapt hypnotherapy all of a sudden. Instead you need to follow a methodical approach while doing this. In general, almost all can go for this scientific method but then exceptions are always there.
In general, the hypnosis method comprises of the following steps:
In the first step, the hypnotist explains to you the adverse effects of smoking and how you get addicted to it unintentionally. What is intended out here is that the hypnotist makes an attempt to understand your intricacies and acts accordingly. He wants to make you familiar with the fact that by smoking you are indeed committing a mistake. The second step is the most crucial one. In this step, you are taken to a drowsy state. Next the hypnotist uses a simile and compares it with a cigarette. Next, he gives you a couple of healthy alternatives to cigarette. The third step marks the end of the hypnosis process. Here the hypnotist convinces you that smoking is indeed a bad thing and he should quit it as early as possible. He also asks you about how you first got into the habit of smoking. Last but not the least; the hypnotist breaks your mindset. It is quite obvious on your part to think that you can fare well in any job if you continue with your habit of smoking. However, it is hypnotist who points out your mistake and says that this sort of a notion is highly imaginative and absurd. The final outcome of this scientific method is: you lose interest in smoking!
The bottom line is that hypnosis is the best possible solution to quit smoking. Make sure you try this out!
Ready to quit smoking. Get unique experience of free quit smoking hypnosis MP3 sessions and great stop smoking tips and advice on the best ways to quit smoking at our site.
Hypnosis is possibly one of the world’s oldest forms of preventive and alternative non-medicine induced method of healing. Most people have a misconception of hypnosis through a lack of understanding it. Some say it is the perfect form of persuasion. Maybe it is… maybe it isn’t , but whatever it is, it’s been proven to work. Hypnosis helps you to relax, allowing people to tap into their subconscious mind, to create new realities through images and results and eventually manifest them into their own lives.
Research studies show that during hypnosis, patients are given coping tools for withdrawal symptoms and the urge to smoke. The patient is given an audio cd of their training to continue their reinforcement of coping skills at home. It is hoped that over time the patient will gain increased confidence in their ability not to smoke. Hypnosis is gaining wider acceptance at some of the nations respected hospitals and medical research centers.
For women it may sometime seem more difficult to stop smoking. Studies speculate that the probable reasons might be due to the fact that women are more emotional and sensitive than men. Therefore a woman may smoke a cigarette a lot quicker than a man. Because of this sensitive nature in women, depression becomes another issue. Studies showed that hypnosis was helpful for would be quitters with a much higher success rate with hypnosis.
Most people start smoking young in years and continue across a lifetime; with multiple periods of remission and relapse.
Statistics released by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention show that more than 45 million people in the United States are smokers in spite of anti-smoking campaigns. Smoking remains the leading preventable cause of death.
Trying to quit smoking on your own has a far less success rate. Some researchers show that doing it on your own rates about 5%. Using hypnosis is above 66%, using behavior therapy about 25%, and using Nicotine Replacement Products about 25%.
The benefits of not smoking are priceless and life changing such as: adding more years onto your life and gaining self-respect. Your lungs will become cleaner and stronger. You will have more energy, more of a sense of accomplishment and more time for the things that you have always wanted to do. (smoking occupies a lot of time) There you have it… not only will you look and feel better…you get to keep money in your pocket.
Tammy Shadday St. Petersburg Florida Hypnotherapy St. Petersburg Florida Hypnosis Center
*** Do Not Quit Smoking! Click Here ***
Ok the smoking cessation method is out… no more secrets no more mystery…. no hype… no big deal… the whole process when you finally stop smoking will knock your socks off. Spread the word, any one and everyone can stop smoking today.
Yes everything you have read above is true. You might ask yourself, why is it not being promoted all over the world on every TV channel, in every newspaper, or all over the internet. The plain and simple answer to that is, there is no money to be made in the smoking cessation process, because you do not have to buy anything, you do not have to subscribe to anyone for them to show you how. I am sure that some bright spark will probably find a way to monetize it, but it cannot be done globally with massive profits, so the industry decides to ignore it.
So I guess its left to me to tell you about it, and you might ask me why? my answer is, it stopped me smoking and it cost me nothing and it is so simple that the world and its mother could do with something free at the moment.
So here it is, the smoking cessation method according to my understanding of it is.
You must dismiss from your mind the fear you have of actual stopping smoking. ( I will explain later) You must really want to stop smoking You must really want to be happier and live longer You must believe that you will stop smoking You Stop
The biggest issue for all smokers is the fear of how hard life will be while they are in the process of smoking cessation.
This is rooted in the belief, by smokers that a lot of the pleasurable things in life have to have a cigarette to accompany it. They refuse to accept that these pleasures have been infiltrated by the smoking habit and its master ‘Nicotine’. This happens over a period of time, the nicotine with all its chemicals, produces serotonin which is a pleasure drug for the brain and it masks a lot of the harmful side effects it causes.
But what the smoker has forgotten is that there was a time when all these wonderful life pleasures were enjoyed without smoking.
Life after smoking cessation is wonderful, ask anyone who has achieved it, they will more than motivate you.
And as for the withdrawal symptoms that can occur after stopping smoking, there are very good stop smoking aids which will help you along with the process of smoking cessation.
The Author recommends that you DO NOT Quite Smoking. There’s a healthier alternative to it. To know more, please click here.
*** Do Not Quit Smoking! Click Here ***
Smoking cessation is a subject that smokers who refuse to stop smoking, avoid like crazy. But in reality, we all know that smokers who have been smoking for a period of time constantly think of quitting smoking. If you are a smoker and you want to stop smoking then you have chosen the right road to travel. You see, when a person sets out on a journey and they don’t have a map to show the way to the location, the journey can be scary and long.
But with a map, the traveller can be sure of arriving in time and safely, and may spot a few short cuts along the way. There maybe some rivers to cross, but the map will show you where the bridges are. In this analogy, I am your map, I have been down the road of smoking cessation, and arrived at the destination where only non-smokers live, and believe me the journey was worth it. This is how it went.
I now become you…..
This is the short version,… Spent years smoking, great at the start, looked cool, felt like one of the crowd, felt accepted. Here are all the good things you have got from smoking. Nothing.
Here are some of the bad things you have got from smoking:
* Chesty cough…smokers cough
* Bad breath,
* Stained teeth,
* Lighter wallet,
* Health Issues,
This is What might make you Think about Smoking Cessation:
* Children looking at you when you cough,
* Children asking you if you are OK while you are coughing.
* Becoming breathless with a small amount of physical exertion… and yes that includes Sex.
* Thinking of dying earlier then you should, and leaving your family to look after themselves.
* Changing the TV channel when anti smoking adds came on.
So you take the Plunge, What will you have to deal with in terms of withdrawals after stopping smoking.
* You may be a bit irritable, ( ask your wife/partner/spouse/lover anyone close to you )
* You may get aches and pains, for a short time.
* You may get cravings, they only lasted for about 45 seconds each time and then they will go.
* You may have a little fatigue for a while.
How will you stop Smoking?
You tell yourself you really want to stop smoking. Every time you need motivation to keep going, think of your nearest and dearest and that will be enough. Get encouragement from your family and friends. stop thinking about cigarettes, and use some natural stop smoking aids.
How are you then?
So happy you made the decision about smoking cessation and carried it through. In Great Health and madly in love with Life, because of smoking cessation. The story is no epic, but it is true, like most things in life, simplicity usually works, there are other stop smoking advantages and issues I would like to share with you another time.
The Author recommends that you DO NOT Quite Smoking. There’s a healthier alternative to it. To know more, please click here.
tinyurl.com AreYou Sick Of Trying to Quit Smoking By Using Patches, Gum, Sprays or Pills…That Fail Every Time? Now YOU can Kick The Habit For Good In Just 38 Minutes & 13 Seconds …Guaranteed! To Kick This Useless Habit Today Visit: tinyurl.com Have you tried to quit smoking before? Do you seem to just lack the will power to do it? Did you fail like 99 out of 100 Quitters do? Now you don’t need the ability to quit those evil life draining cancer sticks! I’m Going To Help You Take The WILL Out Of Will Power, So You Are Just Left With The POWER To Quit Smoking! Quitting smoking is difficult right? WRONG! Quiting Smoking is only difficult if you don’t know how. The program has success rate of 99.7%. Try It out TODAY at:tinyurl.com
Product Description
“Smoking / Tobacco use is an addiction!” Smoking is an addiction to the chemical substance Nicotine. Nicotine addiction is considered by many authorities to be as strong as an addiction to heroin or opium. That being … More >>
Quit Smoking Now! A doctor designed, truly effective smoking cessation program…
commit stop smoking aid
This article is not about taking the moral high ground and preaching about the benefits of giving up smoking. It is just a simple article about what worked for me – a 47 year old guy who had been smoking for over 30 years and ended up on 60 cigarettes a day. I reckon if I can do it then perhaps this article will help others to seriously consider giving up
Are you having trouble quiting smoking? There is an easy solution to stop smoking
Click here now to see what worked for me >> Natural stop smoking solution >>
How many times have you tried quitting? The medications don’t work so throw away your gum and patches. I’m going to show you a foolproof guaranteed way to quit smoking TODAY
Smoking can be physically addicting. But often times it’s the psychological addiction that’s the hardest to over come. Luckily hypnosis can help
Regardless of warnings it has taken the past several decades for people to finally get the message that they need to stop smoking. Why is it necessary to quit and why are people in denial? The answers could save your life
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
Quitting smoking had always been the issue involved with most of the smokers all over the world. The most common problem is that smokers always claim that they enjoy smoking and they do not want to quit but the real cause is that they do not have the strong will to quit smoking. One of the worst things about smoking is that it is a double edged addiction while the nicotine is controlling your nervous system and brain; the habit itself is also preventing you from quitting
Stop smoking by using natural quit smoking aid can really be a godsend for those people who find it difficult to stay on the wagon. Nowadays there are many stop smoking programs that can help you to get rid of smoking habit in case you feel you need help. Some nicotine replacement products like patches and gum’s are one of the types however you can instead opt for natural cures to quit smoking. Read this article to find out how to use natural quit smoking aid to stop smoking
« Previous Entries Next Entries »