The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports roughly 20.6 percent of American adults were current smokers in 2008. According to the CDC, smoking is the most common cause of preventable deaths in the U.S; approximately 20 percent of all deaths in the U.S. are smoking related. Quitting smoking is a critically important step in optimizing your overall health. However, smoking cessation is often difficult because of nicotine withdrawal symptoms. Medications can help you overcome nicotine addiction, enabling you to become permanently smoke-free.
Nicotine Replacement Medications
The National Institute on Drug Abuse states nicotine is an addictive chemical, which elevates brain levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Withdrawal symptoms develop when a smoker attempts to quit. Nicotine withdrawal symptoms include anxiety, irritability, depression, cravings, inattention and increased appetite.
Medications that replace the nicotine absorbed through tobacco smoke reduce the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal in a person attempting to stop smoking. Relief from the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal increases the probability of successful smoking cessation. Nicotine replacement medications come in a variety of forms including skin patches, gums, lozenges and inhalers. Ideally, the amount of nicotine used is slowly tapered and eventually stopped once smoking abstinence is established.
Bupropion
Bupropion, initially developed as an antidepressant, is a prescription medication used to help people attempting to quit smoking overcome nicotine addiction. The medication is started one week before stopping smoking. This allows time for the drug to reach a constant level in the blood stream. The typical dose of bupropion is 150 milligrams twice daily. Notably, nicotine replacement medications can be used along with bupropion treatment. Bupropion use continues for at least seven to 12 weeks once you stop smoking. A 2007 review article published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews concluded bupropion is an effective aid for achieving long-term smoking cessation.
Varenicline
Varenicline is a prescription smoking cessation medication. It binds to nicotine receptors in the brain, causing mild nerve stimulation. Varenicline treatment is started one week before your stop smoking date. The usual dose is 1 milligram twice daily. The recommended duration of therapy is 12 weeks. Nicotine replacement medications should not be taken with varenicline because of drug interactions. In a 2006 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Dr. David Gonzales and his colleagues reported varenicline treatment during smoking cessation significantly reduced the urge to smoke and improved successful smoking abstention rates one year after quitting smoking.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Adult Cigarette Smoking in the United States: Current Estimate
- National Cancer Institute: Tobacco Statistics Snapshot
- National Institute on Drug Abuse: Tobacco Addiction
- The Cochrane Library: Antidepressants for Smoking Cessation
- Journal of the American Medical Association: Varenicline, an Alpha-4-Beta-2 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Partial Agonist, versus Sustained-Release Bupropion and Placebo for Smoking Cessation
