Nicotine patches are a form of nicotine replacement therapy to help you quit smoking by replacing the cigarettes and cigars you would use to obtain nicotine with a less toxic method of delivery. While you still get the nicotine you are trying to avoid, the point in using them is so that you don’t experience the craving you normally get from your smoking addiction when you don’t smoke.

Nicotine patches have been found to be more effective in helping you quit if you use them along with some kind of psychological or behavioural therapy or hypnosis.

How Nicotine patches work.

Nicotine patches are plaster like skin patches impregnated with nicotine. You stick them on an arm or body surface and they gradually release nicotine through your skin over a period of time (up to 3 hours to get into your blood, with effect lasting for 16-24hours depending on brand and dose).

They are usually waterproof so you can wear them while bathing or any other activity.

You would normally change your patch with a fresh one once a day.

The patches come in different sizes and contain different doses. Larger patches tend to contain higher quantities of nicotine. Some manufacturers recommend starting with a larger patches and gradually switching to smaller sized patches (and reduced doses) over a period of time.

Nicotine patches help you to diminish the normal nicotine withdrawal symptoms of fidgeting, irritation, inability to concentrate, drowsiness etc.

Side effects:

Some people have claimed to become dependent on their nicotine patches – which is not unexpected since they also supply nicotine to the body.

Nicotine patches have been found to cause dizziness, sped up heartbeat, headaches, vomiting, skin problems, sleeping problems, vivid dreams, in some people. Some users find that removing their patches in the evenings helps them alleviate sleep disturbances.

How do I use a nicotine patch

You should however use the patches according to the directions given to you by your doctor who has your medical records and is aware of specific information concerning you, and your body that the manufacturers will not be aware of.

Normally, the patches are simply Nicotine impregnated plasters you can apply to any hairless part of your skin. It is best to place them on your shoulder, back or upper arm.

Since the patches can cause skin rashesor irritation in some people, try to apply new patches to different parts of your body each time rather than the same place each day.

Don’t remove your patch and put it back on. Don’t use patches and cigarettes at the same time – they are substitutes for the cigarettes you would normally use.

Change your patch to a new one daily. Avoid using more than one patch a day.

It can take up to 8 weeks to quit but they have been shown to cut craving in under 2 weeks.

How effective are Nicotine Patches:

This is debatable with a range of studies showing effectiveness from 10%-40%. They are more effective when used with some other method of quitting as they only cut down on the withdrawal symptoms.

What is Chantrix

Chantrix is a nicotine-free replacement therapeutic drug you can use to help you quit smoking cigarettes. Its active Ingredient is Vareniciline Tartrate. It is especially useful in helping you if you are one of those who experience severe withdrawal symptoms when you stop smoking.

Chantrix acts as a replacement therapy by providing you with the same effect nicotine has on you without its very dangerous effects.

How Chantrix helps in Giving up Smoking

Your brain has special cells called receptors which respond to chemicals or drugs. Many drug therapies make use of this response and several. drugs are designed to copy the effect of natural chemicals on these receptors e.g. sleeping pills, anti-depression pills etc.

There is a portion of the brain that nicotine acts on to create a very pleasurable sensation. Just like cocaine and heroine it causes the release of a substance called Dopamine which produces intense pleasurable sensations in the body. This is why it is hard to stop smoking without help.

What the drug Chantrix has been designed to do is to attach to and occupy the same portion of the brain that nicotine would normally attach to.

This has two very important effects that can help you to stop smoking.

1. If you smoke, the nicotine from your cigarette has fewer cells to attach to and is therefore ineffective – This is why many smokers have reported that they don’t enjoy smoking while on chantrix i.e. the nicotine loses its satisfaction.
2. Secondly, because Chantrix can stimulate the same receptors as nicotine, it provides some of the pleasure of smoking and reduces the craving to smoke. So you don’t feel compelled to light up a cigarette.

Side Effects of Chantrix

Some users of Chantrix are said to have experienced:
Depression, Suicidal thoughts, Behavioural changes
Irritability, Unusually aggressive behaviour
Headache, Insomnia, Abnormal or colorful dreams or nightmares
Stomach upsets, constipation, flatulence , indigestion
Nausea, Vomiting
Changes in the way food tastes

People who may wish to avoid Chantrix or use it with caution:

People with asthmatic conditions
During Pregnancy
Diabetes sufferers
People with Kidney problems
Mental health issues
Undergoing Anticoagulant treatment
People predisposed to suicidal thoughts or depression

Efficacy

It can be very hard to quit smoking but a combination of behavioural changes and medication should help you to stop smoking permanently. Some studies have shown chantrix to be 44% effective in helping smokers to quit smoking.

Smoking is one of the most difficult addictions and habits to stop. It can be extremely hard to stop because there are both psychological and physiological symptoms to the addiction. Or to put it a different way, smokers are hooked both by the chemical effects to the body – nicotine addiction and dependency – as well as the seemingly positive effects on the mind such as getting rid of stress, feeling calm, boosts in confidence etc.

There is no one method of stopping smoking that works for everyone, so it can prove difficult to say which is the best way for any particular individual Notwithstanding, it is possible to stop smoking as demonstrated by thousands who have succeeded in getting rid of the habit and breaking their addictions permanently

You need to identify a program that suits you in particular. Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) has been used effectively in many instances of smoking addiction and is one of the most common strategies of getting free of smoke addiction. It is often used in addition to other therapeutic methods including other medication, addiction counselling and psychological therapy.

In any therapy for smoking addiction, you are very likely to experience withdrawal symptoms. How successful you are in dealing with the withdrawal symptoms is likely to determine how successful you are in dealing with your addiction.

If you are undergoing Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT), you are provided with patches, gums, oral inhalers or nasal sprays containing low quantities of nicotine. These are intended to reduce your withdrawal symptoms by releasing a low quantity of nicotine at intervals to combat the craving of the addiction. Over a period of time, the dosage of nicotine is reduced gradually to allow your mind and body to accept lesser and lesser quantities of nicotine, until it can be stopped completely.

The success rate of Nicotine Replacement Therapy is relatively high and it is said few people who successfully complete the therapy relapse even after years of kicking the smoking habit. Many authorities consider Nicotine Replacement Therapy, NRT to be the best way to stop smoking.

It is important to not succumb to the temptation to smoke during NRT. Smoking cigarettes during Nicotine Replacement Therapy could be dangerous as you are likely to end up taking in even more Nicotine than you absorbed when you were only smoking cigarettes.

You can obtain Nicotine patches and Nicotine gums over the counter but other forms of NRT have to taken under medical supervision and provided by authority of a medical practitioner.

You can also get medical treatment for smoking as opposed to replacement therapy.Zyban is a drug made from the chemical Bupropion. Bupropion originally developed and marketed as an anti-depressant was later found to be effective as a smoking cessation aid. It stimulates the body to release dopamine and norepinephrine which are naturally occurring chemicals in the body that produce the same kind of pleasure, calm and feelings experienced by smokers while smoking.

Zyban or Bupropion therapy has a modest success rate. Some smokers return to smoking after a while. Hence if you take Zyban to give up smoking and succeed you should still maintain contact with your physician. Because of its other effect, Zyban must only be taken under medical supervision. It is to be avoided by people suffering from epilepsy or cardiac conditions. Pregnant women are also advised to not take it. Unlike some other drugs, Bupropion does not causes erectile dysfunction or sexual dysfunction.

Some smokers and nicotine addicts profit from psychological counselling.

Psychological counselling is useful in combating the withdrawal symptoms that can occur such as anxiety, stress and mood changes. Seeking counselling from experienced professionals can help you become emotionally stronger and determined. They can instruct you on coping strategies, avoidance mechanisms and also reinforce your determination to quit smoking as they remind you of the immediate and long term advantages to your health and general well being of giving up the smoking habit.

Alternative therapies including yoga and meditation can also prove beneficial in kicking the habit.

For some you, however, the best way for you to quit smoking is by going cold turkey. You may be able to decide you are not going to smoke any longer. Stub out your cigarette, and refuse to light another – ever. You will need all your will power. But if you can, this is great and without any of the side effects of the drug and chemical therapies.

Zyban is a nicotine free drug used in the treatment of cigarette addiction. It helps by reducing your urge to smoke.As it contains no nicotine, it can be used with nicotine replacement patches and gums under medical supervision.

Zyban is Glaxo’s version of the drug Bupropion Hydrochloride specially formulated for slow sustained release in the body. Buproprion is also the main active component of the anti-depressant Wellbutrin. To avoid dangerously high quantities of the drug in your blood stream, you are advised not to use Zyban or other versions of the drug as an anti-smoking remedy if you are being treated for depression with Wellbutrin

How does Zyban work?

Zyban as an anti-smoking therapy was discovered by chance. The active ingredient of Zyban was originally used as a treatment for depression, but it was found that many users were giving up smoking. Further investigation revealed that it blocks the chemicals which when released by nicotine result in pleasurable sensations. It also reduces craving for nicotine and withdrawal symptoms.

How to use Zyban

Zyban is taken orally in tablet form. You are expected to be able to stop smoking within 12 weeks of starting the treatment. The adult dosage is 300mg of Zyban daily and you should be able to reduce your cigarette usage within a few weeks. Some sources recommend that you cease taking the drug if it is not effective within 7 weeks.

Side effects of Zyban

Most people tolerate Zyban well, but there are a large number of possible side effects including sleeplessness, nausea, vomiting, headache, weight variation, nervousness, dizziness, skin rashes and disorders, constipation, diarrhoea, tremors, anxiety, tinitus (ringing sounds in the ears), sweating, high body temperature, abnormal dreams, cough, drowsing