Stop Smoking Aids

The list of smoking aids to help you in your quest to be smoke-free may have included some that you may have heard, never heard of, or, have no idea what they really do.  Let’s go over some of them:

Nicotine Gum, Patch, Inhaler, Spray and Lozenges

The above aid tools are all called NRT, or, nicotine replacement therapy.  This acronym is attached to these particular aids as they take the place of the nicotine that comes from actual cigarettes.  The best thing that NRT’s do is help you in curbing your urges to smoke and help in the withdrawal symptoms.

You do require a prescription to buy the inhale rand nasal spray, but the rest of the aids are available as over the counter treatments, or OTC.

Bupropion SR

This aid is available by prescription only and has absolutely no nicotine and like the NRT’s, they are meant to help with the withdrawal symptoms and the urge to smoke.

The only drawback of this aid method is that side-effects are common, but not everyone is subjected to the side-effects, which includes dry mouth and insomnia.

No matter the method you choose, being an NRT or prescription method, it is extremely important to read all the information found on the packages and what your doctor tells you about the prescription methods.

The bottom line is to talk to your doctor and/or dentist if you have any questions and follow these guidelines:

• Ask your doctor, dentist or pharmacist if the nicotine gum, patch or other NRT is right for you as these medicines can cause side-effects and never use the NRT without a consult with your doctor.  An excellent example of this are pregnant women.
• Above all, be patient.  Using NRT’s take some time getting used to, but, if you follow the directions properly, in no time your body will become accustomed to the levels of medicine.
• Never mix tobacco and an NRT.  Although this is not a dangerous combination, it defeats the purpose of using the NRT.  Only use an NRT when you are actually ready to quit smoking for good; but, if you should slip up and need to smoke one or two cigarettes, get back on the bandwagon with quitting and keep trying to quit with the NRT.
• Start out using enough of the NRT medicine and use the full amount of NRT outlined in the instructions.  Don’t skip or forget to use your NRT when you stop smoking.
• Slowly use less and less of the NRT medicine; but, don’t obviously stop completely until you feel you are ready.
• Keep the medicines with you after you stop using them for emergency purposes.
• Wait half an hour after using any of the NRT’s before you commence eating or drinking anything that is acidic in nature as these can actually stop the nicotine gums and inhalers from working.  If you are unsure of what acidic foods or drinks are, examples of them include: tomato sauce, tomatoes, oranges, lemons, grapefruit, coffee, soda, orange juice and grapefruit juice.