Live Life Team
All habits are hard to break, but because of the addictive grip of nicotine, smoking can be one of the hardest to get through. The human body’s dependence on certain substances can sometimes cause withdrawal when the substances are removed. This is true even with cigarette smoking. When the support of family and friends alone is not enough to help the smoker quit, there are alternate plans. A couple of the alternatives come in the form of pills and nasal sprays.
One such pill is the antidepressant buproprion. The drug’s properties seem to curb the cravings and withdrawal symptoms of nicotine. In addition, depression is a withdrawal symptom of nicotine. Thus, using antidepressants may actually help smokers to quit.
Another medication, mecamylamine, blocks the effects of nicotine on the body. When the smoker cannot get the high that comes from the nicotine, there is no need to smoke. However, this drug does not help the mouth fixation, or the need to hold a cigarette in the mouth, that some smokers experience.
Nicotine nasal sprays can also be very effective when used correctly. The directions on the box should be followed. This includes nasal spray using no more than once in each nostril in an hour. The amount of spray should gradually decrease so that by the second week, the smoker is using half as much spray as during the first few days.
Because there is a risk of side effects with all drugs, accompany a prescription stop-smoking medication with regular visits to a doctor.
