Nicotine Withdrawal - Best Ways to Cope
Posted on May 28, 2009 under Best Tomatoes |
When you stop smoking Nicotine withdrawal symptoms instantly kick in.
This applies to people who want to quit smoking as well as those who are subject to smoking bans and as any smoker knows they can be intense.
So how can you cope with nicotine withdrawal symptoms and what are the best products? Let’s find out.
Nicotine Replacement therapy NRT
There are several products that are on the market and they include
1. Nicotine patches
Which deliver a measured dose of Nicotine through the skin via a patch which looks like an oversized plaster.
2. Nicotine Gum
Delivers nicotine via chewing gum in varying strength
3. Inhalers or puffers
You simply suck an inhale from what looks like a plastic cigarette.
Which is best?
It really is down to personal preference and none of the above is really better as such it just depends on which method you like
Other methods of coping with nicotine withdrawal that are not NRT include
1. Zyban
Bupropion hydrochloride, known as Zyban was originally developed to treat depression.
Smokers who used it for this purpose often found themselves quitting smoking without making a conscious effort to give up.
This prescription-strength medicine alters the brain’s chemistry. The affect is a reduced urge to smoke and nicotine cravings are diminished.
2. Hypnosis, herbal cures and acupuncture
Some people swear by these methods others find them totally useless they don’t replace nicotine cravings and nicotine withdrawal symptoms are still there. All to a degree rely on willpower, so it depends on your mindset whether these work for you or not.
An interesting product that does not fall into the above categories is nicotine water which has been researched by a number of companies.
Already on the market this provides nicotine in water with no added chemicals and is aimed at smokers when they don’t wish to smoke or cant smoke.
Water is a great delivery method as it hydrates the user by providing organic nicotine which medical research is showing can be good for you.
Nicotine is good for you?
Yes!
Nicotine has a bad reputation as it is consumed in cigarette smoking, but it is not the killer many people believe.
The killers are some of the other 4,000 chemicals consumed in cigarette smoking, NOT nicotine.
Fact
Nicotine in its pure form is safe and non toxic and is part of the food chain.
It is found in many everyday foods including potatoes, chilli’s and tomatoes. Recently there has been a lot of research into its health benefits in terms of its affect on the brain.
Nicotine improves mood, concentration and memory; this has led to intense research to its health benefits in terms of alleviating the symptoms of the following illnesses:
Depression, attention disorders, schizophrenia, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, obesity and even some cancers.
The future of nicotine
There are already products to help smokers when they cant or don’t wish to smoke.
Drug companies are now looking at nicotine as a specific treatment for a variety of conditions and it looks like nicotine’s image is about to change as people take nicotine for its health benefits as well as NRT to quit smoking.
Nicotine withdrawal symptoms can be severe and if you can’t smoke or don’t want to smoke try products and see which is best for you.
Expect a lot more products on the market in the near future to help smokers beat nicotine cravings and nicotine withdrawal symptoms.
Sacha Tarkovsky
http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/nicotine-withdrawal-best-ways-to-cope-60358.html
May 28th, 2009 at 4:18 am
How long does nicotine withdrawal last?
I used the patch for 2 weeks no problem. I am on day 3 with no nicotine patches and this is the hardest day yet. I feel like a junkie now. I heard cold turkey was the best way so that is what I am doing now. I have not smoked a single cigarette in 17 days. Any suggestions to help me cope?
May 28th, 2009 at 9:20 am
Nicotine withdrawl is only about 3 days… After that it's just the habit you have to break. Stay away from other smokers, eat during your usual smoke breaks (healthy foods, like bananas, not junk or you'll gain weight!), take a walk, read a book, call a friend that can support you through your craving… Good luck!
References :
May 28th, 2009 at 9:22 am
you are supposed to use decreasing doses of the patch for six weeks, no wonder you are having a hard time, no different from going cold turkey really. So now you are in nicotine withdrawal, the physical withdrawal usually takes about a month, the worst symtoms pass within a week. The emotional craving can last the rest of your life.
References :
RN
May 28th, 2009 at 9:24 am
Good work!!
This will be the hardest day of all, so call your friends, get some chocolate, do whatever you can to stay comfortable.
Nicotine takes 72 hours to clear, and it is water soluble, so drink fruit juices and water to help rinse it out faster.
The hardest part after the nicotine is gone is all the triggers and the psychological piece of this. You might have a good headstart on that having already gone 17 days without a cigarette. (Yay, again!) After today when you feel the urge for the cigarette look around and see what is triggering it, then interrupt that pattern. For instance, if you feel like a cigarette every time you have a cup of coffee, switch to cocoa for a few months. If you want one every time you finish a meal, then get up and take a walk right after the meal, things like that.
Good luck, and hang in there!! You are doing such a wonderful thing for yourself and the people who love you!
References :
May 28th, 2009 at 9:26 am
Sleep?
That's what I plan to do when I quit.
References :