Treatment

There are many smoking cessation treatments online. Some of these smoking cessation treatments can be availed with a prescription while some over the counter.

Over-the-counter quit smoking aids

Up until now, the main treatment for smoking cessation was nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). This works by getting nicotine into the body without the tar, carbon monoxide and other poisonous chemicals you get from cigarette smoke.

These smoking cessation treatments are available in many forms such as patches, chewing gum, lozenges and tablets, which are placed under the tongue, as well as an inhaler or nasal spray.

The main drawback of these smoking cessation treatments is that they supply nicotine to the brain and hence the ‘nicotine habit’ continues.

Quit smoking hypnosis

Quit smoking hypnosis, quit smoking support and counselling have also been used to encourage people to go for smoking cessation. Quit smoking hypnosis is often used along with one or the other quit smoking aid mentioned above.

Quit smoking hypnosis proves effective mainly because it is painless. However people have to go through several smoking cessation treatment sessions and the results vary greatly. Also when people go back to pubs and other such places they end up smoking once again. After this, they are too ashamed to return to the hypnotist.

To fight this barrier of facing a human being, the smoking cessation treatment drug Zyban was introduced.

Zyban

Zyban smoking cessation treatment drug contains bupropion and is marketed by GlaxoSmithKline. This smoking cessation treatment drug works by interfering with the chemicals in the brain that cause addiction. Some patients take it together with NRT.

However, people taking Zyban can feel immeasurably depressed and anxious. In certain people, the withdrawal symptoms have been found to be highly dangerous and they reported having suicidal feelings after taking Zyban.

Whether these mental problems could be attributed to Zyban or not isn’t proven yet. However, very soon Pfizer introduced another smoking cessation treatment drug called Champix varenicline.

Champix varenicline

Champix Varenicline does not contain nicotine and works by attaching itself with brain receptors thereby controlling cigarette cravings.

Efficacy of all the smoking cessation treatments

• According to clinical trials, 12-week course of NRT help 5-10% people to quit smoking. There is no evidence that one form of NRT is more effective than another
  
  
• Smoking cessation treatments like counselling and quit smoking hypnosis help in about 5% of attempts to quit, but most of these patients also use either NRT or drugs
  
  
• Trials have found that a course of Zyban (usually prescribed for eight weeks) helps in about 10% of attempts to quit
  
  
• Champix varenicline (usually prescribed for 12 weeks) helps in over 44% of attempts to quit, with a further 12 week course helping another 5% to stop