Non-Prescription Medications to Help You Quit Smoking

by | Jan 13, 2020 | Smoking Cessation | 0 comments

Some medical experts are of the opinion that NRTs are not successful for everyone because they continue to feed the body nicotine, and once they stop taking them, they cannot cope with the nicotine withdrawal. There is a different type of prescription medication that does not provide the body with any nicotine, and it is marketed under the names Zyban and Chantix. These medications block the flow of neurotransmitters and chemicals that give you the urge to smoke. Consulting with doctors at clinics in Las Vegas will determine whether this kind of medication could be beneficial for you.

Medications like Zyban and Chantix are available in tablet form. Most people are usually started off with a lower dose that is increased once their bodies have had a chance to adjust. Your doctor is likely to recommend that you start taking the medication at least a week before your quit date, as it can take the medication a while to start working.

These medications can be interacted with easily by any other supplements or medicines you might be taking, so make sure you let your doctor know about any prescription or non-prescription medication you may take. You can expect the treatment to last for seven to 12 weeks, and you are likely to be weaned off slowly, to give you a chance to adjust again.

Chantix works by blocking the brain’s nicotine receptor sites, blocking the serotonin and dopamine release. The symptoms that would ordinarily make a person quitting smoking like agitation, irritation or anxiety are not experienced when a person takes Chantix because the hormone and neurotransmitter responses are blocked. Chantix is generally not suitable for people who have had a history of psychiatric illness or disorder. Zyban works in a similar way to anti-depressants and suppresses the body’s natural production of dopamine as a reward for smoking. Both have relatively good rates of success in helping people to quit. Some of the side effects include nausea, headaches, a dry mouth, constipation and tremors. Some people also experience weight loss.

These medications also highlight another reason that people should quit: because the longer you continue to smoke for, the more you deplete your body’s ability to produce dopamine and the nicotine in your body will start to replace dopamine.

Often a combined approach is the most effective way to quit smoking for good. Doctors at affordable healthcare in Las Vegas can create a custom plan to help you become nicotine-free.