| Medications Prescribed for Smoking Cessation |  |
|
 |
|
» Medications » Medications Prescribed for Smoking Cessation
Medications Prescribed for Smoking Cessation
Quitting smoking can be challenging. Fewer than 10% of the nearly 15 million Americans who try to quit the habit each year succeed. However, there are new medications that – combined with a shift in mental attitude -- can prove beneficial in helping smokers quit.
Nicotine replacement products—nasal spray, gum, inhalers, nicotine patches—some of which are prescription, some that are available over-the-counter, can help relieve some of the withdrawal symptoms people experience when quitting smoking. Less nicotine is obtained through the use of these products and they also do not contain all the tars and poisonous gases that are found in cigarettes. The goal in using nicotine replacements is to eventually stop smoking altogether. Nicotine replacement treatment can be especially effective when used in conjunction with behavioral therapy.
Non-nicotine medications act on brain chemistry to bring about some of the same effects that nicotine induces when a person smokes. A non-nicotine pill, Zyban (bupropion hydrochloride) was approved in 1997. Available by prescription only, the drug is sold as an antidepressant under the name Wellbutrin.
For all medications used for smoking cessation, it is necessary to follow your doctor’s or therapist’s orders and to use the products only as prescribed and/or according to labeling.
Medications Prescribed for Smoking Cessation include:
|
 |
 |
|
