Chantix: Trying to kick the nicotine fits

Trying to kick the nicotine fits

With Illinois implementing the public smoking ban many people are considering trying to kick the habit for good. Here are some conventional and not so conventional methods to aid in the quest to become healthier as you quit smoking.

The most common and talked about methods to quit smoking include the drugs available both by prescription and over the counter to aid in stopping.

Jacquelyn Torrez, a pharmacist at Morris Hospital, said that about 40 percent of those that try to quit fail, and while changing habits is key there are several drug choices to choose from, but not all are without risks.

Zyban is a prescription medication that comes in pill form, designed to help smokers quit more easily than without the drug.

Torrez said Zyban's discovery was interesting. Smokers who happened to be users of the anti-depression medication Wellbutrin (bupropion hydrochloride) often reported a lessening in the desire for cigarettes. Through further testing, the drug was found to be effective in treating the smoking addiction, and helping smokers quit. GlaxoSmithKline “repackaged” Wellbutrin and marketed it as the smoking-cessation drug Zyban.

Zyban does not contain any nicotine and can be used with the patch or nicotine gum.

Chantix is one of the newer drugs. Chantix (varenicline) is a non-nicotine prescription medicine specifically developed to help adults quit smoking.

Within a week of starting Chantix the patient is at maximum dosing and should not be smoking or using any nicotine, including the patch or nicotine gum.

Torrez said both medications have side effects and any user should monitor themselves while on these medications.

Zyban has reported side effects that include decreased libido and interruption in sleep patterns.

Chantix has more severe side effects and some people have reported vomiting and nausea as well as feeling suicidal. A loved one along with the patient should monitor for changes in mood.

In either case, at the first sign of side effects, Torrez said the patient should call their doctor immediately.

For other prescription drugs there is a nasal spray available and an oral inhaler, according to Torrez.

Some of the more common drug methods include the nicotine patch and nicotine gum, which can both be purchased over the counter.

Nicotine gum is a type of chewing gum that delivers nicotine to the body. It is used as an aid in smoking cessation and in quitting smokeless tobacco. The nicotine is delivered to the bloodstream via absorption by the tissues of the mouth.

Torrez said the gum is available in both two milligram and four milligram doses and there is a limit to the amount one should chew per day.

“When chewing nicotine gum the person trying to quit should use the park and chew method,” said Torrez. “You chew the gum for several chews and then park it in the back of the mouth and repeat for about 30 minutes, this creates an added benefit.”

Nicotine patches come in several steps so that users can phase out nicotine use; for example, 21, 14, and seven milligrams.

A cigarette delivers roughly one milligram of nicotine, so someone who used to smoke a pack per day or more could start with the step one 21-milligram patch, while someone who smoked less could start with step two.

After about six weeks at step one, new non-smokers move on to step two for another two weeks and finish on step three for about two additional weeks.

Another less traditional but more popular method is hypnosis.

Wendy Kerr is a LaGrange hypnotist who has had workshops at Standing Tall Reserve in Morris.

Kerr utilizes a blend of hypnosis, NLP, Reiki, coaching, and more, to help individuals achieve their goal to stop smoking.

Kerr said she currently has a 100-percent success rate for those she coaches to stop smoking, and she said the rate is because she addresses both the physical and psychological aspects of the addiction.

“It's a matter of changing the behavior and habits,” said Kerr. “To take away a habit you must replace it and that is how many end up gaining weight, so I look at why the client smokes.”

She said if a person can recognize their hook, the emotional thing that makes them want to smoke, they will have a better chance of success.

“I talk and verbally discuss triggers and habits and then when they are in hypnosis we uncover more, things they may not be consciously aware of,” said Kerr.

She said she normally only requires one very long session, her typical session lasts about three hours.

“If they come in wanting to quit smoking they will walk out a non smoker,” said Kerr.

She said it's important that her and her client become a team, and if one long session isn't going to work for the individual, she will break it up into three one hour sessions.

“People have to be ready to quit for me to take them on as a client,” said Kerr. “It is usually very emotional in my sessions.”

She said every hypnotist is different and some just hypnotize, but she has found addressing the addiction both mentally and physically has a higher success rate for her.

Another more unconventional method, the Alpha Capsule, can be found in several spas throughout the country, including A Cut Above Hair studio in Crest Hill.

The capsule is a controlled environment where a preprogrammed session addresses those trying to stop smoking.

It is said to work as your mind responds to the soothing sensations of your body as it gently massages you on the contour bed.

Warm, dry air circulates and covers your body while aromatherapy is introduced as it crosses your face.

Stereophonic sounds are brought to you via earphones to help bring your mind to tranquility.

Light shielded glasses produce tiny dots of light that guide you to relaxed alpha and theta states of consciousness.

The capsule comes from the factory with several preset sessions including one to stop smoking.

There is no data available at this time to the effectiveness of this treatment but it is guaranteed to destress you whether it stops your smoking.

For more information on quitting smoking you can call toll free 1-877-44U-QUIT, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. to talk to smoking cessation counselors with the National Cancer Institute or you can call the Morris Hospital to inquire about local smoking cessation classes.

Heidi Terry