The New Stop Smoking Drug Chantix

Posted on November 7, 2008
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Chantix (varenicline) is a prescription medicine to help adults 18 and over stop smoking. You may benefit from quit-smoking support programs and counseling throughout your quit attempt. It is possible that you might slip up and smoke while taking Chantix. If you do, you can stay on Chantix and keep trying to stop.

Chantix may be the new stop smoking drug, but it is not the only one. The anti-depressant Wellbutrin was found to help smokers kick their habits, and reincarnated as the anti-smoking drug Zyban. But Chantix, as a new stop smoking drug, offers an option for those smokers who do not like the idea of taking an anti-depressant. With smoking having become the huge public health problem that it is, anything which can help people give up tobacco is welcome.

Chantix got an upper hand when compared to its competitor in the market. Chantix is totally nicotine-free, with Varenicline as the main active ingredients. It works on particular part of the brain, providing some satisfaction that nicotine gives (placebo effect). Hence, person gets pleasure but without taking nicotine. This will finally help you to give up smoking. Chantix gives you a much better possibility to quit smoking. All you need to do is follow the instructions and from that point on, you will get extra boost to gain control over this addiction and smoking habit will become your past.

The nicotine inhaled during smoking attaches to the receptors and tell the brain to release the chemical Dopamine which causes individuals to feel good when they smoke. While Dopamine will give pleasure it will only last for a short while. Most gums and patches on the market today contain nicotine, but Chantix is different since it contains no form of nicotine but reacts similar and helps to block the addiction. Chantix also helps to tell the brain to generate more Dopamine to lower an individuals desire to smoke.

The new stop smoking drug is taken once a day in pill form for the first part of the twelve week treatment, and then increased to twice daily. Gradually increasing the dosage is designed to reduce the risk of side effects, which have included nausea and vomiting, sleeplessness and strange dreams, and a change in the taste of certain foods. Because the new stop smoking drug has FDA-approval, you may find its cost covered by your health insurance. If you have decided to buy Chantix then ensure that you stick to doctor’s suggestion. Many people think that taking overdose may help in faster cessation but that’s not so rather it will just complicates matter for you.

Quit Smoking With Zero Nicotine

Posted on October 23, 2008
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Giving up smoking is hard as the nicotine included in cigarettes is very addictive. When a smoker stops putting nicotine into their system, both the brain and body react to this absence by producing withdrawal symptoms, which are also known as cravings. These cravings are often so strong that it is estimated that only one person in 20 can stop smoking on their own.

Zero Nicotine is an innovative cessation aid intended to help you give up smoking safely and naturally. If you are serious about your decision to stop smoking, you’ve come to the right place! With its unique blend of ingredients, Zero Nicotine offers you the best possible chance to finally kick the habit for good. The Zero Nicotine patch is an effective, affordable alternative to the more commonly available stop smoking patches currently available and is becoming increasingly popular with smokers seeking a more natural solution to what is commonly prescribed.

Zero Nicotine is secure and easy to use. Each patch includes a dose of the most effective hernal ingredients, formulated to alleviate the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal while cleansing the system of all smoking-related toxins. To break free from smoking, you need to break free from nicotine. Unlike other stop smoking patches, Zero Nicotine’s all-natural formula eliminates, rather than replenishes, the level of nicotine in your body, helping you break the habit. Used in combination with our proven cessation program, Zero Nicotine can help you be free of tobacco in thirty days or less.

The benefits of quitting smoking are as follows. Stroke risk is decreased to that of a person who never smoked after 5 to 15 years of not smoking. Cancers of the mouth, throat, and esophagus risks are halved 5 years after you stop smoking. Cancer of the larynx risk is reduced after you stop smoking. Coronary heart disease risk is cut by half 1 year after quitting and is nearly the same as someone who never smoked 15 years after you quit.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease risk of death is reduced after you stop smoking. Lung cancer risk drops by as much as half 10 years after you quit smoking. Ulcer risk drops after you quit smoking. Bladder cancer risk is halved a few years after you stop smoking. Peripheral artery disease goes down after you stop smoking. Cervical cancer risk is reduced a few years after you stop smoking. Low birth weight baby risk drops to normal if you quit smoking before pregnancy or during your first trimester.

Can A Hypnosis Seminar Help You Quit Smoking

Posted on September 22, 2008
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How a Hypnosis Seminar to Stop Smoking Can Help You Kick the Habit

A hypnosis seminar to stop smoking can be a great way to help you end the deadly habit. And why not? Many smokers go through fits and starts in trying to kick the habit, testing everything from special chewing gum to patches to yoga. What’s to stop you from trying a hypnosis seminar to stop smoking?

If you’re committed to quitting smoking, or at least convinced you have to give up the habit, there’s no reason you shouldn’t try a hypnosis seminar. They can be hugely beneficial and full of keen insight. Best of all, they might actually work for you.

A Hypnosis Seminar to Stop Smoking is Informative

That’s probably the single most important thing about a hypnosis seminar to stop smoking. Information! Ideas, concepts, statistics, techniques ? these are the things that help our minds make decisions. If it were a heart issue, I’m sure we’d all just carry on smoking. It feels too good to quit sometimes!

But the idea is to detach ourselves from feeling to start thinking about our situation. Seminars to stop smoking can provide us with enough practical tips and self-help approaches in focusing our minds to help us make progress. We can learn how to train our thinking, how to get to a place of confidence and relaxation that overrides our desire to light up.

And that’s a pretty good thing. Because smoking is largely about desire. As mentioned, a smoker’s desire is to continue smoking no matter how much his brain may object. Fortunately, our minds can be stronger than our hearts, as long as we train our minds to be fully resolved. And our thought processes can be greatly enhanced through an informative and enlightening hypnosis seminar to stop smoking.

Hypnosis Seminar to Stop Smoking – A Shared Experience

Quitting smoking is not at all easy and it helps when you’re with like minded individuals who want to rid themselves of the filthy habit. At a hypnosis seminar to stop smoking you’ll find many people who are willing to talk about their experiences, their struggles, and need for help. Talking is in itself hugely therapeutic. You’ll find great opportunities to share your life and listen to others at these seminars.

A Hypnosis Seminar to Stop Smoking Can Be Fun!

This is an important factor. Nobody likes hard work and quitting smoking is often harder than hard. The best way to deal with the process is to make it as fun as possible. That means doing things that are fun, be it taking up woodcarving as a distraction or attending a hypnosis seminar to stop smoking.

Because let’s face it, it’s likely that you’ve never attended a hypnosis seminar. You’re probably like many others, intrigued with the possibilities in hypnotherapy, but innocent to any involvement. If that’s you, then you’re bound to have fun with a hypnosis seminar to stop smoking. It may or may not be for you, but one thing’s for sure, it’ll be more memorable than sticking a patch on your arm.

Debating No Smoking Bans In Airports

Posted on May 26, 2008
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This idea may seem controversial by many people, but please consider the argument before skipping past this article. A couple of weeks ago I was transferring thru London Heathrow International, but was forced to wait and get a hotel for the night. I saw a few smokers in an outdoor smoking area and being in no hurry to grab a shuttle to my hotel I thought I may as well ask each of them their stance on smoking laws in airports. The answers provided were surprising plus well thought out.

They we’re all okay with stepping out for a smoke at restaurants, bars, or at work, and so on. However something they do take issue with is that there are no facilities in the secure areas at international airports.

I was asked to consider those smokers who had been on a long distance flight and then needed to connect to another plane. To have a smoke they need to get outside which means leaving the departure and arrival gate area as well as possibly passing through border control. Then a smoking area needs to be found. Then after finishing their cigarette they need to face airport security and if going international again another round at passport and border control, all the while lugging their cabin baggage with them.

So that got me thinking, why isn’t there an area for smokers in the departure lounge like there were before? There are and were some excellent examples to look at which had well designed ventilation along with a system producing negative air pressure. These systems worked so well that you had to almost be sitting on top of them to take note of the smell of smoke.

Or better yet would be to design an outdoor smoking area. Once I transferred through Miami International I saw quite an interesting place to have a smoke in the area past security. It was a little courtyard outside yet still within the secure area of the terminal. Thus couldn’t we make something similar or an outdoor balcony?

Since air travel & airports present a situation where people, including smokers, are confined for extraordinary long lengths of time, wouldn’t it possible for us to give the cigarette addicts a little leeway? Think about it – most would quit if they could, so what good does it do to add all the excess stress of going for hours on end without a smoke. What’s your opinion, should airports once again be allowed to provide smoking locations within the secure areas?

So Many Ways To Quit Smoking

Posted on May 14, 2008
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Nicotine addiction is a reality for tens of thousands of people in our country and in the world. Smoking cessation programs are abundant and exist to help the smoker to quit successfully in a reasonable amount of time, and offer support and advice when it gets tough.

It’s so easy to start, but not easy to stop smoking. Most smokers stop more than once before they are finally able to quit for good. They try different methods until they find one that works for them. It also depends a lot on the length of time the person has been smoking and how motivated they are to quit.

Some smokers may find themselves diagnosed with a chronic or deadly disease, like emphysema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or even lung cancer. You would think this would motivate people to quit immediately ‘cold turkey’ but sometimes it just isn’t enough. Smoking is so highly addictive that people choose to feed their nicotine addiction before they address their medical issues.

There are quite a few good ways to stop smoking available to those who truly want to quit. A health care professional should be consulted first for advice regarding which programs, or combination thereof, would be most beneficial. If a smoker has enough motivation and support from family and friends to do it on his or her own, then nicotine gum, patches, or pills could be tested at first.

Many people choose to join stop smoking programs such as Nicotine Anonymous, which is based on the traditional 12-step philosophy. There is also private and group counseling available to people who need more intensive support. A number of online stop smoking program options are also available consisting of therapy and support forums, herbal supplements, pills, and other things. Be sure to research these stop smoking programs well before you spend a lot of money on something that just isn’t going to work for you.

Whatever programs on quitting smoking you choose can only be as effective as your desire to quit. Without motivation to change your habits and lifestyle, your efforts will be for naught. Plan a stop smoking program ahead of time. Pick a date to quit and get your support system in place. Plan ahead just how you are going to deal with temptation in social settings and times of stress, since this is probably when you have the greatest desire to smoke.

A stop smoking program can be very successful if it is planned and adhered to by the person who wants to quit. Mind over matter, right? Next time, maybe go for a brisk walk or call a friend instead of lighting up. Your lungs will thank you. Good Luck!!

Quitting Smoking Again – Week 16: Am I There Yet?

Posted on February 15, 2008
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Just a brief update for those following along with me on this stopping smoking journey. It’s been 4 months without a cigarette and I remain certain I’ll continue to be a non-smoker. I can honestly say that not only don’t I want to smoke, but I no longer feel the need.

Surprising perhaps, at least to me, is I haven’t used this space to vent during the process, but I can’t say there have been any really, really bad days. There have been a few that were very hard, but nowhere near insurmountable. Change of venue often helped – i.e. I would just do something other than whatever I happened to be doing at the time.

quit smoking journey No doubt success in quitting this time is partly due to the learning experiences of all my previous failures. One of the classic ruses a smoker will use to give themselves permission to start smoking again, is to get someone to tell them to. That way they don’t “fail” at quitting.

Lots of times smokers don’t even realize they’re doing this. The way it works is we (the one trying to quit smoking), being a bit edgy or anxious anyway, start getting short with people, begin provoking arguments, and finally become confrontational over something silly.

That process will eventually get all the participants worked up into a good “mad” generating all sorts of emotional and verbal hostility. With that combination of short tempers, and frayed nerves, sooner or later someone will say something along the lines of, “I liked you better when you were smoking, I wish you’d go have a cigarette”.

Bingo! We’ve been forced into smoking again, because even quitting smoking isn’t worth the price of damaged relationships. This is especially true when it’s friends and family were sparring with.

The rationale taking place in the mind of the smoker is that they didn’t give in, but rather circumstances conspired against him or her and for the “good” of all concerned, they had to smoke.

Things like this no doubt sound absurd to anyone who hasn’t tried to quit, or been close to someone who has. But it’s a real trap the “quitting” smoker can fall into, and just one of a zillion reasons folks who desperately want to stop smoking will fail. continue reading….

Quitting Smoking Again – Week 10: A New Year

Posted on January 3, 2008
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What’s really cool at this new year is I’ve now got about 10 weeks – 2 ½ months worth of success behind my goal of being a non-smoker by 2008. I can’t say my New Years resolution was to quit smoking, but having blown that resolution so many times before, I’m definitely feeling good at having finally succeeded.

I’m also feeling really good physically. My energy level is way higher, and the chest pains and tightness seem to be a thing of the past. It’s been at least a month since I felt any.

quit smoking At this point I’ve got every expectation of remaining a non-smoker for life. That may sound over-confident after just 10 weeks, but another significant milestone is that I really don’t think about “not smoking” that much anymore.

Oh sure once in a while, but mostly not. And yes I will on occasion be edgy or even irritable, but those times are fewer and less pronounced. Again, my family has been great and most supportive. They’ve figured out what “irrational irritability” looks like and pretty much just ignore me when it happens.

And that’s a good thing – actually the best thing to do with anyone quitting smoking is to be outwardly supportive, but mostly ignore them. When I first quit, these times would happen maybe every other day on average, and now it’s like every other week. They’re always short-lived, and nothing serious, just weird.

On a more philosophical note, I’ve started to wonder if smokers are really just closet grouches who’ve hidden the fact by staying sedated with nicotine. Having smoked since my teens, it’s near impossible to know what’s normal, but I suspect maybe I’ve always been grouchy, and never really knew just how much.

Of course everyone appears grouchy when they quit smoking, it’s a well-documented fact. But suppose that all us smokers are really just curmudgeons who’ve been sedated all this time. Now when we quit, the world will see the real us.

Hmmm….

Next quit smoking post: Week 16
Previous quit smoking post: Week 6

Quitting Smoking Again – Week 6: Getting Cocky

Posted on December 7, 2007
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The interesting thing now is that I really don’t think about “not smoking” all that much. In fact somewhere around a month in I noticed that smoking isn’t all consuming anymore. I don’t mean quitting has been agonizing or hard, in fact quite the contrary.

One of the things I did was change focus from that of previous attempts. It’s hard to just “quit” anything because quitting leaves a void. It’s easier to “do” something. So instead of “quitting smoking” I reverse the thinking into positive things, like “I’m going to get healthier”, or “saving money”, or even better, “I’m going to breathe deeply again”.

By the way, this was one of the areas covered in the book I mentioned before - The Easy Way to Stop Smoking by Allen Carr. Again I have to admit to being skeptical when first seeing it, but having actually made it for 6 weeks thus far, I feel pretty good about recommending it to anyone really wanting some help in quitting.

It’s one of the best stop smoking resources I’ve seen because it teaches that quitting successfully starts and finishes in the mind. The physical part of smoking, including the addiction to nicotine is not where the real difficulty lies in quitting.

I titled this post “getting cocky” because I’m sort of at that point where I’m confident I won’t start smoking again. But as I said before, I’ve quit many times, and one thing that happens is all of a sudden you realize, hey, I did it! At that point is the very real danger of over-confidence.

You either make the mistake of thinking one smoke won’t hurt, or you think that having quit this time, it will be easy enough to do again. Having done both these, I can attest, it’s dangerous thinking. Cigarette smoking is basically drug addiction, and it will absolutely hook you again.

So although I’m feeling cocky, I also know the experience of playing with fire and getting burned every time. Having “been there, done that, got the t-shirt”, I’ll pass.

I’m also feeling a lot better, energy is coming back, and because I’ve got a lot of damage to undo, I’m staying focused. I actually felt a whole lot better after the first couple days being quit, and improvements seem to come in spurts.

Shortness of breath is the big thing. It’s not as pronounced, and I can overcome it even during exercise, but from talking with other long-time ex-smokers, I suspect it could take as much as a year to get to where I no longer ever notice any difficultly breathing.

Next quit smoking post: Week 10
Previous quit smoking post: Day 20

Quitting Smoking Again – Day 20: Making Money

Posted on November 15, 2007
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Pushing right up against the big 3 week hurdle – it happens tomorrow. According to many stop smoking programs, reaching this point is significant for all sorts of reasons. It’s like if you make it this far, there’s no turning back.

For me, it’s like every day is a milestone. For sure that’s the case during early days. Recalling past attempts, I can remember milestones at the 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 14, 21, and 30 day, plus the 2, 3, and 6 month points.

The reality is that each day builds on the last, and what seems to happen is confidence increases each day. It’s sort of a double whammy, where in addition to gaining a days confidence, there’s also another days distance from that last smoke which associates a greater sense of failure with the idea of giving in.

stop smoking Something I reminded myself of again was the money-saving aspect of quitting. With the ever-increasing “sin” taxes assessed on things like cigarettes, it’s getting considerably more expensive to indulge the habit.

At an average of a pack a day, at approximately $4 per pack, I was spending around $1460 per year for the privilege of killing myself. Well now that $1460 is “found” money. It’s like getting a pay raise because at the end of the day, it’s not how much you make, but how much you keep.

The icing on the cake is I will not smoke 7,300 cigarettes next year, and the year after that, and the year after that, and the year after that, and…..

Something not so fun to calculate was that during my lifetime, I’ve already smoked nearly 300,000 cigarettes. And I did it one cigarette at a time.

For me, a big part of quitting is reversing that – by not smoking one at a time. Every day I don’t smoke, I don’t smoke about 20 cigarettes.

If you read my first post about this quit smoking journey, you’ll note that the success I’m having so far, immediately followed a failed attempt 2 weeks earlier that lasted only a day and a half.

But for anyone trying to quit this habit, any start is a good start. The only way to fail for sure is to stop trying. The silver lining of those two weeks is that I smoked significantly less.

I actually tracked it by day during the first week and though I ended up back at a pack a day by week 2, I stayed between a quarter, to a half pack during week one.

In fact, instead of smoking 140 cigarettes during that week, I smoked about 50, which means I didn’t smoke 90. That’s 4 ½ packs, or to put a financial spin on it, a rough savings of $18.

That may not sound like much, but that “failed” attempt curtailed the habit by almost two-thirds. I keep reminding myself, I didn’t smoke 300,000 cigarettes all at once, but one at a time.

Next quit smoking post: Week 6
Previous quit smoking post: Day 6

Quitting Smoking Again – Day 6: On my own

Posted on November 1, 2007
Filed Under Faith, Healthy Living, Quit Smoking | 1 Comment

Okay it’s almost been a week. I can’t say I don’t think about having a smoke, because truth is I think of it a lot. But I believe that’s because its been such an ingrained part of life for so long, that it’s going to take quite some time before it starts receding in conscious thought.

However, it’s interesting that even though I think a lot about smoking, I don’t feel driven to fall off the wagon. Days 3 and 4 were the hardest so far – nothing insurmountable, but did feel a pang or two that a smoke sure would’ve cured fast.

quit smoking There’s been a few times where I found it useful to pull out the book again and re-read certain parts. Have to admit that changing your thinking makes a significant difference. Smoking really is a weird kind of addiction where it’s the mental, not the physical that turns out to be where the battle plays out.

By the way, for those who may be interested, I’m not using any “stop smoking aids”, but it seemed to only make sense to get as much going for me as possible. Since it worked so well that one time in the past, I have definitely kept praying for any divine help along the way.

It’s sort of funny, but this time I get the sense I’m on my own in that regard. What I mean is it’s like the good Lord’s saying “I made it too easy that time – you successfully quit, but chose to start again”. Must admit He’s right. This time I get the sense He’s there and supportive, but I’ve got to do the work.

Admittedly, there’s a lot of truth to the saying that “we often don’t appreciate what comes too easy”.

Next goal is the 3 week mark – that’s supposed to be a significant one.

Next quit smoking post: Day 20
Previous quit smoking post: Day 1

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