Quit Smoking Treatment Information

Drug that boosts smoking cessation

Most smokers wish to stop smoking but are unable to do so due to strong nicotine addiction. The main ingredient in cigarettes is nicotine that affects some receptors in the brain which produces pleasant feelings for a short while.

It may look a difficult task for smokers to stop smoking all of a sudden if they have been living with this habit for a long period of time, but it is certainly not an impossible task. The road to smoking cessation can be traversed easily if you take a look at the endless adverse smoking effects. This can prove helpful to firm up the resolve to stop smoking.

What are smoking effects?

The World Health Organization has declared that smoking is the leading cause of preventable deaths and diseases among people worldwide. It can lead to serious conditions like lung cancer, heart problems, heart attack and even stroke.

Smoking can affect the taste buds of a regular smoker and eventually that adult loses taste of food. It can also lead to problems in hair, skin, and even affect neurological processes.

It is not only active smoking that causes health risks but also passive smoking that is just as dangerous for health. A regular smoker can cause health problems for other family members by smoking indoors. Some children also try to imitate this habit from their elders at home. So there are endless ways in which a smoker affects his or her health as well as that of others. Women smokers who smoke during pregnancy can create great health risks for their unborn babies.

Quit smoking help for smokers

Although there are many smoking cessation aids, smokers should only opt for effective ones. Chantix is among the latest smoking cessation drugs that can show some positive results. It is manufactured by Pfizer and has been approved by the FDA for use in the US. In European countries and the UK, Chantix is known by the brand name, Champix.

How Chantix works?

This drug works on the brain receptors to reduce nicotine cravings as well as withdrawal effects that are most common among smokers after they stop smoking. The best thing about this drug is that it satisfies nicotine receptors in the brain without supplying any nicotine. This is unlike other stop smoking drugs that reduce cravings and withdrawal effects by supplying small doses of nicotine in the brain. The main ingredient in Chantix is varenicline tartrate.

What are doses of Chantix?

This stop smoking drug is available in two strengths that include 0.5mg and 1mg tablets. The treatment starts with the lower dose for about one week and dosage is increased in subsequent weeks as per the recommendations of the doctor. The treatment with Chantix is generally recommended for a period of 12 weeks. In some cases, the desired results may be slow, so the doctor can continue the treatment for another 12 weeks.

Are there any side effects?

Side effects are common with every prescription drug, so Chantix is no exception. The most common Chantix side effects are nausea, constipation, gas, unusual dreams, and vomiting. In some cases, it can give rise to adverse reactions like suicidal thoughts, changes in mood and behavior. But these side effects are rare and this drug has proved helpful in most cases. This drug has helped conversion of many smokers into successful non-smokers.