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Suggest Tips To Quit Smoking

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Posted on Sat, 21 Dec 2013
Question: Hi This is regarding to know some tips to quit smoking, I started smoking in my college days means from last 4 years im smoking daily with an average of 7 per day, but i didnt get any health problems upto know, but i have to quit smoking so please suggest some treatment to it, how to quit
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Answered by Dr. Preeti Parakh (40 minutes later)
Brief Answer: Explained below. Detailed Answer: Hi XXXXXXX Welcome to Healthcare Magic! I appreciate your wish to quit smoking before the damage is visible. Well done! It takes years for the ill effects of smoking to manifest but the benefits of quitting start within hours of quitting. There are three main strategies you can use to quit. 1) There are medicines available which reduce the craving for nicotine and make it easier to quit. These are started before quitting and after these become effective, a quit-date is set. On the pre-appointed date, you quit. Because of the medicine's effect, it is easier to remain abstinent. After you have been abstinent for a few months, the medicines are stopped. The two medicines that are commonly used are bupropion and varenicline. Bupropion is cheaper than varenicline. Varenicline is somewhat more effective. 2) You can opt to stop smoking and use other forms of nicotine replacement when you are unable to control the craving. Nicotine containing chewing gums (Nicotex, Nicorette etc) are available for this purpose. After a few days, you can reduce the number of chewing gums that you are taking per day and gradually taper it off. These save you from the harmful effects of smoke, but are still not harmless as they contain nicotine. 3) You can also try gradually reducing the number of cigarettes you smoke daily. Also try to reduce the number of puffs you take from each cigarette and throw away after just one or two puffs. Gradually your body will get used to the lower dosage of nicotine and you will be able to taper it off with only mild withdrawal symptoms. Some people prefer to stop smoking abruptly and face the withdrawal symptoms that usually last for a few days. But it takes a lot of motivation and will power. Let me know which option you would like to take up so that I can give you greater details. Best wishes. Dr Preeti Parakh MD Psychiatry
Note: In case of any other concern or query related to prevention, evaluation, diagnosis, treatment, or the recovery of persons with the any type of addiction or substance use, follow up with our Addiction Medicine Specialist. Click here to book a consultation now.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Preeti Parakh

Addiction Medicine Specialist

Practicing since :2002

Answered : 1486 Questions

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Suggest Tips To Quit Smoking

Brief Answer: Explained below. Detailed Answer: Hi XXXXXXX Welcome to Healthcare Magic! I appreciate your wish to quit smoking before the damage is visible. Well done! It takes years for the ill effects of smoking to manifest but the benefits of quitting start within hours of quitting. There are three main strategies you can use to quit. 1) There are medicines available which reduce the craving for nicotine and make it easier to quit. These are started before quitting and after these become effective, a quit-date is set. On the pre-appointed date, you quit. Because of the medicine's effect, it is easier to remain abstinent. After you have been abstinent for a few months, the medicines are stopped. The two medicines that are commonly used are bupropion and varenicline. Bupropion is cheaper than varenicline. Varenicline is somewhat more effective. 2) You can opt to stop smoking and use other forms of nicotine replacement when you are unable to control the craving. Nicotine containing chewing gums (Nicotex, Nicorette etc) are available for this purpose. After a few days, you can reduce the number of chewing gums that you are taking per day and gradually taper it off. These save you from the harmful effects of smoke, but are still not harmless as they contain nicotine. 3) You can also try gradually reducing the number of cigarettes you smoke daily. Also try to reduce the number of puffs you take from each cigarette and throw away after just one or two puffs. Gradually your body will get used to the lower dosage of nicotine and you will be able to taper it off with only mild withdrawal symptoms. Some people prefer to stop smoking abruptly and face the withdrawal symptoms that usually last for a few days. But it takes a lot of motivation and will power. Let me know which option you would like to take up so that I can give you greater details. Best wishes. Dr Preeti Parakh MD Psychiatry