Nicotine - Treatment for Habitual Users

Treatment for Habitual Users

Giving up the nicotine habit can be very difficult. Within hours of the last cigarette or chew, the body begins to respond to the lack of the drug. People become irritable and anxious, they overeat, they cannot sleep, and they can experience muscle tremors and a craving for tobacco. Many times, it is just easier to get another cigarette rather than to face the withdrawal symptoms.

Many self-help groups, including Nicotine Anonymous, the American Lung Association, the American Cancer Society, and the National Cancer Institute, have smoking cessation, or stopping, programs. Local- and state-funded programs also provide counselors and various treatment methods to the motivated addict who wants to quit using tobacco. These treatment programs may use hypnosis, group therapy, or behavior modification to encourage alternate behavior and help individuals combat the many facets of nicotine addiction. In many cases, health insurance companies will help pay for nicotine treatment programs.

Nicotine Withdrawal Symptoms

Nicotine withdrawal causes a variety of symptoms, including:

  • restlessness
  • anxiety
  • impatience
  • anger
  • difficulty concentrating
  • increased appetite and weight gain
  • depression
  • loss of energy and interest in life
  • dizziness
  • headache
  • sweating
  • insomnia, the inability to sleep
  • tremors, shaking of limbs
  • tightening of muscles
  • cravings for tobacco.

Probably the most successful treatment methods involve nicotine replacement products such as gum (Nicorette) and skin patches (NicoDerm CQ, Nicotrol, Habitrol, and ProStep). These products recommend that the user work closely with a doctor or therapist to taper the doses of nicotine slowly. People using nicotine replacement therapies must take care not to use tobacco products at the same time, since this may lead to nicotine overdose. They must also be aware that these therapies can be habit-forming themselves, so they must be motivated not to exceed the recommended dose on the label of the package.

Other prescription drugs used to curb nicotine abuse include buproprion (Zyban), an antidepressant, and Clonidine (Catapres), a medicine to reduce high blood pressure. Both of these products block nicotine's pleasurable effects and help a recovering user avoid tobacco products.

For most, the best way to treat a tobacco habit is to combine a nicotine replacement therapy with counseling, education, group support, and the encouragement of family and friends. A heavy tobacco user must expect that the process will not always go smoothly and must have strategies in place for times of stress. Recovering nicotine addicts usually need to alter their lifestyles in order to avoid the people and places associated with smoking. If other family members smoke in the home, this can be very challenging.

The least effective way to attempt to quit nicotine is to depend on will power or to attempt to cut back on smoking by using low-tar cigarettes or by smoking less. People who try to quit in this way usually compensate by drawing more deeply on the cigarettes they do smoke. The relapse rate for this type of cessation is very high.