Use Chantix Varenicline and put an end to your smoking habit
What is smoking cessation?
Smoking cessation is defined as the efforts made towards the discontinuation of the consumption of products. Smoking is known to be the single largest preventable cause of death and is the leading cause of lung diseases, heart ailments and various cancers. Most smokers are aware of the numerous harmful effects of smoking, which encompasses not just a person’s health, but also his social life and relationships with friends and family.
Most smokers find it extremely tough to quit smoking mainly because of the strong addictive nature of nicotine. Although cigarette smoke contains many harmful chemicals, such as carbon monoxide, tar, acetaldehyde, nitrosamines and others, nicotine is the primary reason that is addictive. It’s addictive nature means you feel good when you get your daily dose of nicotine and get very bad feelings such as anxiety, depressed mood, irritability, impatience, difficulty concentrating, restlessness and even a decreased heart rate when it is absent. For this reason, many people fail to quit even after making several smoking cessation attempts. In fact, nicotine addiction is regarded as one of the hardest addictions to break.
Treatments available for smoking cessation
Here we will briefly discuss some of the most popular smoking cessation treatments:
Cold turkey – This is by far the most popular step people take to stop smoking. This method involves making attempts to quit smoking by virtue of sheer will power. Many people with a strong determination are able to quit cold turkey, though some people may take up to 4-10 attempts to quit via cold turkey. People who have been smoking for years may find this method very difficult as it involves going through painful nicotine withdrawal symptoms.
Nicotine replacement therapy – This method involves use of nicotine gums, patches, lozenges, nasal sprays, inhalators etc. The aim of NRT based products is to provide nicotine to the body externally so that the person striving towards smoking cessation is relieved of nicotine withdrawal symptoms and is able to concentrate on quitting the habit of smoking. However, since NRTs contain harmful nicotine, a risk of re-addiction is involved in this smoking cessation treatment method. Nicotine Replacement Therapy should be used in consultation with a doctor.
Nicotine-free smoking cessation drugs – Nicotine-free smoking cessation drugs are becoming increasingly popular as a cessation treatment method. These are considered better than Nicotine Replacement Therapy because they do not contain the harmful nicotine. However, these drugs are available by prescription only and are to be used only after consulting a doctor.
Chantix Vs Zyban – which of the popular smoking cessation drugs works best
Zyban (Bupropion) – Though initially developed as an anti-depressant, Zyban was found to be affective as a smoking cessation drug. Zyban helps a person to stop smoking by providing relief from the painful nicotine withdrawal symptoms.
Chantix (Varenicline) – Chantix is one of the most frequently prescribed smoking cessation drugs. Chantix is proven to be twice as likely to help a person to stop smoking over Zyban. Chantix doesn’t only relieve a person from nicotine withdrawal symptoms, but also takes the pleasure out of smoking so that a person on Chantix no longer even wants to smoke.
Chantix as an anti-smoking drug
Developed by Pfizer pharmaceuticals, Chantix is by far the most effective anti-smoking drug. Chantix received FDA approval as a prescription only stop smoking drug in May 2006. Though Chantix is a relatively new drug, in a short span of time it has become hugely popular as a smoking cessation drug.
Varenicline – the active ingredient in Chantix belongs to a class of medicines called nicotine receptor antagonists. Chantix Varenicline binds itself to the nicotine receptors in the brain and stimulates the release of low levels of dopamine – this is the same chemical which is released by the brain due to the effect of nicotine and gives a person a pleasurable experience. By causing the brain to release dopamine, Chantix relieves a person from experiencing painful nicotine withdrawal symptoms. Simultaneously, Chantix Varenicline blocks nicotine from acting on its receptors in the brain. Therefore, even if a person succumbs to the temptation of lighting a cigarette again he/she will not derive any pleasure out of smoking and will therefore have a reduced tendency to get back to smoking again.
Several clinical trials have proved the effectiveness of Chantix as an anti-smoking drug. Following the 12 weeks of recommended Chantix dosage, approximately 44% of Chantix users remained smoke free as compared to 30% on Zyban (Bupropion) and 18% on a placebo.