IRON ONLINE STOP SMOKING ARCHIVE

Do I Need a Patch or Gum to Quit?

To change any habit, we first must understand our habit, why we have it, what purpose it serves, and what will be effected when we change the habit. Smoking is no different.

Depending on how long the habit has been ingrained, and how "interrelated" our lives are with that particular habit, will dictate how hard it will be to quit. Every person is an individual who needs to go through this process.

To slap on a patch and hope that you will be smoke-free for the rest of your life is setting you up for failure in most cases. However, with the addictive nature of nicotine some people may need a way to change the delivery of their nicotine intake and get ride of the "evidence" of cigarettes and ash trays. The patches are very helpful in this case. They allow the nicotine level to be dispensed in a basal fashion instead of the spikes delivered from a cigarette. They also allow the physical evidence of cigarettes and ash trays to be removed from sight. It is very dangerous to smoke when using the patches, so if the person feels the urge to smoke, they should immediately stop using the patches altogether.

In my experience with the nicotine gum, it has not been a very effective method of helping people quit. We now have the nicotine inhaler and nasal spray, which also has side effects, but are too new to comment on regarding their effectiveness.

Nicotrol.com gives more information on these new nicotine replacement therapies. There is also a homeopathic remedy which I have had success with patients who are ready to quit smoking. I will always emphasize the need for education along with any of these medical therapies to not only understand the habit better and work toward the goal of being smoke-free, but also for individual support system during the process.

Susan, PhD, CDE
Preventive Health Care Specialist

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