Treatment Online

New Drug Approved for Smoking Cessation
> 5/31/2006 9:41:09 AM

May 31st is officially "World No Tobacco Day," and more than 44 million Americans still smoke cigarettes despite the fact that customers overwhelmingly understand their destructive nature even before picking up the habit. Once established, smoking becomes a chronic, relapsing disease which is increasingly difficult to treat and takes the lives of millions each year, but frustrated smokers may find new hope in a tobacco cessation tablet recently approved by the FDA.

Pfizer's Chantix works more powerfully than common OTC smoking treatments by providing partial stimulation of nicotine receptors in the nervous system, relieving the cravings of addiction without fully inducing the "positive reinforcement" provided by a burning cigarette. While on the medication, a patient will not receive the customary nicotine rush provided by smoking, theoretically reducing desire by removing the stimuli's satiating effect.

Twelve week sponsored studies claim the efficacy of Chantix is significantly greater than that of comparable medications like Zyban, with twenty-two percent of participants remaining smoke free one year after beginning treatment. Patients also received counseling during the trials, and many clinicians recommend that smokers attend support groups such as Nicotine Anonymous to help them work through the process of quitting.

Some experts remain critical, pointing out that tobacco addiction includes both physical and psychological properties and that Chantix addresses only the former. This drug is not a silver bullet, and new prescriptions, even when coupled with successful PR campaigns, will never fully erase the appeal of a cigarette hanging from one's mouth, but any measurable reduction in the terrible toll of the world's second leading cause of death is a significant one.

Comments
I have tried Chantix for 8 days now and stopped smoking even before the day I had planned to stop smoking. From that perspective, it's great, the desire for a cigaret simply vanished!Unfortunately, over the past three days I had really bad vertigo for a few hours in the morning. It makes me feel sick and getting up or focusing on anything is really hard for a few hours (not great for work....). After only 8 days, I have thus decided to stop, hopefully I'll be strong enough to bite on my teeth to remain smoke free!

Posted by: Brigitte 2/12/2007 3:08:49 AM