Would you say trying a replacement medication is effective or it will just bring you back to tobacco use?

[liamarie463]

Im trying to decide if i should quit cold turkey or with a medication replacement. 

[DavesTime]

Well, I ended up getting hooked on the nicotine gum and still smoked!  Some use it to quit successfully, but I didn't.  I was never able to quit cold turkey.  What DID work for me was Wellbutrin (same as Zyban) in combination with the patch.  Since I couldn't "dose" myself with the patch, as I could with the gum, I didn't continue my nic addiction with it.  I stayed on the Wellbutrin for three months and used the patch concurrently for six weeks to fade off the nicotine..  It worked for me.

[Thovis]

I tried Zyban also.  It works great, but I had side effects that I couldn't live with.  I wish I was able to get past them as it was like magic.  haha 

[JonesCarpeDiem]

If you really want to quit smoking successfully you need to unlearn the hand to mouth and inhale ritual.

you can't do that still making the same motions with a battery instead of a flame.

The safest NRT is the patch because you aren't going for an instant fix with the gum. lozenge or whatever.

It's the only one that doesn't involve the constant "reaching for satisfaction" routine.

With the patch, you base the strength on how much nicotine you were getting just before you quit.

THEN, you trust it.  You trust it.

You don't get the ups and downs from self dosing.

You learn faster in that way because you aren't always thinking about getting nicotine. You know you are because you trust it.

When you forget to put it on for a day and then a couple days straight, you probably don't need it anymore.

[Barbscloud]

Sorry, but have to disagree.  The nicotrol inhaler really worked for me.  We're all different.

[PrimeNumberJD]

I'm not sure who you are disagreeing with, I am assuming it is to what I posted. 

I'm not sure what you disagree with if it is me, is it

1. 90% of quitters do so without NRT?

2. You should do whatever gets you quit?

3. NRT studies combine a higher degree of counseling than what is practiced real world (perhaps why the results don't translate).

4. Counseling/support may be the greatest indicator to success (personal hypothesis).

If it is 1, you may want to consider disagreeing, even the CDC states most quit without NRT. 

That doesn't mean don't due it, refer to #2, if stats sway you to a single course, then one shouldn't try to quit as 94% fail (hence the 6% ers). 

I would be happy to discuss any of the stats, I'm studying them all the time, looking at efficacy by length of time, quit statistics by method, and so forth. I don't always like what I see, such as nearly 10% of quitters with 3 years under their belt will relapse, but it is scientifically proven. I hope to identify the gap in wanting to quit and actually quitting. 

[JonesCarpeDiem]

I think she's disagreeing with me? 

[PrimeNumberJD]

Perhaps on the different method of NRT, that makes sense! 

I could see her point there. With the inhaler, it is at least prescribed, so a doctor should be regularly involved.  

I also see the patch point. The only problem I have seen with the patch is that if you fail once, you are in likely to ever succeed with it (99% failure rate 2nd time around).

There has to be a methodology that is more firm than 6%, as you probably know, no matter the method of quitting, relapse rates remain constant.

Just have to commit to keep on keeping on. I was looking forward to a good debate...challenging common perceptions is a great way to learn and expand knowledge! 

[JonesCarpeDiem]

[Barbscloud]

I totally get that, but why not make it a little easier if you can.   This is one of the hardest things you many do in your life.  Success is success, not matter how your cut it.

[JonesCarpeDiem]

Easier is great. Believing you can't stay quit without them and continuing the nicotine reward cycle can turn into a dependency.