Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) has been around a long time, with varying degrees of success. Most agree that NRT will double a person's chance of quitting over going cold turkey alone. But the outcomes, defined as smoking cessation, are still pretty small.
A recent study looked at the affect NRT had on smoking reduction and temporary abstinence in England. The researchers wanted to see if NRT use could predict smoking cessation attempts. I'm not really sure why they were asking this question and the end result of the study is not what I find important.
Rather, the scientists state that NRT was associated with an overall smoking reduction of about two cigarettes per day. They also found that people who used NRT were more likely to try to quit smoking that someone who did not use it - which I think is a patently obvious observation that didn't require a study. But that's just my two cents.
Anyway, I wanted to focus on this 2 cigarette per day reduction. Is it just me or does that seem kind of small? Yeah, that's what I thought. But I think I know why it is so small.
Since most NRT is available without a prescription, most people who want to quit can just go online or to a local store and buy nicotine gum or whatever. Lets say a guy wants to quit, but he's not completely sure about how to go through it. More than likely, he's heard about NRT and will probably "try" some nicotine gum or the patch. Hey, you don't need a script and nobody needs to know what you're doing. It's kind of a covert quit attempt. No real planning, no thinking about it, just try and see what happens.
In this scenario, smoking cessation success may be difficult to achieve. The biggest mistake people make is failing to plan a quit attempt. When you approach a serious addiction, which lets face it, nicotine is, you must be serious in your desire to quit. Testing the waters and trying things out are, in the end, not worth the trouble.
I've heard some people using nicotine gum for over a year. Now I don't know if they were addicted to nicotine gum or just felt the need to keep trying, but planning is the answer. So I believe these people in the study were not serious about quitting, rather they were just experimenting with NRT to see if it would magically take their nicotine addiction away. Obviously, it doesn't seem to work that way.
Showing posts with label nicotine gum. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nicotine gum. Show all posts
Weight Gain After Smoking Cessation in First 30 Days
I have spoken to lots of people who tried to quit smoking. Those who really didn't try that hard always had this fall back excuse, "I didn't want to gain all that weight". Let's see, if I had to choose between the mortality and morbidity associated with smoking and smoking related diseases, and compare them to a 10-15 pound weight gain...I think I'd take the weight gain. Now granted for many, 10 or 15 extra pounds does seem like a lot. But I think the benefits outweighs the harm, pardon the pun.
Well, a new study looks at the use of nicotine gum in the first 30 days of a quit program. The researchers wanted to see if (and how much) nicotine gum helped keep the dreaded smoking cessation weight gain from materializing. Their work can be seen in the journal Addiction entitled, "Effect of compliance with nicotine gum dosing on weight gained during a quit attempt".
They utilized a randomized, double-blinded, placebo controlled trial. They only enrolled 103 participants, but that's not too bad. They found that when smokers were quitting, those who used more pieces of nicotine gum (> 9 pieces per day), had less weight gain in the first 30 days of the quit attempt. They saw a similar effect among participants with regard to the dosing of nicotine gum (2 mg vs. 4 mg dose).
Interestingly, the placebo group experienced an average of 1.6 kg of weight during the first 30 days. That's only 3.5 pounds of weight gain. So even if someone does gain weight when quitting, it's not a horrible amount, just a couple of pounds. Heck, I put on 5 pounds just this last Thanksgiving holiday.
So there you go. If you're a little hesitant to stop smoking , then just try using nicotine gum. But make sure you use it the correct way. Chew it until it softens, then park it between your cheek and gum. Continuous chewing will only cause you to ingest the nicotine by swallowing. That will cause gastric upset and will waste the nicotine. It is supposed to be absorbed in the mouth. Always read the stop smoking aid packaging to ensure you are using it the correct way.
If you are still concerned about gaining weight, then map out a set of new habits to replace the old ones. Try a new exercise program ir start munching on crunchy vegetables like carrot sticks or celery. These are not only great ways to lose weight, but will also help with your cravings. Good luck.
Well, a new study looks at the use of nicotine gum in the first 30 days of a quit program. The researchers wanted to see if (and how much) nicotine gum helped keep the dreaded smoking cessation weight gain from materializing. Their work can be seen in the journal Addiction entitled, "Effect of compliance with nicotine gum dosing on weight gained during a quit attempt".
They utilized a randomized, double-blinded, placebo controlled trial. They only enrolled 103 participants, but that's not too bad. They found that when smokers were quitting, those who used more pieces of nicotine gum (> 9 pieces per day), had less weight gain in the first 30 days of the quit attempt. They saw a similar effect among participants with regard to the dosing of nicotine gum (2 mg vs. 4 mg dose).
Interestingly, the placebo group experienced an average of 1.6 kg of weight during the first 30 days. That's only 3.5 pounds of weight gain. So even if someone does gain weight when quitting, it's not a horrible amount, just a couple of pounds. Heck, I put on 5 pounds just this last Thanksgiving holiday.
So there you go. If you're a little hesitant to stop smoking , then just try using nicotine gum. But make sure you use it the correct way. Chew it until it softens, then park it between your cheek and gum. Continuous chewing will only cause you to ingest the nicotine by swallowing. That will cause gastric upset and will waste the nicotine. It is supposed to be absorbed in the mouth. Always read the stop smoking aid packaging to ensure you are using it the correct way.
If you are still concerned about gaining weight, then map out a set of new habits to replace the old ones. Try a new exercise program ir start munching on crunchy vegetables like carrot sticks or celery. These are not only great ways to lose weight, but will also help with your cravings. Good luck.
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