Keep that resolution using Chantix:
The latest promise in smoking cessation
Frank Moraleda
Issue date: 1/14/08 Section: Pulse
The start of the New Year brings many resolutions; the most common ones being to lose weight and quit smoking. With the new No-Smoking Law that went in to effect Jan. 1, citizens of Illinois have an extra incentive to keep that resolution. Recently, the Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Pfizer's Chantix (Varenicline Tartrate), making it the newest smoking cessation medication on the market. In contrast to nicotine replacement therapies (NRT's) such as the trans-dermal patch, nicotine gum, sprays and inhalers, Chantix is a partial nicotinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist which focuses on specific parts of the brain affected by nicotine.
For smokers frustrated with the poor success rates of NRT's, Chantix may be a possible alternative worth pursuing. Chantix works on the same receptors in the brain that release dopamine when nicotine is inhaled.
"On a 12-week treatment program using 0.5 mg and 1.0 mg tablets, Chantix activates these receptors and also blocks nicotine from attaching to them," states Kartik Patel, UIC fourth year and pharmacy technician.
A 52-week longitudinal trial conducted by Tonstad, et al., evaluated subjects smoking 10 or more cigarettes a day. Chantix was found to be thrice as effective as a placebo, with higher abstinence rates and longer median times to relapse.
Wellbutrin, another pharmacotherapy drug treatment - known by the generic name of Bupropion Hydrochloride - was originally marketed as an anti-depressant for those with seasonal affective disorder (SAD). It was later discovered that Wellbutrin's smoking cessation characteristic was a positive side effect in subjects who were smokers. In 1997, the FDA subsequently approved Bupropion Hydrochloride as a smoking cessation medication under the name of Zyban.
Chantix has been shown to be more effective than Bupropion by 14 percent.
"To properly take [Chantix], the smoker must choose a quitting date and take the 0.5 mg tablet each day for one week before this quitting date to let the medication build up in the body. From then on, a 1.0 mg tablet is taken twice a day: once in the morning, and once in the evening for up to 12 weeks. This process may seem simple, however common side effects include: constipation, gas, nausea/vomiting, and changes in dreams," states Patel.
It must be noted, however, that nicotine addiction is both physical and psychological. Veterans Affairs Family Practice Physician and UIUC Family Medicine Clinical Instructor Percival Moraleda, M.D. stresses that "the willpower to quit must be at the smoker's highest priority, and without this, the efficacy of all smoking cessation treatments are reduced significantly."
If you're tired of paying the ridiculous prices for cigarettes in the city, or are concerned with the health risks associated with smoking, make an appointment with your physician to discuss the smoking cessation treatment methods available that pertain to your individual needs.
For smokers frustrated with the poor success rates of NRT's, Chantix may be a possible alternative worth pursuing. Chantix works on the same receptors in the brain that release dopamine when nicotine is inhaled.
"On a 12-week treatment program using 0.5 mg and 1.0 mg tablets, Chantix activates these receptors and also blocks nicotine from attaching to them," states Kartik Patel, UIC fourth year and pharmacy technician.
A 52-week longitudinal trial conducted by Tonstad, et al., evaluated subjects smoking 10 or more cigarettes a day. Chantix was found to be thrice as effective as a placebo, with higher abstinence rates and longer median times to relapse.
Wellbutrin, another pharmacotherapy drug treatment - known by the generic name of Bupropion Hydrochloride - was originally marketed as an anti-depressant for those with seasonal affective disorder (SAD). It was later discovered that Wellbutrin's smoking cessation characteristic was a positive side effect in subjects who were smokers. In 1997, the FDA subsequently approved Bupropion Hydrochloride as a smoking cessation medication under the name of Zyban.
Chantix has been shown to be more effective than Bupropion by 14 percent.
"To properly take [Chantix], the smoker must choose a quitting date and take the 0.5 mg tablet each day for one week before this quitting date to let the medication build up in the body. From then on, a 1.0 mg tablet is taken twice a day: once in the morning, and once in the evening for up to 12 weeks. This process may seem simple, however common side effects include: constipation, gas, nausea/vomiting, and changes in dreams," states Patel.
It must be noted, however, that nicotine addiction is both physical and psychological. Veterans Affairs Family Practice Physician and UIUC Family Medicine Clinical Instructor Percival Moraleda, M.D. stresses that "the willpower to quit must be at the smoker's highest priority, and without this, the efficacy of all smoking cessation treatments are reduced significantly."
If you're tired of paying the ridiculous prices for cigarettes in the city, or are concerned with the health risks associated with smoking, make an appointment with your physician to discuss the smoking cessation treatment methods available that pertain to your individual needs.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Theresa
posted 1/17/08 @ 4:30 PM CST
Hi this is my 3rd week taking chantix and is working i'm less 260 cigarettes, quit date 1-7-08. I'm alittle tired and kinda (alot) moody and have had a few side effects, but is well worth it. (Continued…)
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