Choosing the Right NRT for You
What is an NRT? It is a nicotine replacement treatment, and it is one of the strongest tools in the fight to eliminate cigarettes from your life. Why? Well, it helps to understand that one of the major components or ingredients in the modern cigarette is nicotine, and it is the nicotine that drives the smoker to “light up” throughout the day.
Nicotine is a major poison, but in small doses it works on the reward pathways of the brain to produce a sense of pleasure and euphoria. The average “drag” on a cigarette hits the brain almost instantly and lasts for several moments. The average cigarette provides ten to twenty such drags. As time passes a smoker is going to become a bit immune to the effects of nicotine, and this leads to increasing amounts of cigarette consumption throughout the day.
The “nic fit” or urge to smoke that many smokers feel when they can’t head outdoors for a smoke is actually the first signs of withdrawal. These are the feelings that often defeat someone’s efforts to quit smoking, and this is the main reason to use an NRT to succeed at quitting for good.
There are many types of NRTs available ranging from patches, gum, lozenges, sprays, and inhalers. Each is a good choice for a specific type of smoker. For example, the heavy smokers tend to do well with inhalers and with sprays. This is because they are very good substitutes for classic smoking behaviors and tend to deliver around one-tenth of the nicotine in the average cigarette. These are also often paired with prescription medications that help to alleviate the other symptoms of withdrawal that the NRT cannot, including the insomnia and anxiety that frequently occur.
The patches deliver a small trickle of nicotine to the blood stream throughout the day and do not give the surge or “hit” that the inhalers or sprays do, but they can eliminate the “edge” on most cravings. These are good for those who smoke moderate amounts.
The gums and lozenges are popular with social smokers and those who do not consume more than two packs a week. While they also give a “hit” of nicotine to the blood stream, they are not as powerful as the inhalers or sprays.
All NRTs are meant to be used for no more than a few months, and if the smoker has still not been able to quit during that time they must consult their physician for advice.
