Welcome to our special page dedicated to all those struggling to give up smoking. This is a special time for all of you trying to give up as there has never been so much help available to help you quit. 

I will detail first the help available at the Health Centre and then extra help that you may access. 

After that I will list all the essential tips that help to make giving up smoking as successful as possible. 

The Smoking Clinics.

There are clinics which are by the Local Primary Care trust. For people to join these clinics please see your normal Doctor for a referral or enquire at the Reception desk.

If you are attending any of our special clinics where smoking can cause problems you may be advised directly to add your name to the next clinic. This is especially important for conditions like COPD, Asthma and Diabetes where smoking is known to speed up complications and shorten life. 

Nicotine replacement.

Since mid April 2002, nicotine replacement has become available on prescription after many years off the prescribing list. This can be in the form of patches, sprays, micro tabs, inhalators and chewing gum. 

We know from our extensive experience over the last 8 years that in certain people, nicotine withdrawal  can be a major cause of failure. 

The symptoms are well-recognised by most smokers and include  irritability very soon after stopping the weed, sweating, sleeplessness and a degree of irrationality!

If you are not keen on joining a group but wish to give up using these methods, then you are welcome to make an appointment to see one of us here at the Health Centre.  You will usually be prescribed 2 weeks of replacement at a time and then monitored.  If you are unsuccessful then the prescription will stop.

Zyban (Bupropion Hydrochloride).

This a relatively new drug recently licensed in the UK for the treatment of nicotine addiction. It has been developed by Glaxo Welcome one of the biggest pharmaceutical companies in the world. It was originally developed as an antidepressant in the USA but was not wholly successful. It was noticed that those taking the drug were more able to give up smoking. It has been shown that Zyban affects those parts of the brain which deal with nicotine withdrawal and ease the effects in some people. 

The drug has been shown to be more effective than placebo or nicotine replacement  only when people are supported closely and monitored. To all extents and purposes this means attending a dedicated smoking cessation clinic. If you are listed for one of these clinics then you can be prescribed this medicine as long as it is not contraindicated for you. If you are not attending a special clinic then it will not be prescribed.

Side effects and contraindications of Zyban.

The commonest side effects are minor. They include sleeplessness, headache and dryness of the mouth. The most serious side effect reported is epileptic seizure. This can in extreme circumstances lead to asphyxia and death as in the case of the unfortunate young air hostess recently reported on in the press. 

The estimated frequency of epileptic seizure is 1 in 1000 patients. 

The contraindications for Zyban are those which make epileptic seizure more likely. They are all well known to reduce what is known as the  'seizure threshold'.  These include:

Past history of epilepsy.

Past serious head injury (Usually meaning skull fracture).

Taking certain medicines (Usually antidepressant medication, but  several others are included).

Zyban is a new medicine. It is not a panacea for all. It does have its place in smoking cessation. In the next few years that place may become clearer.

Special tips to make quitting more successful.

Choose a special date.

This is the single most important factor. It helps you to focus and gear yourself up. It also helps to tell people. It may put more pressure on you but that pressure may help you get over the first few days which may be the difference between success or failure.

Give up, do not try to cut down.

There is no point trying to cut down. You are only fooling yourself. Anyone at the clinic who states they are just cutting down first is doomed to failure. We know this from bitter experience. 

Decide whether you need nicotine replacement.

Most smokers will have tried to give up before. If you recognise yourself as getting fractious, irritable and possible homicidal within a very short time then nicotine replacement may well help you succeed. Patches are probably the most popular form. They are unobtrusive and release a steady supply of nicotine into the blood stream. 

Alternatives include the inhalator, the nasal spray and gum. All of these need a conscious effort to use and may in some people reinforce the difficulties of quitting. In some people they are very successful.

The Urge to Smoke.

In the first few days and weeks of quitting, all you do is not smoke!! Most of your waking day is a battle with nicotine withdrawal and when you finally start to get over that, you enter the most difficult phase. Once the withdrawals have settled, you have the habit side to kick. This is where The Urge comes into its own. Once you have conquered The Urge, you can count yourself in the home straight. 

The Urge can be thought of as the partner of smoking. The voice that lulls you into a false sense of security, all the time trying to get you to start again. It tells you things like 

"You have done so well, you deserve a treat"

"Only one won't hurt"

"Just buy 10, you can give up again in the morning".

All of these things will be familiar for those of you who have tried in the past and may have lead to your downfall!

Although it seems like a difficult hurdle to cross, The Urge has a special weakness that will let it down every time. It  has no stamina whatsoever. The Urge can only last for between 30 seconds and a couple of minutes. After that it has to go for a lie down. If you can recognise The Urge when it comes calling, you can face it down until it skulks away with its tail between its legs. 

To recognise The Urge is a matter of practice. It will whisper all those things that are so familiar when you are trying to give up. Once recognised, it will fail, so it changes like a chameleon to try and trick you into lighting up. At first, when you have just given up you will see it very easily. Get used to it and keep tabs on it. After a few weeks, it will disguise itself to make it more difficult to see. Practice getting to know your enemy in the early stages so that when things seem to be getting easier, you won't get caught out.

Giving up smoking is easier than it has ever been. It's still pretty tricky, but with the right approach and help if you need it, you can kick the habit of a lifetime.

Good Luck!