Read How a Smoker of 42 Years
Quit Cigarettes & Lost Weight!
With Medical Nicotine: Lozenges, Patches & Gum
How Nicotine Can Help You Lose Weight
This page is not a substitute for medical care. Consult your health care providers
There are many people who put off quitting
cigarettes because of weight gain.
I have not had a cigarette in over three years and I've lost easily 50+ pounds!
I have not had a cigarette in over three years and I've lost easily 50+ pounds!
In April 2012 I was a physical mess. I
was 60 years old and overweight at 235-240 pounds.
I had smoked cigarettes for 42 years and was prescribed a CPAP machine for sleep apnea.
I also needed a cane to walk. I was going downhill ...
I had smoked cigarettes for 42 years and was prescribed a CPAP machine for sleep apnea.
I also needed a cane to walk. I was going downhill ...
In 2012 my neurologist did me a huge
favor and convinced me to quit cigarettes (or else he
would fire me) ... now it is the Summer of 2015 and I
weigh a healthy 175-180 pounds! I've lost over 50 pounds and have kept
it off over two years mostly by nicotine lozenges,
sensible eating and moderate exercise.
I haven't had a cigarette in almost three years; my balance is much better and I no longer need a cane to walk! Nor do I have sleep apnea anymore. All my medical tests have vastly improved! My weight is tracked every two weeks by my long-time and much appreciated family physician. People who know me are amazed at how well I look today after losing 10 inches off my belly (size 44 down to size 34). I can even dance again!
I haven't had a cigarette in almost three years; my balance is much better and I no longer need a cane to walk! Nor do I have sleep apnea anymore. All my medical tests have vastly improved! My weight is tracked every two weeks by my long-time and much appreciated family physician. People who know me are amazed at how well I look today after losing 10 inches off my belly (size 44 down to size 34). I can even dance again!
My results may not be
typical. The main purpose of this page is to
stimulate more research.
Show your doctor this website and
read the science references in this article.
Patches & Lozenges Helped me Quit Without
Gaining Weight
The support of my excellent doctors also has
a lot to do with my success. Please talk to your own care providers,
show them this website and the research links. I would not have been able to quit
cigarettes without NRTs (Nicotine Replacement
Therapies).
I cannot say enough good things about the nicotine patch, lozenges and gum. Today's gum and lozenges taste much, much better than the old peppery gum they had years ago. The new mint and cherry flavors are great tasting improvements!
Medical nicotine is very different from tobacco and cigarettes. In Sept 2013 the US Food and Drug Administration said: After 20 years of testing and more than 117 trials with over 50,000 smokers, "NRT aids do not have significant potential for abuse or dependence".
Read NEW FDA Guidelines for Nicotine Lozenges, Sept 2013!
It is now easier to quit than ever before with the new FDA rules!
Harm Reduction and How I Quit
CigarettesI cannot say enough good things about the nicotine patch, lozenges and gum. Today's gum and lozenges taste much, much better than the old peppery gum they had years ago. The new mint and cherry flavors are great tasting improvements!
Medical nicotine is very different from tobacco and cigarettes. In Sept 2013 the US Food and Drug Administration said: After 20 years of testing and more than 117 trials with over 50,000 smokers, "NRT aids do not have significant potential for abuse or dependence".
Read NEW FDA Guidelines for Nicotine Lozenges, Sept 2013!
It is now easier to quit than ever before with the new FDA rules!
To quit cigarettes I used BOTH nicotine
patches and nicotine lozenges. I continue to use lozenges
today with my doctor's support. This is now approved by the FDA. New federal guidelines in Sept 2013
allow users to use two nicotine products at the same time
(like the patch and lozenges I use). It's harder to quit today
than it used to be and the products are safe.
This method is often called " Harm Reduction " by scientists. The idea behind Harm Reduction is simple - nothing is as bad for us as cigarette smoking. Anything we can do to get off tobacco is good simply because nothing is as harmful as cigarettes. Relapse rates are very high with cigarettes. Anything we can do to avoid relapse is good because almost nothing is as harmful as cigarettes. Here is an excellent link from respected researchers on tobacco and harm reduction. http://www.tobaccoharmreduction.org/index.htm
The FDA’s Sept 2013 guidelines also allow
users to continue using nicotine replacements as long as you
and your doctor feel necessary. Nicotine products no longer
require a prescription and can be purchased at most grocery
stores. T he FDA said that years of
testing NRTs like nicotine patches and lozenges has found very
few harmful effects! They
have been tested for over 20 years with over 50,000 smokers. It's the tar
and additives that kill - not the nicotine!
The relapse rate for smokers like me is over 80%. I will likely never be nicotine free, but I can be cigarette free! Nicotine patches and lozenges are much better for you. If I can quit with patches and lozenges ANYONE can. I've been cig free for 2+ years and I use about 6-8 lozenges a day.
This method is often called " Harm Reduction " by scientists. The idea behind Harm Reduction is simple - nothing is as bad for us as cigarette smoking. Anything we can do to get off tobacco is good simply because nothing is as harmful as cigarettes. Relapse rates are very high with cigarettes. Anything we can do to avoid relapse is good because almost nothing is as harmful as cigarettes. Here is an excellent link from respected researchers on tobacco and harm reduction. http://www.tobaccoharmreduction.org/index.htm
The FDA’s Sept 2013 guidelines also allow
users to continue using nicotine replacements as long as you
and your doctor feel necessary. Nicotine products no longer
require a prescription and can be purchased at most grocery
stores.The relapse rate for smokers like me is over 80%. I will likely never be nicotine free, but I can be cigarette free! Nicotine patches and lozenges are much better for you. If I can quit with patches and lozenges ANYONE can. I've been cig free for 2+ years and I use about 6-8 lozenges a day.
Critics may charge that this method keeps me addicted to pharmaceutical nicotine. That’s may be true, but long term smokers like me have relapse rates over 80%. It's a pipe dream to think I can be completely "nicotine free" after smoking 42 years. Today I am on FAR less nicotine today than I was when I smoked - about 60-70% less -- and medical nicotine is much safer than nicotine from cigarettes.. I smoked almost two packs of cigarettes a day for over 40 years. If I reduce the nicotine content down by 70% that is good enough for me right now. I can always cut back more later. I'll be happy if I just never smoke another cigarette!
Believe it or not, medical nicotine may even have positive health benefits! Perhaps it's the hundreds of other additives the cigarette manufacturers add to tobacco that change nicotine from the beneficial medicine Native Americans used into a killer today. The nicotine in replacement therapies is much cleaner than what's used by cigarette companies.
Tobacco Companies RAISED Nicotine
Making It Harder for Smokers to Quit!!
Making It Harder for Smokers to Quit!!
I had tried the NRT patches and gum in the past and
followed the directions on the package. However, they never
seemed to work like they were supposed to and like many smokers
I lost faith in NRTs. Recently I discovered one reason why they
may not work as well as they should ....
According to Dr. Daniel Seidman of Columbia Medical Center "today's cigarettes are not the same ones your mother or father smoked". Today's cigarettes are actually STRONGER, MORE ADDICTIVE AND HARDER TO QUIT than cigarettes a few years ago (see Dr. Seidman's great blog on Smoking Cession here).
Dr. Seidman is one of the top researchers on quitting smoking. He recommends the same quit strategy that has worked so well for me: "With cigarettes delivering a stronger dose of nicotine, consider using two forms of NRT. The combined NRT approach not only delivers nicotine more aggressively to replace that from cigarettes, the U.S public Health Service 2008 update (8) found this to be the best of the medical options available for helping smokers quit".
I had tried using either patches or lozenges to quit cigarette smoking, but using just one method never worked for me. When I used BOTH a patch and a lozenge then, I finally got results! I did not want a cigarette and my energy level did not crash. The old doses on the packaging were simply not enough to keep up with the increase in nicotine in cigarettes. It may be hard for you to believe, but the tobacco companies have been making their cigs MORE ADDICTIVE to keep smokers hooked.
Nicotine stimulates the body and most people have drops in their energy levels after quitting cigarettes, but this method has kept my energy up! Also, I thought I would gain weight, like always when I tried to quit cigarettes. But, nicotine lozenges and gum are terrific appetite suppressants.
With a lozenge in my mouth I am simply not hungry between meals. I don't believe using a patch alone would work for appetite control.
According to Dr. Daniel Seidman of Columbia Medical Center "today's cigarettes are not the same ones your mother or father smoked". Today's cigarettes are actually STRONGER, MORE ADDICTIVE AND HARDER TO QUIT than cigarettes a few years ago (see Dr. Seidman's great blog on Smoking Cession here).
Dr. Seidman is one of the top researchers on quitting smoking. He recommends the same quit strategy that has worked so well for me: "With cigarettes delivering a stronger dose of nicotine, consider using two forms of NRT. The combined NRT approach not only delivers nicotine more aggressively to replace that from cigarettes, the U.S public Health Service 2008 update (8) found this to be the best of the medical options available for helping smokers quit".
I had tried using either patches or lozenges to quit cigarette smoking, but using just one method never worked for me. When I used BOTH a patch and a lozenge then, I finally got results! I did not want a cigarette and my energy level did not crash. The old doses on the packaging were simply not enough to keep up with the increase in nicotine in cigarettes. It may be hard for you to believe, but the tobacco companies have been making their cigs MORE ADDICTIVE to keep smokers hooked.
Nicotine stimulates the body and most people have drops in their energy levels after quitting cigarettes, but this method has kept my energy up! Also, I thought I would gain weight, like always when I tried to quit cigarettes. But, nicotine lozenges and gum are terrific appetite suppressants.
With a lozenge in my mouth I am simply not hungry between meals. I don't believe using a patch alone would work for appetite control.
Today's Cigs are More Addictive
than 25 years Ago
Quit smoking blogs are full of angry
NRT users.
Smokers claim they don't work & many scientists agree.
The reason why NRTs don't work is because Big Tobacco raised the nicotine levels!
This is why smokers get discouraged - the old doses are too low to curb cravings.
Research shows today's cigarettes are more addictive than in the past!
Smokers claim they don't work & many scientists agree.
The reason why NRTs don't work is because Big Tobacco raised the nicotine levels!
This is why smokers get discouraged - the old doses are too low to curb cravings.
Research shows today's cigarettes are more addictive than in the past!
Questions
& Answers on How I Quit Smoking
Why didn't you quit Cold Turkey?
I tried quitting cold turkey at least 5 times. Each time I
went back to smoking weighing more. The longest I was ever
completely off cigarettes was one month. I had made it to six
months previously using the gum. That is why I tried two methods
at once - with both lozenges and patches. I am over 60 and I
have smoked for over 42 years. The odds of my relapse are high.
Today I am on about 25-30% of the nicotine I was
consuming when I smoked cigarettes. That's a big drop in my nicotine, and
I can always reduce it more.
Can people who Chew rather than Smoke use this Method?
YES! This is the perfect method for tobacco chewers!
Lozenges and flavored gum are a much cleaner, better way
for guys to get their nicotine fix. Also, when she is
kissing you, a woman would much rather taste a mint
lozenge than a chunk of slobbery tobacco. She'd much
rather lick a cherry flavored lozenge than chewing tobacco
or snuff.
What about Chantix and other medications to quit smoking?
I used Chantix on a previous attempt to quit smoking. I took
it for several months and it helped me a lot. I had no ill
effects and could have continued using it. But at the time you
could not take Chantix for more than a couple of months. After I
was taken off Chantix I soon started back smoking, plus I gained
a few pounds more!! I have only good things to say about the
time I used it. I did not use Chantex this time. I knew the
prescription would soon end.
What
about Nicotine's Side Effect like high blood pressure?
I had a heart exam the year before I quit
smoking. All appeared
normal except for slightly elevated blood pressure which
is fairly normal for men my age (I take Lisinopril daily).
If you
have had any history of heart trouble or high blood
pressure be sure to consult with your doctor. Show her
this web site. Medical nicotine is a much safer
form of nicotine than what's in cigarettes - but it's still
a mild stimulant. Check with your doctor.
Also, see this British study by the Royal College of Physicians of London which says on page 270, "Although it is unlikely that medicinal nicotine (or any drug) is completely safe, there is no evidence that medicinal nicotine is carcinogenic, or that, in practice, its use increases appreciably the risk of acute cardiovascular events ... To practical purposes, therefore, in comparison with smoking cigarettes, use of medicinal nicotine is extremely safe."
Did you use any Mind-Body Techniques and how did you cope with stress? Yes, to boost my motivation I did positive affirmations and relaxation therapies every night for the first year. The affirmations were about quitting cigarettes, weight loss, exercise and relaxation. I still listen to them to keep my motivation up. For almost 30 years I've listen to Dr. Emmett Miller and Stephen Halpern's music. You can find many of their programs on You Tube. Some might like working with a hypnosis practitioner or try acupuncture.
What about E-Cigarettes or “vaping”? I have not used e-cigs, but these may help many people quit and I would try it if I were ever attempting to quit smoking again. E-cigs were very new when I quit. I fear the smoke/vapor could keep me wanting more to smoke real cigarettes. Plus, vaping probably won't curb the munchies the way that lozenges and gum can. However, it's is very possible that a person could use BOTH vaping and nicotine lozenges/gum - each are replacements for the cigarette, which is so much worse for us.
If I was starting over to quit I would probably use e-cigs. But I might not have lost weight by vaping and I might not have thought of using gum/lozenges. I would still need to go outside for my nicotine fix rather than reach into my pocket! It's much easier to use lozenges and gum than to leave work for any type of smoke!
We need more research on e-cigs and other, less harmful forms of nicotine than cigarettes. Sadly, too many people feel it's a choice between ONLY smoking or ONLY vaping or ONLY using nicotine lozenges. Nothing is as bad for us as smoking cigarettes, so almost any change is good.
Also, see this British study by the Royal College of Physicians of London which says on page 270, "Although it is unlikely that medicinal nicotine (or any drug) is completely safe, there is no evidence that medicinal nicotine is carcinogenic, or that, in practice, its use increases appreciably the risk of acute cardiovascular events ... To practical purposes, therefore, in comparison with smoking cigarettes, use of medicinal nicotine is extremely safe."
Did you use any Mind-Body Techniques and how did you cope with stress? Yes, to boost my motivation I did positive affirmations and relaxation therapies every night for the first year. The affirmations were about quitting cigarettes, weight loss, exercise and relaxation. I still listen to them to keep my motivation up. For almost 30 years I've listen to Dr. Emmett Miller and Stephen Halpern's music. You can find many of their programs on You Tube. Some might like working with a hypnosis practitioner or try acupuncture.
What about E-Cigarettes or “vaping”? I have not used e-cigs, but these may help many people quit and I would try it if I were ever attempting to quit smoking again. E-cigs were very new when I quit. I fear the smoke/vapor could keep me wanting more to smoke real cigarettes. Plus, vaping probably won't curb the munchies the way that lozenges and gum can. However, it's is very possible that a person could use BOTH vaping and nicotine lozenges/gum - each are replacements for the cigarette, which is so much worse for us.
If I was starting over to quit I would probably use e-cigs. But I might not have lost weight by vaping and I might not have thought of using gum/lozenges. I would still need to go outside for my nicotine fix rather than reach into my pocket! It's much easier to use lozenges and gum than to leave work for any type of smoke!
We need more research on e-cigs and other, less harmful forms of nicotine than cigarettes. Sadly, too many people feel it's a choice between ONLY smoking or ONLY vaping or ONLY using nicotine lozenges. Nothing is as bad for us as smoking cigarettes, so almost any change is good.
Medical
Nicotine & Weight Control in Europe
Let's compare the
Nicorette and Nicoderm Companies websites in the United
States, Europe and the United Kingdom. The US and the UK websites
say very, very different things about your weight. Why would
that change from England to the US?? It's our laws -
regulations and how hard it is to get new medicines approved
in the US.
In Europe the Nicotine gum and lozenges are advertised to curb weight gain while quitting smoking. The US sites say NOTHING about this - in fact, the Nicorette United States website says you will gain weight! The US has very strict policies for new medicines while in Europe they are approved much quicker. Our doctors in the US have been prevented from knowing the best practices in England and Europe for quitting smoking!
The FDA only changed the way they regulate nicotine replacement therapies in Sept 2013 under the Obama administration. Nicotine gum and lozenges have long been sold in Europe for controlling weight while quitting. Advertising in the US should reflect these new rules and benefits of nicotine replacement therapies for weight control.
In Europe the Nicotine gum and lozenges are advertised to curb weight gain while quitting smoking. The US sites say NOTHING about this - in fact, the Nicorette United States website says you will gain weight! The US has very strict policies for new medicines while in Europe they are approved much quicker. Our doctors in the US have been prevented from knowing the best practices in England and Europe for quitting smoking!
The FDA only changed the way they regulate nicotine replacement therapies in Sept 2013 under the Obama administration. Nicotine gum and lozenges have long been sold in Europe for controlling weight while quitting. Advertising in the US should reflect these new rules and benefits of nicotine replacement therapies for weight control.
The British website has an entire section on weight control when you quit smoking!
http://www.nicorette.co.uk/help-and-support/weight-control
Read what the British Nicorette website says: "with Nicorette you don’t
need to worry about weight gain! Using NICORETTE® Gum
along with proper diet and exercise helps you control the
weight gain during quitting". "Nicotine can increase your metabolism so
when you quit, your metabolism may slow down. This could cause
weight gain. As NICORETTE® Gum contains nicotine, it can help
you control the drop in metabolic rate experienced with sudden
nicotine withdrawal".
"The nicotine in NICORETTE® Gum
also acts to curb your appetite, helping you reduce
calorie intake while you concentrate on beating
cigarettes."
NICORETTE® Gum has been clinically proven to help you
control your weight in
this tough period".
Nicorette's British website also has a great 13 page guide for women:
http://www.quit.org.uk/guides/women/women_and_smoking.pdf
Nicorette's British website also has a great 13 page guide for women:
http://www.quit.org.uk/guides/women/women_and_smoking.pdf
How To Avoid
Gaining Weight When You Quit!
http://blog.quitnet.com/quitblog/bid/109436/Avoiding-Weight-Gain-When-Quitting-Smoking
Quitnet.com is among the best online supports for quitting cigarettes
http://blog.quitnet.com/quitblog/bid/109436/Avoiding-Weight-Gain-When-Quitting-Smoking
Quitnet.com is among the best online supports for quitting cigarettes
4 EASY WAYS TO LOSE WEIGHT WHILE QUITTING CIGS
I've used these tips for over 3 years & lost over 50 lbs
1. I weigh
myself each day at the same time - in the morning.
My weight can fluctuate quickly and daily weighing keeps
me on track of small changes.
2. I control cravings between meals and after dinner with nicotine lozenges or gum. Nothing else can suppress the appetite like nicotine gum or lozenges. Gum and lozenges are much better to control food cravings than patches, cigarettes or vaping.
3. I eat WHATEVER I want for breakfast, lunch or dinner - in reasonable portions. For example, I quit buying half gallons of vanilla ice cream because I would eat the entire carton in three days. This was my habit for years. I still love ice cream but these days I drive and grab a soft- serve ice cream cone -- every day. This keeps me from being deprived!
4. I do not eat after dinner until breakfast the next morning - when dieting this includes late night alcohol (which contains sugars). Nicotine lozenges and gum make it easy for me to avoid eating until the next morning (getting a good night's sleep is also very important). This is also known as "Intermittent Fasting" or simply IF.
You can drink alcohol with dinner or shortly afterwards, but stop as early as you can. There is some research saying that dark-colored grape can actually aid weight loss. But, alcohol is an intoxicant and we may be tempted to eat more when we drink (and smoke too!).
2. I control cravings between meals and after dinner with nicotine lozenges or gum. Nothing else can suppress the appetite like nicotine gum or lozenges. Gum and lozenges are much better to control food cravings than patches, cigarettes or vaping.
3. I eat WHATEVER I want for breakfast, lunch or dinner - in reasonable portions. For example, I quit buying half gallons of vanilla ice cream because I would eat the entire carton in three days. This was my habit for years. I still love ice cream but these days I drive and grab a soft- serve ice cream cone -- every day. This keeps me from being deprived!
4. I do not eat after dinner until breakfast the next morning - when dieting this includes late night alcohol (which contains sugars). Nicotine lozenges and gum make it easy for me to avoid eating until the next morning (getting a good night's sleep is also very important). This is also known as "Intermittent Fasting" or simply IF.
You can drink alcohol with dinner or shortly afterwards, but stop as early as you can. There is some research saying that dark-colored grape can actually aid weight loss. But, alcohol is an intoxicant and we may be tempted to eat more when we drink (and smoke too!).
UPDATE! New Research on I.F.
Starting in the summer of 2012 I cut out all
nighttime snacks after dinner. I simply do not eat after dinner
until the next morning's breakfast, often 12+ hours later. I
used to eat a lot of ice cream late at night and I knew I had to
quit this bad habit! Read the exciting new research from the
prestigious Salk Institute.
Scientists call this "Intermittent Fasting" - giving your body an 12 - 16 hour "fast" between dinner and breakfast. I've been doing this for almost 2 years and am now convinced that simply avoiding eating after dinner is a major factor in my weight loss. Here are several links about this simple, yet scientific way to lose weight and still eat the foods you love - in the daytime.
You don't have to count calories hardly at all! I try to eat only between about 8-9 am and 6-7 pm (but some researchers say you can vary the time as you need). This can make your dieting easier because you can eat mostly whatever you want during the daytime.
It is hard for many people to develop sufficient willpower to resist ALL between meal snacks. But, perhaps people could develop their willpower to resist the cravings for a regular 8-12 hour period only starting after dinner. We could teach people how to use their willpower for a short, defined time like 12 hours.
Check out these links for the the latest research and also look for see the new book called "The IF Diet" published in Jan 2014 by Robert Skinner. It's a very impressive book that collects the most recent information on Intermittent Fasting. I had not heard the term before, but I have been doing it over two years and it works.
Scientists call this "Intermittent Fasting" - giving your body an 12 - 16 hour "fast" between dinner and breakfast. I've been doing this for almost 2 years and am now convinced that simply avoiding eating after dinner is a major factor in my weight loss. Here are several links about this simple, yet scientific way to lose weight and still eat the foods you love - in the daytime.
You don't have to count calories hardly at all! I try to eat only between about 8-9 am and 6-7 pm (but some researchers say you can vary the time as you need). This can make your dieting easier because you can eat mostly whatever you want during the daytime.
It is hard for many people to develop sufficient willpower to resist ALL between meal snacks. But, perhaps people could develop their willpower to resist the cravings for a regular 8-12 hour period only starting after dinner. We could teach people how to use their willpower for a short, defined time like 12 hours.
Check out these links for the the latest research and also look for see the new book called "The IF Diet" published in Jan 2014 by Robert Skinner. It's a very impressive book that collects the most recent information on Intermittent Fasting. I had not heard the term before, but I have been doing it over two years and it works.
See this Great News Release & Video from the Salk Institute
Intermittent Fasting Wikipedia Article
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intermittent_fasting
Excellent Research Article on the Benefits of Fasting - Lots of Good Links Here
https://outwittrade.com/fasting-benefits
? How
Much Do NRTs COST ?
One big reason to quit cigarettes is because they cost so much, over $6.00 a pack now. All smokers would like to save the money. Unfortunately, quitting is not cheap either. Sure, you could go "Cold Turkey" and simply quit all nicotine - but the odds are 80% you will fail and soon go back to smoking - weighing more. Cigarettes are very addictive. But both the U.S. FDA and the British Royal College of Physicians have concluded that medical nicotine is nowhere near as addictive as tobacco.
The biggest financial cost with my method is in the first few months - when was using both patches and lozenges every day. After six months I began to cut the patches in half, which still kept a low-steady dose in my blood stream. I continued to use lozenges for cravings (at first about 10-15 a day). Like cigarettes, you have to be at least 18 years old in most places to purchase nicotine replacement therapies.
I still keep a few patches around for emergencies. Before I go to the store and buy cigarettes I will reach into my medicine cabinet for a patch - or more lozenges. I keep NRTs close to me, and I try to keep cigarettes far, far away. When I quit I was doing it because my doctor said I had to - now it's because I want to stay cigarette free!
The costs of cigarettes in money, respect and health make cigs a losing proposition. Many employers won't hire a smoker and it's impossible to mask the odor of cigarettes on clothes. Today my clothes are fine, my breath smells great and I can freely walk anywhere! Is that worth the cost of NRTs? YES! YES! YES!
One big reason to quit cigarettes is because they cost so much, over $6.00 a pack now. All smokers would like to save the money. Unfortunately, quitting is not cheap either. Sure, you could go "Cold Turkey" and simply quit all nicotine - but the odds are 80% you will fail and soon go back to smoking - weighing more. Cigarettes are very addictive. But both the U.S. FDA and the British Royal College of Physicians have concluded that medical nicotine is nowhere near as addictive as tobacco.
The biggest financial cost with my method is in the first few months - when was using both patches and lozenges every day. After six months I began to cut the patches in half, which still kept a low-steady dose in my blood stream. I continued to use lozenges for cravings (at first about 10-15 a day). Like cigarettes, you have to be at least 18 years old in most places to purchase nicotine replacement therapies.
I still keep a few patches around for emergencies. Before I go to the store and buy cigarettes I will reach into my medicine cabinet for a patch - or more lozenges. I keep NRTs close to me, and I try to keep cigarettes far, far away. When I quit I was doing it because my doctor said I had to - now it's because I want to stay cigarette free!
The costs of cigarettes in money, respect and health make cigs a losing proposition. Many employers won't hire a smoker and it's impossible to mask the odor of cigarettes on clothes. Today my clothes are fine, my breath smells great and I can freely walk anywhere! Is that worth the cost of NRTs? YES! YES! YES!
Can
Nicotine Really HELP People ?
Nicotine is being studied for use in Parkinson's and Alzheimer Patients!
Nicotine is being studied for use in Parkinson's and Alzheimer Patients!
We
know that nicotine is the most effective appetite
suppressant on the planet but nicotine may have other
medical uses such as with people with cognitive disorders.
Here is a brilliant new article in Forbes by Sally Satel,
a well respected journalist on medical research and
ethical issues.
Sally Satel also links to a recent study by the British Royal College of Physicians of London which studied nicotine, smoking and NRTs. On page 270 the Royal College of Physicians write: "The safety record of medicinal nicotine products is extremely good. Although it is unlikely that medicinal nicotine (or any drug) is completely safe, there is no evidence that medicinal nicotine is carcinogenic, or that, in practice, its use increases appreciably the risk of acute cardiovascular events, or indeed that nicotine itself is responsible for much if any of the harm caused by cigarette smoking" .
Sally Satel also links to a recent study by the British Royal College of Physicians of London which studied nicotine, smoking and NRTs. On page 270 the Royal College of Physicians write: "The safety record of medicinal nicotine products is extremely good. Although it is unlikely that medicinal nicotine (or any drug) is completely safe, there is no evidence that medicinal nicotine is carcinogenic, or that, in practice, its use increases appreciably the risk of acute cardiovascular events, or indeed that nicotine itself is responsible for much if any of the harm caused by cigarette smoking" .
Read Sally Satel's Article in Forbes
- Maybe Nicotine Can Help People
More Research Needed on Nicotine
and Weight Loss
At first we did not know what was causing my weight loss when I
quit smoking. Most doctors have forgotten what many teenagers
know - that nicotine is an appetite suppressant! We did
multiple tests in late 2012 and early 2013 when the weight loss
passed 30 pounds and then a few months later, after I had lost
over 50 pounds. But, everything looked very good - better than
they had in years.
My doctors and their staff could not explain the weight loss. They kept telling me not to worry, but I had never even heard of anyone who lost 50+ pounds in the same year he quits cigarette smoking without having cancer. It was an unbelievable transformation for an overweight smoker of 42 years that none of them had ever seen.
Nothing physical, metaphysical or psychological seemed to explain the weight loss. But, perhaps if we had been in Europe we would have known it from the Nicorette company's own advertising! I was using nicotine lozenges and they were suppressing my appetite. Funny now none of us highly educated men and women thought to look for the simplest explanation - the nicotine lozenge I had in my mouth during each medical test. I laughed for ten minutes the moment I realized it was probably the lozenges suppressing my appetite!
I want to emphasize again, that I did not do any special
diet, nor did I do any hard exercise. I did do a lot of
positive thinking and affirmations, but when I quit smoking I
completely accepted that I would GAIN weight. Unplanned losing
weight for a smoker is a scary thing. We think it must be
CANCER - and often it is. I was eating my usual diet at
mealtimes but I had quit eating between meals almost without
realizing it. I just kept a lozenge in my mouth and did not
even think about food or cigarettes. It works that well!
I could not have avoided the hunger pangs without nicotine lozenges or gum. No other lozenge I know of has this effect. We need research for a nicotine-free lozenge that curbs the appetite. Science can do this – if we demand it. It's clear from ex-smokers in Europe that you can avoid gaining weight when you quit smoking using the lozenges, gum and patches. This will allow you to avoid snacking in the evening after dinner!
Critics may charge that this method keeps me addicted to pharmaceutical nicotine. That’s true. But, long time smokers like me have relapse rates over 80%. My original goal was to quit cigarettes. All my medical tests have vastly improved. I smoked for over 40 years, it's not likely I will ever be nicotine free, but I can be cigarette smoke free. That's good enough for me, my family and my doctors. I am using far less nicotine now than I was when I smoked cigarettes.
My doctors and their staff could not explain the weight loss. They kept telling me not to worry, but I had never even heard of anyone who lost 50+ pounds in the same year he quits cigarette smoking without having cancer. It was an unbelievable transformation for an overweight smoker of 42 years that none of them had ever seen.
Nothing physical, metaphysical or psychological seemed to explain the weight loss. But, perhaps if we had been in Europe we would have known it from the Nicorette company's own advertising! I was using nicotine lozenges and they were suppressing my appetite. Funny now none of us highly educated men and women thought to look for the simplest explanation - the nicotine lozenge I had in my mouth during each medical test. I laughed for ten minutes the moment I realized it was probably the lozenges suppressing my appetite!
I
I could not have avoided the hunger pangs without nicotine lozenges or gum. No other lozenge I know of has this effect. We need research for a nicotine-free lozenge that curbs the appetite. Science can do this – if we demand it. It's clear from ex-smokers in Europe that you can avoid gaining weight when you quit smoking using the lozenges, gum and patches. This will allow you to avoid snacking in the evening after dinner!
Critics may charge that this method keeps me addicted to pharmaceutical nicotine. That’s true. But, long time smokers like me have relapse rates over 80%. My original goal was to quit cigarettes. All my medical tests have vastly improved. I smoked for over 40 years, it's not likely I will ever be nicotine free, but I can be cigarette smoke free. That's good enough for me, my family and my doctors. I am using far less nicotine now than I was when I smoked cigarettes.
Also, radical as it
sounds, pharmacological nicotine may have positive health
benefits. Perhaps it's the hundreds of other additives the
cigarette manufacturers add to tobacco that change it from the
beneficial medicine that First Nations people used into the
world's biggest legal killer today. The nicotine in
replacement therapies is much cleaner than used by cigarette
companies. It's been studied by for over 20 years and not
found to be significantly harmful (compared to cigarettes).
We Need to Talk
about Which is Worse for Us
Medical Nicotine OR Smoking & Obesity
Medical Nicotine OR Smoking & Obesity
Despite
all the weight loss shows, diet gurus & gyms people
are still gaining weight.
People lose weight and and then regain it back in a depressing cycle of dieting.
We need a national conversation about medical nicotine
Medical nicotine seems little worse than our current methods
such as surgery - drugs - extreme diets and even corsets.
One of my goals is to promote research on lozenges without nicotine.
People lose weight and and then regain it back in a depressing cycle of dieting.
We need a national conversation about medical nicotine
Medical nicotine seems little worse than our current methods
such as surgery - drugs - extreme diets and even corsets.
One of my goals is to promote research on lozenges without nicotine.
Nicotine
lozenges may not be not the ideal appetite suppressant
but they work until something better is invented ...
It might be tempting to believe that I have simply substituted tobacco for pot. But marijuana and tobacco are very different plants with very different chemistry. Of course in the past I tried to quit cigarettes by smoking pot - and so have many others who smoke both pot and cigarettes. It does not work. Cannabis and tobacco are different and you cannot smoke enough pot to make up for the loss of nicotine! Pot has no nicotine.
Nor can you smoke a joint in any of the public places you used to smoke tobacco such as while driving a car or while walking downtown. In real life it's very hard to use pot as a substitute for cigarettes. Pot will simply not make up for the lack of nicotine and cigarettes - but most people who smoke both have tried this method, including me. If you know someone who smokes both pot and tobacco show them this page to at least get them to quit cigarettes!
While other docs tried to get me to quit smoking I probably would not have without the help of my neurologist. It turned out to be one of the best things anyone ever did for me. For years at each appointment my neurologist repeated the benefits of not smoking. He told me my nerves and legs would improve if I quit - but, I did not believe it. Finally he gave me the choice of quitting cigarettes or not being his patient any longer.
The lingering smell of smoke on my clothing was triggering his migraine headaches. I knew he was not joking and that he would be sorry to let me go. I respect him and I hated that my cigarettes were causing him headaches. He turned out to be right - the nerves in my feet and legs have greatly improved and I no longer need a cane to walk!
Also, my family doctor and his medical staff have provided the vital week to week support and weigh-ins. My friends and family are astonished at the changes in me. Most of the time former cigarette smokers lose weight it's from cancer, but every blood test of mine had shown improvement since I quit smoking. I've even put my June 2014 blood tests up here.
Here's a link to the FDA report about the method that I and many smokers in Europe have used to quit smoking without gaining weight. It may help smokers in the US with its skyrocketing obesity rates. US doctors have been kept in the dark about nicotine therapies by the FDA while patents overseas have been able to have these benefits for decades. It's time to put an end to this cycle of quitting smoking and then restarting at a higher weight. Show your own doctors this web page.
but they work until something better is invented ...
PS: I Smoke Pot (
but shouldn't that cause weight gain?? )
Disclaimer: I
seldom drink alcohol - perhaps 3-4 drinks a year on
occasions like my birthday or New Year's eve.
Mostly I dislike the taste of alcohol and how it makes
me feel (irritable, tired and dumb). But, to be honest
for over 30 years I have smoked marijuana. It's
possible that my results may not be typical because I
smoke pot rather than drink.
Most people
might think that pot would cause me to GAIN weight.
After all, everyone knows that marijuana
causes you to become very hungry with the "munchies".
For decades scientists have known that the "munchies" is
the pot eating away at the body's blood sugar and fat.
That's what causes us to get hungry. In medical
marijuana states physicians will often have cancer
patients who use pot so that they can maintain their
appetite and avoid losing weight. Pot is very good for
the nausea caused by chemotherapy.
However, I
think pot may help us LOSE WEIGHT if, if the dreaded
"munchies" can be avoided. I've written a second web
page on how pot might help people lose weight. New
research suggests that pot may have weight loss
properties! Read about it here
at www.potandweightloss.com
It might be tempting to believe that I have simply substituted tobacco for pot. But marijuana and tobacco are very different plants with very different chemistry. Of course in the past I tried to quit cigarettes by smoking pot - and so have many others who smoke both pot and cigarettes. It does not work. Cannabis and tobacco are different and you cannot smoke enough pot to make up for the loss of nicotine! Pot has no nicotine.
Nor can you smoke a joint in any of the public places you used to smoke tobacco such as while driving a car or while walking downtown. In real life it's very hard to use pot as a substitute for cigarettes. Pot will simply not make up for the lack of nicotine and cigarettes - but most people who smoke both have tried this method, including me. If you know someone who smokes both pot and tobacco show them this page to at least get them to quit cigarettes!
I've kept the two pages mostly separate but it's possible my method will work best for people who currently smoke both pot and tobacco but who want to quit cigarettes. You do NOT need to smoke pot to quit cigarettes using this method (and most people who quit cigs don't smoke pot). I am not advocating pot use, but describing what I personally use. However, readers should know that there research on marijuana is in it's early stages. But now pot can be studied by scientists. New federal rules will make more research possible.
A Big
Thank You to the
Doc Who got Me to
Quit Smoking
While other docs tried to get me to quit smoking I probably would not have without the help of my neurologist. It turned out to be one of the best things anyone ever did for me. For years at each appointment my neurologist repeated the benefits of not smoking. He told me my nerves and legs would improve if I quit - but, I did not believe it. Finally he gave me the choice of quitting cigarettes or not being his patient any longer.
The lingering smell of smoke on my clothing was triggering his migraine headaches. I knew he was not joking and that he would be sorry to let me go. I respect him and I hated that my cigarettes were causing him headaches. He turned out to be right - the nerves in my feet and legs have greatly improved and I no longer need a cane to walk!
Also, my family doctor and his medical staff have provided the vital week to week support and weigh-ins. My friends and family are astonished at the changes in me. Most of the time former cigarette smokers lose weight it's from cancer, but every blood test of mine had shown improvement since I quit smoking. I've even put my June 2014 blood tests up here.
Here's a link to the FDA report about the method that I and many smokers in Europe have used to quit smoking without gaining weight. It may help smokers in the US with its skyrocketing obesity rates. US doctors have been kept in the dark about nicotine therapies by the FDA while patents overseas have been able to have these benefits for decades. It's time to put an end to this cycle of quitting smoking and then restarting at a higher weight. Show your own doctors this web page.
nicotineandweightloss@gmail.com
(C) 2014 Steve Williamson
www.potandweightloss.com
www.nicotineandweightloss.com