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Smoking and Tobacco

Smoking and tobacco

05/31/2006

Question:

Do Nicotine detox products work? If not is there a quicker way to detox your body of nicotine, like drink lots of water and /or Cranberry Juice? Other than Smoking is there anything I should stay away from while detoxing myself? I quit smoking 10 times for about 2 weeks each and its not working I keep going back and I want other alternatives and have tried most of the recommended advice but it hasn`t worked.

Answer:

Hello,

The best success is a combination of self help and medications. I recommend the book Quit and Stay Quit by Dr. Terry Rustin, which can be bought at any bookstore.  I recommend Wellbutrin or Zyban (same med) to lower cravings and prevent depression which often occurs since nicotine is a stimulant drug and therefore an antidepressant (addicting one).  You use the Wellbutrin for 4 to 6 weeks and then continue it for a year. 

When you are ready to pick a quit date, I recommend using Nicotine Patches daily as baseline medication based on how many packs you smoke a day.

I also recommend the Lozenge or Gum to control more severe cravings.

To address your question about Nicotine detox products, these approaches have not been well-studied.  I would recommend evidence-based approaches from the US Public Health Service (PHS) guideline:

1) pharmacotherapy which includes bupropion or NRT, or combination therapy;

2) intratreatment social support from a health care provider; and

3) extra treatment support from family and friends.

Intensive treatment (smoking cessation treatment from a specialist) is also recommended for those who have failed multiple times.

Good Luck!

Related Resources:

Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)

For more information:

Go to the Smoking and Tobacco health topic, where you can:

Response by:

Edna M Jones, MD, MRO Edna M Jones, MD, MRO
Clinical Assistant Professor of Family Medicine
College of Medicine
The Ohio State University

Mary Ellen Wewers, PhD, MPH Mary Ellen Wewers, PhD, MPH
Professor of Health Behaviors & Health Promotion
College of Public Health
The Ohio State University