Conventional remedy: I am sorry to hear about your brother. With a positive family history of heart disease and also by smoking, you have two independent risk factors for a heart attack.
There are two aspects to nicotine addiction. One is the psychological "hook" of the cigarette and the other is a physical dependence on the nicotine and other chemicals.
The fact that you are determined to quit is a great help. A key to doing so is to harness this determination in a focused plan of action.
Set a date sometime in the near future as the day you are going to give up. Don't pick a time when you know you might be under extra stress. Tell your friends and family what your plans are. If possible, enlist a work colleague or friend, who is also a smoker, to give up along with you.
You should arrange an appointment with your family doctor before your quitting date. Many GPs are now trained in smoking cessation techniques and will be able to offer you practical support on an ongoing basis. Draw up a list of situations which you feel might trigger a desire to start smoking again and discuss how to deal with this when you visit the doctor or practice nurse.
Taking medication does increase your chances of quitting smoking. Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) is available in the form of gum, inhaler, nasal spray or skin patch. The latest medication to come on the market is called bupropion. Unlike NRT, it should be started one to two weeks before quitting smoking. The usual dose is one 150 mg tablet taken twice daily, continued for seven to nine weeks following the date you give up smoking. Bupropion is only available on prescription.
Finally, you can get practical help by phoning the Irish Cancer Society Quitline on 1850 201 203 (9.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m., Monday to Friday).
Dr Muiris Houston
Alternative Remedy: Acupuncture has been found to be one of the most successful ways to help a person stop smoking. If an individual is ready to stop smoking, acupuncture will help to alleviate withdrawal symptoms. It does so by calming down the system and curbing both the desire to smoke and the food craving which often replaces the urge to smoke. The treatment involves three to four weekly sessions with an acupuncturist. The acupuncture points to stop nicotine craving are in the ear. Most acupuncturists will place a plaster, embedded with tiny pins, on the ear, which the client must leave in place throughout the treatment. This plaster can be pressed when the client is finding the craving for cigarettes most difficult. It stimulates the acupuncture points in the times between treatments.
Deirdre Courtney
The Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Organisation (ACMO) can be contacted on tel: 01-6794216.