It is hard enough to quit smoking in the first place, but how do you accomplish your goal without spending a lot of money? There are all kinds of products out there that hit your pocket book like gum, patches and medications, but even those can fail without the right psychological framework. In fact, it is possible to stop smoking without using any of those products that are marketed as the only solution to your problem.

The first step is to identify the why of quitting tobacco. Basically, cessation is the single most important factor in improving the quality and length of a smoker’s life. If that isn’t enough reason to quit, maybe improving the quality and length of family member’s lives will sustain you. The next step is to identify what you are up against. Mark Twain made a good illustration, “Quitting smoking is easy. I’ve done it a thousand times.” The reason it is so hard to quit smoking is the highly addictive drug found in cigarettes called nicotine. You are going to experience withdrawal symptoms that will make you want to give up. These include any of the following:

• tiredness
• headaches
• reduced concentration
• irritability
• anxiety
• trouble sleeping
• dizziness
• depression

Nicotine is a nasty combination of physical and psychological addictions. The bad news is that you are going to have to deal with both. The good news is there is help for you.

Now, let’s focus on the rewards of quitting. The long term benefit is you will live longer and get sick less. The immediate rewards of smoking cessation include: heightened sense of smell, improved taste of food, better smelling breath, and reduced body odor, yellow coloration diminishes, and physical stamina increases. Another enormous benefit is the cost savings you will enjoy.

Let’s get down to business and discuss the key elements in quitting cigarettes for good. Smokers need to make the decision to quit and set a quit date. This includes believing that you can in fact quit and that you will give your best effort to do so. Make sure your quit date is not too far off to prevent yourself from rationalizing your way out. Then you need to prepare for your quit day by telling friends and family for support, getting rid of all items related to cigarettes like ashtrays and lighters, and stocking up on substitutes like hard candy, carrot sticks, cinnamon sticks, and sugarless gum.

After you begin, you will need to deal with withdrawal. The most difficult part is the mental association of smoking with nearly every activity that you do. These activities can make it easy to grab a pack of smokes and start up again. You can help avoid these associations by avoiding temptation, changing your habits, participating in stress reducing activities like a hobby or exercise, breathing deeply, and rewarding yourself for overcoming urges. One other item can significantly increase your chance of quitting and that is avoiding alcohol. One glass of wine with dinner might be OK, but anymore and you could easily lose control. After all, don’t most people smoke when they drink?

BEFORE USING ULTRAM
Some medicines or medical conditions may interact with Ultram. Inform your doctor or pharmacist of all prescription and over-the-counter medicine that you are taking.

Inform your doctor of any other medical conditions, allergies, or if you are pregnant or breast-feeding. Contact your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions or concerns about using Ultram.

Use of Ultram is not recommended if you are also taking cyclobenzaprine or medicine for depression or other emotional or mood disorders. If you are taking any of these medicines, be sure your doctor knows. Additional monitoring of your dose or condition may be needed if you are taking bupropion, narcotic analgesics, or have a history of seizures.

HOW TO TAKE ULTRAM
Follow the directions for using Ultram provided by your doctor. Store Ultram at room temperature, away from heat and light.

PRECAUTIONS
Do not exceed the recommended dose or take Ultram for longer than prescribed. If you experience difficulty breathing or tightness of chest; swelling of eyelids, face, or lips; or develop a rash or hives, tell your doctor immediately.

Do not take any more of Ultram unless your doctor tells you to do so. Avoid alcohol while you are using Ultram. It will add to the effects of alcohol and other depressants. Do not drive, operate machinery, or do anything else that could be dangerous until you know how you react to this medicine. Using Ultram alone, with other medicines, or with alcohol may lessen your ability to drive or to perform other potentially dangerous tasks. Before you begin taking any new medicine, either prescription or over-the-counter, check with your doctor or pharmacist.

FOR WOMEN
If you plan on becoming pregnant, discuss with your doctor the benefits and risks of using Ultram during pregnancy. Ultram is excreted in breast milk. DO NOT BREAST-FEED WHILE TAKING ULTRAM.

SIDE EFFECTS
Side effects which may go away during treatment include: dizziness, nausea, drowsiness, dry mouth, constipation, headache, or sweating. If they continue or are bothersome, check with your doctor.

Check with your doctor as soon as possible if you experience skin rash, itching, seizures, or hallucinations. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist.

DRUG INTERACTIONS
Drug interactions can result in unwanted side effects or prevent a medicine from doing its job. Use our drug interaction checker to find out if your medicines interact with each other.

When you smoke, the nicotine from your cigarette causes receptors in your brain to release a chemical called dopamine, which is what causes many of the positive feelings you get when you smoke. When you quit smoking, going without dopamine causes the sometimes miserable signs and symptoms of withdrawal. Signs and symptoms such as irritability, insomnia and difficulty concentrating begin four to six hours after your last cigarette and can last a month after you quit smoking.

Nicotine replacement products, including the patch, gum and lozenges, and the antidepressant bupropion (Zyban), can help you stop smoking, in part, by continuing to release low levels of dopamine in your brain. In this way, these stop smoking medications decrease your craving for nicotine and reduce the signs and symptoms of withdrawal.

Chantix works in this way, too. Chantix stimulates the release of low levels of dopamine in your brain to help reduce the signs and symptoms of withdrawal. In addition, Chantix blocks nicotine receptors in your brain. So if you lapse and have a cigarette, your cigarette doesn’t stimulate your brain’s receptors the way it did in the past. Cigarettes become much less pleasurable, and your desire to return to regular smoking again may be reduced.

The FDA has approved a revolutionary new approach to help smokers kick the habit.

With 45 million smokers and tobacco causing nearly one third of all cancer deaths in the U.S., the American Cancer Society is calling the new smoking pill welcome news.

The FDA has approved the first new drug in almost a decade to help people stop smoking.

Some say the cravings for nicotine are just too strong to quit for good. Now there’s a new option - a prescription pill called chantix. It tricks the brain into feeling full of nicotine.

For people who try to stop smoking on their own, 19 out of 20 will light up again. In six clinical trials involving more than 4,000 people, the new drug helped one in five people quit and it worked better than placebo and better than other drugs currently on the market to help people quit.

However, the long-term benefit isn’t clear.

“The quit rates were pretty good at one month and at six months,” said Dr. Marc Itskowitz, of Allegheny General Hospital internal medicine. “Unfortunately, at one year, patients who were on this new medication, only 20 percent had quit smoking.”

Some people had nausea, vomiting, and headaches with the new medicine and it’s not for everyone.

Chantix wasn’t studied in people with diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney or liver problems or in pregnant or breast-feeding women.

It costs about $150 a month for a three month treatment. It can be repeated for another course if necessary.

Even though chantix only improves your chances of quitting slightly, it is an increased chance. With more than 400,000 deaths each year from tobacco-related illness, thousands of lives could be saved for people who kick the habit for good.