Using Combination Therapy for Tobacco Cessation
Using Combination Therapy for Tobacco CessationUsing tobacco has made your body depend on nicotine.When you stop using tobacco, your body craves nicotine leading to withdrawal symptoms and an intense urgeto use tobacco.If you quit without replacing the nicotine to help you stop using tobacco, you are more likely to relapse and goback.Combination therapy takes into account the level of nicotine in nicotine replacement aids like the nicotinepatch, gum, lozenges, nicotine inhaler, and nasal spray. The level of nicotine in these aids by themselves isoften less than the amount in cigarettes, vapes, and other forms of tobacco.Therefore, using just one may not provide enough nicotine to handle your withdrawal symptoms and cravings.Look at it this way. If your body is used to this level of nicotine – and the nicotine replacement therapy you areusing provides this much – then when you experience a trigger or intense craving – there isn’t enough to fightthe craving. You are at a high risk of relapse.But Combination Therapy can help. Many people use two nicotine replacement aids together.Using a longer acting nicotine replacement aid on a regular basis and then shorter acting aids when neededcan help you get through that craving without slipping back to tobacco use.For example, by using the nicotine patch (long acting) along with nicotine gum (short acting), you mayexperience a less intense craving and be better able to manage it.Using these medications as long as you need to help you stay quit is also important.Work with your healthcare provider to find out what products, and what combination of products, work best foryou to quit tobacco use for good.This program is for informational purposes only. Publisher disclaims all guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness,or suitability of this video for medical decision making. For all health related issues please contact your healthcare provider.VER60387A EN UsingCombinationTherapyforTobaccoCessation.pdf© The Wellness NetworkPage 1 of 1
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