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Are you having back pain with any of the following?
- Severe pain, weakness or tingling in your leg(s).
- Difficulty stopping urination or loss of control of bladder or bowels.
- Unexplained fever, nausea or vomiting.
- A history of cancer or unexplained weight loss.
We understand that you are experiencing one or more of the health issues that might be impacting your back pain.
We recommend that you discuss these health issues with your doctor before proceeding with this program.
Once you are cleared by your doctor to do this program, we hope it helps you find relief from your back pain.
Medications to Help You Quit Tobacco [Read/Print full article]
What Are Quit Tobacco Medications?
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Quit tobacco medications are drugs that help people quit smoking. They can ease the cravings and other symptoms you might feel as your body withdraws from nicotine, the addictive drug in cigarettes and other tobacco products. This allows you to focus on your other strategies for living life without tobacco. People who use quit tobacco medications are twice as successful at becoming smoke-free as people who don't.
Types of medications
There are two main types of quit tobacco medications: those that contain nicotine (such as the nicotine patch or nicotine gum) and those that contain other kinds of substances (such as the antidepressant medication called Bupropion).
Both types have been proven to increase chances of successfully quitting, and studies have shown that using more than one type of medication at one time may bring even more success.
Some people shouldn't use medications
There may be reasons not to use quit smoking medications. If you don't smoke every day or if you smoke fewer than 5 cigarettes per day, these medications are probably not going to help you quit.
Some quit tobacco medications might not be right for you if you're pregnant, breastfeeding a baby, or have health conditions that make any individual medication a poor choice.
Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT)
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Some quit smoking medications contain nicotine (the addictive part of tobacco) without all the other dangerous chemicals in tobacco smoke. Surprisingly, using this safer form of nicotine can actually help wean you off the nicotine in tobacco. This type of medicine is called nicotine replacement therapy, or NRT. There are two main categories of NRT:
- Long-acting NRT. The nicotine patch gives your body a steady, long-acting supply of nicotine. You put it on in the morning and wear it all day long to help manage your cravings and withdrawal symptoms. It takes about 30 minutes to begin working, and you still may have a few cravings as the day goes on.
- Fast-acting NRT. Other types of NRT can provide temporary, quick relief for cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Nicotine gum and nicotine lozenges are the most common and the easiest to use. Other types include the nicotine inhaler or nicotine nasal spray.
Using both types of NRT together
Depending on how much tobacco you typically use, we may recommend that you use two types of nicotine replacement therapy at the same time. Using the long-acting nicotine patch will give you a steady supply of relief all day long, but there may still be times when you have breakthrough cravings for nicotine or experience other symptoms of withdrawal. When this happens, we recommend you use a fast-acting method like gum or a lozenge. This can help you deal with periods of intense cravings without using tobacco.
Non-Nicotine Therapy
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While some quit tobacco medications contain nicotine to manage cravings and withdrawal symptoms, others help manage these symptoms without nicotine. These are called non-nicotine therapy, and they help your body feel normal even without nicotine as you focus on your other strategies for quitting tobacco. Two common non-nicotine medications are
- Bupropion SR (sometimes known by the brand names Wellbutrin or Zyban)
- Varenicline (known by the brand name Chantix)
Both can reduce your urge to smoke and ease your withdrawal symptoms by increasing the release of certain brain chemicals.
Additional References:
Increase your Success with Combination Therapy
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We've known for a while now that quit tobacco medications can greatly increase your chances of quitting tobacco successfully, especially when they're part of a comprehensive, supportive quit plan.
Newer research shows that many people may get an increased benefit from using the medications in specific combinations. Using these medications as directed and for as long as directed can be an important part of your success in quitting tobacco. In some groups of people, using quit tobacco medications in combination has been shown to triple quit success rates.
Combination therapy
Based on the amount of tobacco you use regularly, we may recommend that you use 2, or even 3 types of quit tobacco medications to help you quit.
- Use 2 types of nicotine replacement therapy: the long-acting nicotine patch and a quick-acting medication like the nicotine gum or lozenge. The patch can give you a steady supply of nicotine throughout the day, which should help take care of most of your nicotine cravings and symptoms of withdrawal. If you experience "breakthrough" cravings from time to time, treat them with a piece of gum or a lozenge.
- Using a type of non-nicotine therapy medication like bupropion SR (Wellbutrin or Zyban) can help decrease your cravings and your desire to smoke. Non-nicotine therapy and nicotine replacement work in different ways, but when used together, they can provide extra support to increase chances of quitting successfully.
- Varenicline (Chantix) should not be combined with other tobacco cessation medications.
This may seems like a lot of medication at once, but studies have shown that this combination treatment can triple your chances of quitting successfully.
The idea is that you will be on these medications for a short period, usually about 8 to 12 weeks. We can discuss your experience with these medications and evaluate whether using the medications for a longer period of time might be helpful for you.
Related Health Tools:
Classes and Coaching
- Wellness Coaching Wellness Coaching
Interactive Programs
- Quit Tobacco Medications Quit Tobacco Medications
- Quit smoking with Breathe™ Quit smoking with Breathe™
Podcasts
- Quitting Smoking Quitting Smoking
- Second-Hand Smoke Second-Hand Smoke
If you have an emergency medical condition, call 911 or go to the nearest hospital. An emergency medical condition is any of the following: (1) a medical condition that manifests itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity (including severe pain) such that you could reasonably expect the absence of immediate medical attention to result in serious jeopardy to your health or body functions or organs; (2) active labor when there isn't enough time for safe transfer to a Plan hospital (or designated hospital) before delivery, or if transfer poses a threat to your (or your unborn child's) health and safety, or (3) a mental disorder that manifests itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity such that either you are an immediate danger to yourself or others, or you are not immediately able to provide for, or use, food, shelter, or clothing, due to the mental disorder.
This information is not intended to diagnose health problems or to take the place of specific medical advice or care you receive from your physician or other health care professional. If you have persistent health problems, or if you have additional questions, please consult with your doctor. If you have questions or need more information about your medication, please speak to your pharmacist. Kaiser Permanente does not endorse the medications or products mentioned. Any trade names listed are for easy identification only.