Quitting smoking results in a lot of health gain. This gives you more air, more stamina, better blood circulation and less chance of diseases like lung cancer and cardiovascular disease. Also for your environment, smoking is a good choice. The smoke does not only harm you, but also the people around you.

In the following cases, it is important to quit smoking. Tell your doctor and pharmacist that you want to quit smoking. They can give you advice and possibly adjust your medication.

You have asthma or COPD

Smoking aggravates these conditions. Stopping smoking can reduce the severity of your complaints. Are you a heavy smoker and do you use high doses of theophylline because of anxiety disorder? Then it is very important to inform your doctor and pharmacist if you stop smoking. Smoking speeds up theophylline degradation. If you stop smoking, the amount of this medicine may increase in your blood, which increases the effect or you get more side effects.

You have diabetes mellitus (diabetes)

Stopping smoking can have a beneficial effect on the severity of diabetes mellitus. This gives you less chance of complications such as visual impairment and kidney function. Do you have type 1 diabetes and are you using insulin? Then discuss your plans to stop smoking with your doctor and pharmacist. Smokers need more insulin than non-smokers.

You have heart or vascular disease, high blood pressure or high cholesterol

Quitting smoking reduces the severity of these conditions. Do you use beta blockers or flecainide and do you want to quit smoking? Then talk to your doctor and pharmacist. If you smoke, these means have less effect. Therefore, the dose may decrease if you quit smoking.

Take note of nicotine replacement therapy if you have recently had a heart attack or stroke . These resources are not safe to use on your own. The same applies to angina pectoris or severe cardiac arrhythmias . In these cases, ask your GP for guidance on smoking cessation.

You are pregnant or want to become pregnant

Smoking during pregnancy has adverse effects on your baby. This will increase your chances of your baby born prematurely, having too low birth weight or dying just before or after birth. Also, the risk of cervical death increases in children of smoking mothers. Also ask your partner to quit smoking. Meeroken is bad for you and for your baby.

You have a young child

Even after pregnancy and childbirth it is important that you and your partner do not smoke. Inhalation of smoke is even more harmful to children than for adults. Young children of smoking parents often have middle ear infections and problems with their respiratory tract.

You are a woman, over 35 years of age, and used hormonal contraception

Smoking increases the risk of heart attack , stroke and thrombosis . If you also use 'the pill', this chance will be even bigger. Other hormonal contraceptives, such as the contraceptive or patch and the hormone secreting syringe or rod by women over the age of 35, are also likely to increase this risk. So you can stop smoking better if you fall into this group. If this fails, it is better to switch to non-hormonal contraceptives, such as condoms or the copper syringe.

How to quit smoking?

There are several ways to quit smoking. Medications like nicotine patches can help. Often, stopping is easier if you are accompanied by the GP or GGD.

Addiction

Quitting smoking can be difficult because you are addicted. It is good to know that addiction has two sides: a physical and a mental side.

• The physical side is the addiction to the nicotine in cigarettes. If you smoke for a while, you will feel uncomfortable. For example, you are irritable and restless. These withdrawal symptoms usually disappear after a few weeks. If they are too fierce, medicines can offer a chance.
• The spiritual side has to do with the desire to smoke. Especially in the beginning, it may be difficult to smoke in situations where you used to it, such as coffee, party or stress. This urge to smoke can last longer. Coaching and coaching can help you get through the difficult moments.

Medicines

Medications can help you relieve the withdrawal symptoms. There are two options: nicotine replacement and prescription drugs. Read more under the heading 'Medicine on smoking quit'.

Coaching

Guidance in the form of a stop-smoking program can provide a lot of support. There are various forms of guidance.

• Telephone Coaching
  A coach calls you at agreed times to advise and support you.
• Personal Coaching
  You have at least four meetings with a coach. This may be your GP, but also a pharmacist, a practitioner, a nurse or a psychologist.
• Group training
  A training of several weeks in which you will stop with a number of other people with the help of an expert. The advantage is that the participants can support each other.

Ask your pharmacist

You can always ask your pharmacist with questions or advice. He can answer questions like:

• Do I choose for nicotine substitutes and in what form?
• Does the smoking effect affect the medications I use? Should the dose, for example, be up or down?
• Can I combine nicotine therapy with my medicine?
  Make an appointment at your pharmacy or just walk in.

Drugs when quitting smoking

Medications can help suppress withdrawal symptoms or remove the sentence in a cigarette. Usually, medicines are combined with a guidance program. There are two types of medicines that can help quit smoking: nicotine replacement and prescription drugs.

Nicotine substitutes

Nicotine substitutes suppress withdrawal symptoms such as mood, impatience, irritability, restlessness, insomnia, fear, poor concentration, cold chills, hand and foot tingling, slower heartbeat, increased appetite and weight gain. You can buy nicotine replacements at the pharmacy or the drugstore. A recipe is not required.

Good to know about nicotine substitutes:

• There are several forms: patches, chewing gum, suction tablets, subcutaneous tablets, oral spray and inhalation fluid. Consult your pharmacist which form is appropriate for you and how to use it.
• In some cases, you may not use nicotine substitutes. For example, if you are pregnant, have breastfeeding or have had a cardiovascular disease. But right then smoking is very important. Therefore, consult your doctor for guidance on smoking cessation.
• Before you start nicotine replacement, you must quit smoking first. If you continue to smoke while using nicotine replacers, you get too much nicotine. This can cause side effects and serious heart problems.

Prescription drugs

Prescription drugs can help you quit smoking by removing the pull in a cigarette and reducing the good feeling during smoking. Prescription drugs are prescribed by a GP or specialist and are often used in conjunction with a counseling course. These drugs are not always safe to combine with the medicines you already use. Consult with your pharmacist.

There are three types: bupropion (Zyban), nortriptyline (Nortrilen) and varenicline (Champix).

Good to know about bupropion (Zyban)

• Bupropion probably reduces the withdrawal symptoms and the need to smoke. The exact operation is unknown.
• Bupropion should not be used by women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
• Bupropion reduces the ability to react. Your pharmacist will inform you about the medicine and the effect on driving.
• If you are using bupropion, you should not drink alcohol or alcohol.

Good to know about nortriptyline (Nortrilen)

• Nortriptyline is a medicine for depression that is also used in smoking cessation. It is not meant to be official here.
• Nortriptyline reduces the ability to react. Your pharmacist will inform you about the medicine and the effect on driving.
• If you are taking nortriptyline, you should not drink alcohol or alcohol.

Good to know about varenicline (Champix)

• Varenicline reduces the sensitivity of the brain to nicotine. This reduces the need to smoke and does not taste cigarettes anymore.
• Varenicline reduces reactivity. Your pharmacist will inform you about the medicine and the effect on driving.

Frequently asked questions about smoking

I'm going to quit smoking. Is it a good idea to bring this into the pharmacy?

This is definitely a good idea. Your pharmacist can give you expert advice on smoking and can guide you if you are taking medication. Smoking or smoking can affect the effect of medicines. Examples of these are medicines for diabetes, asthma or COPD or cardiac arrhythmias. It may be necessary to adjust the dose after smoking.

Are nicotine substitutes really medicines?

Yes, nicotine substitutes are really medicines. Like any drug, a nicotine replacement may also have side effects. Therefore, always read the package leaflet before use. In your pharmacy, they can tell you whether a nicotine replacement may be used in addition to other medicines or in certain conditions. If you want to quit smoking, ask for advice in your pharmacy.

Why does smoking quit often fail when someone uses nicotine substitutes?

In case of smoking, a nicotine addiction must be overcome. In addiction, two types of dependence play a role: physical and mental dependence. Physical dependence disappears a few weeks after quitting smoking. Spiritual dependence can still play a part after the disappearance of the nicotine addiction. The need to smoke in certain situations persists, for example at coffee or in company. Many people find it hard to learn this habit. Nicotine substitutes are only useful when quitting smoking when used long enough and when use is slow down. If you want to quit smoking, ask for advice in your pharmacy.

I am using a remedy for depression and I would like to quit smoking. Can I use bupropion or nortriptyline?

Bupropion and nortriptyline are in addition to drugs that help stop smoking, including antidepressants. Using two antidepressants side by side is unnecessary. Additionally, bupropion / nortriptyline and other antidepressants add each other's side effects, such as reduced reaction capacity. It is therefore not wise to use these two resources together. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist. Perhaps you can quit smoking using another method.

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