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Because giving up smoking is known to be a challenging task, many people try to stop smoking by using stop smoking aids. There are a lot of these stop smoking aids such as patches, pills, gums, inhalers, and natural remedies available on the market.

When most people think about stop smoking aids, they think about the patch. The nicotine patch is a popular and well known stop smoking aid. It is available in most drugstores and was made with the intention of helping smokers quit smoking by lessening the discomfort they experience from withdrawal symptoms.

Since many smokers experience symptoms of withdrawal such as headaches, cravings, anxiety, nervousness, fatigue, and irritability, the patch tends to be very useful. Of course, smokers still experience cravings as well as some other symptoms, but the patch is known to help smokers tolerate their cravings for longer periods. Nevertheless, in order to be successful, an individual must use the patch every day for about three months. It is said that one in every five dedicated quitters will be able to stop smoking with the help of the patch. Still some people experience side effects from the patch, including skin irritation and trouble sleeping. Most people recommend that quitters start therapy along with the nicotine patch.

Buproprion, or Zyban, is one drug many people use to help them quit smoking. This pill is an antidepressant and is actually used for people who are clinically depressed. It has been proven, however, that this pill will help people trying to quit smoking, because it helps to suppress withdrawal symptoms from nicotine. In some clinical studies, Zyban was twice as effective at helping stop smoking as the nicotine patch. In addition, you cannot become addicted to it, and it is easy to use. Although side effects may include insomnia and dry mouth, Zyban is worth trying.

Nicotine inhalers and nicotine gum are examples of other stop smoking aids. Nicotine gum assists people in their quest to quit by keeping their mouths busy and delivering small doses of nicotine to ward off intense cravings. Some people are hesitant to quit smoking because of the possibility of large weight gain. In such cases nicotine gum is the most useful option as helps ward off cravings without weight gain. Nicotine gum is chewed like other gums and may be used for about 12 weeks to wean off nicotine addiction.

One type of stop smoking aid quitters can opt to use is a nicotine inhaler to try to wean off nicotine dependency. The nicotine inhaler mimics the effects of smoking, creating a transition step for those trying to stop smoking. However, it can cause throat and mouth irritation.

It is important to remember, however, that stop smoking aids can only work when individuals want them to work. That is, individuals must be fully dedicated to quitting smoking. This inner drive and motivation is the only way smokers will be able to quit smoking. Though stop smoking aids such as nicotine patches, nicotine pills, nicotine gum, and nicotine inhalers can help smokers quit, nothing can help them quit permanently except willpower.

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