What Are Some Pills to Quit Smoking?

Smoking is a habit that afflicts both the body and the mind; individuals that smoke may battle both the powerful addiction to nicotine and the hard to break habit of smoking itself. There are some individuals that can simply quit "cold turkey" and never pick up another cigarette. For the majority of smokers that want to quit, however, it is not that easy. Luckily, there are many different prescription medications on the market today that can help individuals kick the habit, some of which come in pill form.

Chantix

• Chantix is a prescription medication that does not contain nicotine. It works by helping minimize the longings and symptoms that come when the body begins to react to the lack of nicotine. This is done by blocking the nicotine from ever reaching the brain's nicotine receptors, resulting in less desire for the drug. Individuals begin taking Chantix in a 0.5 milligram dose and then graduate to a one milligram dose. Users continue to smoke for the first week that they begin taking this medication and normally remain on the regimen from 12 to 24 weeks.

Zyban

• Zyban, also known as Bupropion hydrochloride, is a pill that helps reduce tobacco cravings. Zyban contains no nicotine, so it does not work by helping replace nicotine in the body's system. Users of this medication will begin taking Zyban between one and two weeks of attempting to stop smoking cigarettes and may continue to use the medication for up to 12 weeks after the nicotine craving has disappeared and the individual has stopped smoking.

Wellbutrin

• While some physicians will write a prescription for the medication Wellbutrin to help individuals stop smoking, it actually contains the same medication as Zyban. Wellbutrin is actually used to help people combat depression. It was during the initial testing of this drug that it became apparent that it helped curb a person's desire for nicotine. Later, the Glaxo-Wellcome Company decided to release this medication containing Bupropion under the name Zyban, to help those that wanted to combat their addiction to nicotine.

Clondine

• Clondine is a prescription medication that is normally used to treat high blood pressure, but is sometimes used to reduce the nicotine cravings. Physicians will normally not prescribe this medication as a first choice, but normally only when a patient cannot take other medications known to help reduce nicotine cravings. While this medications is not truly intended for helping individuals to stop smoking, those that do take this medication are twice as likely not to pick up cigarettes again.

Smoke-Away

• The Smoke-Away program contains two different non-prescription formulas in pill form. Formula One is an herbal formula that calms nicotine cravings and helps the individual fight off the urge to smoke. Formula Two was designed to fight those occasional urges for nicotine that can come back even after the habit has been kicked. This formula is considered a maintenance formula to help the person stay on track.