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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by cache-monkey on January 11, 2005, at 20:42:49
Ok folks,
I need to quit smoking in a hurry. The timing is not great, but I am in the process of going out for on-site job interviews in a field where smoking might be viewed kind of negatively.
I'm currently on the following meds: BuSpar 7.5 mg/day, Lamictal 25 mg/day, Xanax 1.25 mg/day. This seems to be treating me alright (mostly because of the recent addition of the Xanax), and I don't want to change anything, which might prove destabilizing.
I've always had problems quitting smoking in the past and will be using the patch, from which I had an almost-successful quit attempt. I've identified the following supplements that might help me out:
* 5-HTP (not tryptophan): I've heard that smoking can work on the serotonin (5-HT) receptors in the stomach, so it might be good to get the extra peripheral serotonin from 5-HTP, plus whatever limited amount gets into the brain
* Tyrosine: converts to dopamine (DA) and then to norepinephrine (NE), which smoking seems to boost
* l-glutamine: smoking activates the glutamine system which keeps the excitator chemicals (DA and NE) firing
* kava: mao-b inhibitor, which is also accomplished by smoking; I'm going to be careful to use the root-based version, which should be relatively safer in terms of the liver toxicity risks
* nicanimide: good for anxiety
Ok, that's about it. But, additional suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Please let me know if there are addtionaly neutraceuticals that have helped you with smoking cessation.
Thanks,
cache-monkey
Posted by TeeJay on January 12, 2005, at 19:22:54
In reply to Need Help: Supplements for Smoking Cessation, posted by cache-monkey on January 11, 2005, at 20:42:49
Go and buy Allen Carrs book "easy way to stop smoking".
60 a day for 20 years and now smoke free for almost 2 years now. Its easy too if you just open your mind to his ideas.
Good luck
TJ
Posted by Mistermindmasta on January 19, 2005, at 12:08:48
In reply to Need Help: Supplements for Smoking Cessation, posted by cache-monkey on January 11, 2005, at 20:42:49
I would suggest high quality hawaiin kava... the reason I suggest this is because I quit caffeine several times with the help of kava. For reason, it has a really nice stimulating effect on me. I might assume it has similar effects on other people, in which case it would be great for smoking cessation.
What I'm worried about is that some roots are more stimulating (more MAO-B inhibition / NE reuptake inhibition??) and others are more sedating (more GABA enhancing / Calcium Channel Blocking?). I seem to do best with ones that are very stimulating.
Back when Kava was still sold by most supplement companies in the states, there was a noticable difference between brands as far as the actual effects that were noticable. That sucked. I wanted consistancy, so i had to keep going back to the same brands, but now its not sold by most brands, so i have to find some brand from hawaii or something over in the pacific that does the job. It's still legal in the US, just not sold by most companies.
By the way, I think the liver issues are COMPLETE BS. When extracted properly, i believe kava poses very very minimal health risk. I've used it for a long time on and off with nothing wrong with me. Its such a shame such a powerful herb is not on the OTC market anymore.
Posted by Willyee on January 22, 2005, at 23:30:48
In reply to Re: Need Help: Supplements for Smoking Cessation, posted by Mistermindmasta on January 19, 2005, at 12:08:48
> I would suggest high quality hawaiin kava... the reason I suggest this is because I quit caffeine several times with the help of kava. For reason, it has a really nice stimulating effect on me. I might assume it has similar effects on other people, in which case it would be great for smoking cessation.
>
> What I'm worried about is that some roots are more stimulating (more MAO-B inhibition / NE reuptake inhibition??) and others are more sedating (more GABA enhancing / Calcium Channel Blocking?). I seem to do best with ones that are very stimulating.
>
> Back when Kava was still sold by most supplement companies in the states, there was a noticable difference between brands as far as the actual effects that were noticable. That sucked. I wanted consistancy, so i had to keep going back to the same brands, but now its not sold by most brands, so i have to find some brand from hawaii or something over in the pacific that does the job. It's still legal in the US, just not sold by most companies.
>
> By the way, I think the liver issues are COMPLETE BS. When extracted properly, i believe kava poses very very minimal health risk. I've used it for a long time on and off with nothing wrong with me. Its such a shame such a powerful herb is not on the OTC market anymore.
WOW those words couldent come out of my mouth any better!!!!!!!!!!I loved kava,when i stumbled onto it i was soo impressed i had so many care free days on it.
Then after the majority of companys stopped it,there were few left.All my favorite brands were gone,i used to be able to get in an emergency numerous types of the herb from different stores localy in a day,spending a few bucks,
Now i have to scalvage the stores for a brand or two,and the MAIN thing is like you posted,i loved kava cause it was far from a sedative,i actualy could not sleep on it,which i wasnt using it for.It instead clamed me pyhsicaly and stimulated me mentally.
Now,the few brands i try do the same,sedation,simply sedation,i have not a stimulant effect since this happened.
I had favorite brands,gnc brand great,even walgreens was,country life was,solray was,now all i have is NOW foods brand and vitamin shoppee,i have continued to by brands because im ignorant and belive il come across one to bring that magic back,if you have found a stimulating brand,please share,pls wont you?
lol Thanks
Posted by MM on January 29, 2005, at 2:03:45
In reply to Re: Need Help: Supplements for Smoking Cessation, posted by Willyee on January 22, 2005, at 23:30:48
I got to this post a little late, but if cache still needs advice, the thing that let me quit (after 10 years of smoking, which is insane for someone who quit when she was 20 eh?) was the lozenges. The oral sensation helped, as did the gradual withdrawl, and I was allergic to the patch so....I know it's not alternative, but it helped me. HTH and good luck.
Meg
Posted by cache-monkey on January 30, 2005, at 15:40:56
In reply to Re: Need Help: Supplements for Smoking Cessation, posted by MM on January 29, 2005, at 2:03:45
Hi,
I'm still working on the quitting thing. I've been smoking for about 10 years at this point as well. Thanks for the tip, but I'm a little skeptical of the lozenges for me; I tried the gum a year and a half ago, and it really didn't work so well. I feel like I was still getting too much of the ups and downs in my nicotine levels. Plus, I think it irritated my stomach.
The only time I've quit successfully in the past has been with the patch. I actually slapped a patch on for about 10 days a couple weeks ago. It worked ok, even through some stressful situations. Until I bumbled this big presentation at my interview. I just couldn't get out of self-flagellation mode. I think this has to do with the fact that it takes a while for serotonin levels to re-regulate after quitting. So I started up smoking again.
I have another interview next week, so I'm going to try the patch again. I hope it works this time! (Maybe now that the supplements have been in place longer...)
Thanks again, though, for the suggestion. If the patch doesn't work out, I'll give the lozenges a harder look. In the mean time, best of luck to you, Meg, with your voyage into supplements.
Best,
cache-monkey> I got to this post a little late, but if cache still needs advice, the thing that let me quit (after 10 years of smoking, which is insane for someone who quit when she was 20 eh?) was the lozenges. The oral sensation helped, as did the gradual withdrawl, and I was allergic to the patch so....I know it's not alternative, but it helped me. HTH and good luck.
> Meg
Posted by MM on January 30, 2005, at 16:57:38
In reply to Re: Need Help: Supplements for Smoking Cessation » MM, posted by cache-monkey on January 30, 2005, at 15:40:56
The biggest thing to overcome was the mental thing for me (with the physical being a close second) but what helped me with that was NOT thinking about quitting for forever, just for now, or just for this hour or just for today etc. Not thinking that I couldn't ever start again, cuz I always could...it was my safety blanket and that helped a lot (as cheesey as it might sound). Good luck; hope the patch works for you.
Meg
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