COPD: Nicotine Replacement Therapy

Cessation of Smoking and Medication Use

The first goal for patients with COPD who smoke is to get the patient to quit smoking. When a patient with COPD stops smoking, breathing will not be as difficult as it has been while the patient was smoking. Moreover, even if the patient is diligently taking his or her prescribed medications, the signs and symptoms of COPD will not fade away. Therefore, patients are given Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) to continue supplying nicotine to their bodies in lower doses. Patients can also try nicotine pouches with no tobacco .

Pharmacological Nicotine Replacement

You might have encountered FDA approved, generic drugs such as bupropion, cystisine, and varenicline while you were looking for COPD remedies. These drugs do not alleviate the manifested signs of COPD; however, they are extremely important. They are given to patients to further facilitate easy quitting when it comes to smoking. Do not hesitate to ask your physicians about these medications.

Electronic Cigarette

For patients who want to put an end to smoking but long for the act of smoking, they can always start by using e-cigarettes. These e-cigarettes are also known as electronic nicotine delivery systems. The term electronic means that this device uses a battery to emit vapor instead of smoke. It has been sad that nicotine cravings have diminished, according to users. Unfortunately, this statement has not been proven by an adequate number of scientific studies.

Other Nicotine Products

To date, there is a wide selection of choices for patients who are addicted to nicotine, such as gums, inhalators, lozenges patches, sprays, and tablets. Luckily, these items are available over-the-counter.