Drug for quitting smoking - big no for pilots?
 

Ok, so i want to quit smoking now. It has been enough.

There's this drug called bupropion which has helped lots people to quit smoking. But it's a psychotropic, so i guess it will show on the medical exam, and since it's a treatment, i reckon u would have to take it on a daily basis, leaving you unfit to fly.

There is this other new medication. It's called Champix. Apparently it's completely different than the other one. Has better results, and does not induce the secondary effects that the other one does.

Anyone has any information on whether we can use those prescription medications? Would they interfere with the medical standards we have to comply with?.

If we can, i think all the smokers here should give it a try!

Thanks.

Mate,

get hold of Allan Carr's "The Easy Way To Stop Smoking", read it a couple of times and you will never look back. I was a 25 a day man for 18 years and thought no way I could ever stop.... have been off them for 2 years now.

Can't answer your specific question, I guess the CAA may take each case on it's merits or maybe a complete ban??

Here's a list of possible adverse effects.....

(from the e-BNF)

I would have thought the possibility of the drug exascebating underlying depression would make it a no-no.

In my experience the key issue in smoking cessation, is acting whilst the patient is keen. The agent used to manage cravings, is of less importance.

Wow, those are big words on the adverse effects list. Is't the secondary effects list kind of a legal disclaimer? Even aspirin has its own risks.

Yeah, but i agree with you. Suicidal tendencies are not something i could use right now.

Why take a drug? All you really need is willpower.

Seriously, been there and done it. Not easy, but nothing worthwhile ever is.

The adverse effects list can be unreliable, and sometimes, not that scientific.

Whilst not wanting to deny someone the chance to quit, you guy's are in quite a special position. I'm not sure a prescriber would wish to take the chance with such a new drug. The risk/benefit calculation would be different for a pilot than say, a florist.

Willpower is important. In terms of success rates, about 5% of patients will succeed long term with willpower alone. This can be increased to 15-2o% with an agent.

I have heard some very good reports about Champix but larger longer term studies into eficacy and safety are needed, and should follow.

Sure, lets give the the drug a chance to prove it's safety. I might trust myself on this one, and i'm not even going to ask a doctor for now. There are some doctors who take bigger risks than others... so ill just keep out, and try cold turkey one more time. Oh god, not again!

Why did i wanna be cool in highschool!!!!

aeromar,

Best of luck with your new attempt! :ok:

I'm doing exactly the same at the moment (smoke-free for a week right now :ooh:)

First of all, I was absolutely ready to quit the fags. Instead of doing it for myself, I resolved I would quit for my (non-smoking) boyfriend. I found this is giving me a greater incentive!
For the cravings, a good ol' fashioned patch. When things get really desperate and I have to do something else, I either nibble biltong or sip water.

Whichever way you choose, I agree that what you really have to have is willpower.

Foxy

Its funny, but the patches i tried once used to hurt a lot. I couldn't stand them for the time they were meant to be worn.

I never read the Allan Carr book, but it sounds about right. I kicked my 60-80 a day habit 16 years ago going 'cold turkey'. It was very difficult for the first week, but each week thereafter got progressively easier. My friend and colleague who stopped a few weeks later using 'gum' now uses 2 packs of Nicorette a day. I hope he doesn't contract cancer of the throat or mouth like so many of those Scandinavian nicotine 'teabag' munchers. Why use a product of the tobacco industry to try to stop smoking?
My personal feeling is that using one drug to kick another is a big mistake. I speak as an alcoholic who kicked alcohol 16 years ago too without drugs or special treatment.

rts

Ok, nicotine patches or gums are not drugs. They are used to provide the nicotine to your system while you dissociate the fact of lighting up during your special activities.

Here is an example. When I'm on the airplane, i don't think of smoking. 12 hours pass by with no need to smoke at all. On the other side, when i try to read or study, i need a cigarette and a coffee. The reason for that being the fact that during college i got used to studying that way.

What I'm trying to explain here is the following:
There are 2 simultaneous addictions that we suffer

-Psychological addiction: It kicks in whenever u start to do something u have associated with smoking. Computer, reading, seeing someone light one up, cofee, beer.... That one usually kicks in stronger and sooner than the actual drug addiction, in a way that you might find yourself lighting up a fag, even when your blood nicotine levels are "confortable".

-Chemical addiction: If you manage to overcome the psych addiction, a couple days later, your body will show the symptoms of the detox. Thats the only serious part of quitting smoking. It actually can hurt, deprive you from sleeping or carrying a normal life (for some weeks). Now, knowing that lighting one up is the solution for that, is the mental trap that has been set for us (we have set for ourselves).

-So, what are patches and other nicotine supplements for? They are a way to maintain the comfortable levels of nicotine, while you figure out how to get rid of the habit. The treatment should not last longer than a month or two, and once u are comfortable doing your routinely things smoke-free, then, following the treatment, you lower the dose progressively, in order to make a smooth detox. More than stopping smoking, is a kind of... un-starting to smoke.



The drugs i mentioned above, are a completely different thing. Smokers have "educated" neuro-receptors to trigger realistic pleasure feelings by associating them with nicotine. We are animals after all. So these drugs are actual psychotropic agents which can block those feelings. Even if you smoke while on those drugs, they are supposed to take the pleasure off of the fact of smoking, making you realize that smoking is just breathing the residue of a stinky combustion.

So, secondary effects are almost obvious. As well as some drugs provide euphoria (most of them are illegal), this drug provides numbness to certain triggers. Therefor making it a prescription drug. I have read that the success rate of these drugs is actually very high, but knowing that it would affect my judgment, and capacity of thinking, i reckon they are a big no for pilots. At least for now.

-Chemical addiction: If you manage to overcome the psych addiction, a couple days later, your body will show the symptoms of the detox. Thats the only serious part of quitting smoking. It actually can hurt, deprive you from sleeping or carrying a normal life

Sorry but this is the one big fallacy that stops most smokers from even trying to stop.

The half life of nicotine is about two hours, and significant amounts of nicotine only remain in the blood for six to eight hours. after a week it's gone.

If you go for a twelve hour flight without smoking you have lived through the worst physical symptoms, everything else is psychological.

The physical withdrawal symptoms are rather like being hungry (one of the reasons people put on weight when the stop, they misinterpret the symptoms for hunger) and a bit restless, they don't hurt and after a week they are gone.

I was positive i could never stop smoking, I had tried on countless occasions, with patches, gum etc etc. I think what the one thing that the Allan Carrs book did was make me understand the process my body and mind was going through. made it so easy to stop.

Good luck with stopping.

D-G

P.S the gums and patches ARE drugs, they contain that very addictive drug called nicotine:)

Champix
 

Hi I've been on Champix for the last month you are supposed to quit between 12 - 14day's but I carried on taking them and I've quit now for only 7 day's but I've never been that long without a ciggie before so finger's crossed it will stay that way... good luck..

Stopping Smoking!
 

Why not try Hypnosis??
Completely pain free and without any complications or side effects.
Cravings are cut to a minimum and it has a huge success rate.

Good Luck
HJ

allright, I started Champix in November last year, stopped smoking after 12 days, it worked as prescribed, off the pills in Feb this year, and still smoke free. Been flying a 100 hrs a month and no side effects. Cross my fingers for the future.:ok:

It'll work for some, but not much evidence of effectiveness I'm afraid.

I tried all manner of methods for years and found them all to be flawed, particularly the gum (definitely not a good idea IMHO). I finally managed to quit using the inhalator.

The trick with the inhalator is to use the muscles in your cheek, chipmunk-style, to 'suck' the nicotine particles out, without actually inhaling anything. If you become adept at this technique, I found the inhalator worked very well indeed.

Over a period of months, I went from 10 inhalers a day to 5, to 1, to 1 emergency inhaler in the car and office...and then once you're down to a miniscule amount, it's pretty easy to go the last step as the inhaler is really now a placebo / psychological aid.

Personally, the only way I could do it was to use very gradual withdrawal.

Best of luck!

My brother (pilot) tried that drug to help him give up. He stopped after a week because it was making him "think and feel weird". He gave them to me to try, but I think and feel weird anyway so didn't want to push it!

Octane

Helping peopkle quit is pretty satisfying- still have the odd person who says, "you got me off'em 10 years ago.

In actual fact, I, and the drugs I used, probably did very little, I suspect there is a degree of choice involved for people wanting to quit.

Having said that, nicotine is a very enjoyable, addictive drug.

Someone left a packet of L&B in me car the other day, they felt, smelt and looked gorgeous. Glad me' cigarette lighter didn't work.