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Erectile Dysfunction
How to Quit Smoking
If you
smoke, its always a good time to quit. Smoking can cause cancer,
heart disease, and emphysema. Smoking can also cause vascular
disease and inhibit circulation. This is especially relevant
to men who have erectile dysfunction (ED), because proper
circulation to all areas of the body, including the genital
area, can make it difficult to achieve and maintain an erection.
Smoking has been associated with significantly higher rates
of ED in men treated for heart disease, hypertension, and
arthritis.
The good
news is that once you quit smoking, your health starts to
improve immediately. Your blood pressure decreases, your chance
of a heart attack goes down, and your circulation begins to
improve within two to 12 weeks.
If you
are a smoker and want to quit, here are some tips to get you
started:
Pick a
date to quit and then prepare for the date. Remove all cigarettes,
ashtrays, matches, and lighters from your home, office, and
car.
If you smoke more than nine cigarettes a day, ask your doctor
about medications that can help you quit smoking.
When you have an urge to smoke, tell yourself, "Smoking
is no longer an option" and engage in a different activity
to distract yourself.
Alter your routines. Try to avoid people or situations that
make you want to smoke.
Seek the support of family, friends, and coworkers. Tell everyone
who is around you that you are going to stop smoking.
Spend time doing relaxing activities to reduce stress.
Exercise
Spend more of your time in places that do not permit smoking.
Keep a plentiful supply of low-calorie snacks available.
Remind yourself of the benefits of not smoking, including
improved sexual function.
You may have some withdrawal symptoms, but these usually last
less than two weeks. There will also be some difficult urges
that you will successfully deal with. Some people do gain
weight when they quit, but you can maintain your weight by
getting regular exercise and limiting the amount of fat in
your diet.
Smoking
Cessation Aids
There
are several different types of smoking cessation aids to help
you quit smoking -- nicotine gum, patches, nasal spray, inhaler,
lozenges, and non-nicotine drugs. Talk to your doctor to find
out which is the best for you.
Nicotine
gum (Nicorette; Nicorette DS): A box of 48 pieces costs approximately
$30. The smoker chews one piece of gum every one to two hours,
to a maximum of 24 pieces a day.
Nicotine patches (Habitrol, Nicoderm CQ, and Nicotrol): The
patches are sold in 1-2 week boxes at a cost of approximately
$30 per week. They are applied directly to the skin once a
day. Habitrol and Nicoderm are available in 21mg, 14 mg and
7mg patches. Nicotrol comes in a single 15mg patch and is
intended for daytime use only.
Nicotine lozenges (Commit): The lozenges come in 2 mg and
4 mg strengths. Treatment usually lasts approximately 12 weeks.
The smoker uses one lozenge every 1-2 hours for the first
six weeks, one every 2-4 hours during weeks 7-9, and one every
4-8 hours during weeks 10-12. The cost ranges from approximately
$6 a day (for 12 doses) to $12 a day for the maximum dosage
(20 doses).
Nicotine nasal spray (Nicotrol NS): The spray is available
only by prescription. It delivers nicotine rapidly to the
blood stream. A dose is one spray in each nostril. The recommended
dosing is 1-2 doses every hour.
Nicotine inhaler (Nicotrol Inhaler): Also available only by
prescription. The inhaler cartridge mimics the hand-to-mouth
routine of cigarette smoking. The nicotine released from the
inhaler is absorbed in the mouth. The initial dosage is six
to 16 cartridges per day for up to 12 weeks.
Non-nicotine drugs: Bupropion (Zyban) is the only FDA-approved
non-nicotine drug for smoking cessation. The smoker should
start taking the drug one to two weeks before his or her quit
date, and will take the drug for 7-12 weeks.
Talk to your doctor to find out if a smoking cessation
aid is right for you.
Reviewed
by the doctors at the Glickman Urological Institute at The
Cleveland Clinic.
Edited
by Charlotte Grayson, MD, WebMD, May 2004
Portions of this page © The Cleveland Clinic 2000-2004
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