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About Michael Dean
Expertise
Can answer
General information on tobacco addiction, and resources for quitting.
Information on current cancer research and the health effects of tobacco.
The risk of smoking for lung cancer and other cancers, as well as SIDS, heart disease, and vision loss.
The best place to start is 1-800-QUIT-NOW
Cannot answer
Specific medical questions
Experience
Cancer Researcher for over 20 years
Author of the book "Empty Cribs-The impact of smoking on child health" www.artsciencepub.com.
Author of over 200 scientific articles on cancer, genetics and human disease.
Multiple interviews in print, TV and radio media.
Organizations
American Association for Cancer Research
American Association of Human Genetics
Publications
Scientific journals (Science, Nature, NE Journal Medicine, etc.)
Scientific American, Discovery Medicine, Nature Reviews in Cancer
Education/Credentials
PhD. in Biochemistry from Boston University School of Medicine
Awards and Honors
Young Investigator award-American Association of Cancer Research
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You are here: Experts > Health/Fitness > Smoking Cessation > Quitting Smoking > quitting smoking
Expert: Michael Dean
Date: 8/23/2008
Subject: quitting smoking
Question
Michael,
am 55 yr old man with very long smoking history who is trying to quit...hopefully with determination..
first off...what is it about smoking that makes one smoke heavy?? is it primarily an insatiable desire or need for a huge volume of nicotine to reach satiation? or does a constant demand for the 'flavour and taste' of tobacco play in with equal ferrocity?
2) are nicotine substitutes, patch, gum etc. best or does the new drug chantix actually work?? and to what degree has chantix worked to assist people to quit?
3) how good an aid is hypnosis?? what exactly does it do and what result can one expect from hypnosis? or is hypnosis a fallacy?
4) obviously many years of smoking will leave volumes of tar etc. on the lungs...when a person succesfully quits, over time do the lungs self-cleanse to some degree or is the tar layer simply left behind fully intact and acting on the lung tissue forever leaving a big risk of change in tissue pathology that at some future point may result in a malignancy regardless of succesfully quitting the addiction?
thanks for any help with this querry..Ian
Answer
Dear Ian,
It is great that you are trying to quit.
Different people have different levels of addiction. It has to do with when you started, the earlier the worse, and genetics.
Talk to that doctor about prescribing both Chantix and Zyban. Chantix is a drug that blocks nicotine's action. Zyban helps in reducing anxiety and withdrawal symptoms. Pfizer provides an online counseling program along with Zyban. The 2 together have a higher success rate tahn patches, but they work too.
I'd also suggest you read "The EasyWay to Quit Smoking" by Allen Carr. He explains how smoking has no positive benefit in your life and the many advantages of quitting. The book has been a best seller in Europe for many years, and you might find it useful.
If you are in the US you should also call 1-800-QUIT-Now and find out about resources in your state. Some states provide free therapy and telephone quitlines, and these are useful.
The physical effects of nicotine withdrawal last only one week, so any symptoms after that are the psychological part of the addiction. This is where Zyban helps a lot of people.
The healiing of the lungs starts right away and can take a month or 2 to complete. There is some permanant damage, and it would be good to get regular checkups including lung function tests.
Or for online resources:
http://smokefree.gov/
I have a site with info as well:
http://artsciencepub.com/quitting.htm
Let me know how this goes, I like to hear about individual responses. And feel to write back with other questions
Good luck,
Michael Dean, Ph.D.
Author "Empty Cribs-The Impact of Smoking on Child Health"
http//www.artsciencepub.com
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