Helpful tips on quiting smoking.
Quiting More Affordably
As many as half of all U.S. smokers try to quit every single year, but only about 5 to 10% of that number can expect to see any degree of success. Doctors can help improve this success rate by offering counseling and prescribing medications to support the smoker’s desire to better his or her health long term.
Prescription drugs can triple a heavy smoker’s odds of quitting. Two of the more common prescription medications to help smokers quit are bupropion and varenicline. Brand names for bupropion include Wellbutrin and Zyban. The brand name for varenicline is Chantix.
Bupropion is an anti-depressant medication that works to reduce the craving for nicotine. Smokers have been using bupropion more than a decade to help them quit successfully.
Varenicline, or Chantix, is a newer drug that also works to reduce nicotine cravings in the brain, as well as reducing the pleasurable sensations a smoker receives from smoking. Chantix is about 60% more successful than bupropion at one year after quitting.
Nortriptyline and clonidine are two other prescription drugs that are occasionally used off-label to help smokers quit, but they are not FDA-approved for that purpose. They are generally used to treat depression and high blood pressure. Because they are not FDA-approved for smoking cessation, little is known about their success rates.
Even though prescription medications can drastically improve a smoker’s odds of long term success, they are rarely covered by insurance. In fact, in the case of Wellbutrin and Zyban, some insurance companies will not pay for bupropion when the prescription is written for Zyban, but will when it is written for Wellbutrin, although they are both the same medication. This is because Wellbutrin is intended to help people with depression, while Zyban is intended to help people stop smoking.
Out-of-pocket costs for these drugs can often make them impossible to buy when insurance refuses to cover them, leaving many smokers feeling as if they have no recourse. However, Canadian pharmacies can be a safe and affordable option from which to purchase these smoking cessation products.
Name brand Zyban purchased through a Canadian pharmacy can be less than half the cost of Zyban purchased through a popular U.S. online pharmacy. A beginning dose of Chantix through a Canadian pharmacy is about $25 less than when purchased at a U.S. pharmacy. Generic alternatives for smoking cessation prescription drugs (when available) provide even bigger savings when purchased through a Canadian pharmacy.
Online Canadian pharmacies not only help smokers save money, they are convenient. The prescription can be ordered online from the comfort of home, and prices can be easily compared at a variety of sites. The drugs may then be shipped straight to the customer’s door, eliminating the risk of running out of drugs or needing to pick up prescriptions at an inconvenient time or place.
Ordering drugs from an online Canadian pharmacy is also safe. Customers can easily check out the credentials of a site to determine certification, and many even display the origins of the medications they offer, including the manufacturer and supplier. These drugs have gone through the same rigorous approval process as the drugs available for sale in the United States, but Canadian pharmacies are able to purchase them from more affordable sources, passing the savings on to their customers.
Anyone wishing to quit smoking should consult their doctor, discuss the prescription medications available, and which drugs may be right for them. While their insurance may not cover smoking cessation products, online Canadian pharmacies are more than willing to aid in lowering the high costs of many of these drugs. More affordable prescription drugs make quitting smoking a more achievable goal for all smokers.