Are you thinking that if you just had something in your hands you’d be able to put down the smoking habit? You might have considered a nicotine inhaler to feed both the physical dependence and the emotional need to have something in your hand. We’ll discuss what inhalers offer and describe the difference between inhalers and e-cigarettes.
When you stop smoking, you don’t just experience a physical detachment of nicotine. There are social and emotional facets to cigarette smoking as well. The nicotine inhaler attempts to sooth two of those three by replacing the compulsion of having something in your hand. Inhalers are like many other nicotine replacement drugs in that they replace the nicotine that is “missing” in your system causing withdrawal symptoms. You can alternatively say that these slow down your body’s natural detoxification process, that is as long as you taper off using the products.
Don’t confuse nicotine inhalers and e-cigarettes. Inhalers are products designed to help you quit smoking for good and are regulated by the FDA as medical devices. E-cigarettes were never designed to help you quit. While some proponents of the e-cigarette say it is safer than smoking, it, as well as the inhaler, have chemicals that are not in a cigarette. These chemicals vary depending on the brands, but include things similar to antifreeze. A big difference between the inhaler and the e-cigarette is that the e-cig contains a heating element, which can chemically change what is in the e-cig nicotine cartridges.
While it’s best to let your body detoxify itself without the use of nicotine replacement products, you and your doctor may find that the inhaler useful in your quit plan. Just stick with the program so you can put it all down for good.
