Smoking Cessation It is critically important that COPD patients quit smoking. Once a patient has quit, the rate of decline of lung function slows considerably.
Many hospitals offer smoking cessation classes that can help.
It is very difficult to quit smoking cigarettes because they are psychologically and physically addictive, but it can be done. Withdrawal symptoms are caused by withdrawal from nicotine and include depression, insomnia, irritability, anxiety, poor concentration, and weight gain. Patients often gain 10-20 pounds after they stop smoking. There are numerous nicotine replacement systems that help smokers withdraw from nicotine, including nicotine gum, patches, inhalers, and nasal sprays. Nicotine gum was the first nicotine replacement therapy available.