Thread: Would L-Dopa be good for smokers who want to quit?

This is a supplement that increases dopamine, correct? Why isn't it a popular medication during smoking cessation to ease withdrawal? Has anyone ever used it for that? I've almost gone a whole day without smoking or dipping, It's hard to even string a sentence together right now I was thinking maybe it would help me concentrate while I'm going through the withdrawals for the next 2-3 days. Do you think it's worth trying?

No do not self medicate please.

Chantix has helped some people but the sides scare the piss out of me, hallucinations, psychotic episodes etc.

Wellbutrin/Zyban (Bupoprion HCl) is used as a smoke cessation aid, and the S/E profile is not so bad.

I've not used any of that stuff so i can't comment personally.

What has worked, and continues to work for is for example,

If you smoke a pack a day, take out five cigarettes in the morning and keep within those limits. Do that for week, then drop it to 12 cig/day for a week. Then ten and so on and so forth.

As well behavior modulation helps. For example many people like to smoke while driving, after eating, before bed etc. Stop whatever ritualistic kind of smoking you may do, don't let yourself...under any circumstance smoke at those times.

Another good way to help people, and this has helped me as well, is to take a pull or two when you feel as though you can't resist anymore and put the cig out. This method, i have found, reduces the anxiety from quitting cold turkey, while satisfying the mental addiction a little bit and helping you ween yourself.

As well, i find that a cold turkey approach imposes an all or nothing rule on the individual. IE, I either don't smoke any cig's or i smoke em like a chimney. If you allow yourself a half a cig when you feel like you can't hold back, it will ease the anxiety and you will not feel like you failed at quitting and go back to smoking. You will smoke a half a cig, and most likely will have the will power to not smoke for the rest of the day.

Many people may say that my methods are for the weak willed or what not, but i've been battling with smoking for many a year now and the strategies that i have outlined have helped me greatly.