I will talk with my healthcare team about starting a medication

How to Quit: Talk to Your Doctor About Getting Help

Quitting "cold turkey" isn't your only choice. Talk to your doctor about other ways to quit. Most doctors can answer your questions, give advice, and suggest medicine to help with withdrawal. Some of these medicines you can buy on your own. For others, you need a prescription.

Your doctor, dentist, or pharmacist can also point you to places to find support. If you cannot see your doctor, you can get some medicines without a prescription that can help you quit smoking. Go to your local pharmacy or grocery store for over-the-counter medicines like the nicotine patch, nicotine gum, or nicotine lozenge. Read the instructions to see if the medicine is right for you. If you're not sure, ask a pharmacist.

Cessation medications found to be effective for treating tobacco dependence include the following:

Nicotine replacement products
- Over-the-counter (e.g., nicotine patch, gum, lozenge)
- Prescription (e.g., nicotine inhaler, nasal spray)
Prescription non-nicotine medications, such as bupropion SR (Zyban^®) and varenicline tartrate (Chantix^®).

Note: The combination of medication and counseling is more effective for smoking cessation than either medication or counseling alone.

See the section “I Will Use a Nicotine Substitute” for effectiveness and costs for medications.