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ATTENTION: US CUSTOMERS

Please be advised that there are currently significant Customs Processing Delays at JFK, NY and Newark, NJ ports of entry.

Please allow plenty of time when placing your orders. During the holiday season, we expect international and domestic postal service delays due to higher demands on the postal network. It is important that you receive your medications, so please be mindful and consider ordering in advance to allow for potential disruptions & delays.

Our team wish all of our customers wellness and happiness throughout the festive holiday season.

Shipping delays due to Covid-19 Virus

Please fill the form to receive updates when we can ship your order.

Smoking Cessation

Our Stop Smoking section contains products for helping smokers quit smoking with nicotine replacement therapy and by reducing nicotine withdrawal symptoms during smoking cessation.

The different classes of Stop Smoking medication are listed on the left of the page and when you click on one of these, the principal brand name products display in the left column and generic alternatives to the right.

Use the search feature to quickly find the product you are looking for, by entering either the active ingredient, e.g. nicotine, or the product name, Nicorette, e.g.

Our Anti-addictive class of Stop Smoking products contain an antidepressant with anti-addictive properties that is used to help reduce the urge to smoke and relieve withdrawal symptoms while giving up smoking. 

Use the search feature to quickly find the product you are looking for, by entering either the active ingredient, e.g. bupropion, or the product name, e.g Zyban.

Depression and addiction

Depression is thought to be related to an imbalance of neurotransmitters (chemicals that allows nerve cells to communicate) in the brain, one of which is dopamine, the same neurotransmitter stimulated by nicotine that causes smoking addiction.  Reduced levels of dopamine may also be involved in the addiction process and may contribute to withdrawal symptoms.  

Anti-addictive medication for smoking cessation

The antidepressant bupropion can be used to provide smoking cessation support while giving up smoking.  Bupropion is thought to work by blocking the re-uptake of dopamine, as well as other neurotransmitters like noradrenaline, which increases the levels of dopamine in the brain and prolongs the time dopamine remains active.  It is also thought to increase the number of receptors for dopamine.  The overall effect of bupropion is to increase the effectiveness of neurotransmitters like dopamine, while at the same time blocking the action of nicotine on nicotinic acetylcholine receptor function in the brain, resulting in a reduction in the rewarding effects of nicotine, which is what contributes to nicotine addiction.  
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Our Nicotine Receptor Blockers class of Stop Smoking products are tablets that are used to help smokers quit smoking by reducing nicotine craving and withdrawal symptoms. 

Use the search feature to quickly find the product you are looking for, by entering either the active ingredient, e.g. Varenicline, or the product name, e.g. Champix.

Medications that bind to nicotine receptors

Varenicline is a non-nicotine treatment that is used for smoking cessation.  It works by binding to the same receptors in the brain that nicotine binds to, which are the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.  These are the receptors that when stimulated release dopamine in the reward circuits of the brain, producing the feelings of euphoria and relaxation associated with the smoking reward.  However, although it binds to the same receptors, varenicline does not stimulate the receptors as strongly as nicotine and less dopamine is released but the effect lasts longer than nicotine.  

Reduced need for nicotine

If nicotine is inhaled at the same time as using varenicline, the nicotine receptors in the brain are blocked by varenicline, reducing the usual feelings of satisfaction and reward from smoking, making smoking less pleasurable.  This helps relieve the craving for nicotine and as well as reducing the withdrawal symptoms experience when stopping smoking.

Varenicline is intended to be used initially before smoking ceases but eventually it should replace cigarettes as nicotine cravings and withdrawal symptoms become reduced. 
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About cigarettes

Cigarettes as well as cigars, pipes, snuff and chewing tobacco are vehicles or delivery systems for getting nicotine out of tobacco and into the blood stream, along with many other toxic and carcinogenic (cancer forming) chemicals. Tar is a major component of cigarettes and forms a sticky, brown substance which stains fingers and teeth but also sticks to the lungs where it causes damage to lung tissue. When cigarettes burn, carbon monoxide is released into cigarette smoke and this reduces oxygen levels in the blood and increases risk of cardiovascular disease. As well as naturally occurring chemicals in the tobacco leaves themselves, other chemicals are added to cigarettes to enhance flavour and burning; also to increase nicotine uptake and dependency. Cigarette smoking is one of the leading preventable causes of diseases like lung cancer, respiratory disease and heart disease. Second-hand cigarette smoke is also dangerous.

The effects of nicotine

Nicotine is an alkaloid chemical that is a natural insecticide and is found in the nightshade plant family which includes the tobacco plant. It is one of the most poisonous known chemicals and most addictive known drugs. Once inhaled via cigarette smoke, nicotine is rapidly absorbed into the blood and reaches the brain within seconds.

The biological effects of nicotine are based on its chemical resemblance to the neurotransmitter (brain chemical that allows nerve cells to communicate) acetylcholine. Nicotine acts as a stimulant and the first action of inhaled nicotine is to stimulate release of adrenaline from the adrenal glands. This stimulates the central nervous system and increases blood pressure, respiration rate and heart rate. Nicotine also inhibits insulin release from the pancreas which causes blood sugar levels to rise.

The major effect of nicotine in the brain is to stimulate the release of dopamine in the limbic system of the brain, which is where the reward circuits of the brain are located and this creates a feeling of relaxation and euphoria. This area of the brain is also the control centre for appetite, learning, memory and pleasure, which are normally stimulated by food, comfort and pleasurable company to release dopamine.

Nicotine addiction and dependency

The vicious cycle of addiction to nicotine and dependency begins with the first puff. With continued smoking the brain pathways that control reward and pleasure begin to change and the body becomes dependant on nicotine to function normally.
Without the nicotine reward, the smoker experiences cravings followed by withdrawal symptoms, including irritability, depressed mood, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, restlessness, sleep disturbances, decreased heart rate, and increased appetite or weight gain.
Another symptom of addiction is that the amount of the addictive drug needed to obtain the same reward increases as the body becomes tolerant to the effect of the drug, making it very difficult to cut down or give up cigarettes. Nicotine addiction is one of the hardest addictions to break.

Stop smoking treatments

Breaking the nicotine addiction cycle is not easy to do without help and there are several treatments that can be used to support stop smoking efforts. These include:
  • Nicotine replacement therapy, which is available as gum, patches or inhaler containing controlled amounts of nicotine used to wean smokers off nicotine dependence without the unpleasant withdrawal symptoms.

  • Nicotine receptor blockers that help reduce the pleasurable effects of smoking and reduce withdrawal symptoms while breaking smoking dependency.

  • Medication containing nicotine free natural ingredients to help relieve withdrawal symptoms.

  • Anti-addictive anti-depressant medication that acts on brain neurotransmitters to help break the addiction cycle.
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