Withdrawal symptoms when you stop smoking - Remotiv can help! - 1st January 2006 |
Butt Out - Body and Soul (1 Jan 2006)
Body and Soul carried a feature called Butt Out which sets out ways to help you give up cigarette smoking. In this feature Professor Con Stough of Swinburne University talks about new research which shows that Remotiv (a special extract of St John's wort) can help to reduce the symptoms of withdrawal which often lead to people failing when attempting to give up smoking. A section of this article is provided below:-
New research to come out of Swinburne University is showing promising results using herbal extract St John's Wort to help cut down on withdrawal symptoms. "Nicotine is a drug of addiction, and you just have to look at some of the symptoms people have when they quit - heightened anxiety and changes in mood - to realise this," says Professor Con Stough.
The extract used in the trials, sold in Australia as Remotiv, has been shown in clinical trials to be as effective in the treatment of mild to moderate depression as other antidepressants (but without their side effects).
However, you can't just waltz into the supermarket and buy any old pack of St John's Wort. Professor Stough emphasises that there are different strengths and that some formulations are better than others so ensure that you buy a product consistent in quality.
The Remotiv dosage protocol takes 14 weeks. One Remotiv tablet is taken twice a day for 4 weeks prior to stopping smoking, and then for 8 weeks after the quitting date. In weeks 9 and 10 the Remotiv dose is halved to 1 tablet per day.
Remotiv is available from healthcare practitioners all over Australia - for your nearest Remotiv stockists click on "Find a Practitioner" above.