Stop Smoking Treatment / Quit Smoking

• Hands down, the very best smoking cessation aid on the planet is your own and determination to quit smoking, if you aren’t motivated and committed to kicking the habit, there isn’t a quit aid available that can help you. If you are, any of them have the potential to work beautifully. Nicotine addiction is both physical as well as psychological. To be more successful in your fight against nicotine addiction you will need to overcome the physical withdrawal symptoms that must be eliminated prior to addressing your psychological addiction.
  
  The ICAN treatment will remove the physical side effects of your addiction and thus leave you without the overwhelming withdrawal symptoms. As with all medications, your body will begin to break down the initial blocking that is administered to you during your treatment. Therefore, you will be provided with follow-up medications in order to maintain the effective levels of blocking on the receptors. The follow up medication will continue for two weeks. At the conclusion of the two weeks, your physical withdrawal symptoms will have ceased.
  
  Although you will not be experiencing physical side effects, the psychological cravings will remain. The ICAN treatment will not eliminate the emotional urges that are associated with your addiction. This is a habit that you have engrained due to your nicotine habit. There is good news however. Once the physical withdrawal is eliminated you will be more open to the lifestyle changes that you will need to make in order to enable you in becoming a non-smoker, forever.

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• The ICAN treatment is a one time medical treatment called an Anticholinergic Block and is a combination of FDA approved, safe, and well known medications that block the effects of nicotine. The treatment takes approximately 1 hour and includes an explanatory video presentation, brief physical exam, EKG and lung function test and the administration of tiny needleless injections.

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• A combination of FDA approved medications. The medications are atropine and scopolamine. These medications have been FDA approved for a variety of applications and their use for the treatment of smoking cessation is considered “off-label.” Such “off-label” uses of medications are common practice for a wide variety of medications.

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• The medications that are provided the day of your treatment are anticholinergic drugs that are prescribed in order to control the physical cravings that occur. The take home medications are comprised of FDA approved Donnatal and Scopace. These medications have been FDA approved for a variety of applications and their use for the treatment of smoking cessation is considered “off-label”. Such “off-label” uses of medications are common practice for a wide variety of medications.
  
  They need to be taken as instructed until they are completely gone, even though you may be feeling better and think your done with the therapy, take these medications, just as you would an antibiotic.

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• NO. The medications are non-addictive forming and will only be in your system for approximately two weeks.

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• Yes. In most cases the significant effects of the medications dissipate in six to eight hours and you should have no difficulty returning to work the day after your treatment, however, it is a medical treatment and people can be sensitive to the medications.

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• The number one side effect is that you will no longer be smoking! Yes, individual patients may experience side effects. Some common side effects noted by ICAN patients are light headedness, dizziness, constipation, dry mouth and altered sense of taste and smell. Some blurriness while focusing near to far has been reported by a few prior ICAN patients. Most patients experience either none or very minimal side effects.

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• Over 86%* of patients treated have reported that they are smoke free two months after the ICAN treatment and 71% report being smoke free after six months.

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• All the medications that are administered throughout the ICAN treatment are FDA approved and some have been around and in use for over 100 years. These medications have been FDA approved for a variety of applications and the use for the treatment of smoking cessation is considered “off-label.” Such “off-label” uses of medicines are common practice for a wide variety of medications**.   

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• I have tried patches, gum, Zyban, hypnosis, etc., and I always go back to smoking. All of the treatments mentioned above do not go to the source of the addiction, the nicotine receptors located within your brain. Our treatment goes to the source of the addiction. Patches and gum keep reintroducing nicotine into your system and you never truly kick the habit. Your body will never be truly free of nicotine with Nicotine Replacement Therapies and it is very difficult to revert to being a non-smoker. Zyban is an anti-depressant and does nothing to address withdrawal symptoms.

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• The ICAN behavior modification program follows a system aimed at changing the behavior of the smoker. The program will guide you through the necessary lifestyle changes that need to be made in order to become a non-smoker for life. The lifestyle changes become easy as you will not be dealing with the irritability typically associated with nicotine withdrawal. (Please see the behavior modification section on the home page)

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• Only suitable candidates may receive the ICAN treatment. The treatment cannot be administered to patients that have cardio arrhythmias, narrow angle glaucoma, recent heart attack, or any recent heart surgical procedures, enlarged prostate, bladder dysfunction, uncontrolled high blood pressure, or are pregnant. Patients who are addicted to pain killers or take more than one anti-depressant or anti-anxiety medications are not suitable candidates for this treatment. You will be pre-screened for these items prior to making an appointment. The physician will only treat patients that he/she deems suitable after reviewing your patient history and the EKG results.

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• This is an elective procedure and is not covered by insurance companies.

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• No.

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• This is not a physical craving, but rather psychological. The nicotine leaves the body three days after receiving the treatment. Anxiety is caused by emotional addiction and thus urges follow. This is where the ICAN behavior modification training comes in.

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• It is recommended that you do not drink alcohol while taking the follow-up medications. After finishing your follow-up medication and you decide to consume alcoholic beverages, keep in mind that willpower is reduced, so drink in moderation until you can trust yourself not to use nicotine in this altered state.

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• We recommend that you eat a light meal before having the treatment. The side effects of the anticholinergic block that you will be receiving is that you will be extremely dry mouthed and eating is almost impossible. We also recommend that you bring a bottle of water to the treatment as you will need to quench your thirst.

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• NO! Every time you smoke a cigarette you are reopening the nicotine receptor sites in your body. No tobacco or nicotine products of any kind.

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• Yes. Nicotine causes the same chemical reaction regardless of how it is entered into the body. The ICAN treatment works for patients hooked on all types of nicotine.

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• You must be 18 years or older.

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• We recommend that you make arrangements for small children to stay at home and be cared for while the patient is going through the treatment.

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