MOSCOW, January 1. /TASS/. The Russian Health Ministry has published clinical recommendations concerning the treatment of addiction to tobacco and nicotine-containing products. In particular, medics are not recommended to use hypnosis and other methods without proven effectiveness. At the same time, it is advised to use drug treatment and psychotherapy, as follows from the clinical recommendations.
"For the treatment of addiction to tobacco and nicotine-containing products it is not recommended to use aversive therapy means (mouthwash that changes the taste of cigarette smoke), as well as methods of treatment without proven effectiveness (acupuncture, hypnosis, normobaric hypoxitherapy, cranial electrotherapy stimulation, phytotherapy, and homeopathy)," the recommendations say.
Patients with a high degree of severity of addiction to tobacco (nicotine) are recommended pharmacotherapy with the use of drugs used for nicotine dependence. These include a sixteen-hour nicotine transdermal patch, medicinal chewing gum, mint or fruit-mint oral mucosal spray, and chewable pills.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy is also recommended in the treatment of nicotine dependence of any severity to increase motivation to quit tobacco and/or nicotine use and behavior change: "Sessions of cognitive-behavioral therapy are conducted for three to six months - once a week during the first month, once every two weeks during the second month and then once a month."
For those patients who experience anxiety, restlessness, irritability and insomnia during nicotine withdrawal, anxiolytics are recommended.