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Does Stopping Smoking Affect Medicine Absorption?

Thursday, May 14, 2009
Related Tags: smoking | absorption | cigarette | drugs | medicine
 

Instructions

Research Findings on Smoking's Relation to Medicine Absorption

  • Step 1:
    There has been research as early as the 1970s suggesting cigarette smoking increases drug metabolism, rendering certain drugs less effective in heavy cigarette smokers.

Smoking Reduces Potency of Psychological Drugs

  • Step 1:
    Cigarette smoking decreases the effectiveness of antidepressants, anti-anxiety drugs, and psycho-relaxants.

Specific Drugs Smoking Reduces Potency Of

  • Step 1:
    Smoking reduces the effectiveness of benzodiazepines, propoxyphene (Darvon), pentazocine (Talwin), diazepam (Valium) and chlordiazepoxide (Librium).
    Cigarette smoking has no effect on phenobarbital effectiveness.

How Does Smoking Affect Drug Metabolism?

  • Step 1:
    The liver of heavy smokers produce enzymes that metabolize some types of drugs faster than in non-smoking individuals. Because of the much shorter duration of the medicine's presence in the body, the medicinal effects are diminished.

Stopping Smoking Will Affect Medicine Absorption

  • Step 1:
    If you are taking any of the medicines listed above, stopping smoking will improve absorption.

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