Schizophrenia Daily News Blog

Nicotine spray for nose, reduces smoking

A nicotine nose spray is an effective aid for schizophrenics who want to break their smoking habits.

A recent research study on a small group of people suggestes that in a "retrospective case series of 12 smokers with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder who had not successfully quit smoking with previous treatments for tobacco dependence were treated with nicotine nasal spray."

    "All but one patient (92%) tolerated the nasal spray well, and nine (75%) used it at maximal doses for prolonged periods," reported J.M. Williams and coauthors at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. "After treatment five patients (42%) were abstinent from smoking for more than 90 days, and four patients (33%) substantially reduced the amount that they smoked."

    "Ten patients (83%) used the spray in combination with other medications, and all received psychosocial support. Nicotine nasal spray was found to be well tolerated," the researchers concluded.

Source: Psychiatric Services (A case series of nicotine nasal spray in the treatment of tobacco dependence among patients with schizophrenia. Psychiatr Services, 2004;55(9):1064-1066).