NAC Supplement Helps Curb Cravings to Smoke

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’d like to have your thoughts on what value the NAC supplement may have in reducing cravings for marijuana or nicotine?

I’m 73 and have been smoking marijuana daily since I was 21. Now I’m quitting for health reasons. I’ve been taking 1,000 mg of NAC every morning, as I’ve read it helps with smoking cravings. It also seems to be used for anxiety and other mental health issues, lung and heart problems ... the list goes on.

I’m not going to smoke anymore, but I’m just wondering what your take is on this, as I’m thinking of sending it to my 38-year-old son who’s been addicted to vaping/ cigarettes since he was a young man. He has ADD, anxiety and problems with breath capacity, and he may have heart problems as well. He’s smoking to relieve his ADD and anxiety. And, of course, he’d like to quit, but it’s so hard to do so.

Can the NAC supplement help me with the urge to smoke?

I think it has reduced the cravings, but how would I even know? -- M.M.

ANSWER: N-acetyl cysteine, a precursor to the amino acid cysteine, has several roles in medicine, as you say. When inhaled, it breaks up mucous, which helps people cough out thick sputum. When used intravenously, it’s a specific antidote to acetaminophen (Tylenol) overdose. It has been used in these capacaties for years and is safe and well-tolerated.

But, in addition, there is data that shows oral NAC (sold as a dietary supplement) may have a role in helping people overcome addictions to tobacco, with small trials showing a reduction in smoking as well as the relapse rate in people using NAC compared with a placebo.

In people who want to reduce their cannabis use, most of the data on NAC has been on younger people (adolescents and young adults), but also shows some benefit. More stringent trials are ongoing.

It is very difficult for a single person (patient or physician) to tell whether it’s a “real” effect or a “placebo” effect that is causing the reduction in cravings. Only large-scale, placebocontrolled trials can show with confidence whether the treatment is more effective than a placebo. But, since the supplement is inexpensive and highly safe, and since a thirdparty lab found that the brands of NAC sold at reputable stores are what they say they are, I say it might be helpful. However, there are many other products that are proven to be safe and effective to help with quitting smoking, ranging from group tobacco cessation classes, to nicotine replacement therapy, to prescription medications like varenicline and bupropion -- all of which have many years of proven clinical efficacy.

Finally, there are a lot of people with attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder who are not getting appropriate treatment as adults. Getting treatment by an expert in ADD might make quitting smoking easier and may also improve many other areas of functioning for your son.

***

Dr. Roach regrets that he is unable to answer individual questions, but will incorporate them in the column whenever possible. Readers may email questions to ToYourGoodHealth@med.cornell.edu.

© 2023 North America Synd., Inc. All Rights Reserved

Lifestyle Choices To Reduce Cancer Risk

Get enough sleep: The importance of sleep to overall health is easily overlooked.Lancaster General Health says, while there is no specific data for sleep on cancer prevention, sleep deprivation can lead to harmful behaviors, such as overeating, drinking too much alcohol or being too tired to exercise, each of which increases cancer risk.

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Request for Proposal (RFP) for Town Hall Sidewalk Replacement

e Town of Canadice is soliciting proposals for the sidewalk replacement at the Town Hall and Town Court facilities, 5949 County Rd 37, Springwater, NY 14560

Visit the Town’s website to download RFP documents. All pertinent and required data is indicated on the website at: www.canadice.org

Bids are due no later than 4:00pm on April 26, 2023

SPRING CLEANING PROJECTS YOU DON’T WANT TO FORGET

Spring cleaning is an annual tradition in many households. After a winter spent cooped up indoors, spring cleaning can rejuvenate a household and provide a great chance to rid a home of a season’s worth of clutter. Donating old clothes and cleaning out the garage are popular spring cleaning projects, but there are a host of additional tasks homeowners can tackle to freshen up their homes this spring.

Consider depth of field. Sometimes you will have no control over the busy background an interesting subject is in front of in a planned photograph. A shallow depth of field achieved with a wide aperture can blur a background and separate the subject from that background, according to Shotkit, a photography and gear authority. Some postproduction work also can be done to blur backgrounds in apps like Lightroom or through Photoshop.