Grobla Świętego Jerzego 14A, 82-300 Elbląg
Opening hours:Mon - Sun: 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
The price includes:
Nicotine from smoke reaches the brain and, through nicotinic receptors, increases the amount of dopamine released there. In someone who smokes every day, the brain adapts to a steady supply of nicotine. That person needs nicotine to feel normal. Nicotine clears from the blood quickly, so its level falls between cigarettes. A dependent person then feels growing tension, irritability and an urge to smoke, and the next cigarette removes these symptoms.
A review of research on stress in smokers, published in 1999 in a journal of the American Psychological Association, showed that adult smokers feel slightly more stress than non-smokers. In teenagers, stress increased as they started to smoke regularly, and after quitting, stress levels fell. Smokers said they felt normal while smoking and were in a worse mood between cigarettes. The author of the review concluded that cigarettes do not reduce stress, but only briefly remove the tension caused by a lack of nicotine, and that nicotine dependence appears to increase stress.
In the first days without cigarettes, tension may therefore get worse, because it is a symptom of nicotine withdrawal. A stop-smoking medicine eases withdrawal symptoms, and in sessions with an addiction therapist the patient practises ways of dealing with stress that do not involve smoking.
Low mood can also be a symptom of nicotine withdrawal, and quitting smoking can make depression the patient had before worse, even when quitting without medication. Suicidal thoughts occur rarely. A clear worsening of mood is a reason to contact the doctor before the next appointment. Suicidal thoughts need immediate medical help.
Yes. In a summary of 17 studies from 7 countries involving people aged 60 and over, smokers had a 1.83 times higher risk of death than people who had never smoked. In former smokers, this risk was 1.34 times higher and fell the longer they had not smoked. The authors of the summary found benefits from quitting in all age groups, including people over 80.
The manufacturer of Desmoxan does not recommend cytisine for people over 65, because clinical experience in this group is limited. The manufacturers of NiQuitin patches, Nicorette Classic Gum and Nicorette Spray give the same dosage for older people as for younger adults. In healthy older people, the body clears nicotine a little more slowly, but according to the manufacturer of the spray this does not require a change of dose. For an older patient, the doctor therefore considers a nicotine medicine and, before choosing it, checks whether the patient has recently had a heart attack or stroke.
Older people usually take more medicines regularly, so the patient brings a full list of them to the appointment. Tobacco smoke speeds up the breakdown in the liver of some medicines, such as theophylline, used for lung disease, and ropinirole, used for Parkinson's disease among other conditions. After quitting smoking, their blood levels may rise, so the doctor who prescribed them may change the dose.
In an analysis of 10 studies, most of them involving patients with early-stage lung cancer, continued smoking was linked to a higher risk of death and of the cancer coming back. On this basis, the authors estimated what percentage of 65-year-old patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer would survive 5 years. Among those who kept smoking, it would be 33 percent, and among those who quit, 70 percent. In limited-stage small cell lung cancer, the figures were 29 and 63 percent.
The authors considered this evidence preliminary, because it came mainly from observational studies. A patient undergoing cancer treatment brings their hospital discharge summary and a list of their medicines to the appointment, so that the doctor can take them into account when choosing a stop-smoking medicine.
After quitting smoking, the sense of smell may improve. In a US study, 638 people identified 40 smells in a smell test. Smokers had an impaired sense of smell almost twice as often as people who had never smoked, and the more someone smoked, the weaker their sense of smell. In former smokers, the sense of smell was better the more time had passed since they quit. The authors concluded that smoking damages the sense of smell for a long time, but these changes can be reversed.
Patients receiving treatment in Elbląg quit with support from a doctor and an addiction therapist. The doctor selects medication according to age and health, the therapist included in the treatment plan helps patients prepare for tense moments, and the app provides dose reminders. If a medicine is poorly tolerated or cravings do not ease, patients arrange an earlier appointment, including by video in the app, instead of waiting for their scheduled follow-up.
Treatment starts with a medical appointment; no referral is needed. Nasz Gabinet in Elbląg at Grobla Świętego Jerzego 14A is open daily from 8:00 to 20:00. Patients can see the doctor at the clinic or have a video consultation in the Nasz Gabinet app. We also treat people in Malbork, Braniewo, Pasłęk and Nowy Dwór Gdański through the app, so they do not need to travel to Elbląg.
The doctor diagnoses nicotine dependence, also called nicotine addiction, and assesses the patient's health. They decide whether a stop-smoking medicine is needed and, if so, choose the medicine and dose. An addiction therapist is part of the Anti-Nicotine Treatment Plan, which costs PLN 2499 and includes a consultation, prescriptions for 3 months of medication and 10 video therapy sessions in the app. The Anti-Nicotine Course costs PLN 350 and includes the medical consultation with an e-prescription for the selected medicine. Both options are purchased in the Nasz Gabinet app; the medicine is purchased separately at a pharmacy. Medical staff can see in the app whether patients are taking their medicine as prescribed. If alcohol is also a problem, patients can start addiction therapy in Elbląg alongside their stop-smoking treatment.
At the clinic, the doctor can measure blood pressure and pulse. This matters when choosing a medicine, as cytisine can raise blood pressure and heart rate. Before a video consultation, patients measure their blood pressure at home and prepare a list of their regular medicines. Anyone who has been hospitalised for heart or lung disease should have their discharge summary to hand.
The doctor issues an e-prescription, allowing patients to buy the recommended medicine at a pharmacy near home after a video consultation. If the doctor decides an examination is needed, we arrange an appointment at the clinic.
Cytisine and nicotine medicines in patches, gum, spray and lozenges can be bought without a prescription. The doctor chooses from them based on the patient's health, age and medicines, as well as how much and when they smoke. The effectiveness of the medicines was compared in a review by Cochrane, an organisation that gathers and assesses the results of clinical trials. The review covered 319 studies involving more than 157,000 adults.
This review measured the effectiveness of medicines by the proportion of people who were not smoking after at least six months. The differences shown compare treatment with placebo or no medicine.
Cytisine is found in Desmoxan, Tabex and Recigar. It binds to nicotinic receptors more strongly than nicotine and gradually pushes nicotine out of them, but stimulates them more weakly. In this way it eases withdrawal symptoms, and nicotine from a cigarette smoked during treatment no longer fully stimulates the reward system in the brain. In the Cochrane review, cytisine helped 7 more people in every 100 quit smoking compared with groups given no medicine or placebo.
Treatment lasts 25 days, and the patient stops smoking by day 5 at the latest. A pack of 100 Desmoxan tablets is enough for the whole course. In September 2026, cytisine for a full course cost about PLN 40 to 78 in online pharmacies. A woman who is pregnant or breastfeeding must not take cytisine. It is also not taken by people who have recently had a heart attack or stroke, or who have unstable angina or significant heart rhythm disorders. The manufacturer of Desmoxan also does not recommend it for people under 18 or people with impaired liver or kidney function.
A patch releases nicotine through the skin at a steady rate, so the patient does not have to remember doses during the day. NiQuitin Przezroczysty is changed once a day, while Nicorette Invisipatch is put on in the morning and taken off before bed, after 16 hours. The doctor recommends a patch, among other situations, when the patient cannot take cytisine. A patch alone helped 2 more people in 100 quit smoking.
A course of NiQuitin patches usually starts with 21 mg a day patches, which the patient uses for 6 weeks. For the next 2 weeks, they use the 14 mg patch, and for the last 2 weeks the 7 mg patch. A person who smokes no more than 10 cigarettes a day starts at 14 mg and finishes treatment after 8 weeks. In September 2026, 24-hour patches for the whole 10-week course cost about PLN 606 to 930.
Nicorette Classic Gum, Nicorette Spray and NiQuitin MINI lozenges work faster than a patch. The patient uses them when the urge to smoke comes, so they help get through a sudden craving. The doctor may also combine them with a patch. For fast-acting forms of nicotine, the combined result was about 3 more non-smokers in 100 compared with placebo or no medicine. A patch combined with gum, spray or lozenges did only slightly less well than cytisine in the review, and the difference between them was uncertain.
People usually chew 8 to 12 pieces of gum a day, and no more than 15. The manufacturer recommends 4 mg gum for someone who smokes more than 20 cigarettes a day or did not quit while using 2 mg gum. Treatment with gum lasts at least 3 months, after which the number of pieces is gradually reduced. At 8 to 12 pieces a day, a pack of 105 lasts about 9 to 13 days. In September 2026, such a pack of 4 mg gum could be bought for PLN 78 to 100. A spray with 150 doses cost PLN 62 to 85 at the time.
Varenicline, the active substance in Champix, works in a similar way to cytisine and in the same review helped 8 more people in 100 quit smoking. Bupropion, found in Zyban, contains no nicotine and helped 3 more people in 100. Both medicines require a prescription. In September 2026, Champix was not available in the pharmacies we checked, and the marketing authorisation for Zyban expired in December 2023. That is why in Elbląg we treat mainly with cytisine and nicotine medicines.
At the start, patients discuss their own reasons for quitting and any doubts about that decision with the addiction therapist. One approach is motivational interviewing, a conversation that helps patients explore those doubts. Patients also learn to recognise the situations in which they reach for a cigarette and what smoking gives them. If they record cravings in the app, these entries provide material for the discussion.
Together, they prepare for the quit date, from which the patient stops smoking completely. The timing depends on the medicine: people taking cytisine must stop smoking by day 5 of treatment at the latest. Patients prepare a plan for sudden cravings on that day and in the weeks that follow, and for tension that may increase during the first smoke-free days. With the therapist, they change daily routines associated with smoking, find ways to manage stress and emotions, and discuss lifestyle changes. Concerns about gaining weight after quitting can also be addressed in a session.
Later sessions help patients maintain new habits and get used to thinking of themselves as non-smokers. Together with the therapist, they plan what to do if they smoke one cigarette, so that a lapse does not lead back to daily smoking. These topics are covered in the 10 sessions included in the treatment plan, held by video in the Nasz Gabinet app. Meanwhile, the doctor assesses nicotine withdrawal symptoms and makes sure cytisine or nicotine replacement therapy is appropriate for the patient. Medical support is particularly important during the quitting weeks, and follow-up dates are tailored to each patient's circumstances.
The Nasz Gabinet app sends a reminder for every dose of medicine at the time the doctor entered in the treatment plan. Once a day, the app picks one dose at random, and the patient records a video of themselves taking it on their phone; they confirm the other doses with a single tap. If a dose is not confirmed, the app reminds them again.
When a strong craving strikes, patients record its intensity, the situation in which it arose and what helped them wait it out. The app then suggests a short exercise, such as a breathing exercise. Before a video session, the addiction therapist reviews these entries so that the conversation focuses on situations the patient actually found difficult.
Only the doctor changes the medicine or dose. The app is free to download; patients pay within it for a course or treatment plan, which gives access to the stop-smoking programme. If help is needed, call Nasz Gabinet in Elbląg or visit Grobla Świętego Jerzego 14A. We can help install the app and choose a treatment option in person or by phone, then enter the doctor's recommendations in the app.
Your treatment is led by a doctor specialising in addiction medicine together with certified addiction therapists. Meet our team.
Medical doctor, addiction treatment specialist
Lek. med. Bogdan Bas has specialised in addiction treatment for over 15 years, combining medicine and psychotherapy into a modern treatment method.
Doctor of psychology, certified addiction therapist
Graduate of the University of Wrocław.
Psychologist, certified addiction psychotherapy specialist
Graduate of SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities.
Book your first appointment
A 3-month treatment plan for PLN 499: a medical interview in the chat, an e-prescription for the medicine and reminders for every tablet in the app. Consultations with a psychologist are paid separately.
