Other articles by Andrew Weil:

Ask Dr. Weil: Role of hormones in cancer of prostateAsk Dr. Weil: Online courses available for nutrition educationAsk Dr. Weil: Boost resistance to upper-respiratory infectionAsk Dr. Weil: Enlarged breasts in boys resolved oils Ask Dr. Weil by Andrew Weil : A new slant on carpal tunnel Ask Dr. Weil by Andrew Weil : Mineral-based makeup appears to be safe to use Ask Dr. Weil: Anti-inflammatory food pyramid on Web site Ask Dr. Weil by Andrew Weil : No reason to doubt lycopene benefits Ask Dr. Weil: There's no proof that chaparral cleanses toxins Ask Dr. Weil by Andrew Weil : Ayurvedic cleansing rids the body of toxins

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Q. What do you think of this drug Chantix to stop smoking?

A. Chantix (varenicline) is a prescription drug designed to help smokers quit by stimulating the release of small amounts of dopamine, the brain chemical that mediates pleasure. A lack of dopamine is responsible for the irritability and other withdrawal symptoms that people addicted to tobacco feel when they try to quit and that drive so many of them to light up again. Nicotine replacement products (the patch, gum, lozenges and the drug Zyban) all work by prompting the release of low levels of dopamine. The purported advantage of Chantix is that it also makes smoking less pleasurable by blocking nicotine receptors in the brain.

You may have read claims that Chantix works better than Zyban or a placebo. Clinical trials showed that of those who took Chantix for 12 weeks, 44 percent quit smoking compared with 30 percent of those who took Zyban and 17 percent of those who received a placebo. That means, of course, that even during a 12-week trial, 56 percent of those who took Chantix were not able to quit smoking. Less well publicized is the fact that over the course of a year, only 14 percent to 23 percent of those who used Chantix in the study remained smoke-free. Side effects of the drug included nausea (affecting about 30 percent of all study participants), headache, vomiting, gas, insomnia, abnormal dreams and changes in taste perception. Chantix can also affect kidney function and probably should be avoided by anyone with kidney problems, especially those on dialysis.

Chantix (or any other drug) wouldn't be my first choice of a strategy to stop smoking. I don't underrate the difficulty of quitting. Tobacco in the form of cigarettes is the most addictive drug in the world, and nicotine is one of the strongest stimulants known. Most smokers who manage to quit do it on their own after one or more unsuccessful attempts, and most find that stopping cold turkey is better than trying to cut down gradually.

If you're determined to quit, you have many options — acupuncture, hypnosis, nicotine gum and support groups. All can help, but no single method works for everyone. Whatever method you choose, if you don't immediately succeed, recognize that very few people do, and keep trying. The best predictor for eventual success is making repeated attempts to break the habit. Good luck!

Q. I am always cold. No matter what the temperature, summer or winter, my body inside is always on ice. What could be causing this?

A. People can feel cold all the time for several different reasons. Low thyroid function (hypothyroidism) could be responsible. If you haven't had your thyroid function tested recently, it would be worth your while to ask your physician to test you — all that's required is drawing some blood. In addition, be sure to get your complete blood count done. You could be anemic, another possible explanation for feeling cold. If both tests are normal, here are some other possibilities to consider:

● Weight: If you're thin, you have less body fat to insulate you than does a heavier person and therefore may feel the cold more acutely. If you're underweight, gaining a few pounds could help.

● Body composition: Muscles produce up to 25 percent of your body heat. So the more muscle mass you have, the warmer you should be. Focus on building muscle mass (as opposed to gaining fat) to help your body better regulate temperature. If your exercise program doesn't include strength training, be sure to add it in. Schedule a session or two with a personal trainer to learn how to work with free weights or machines in the gym.

If your thyroid is normal, you're not anemic, underweight or out of shape, you may just be cold-sensitive, perhaps because of the pattern of blood vessels in your skin. (Cold perception comes from skin temperature, but it's your core temperature that's important, and it's probably normal.) Stress can be the culprit here, because it leads to overactivity of the sympathetic nervous system, and that constricts blood vessels in the skin, especially in the hands and feet. For this problem, I recommend a course of biofeedback training to learn to warm your hands.

Of course, you can also learn to keep yourself warm — wear layers of clothing, drink hot liquids — ginger tea or foods spiced with ginger and red pepper are especially warming. You also could try taking cayenne pepper in capsules to increase metabolism and stimulate circulation. Breathing techniques can also be helpful, especially the Bellows Breath from yoga tradition.