Nicotine Replacement Products by Jane Thurnell-Read

There are so many benefits to stopping smoking - you save money, reduce your chances of dying an early and unpleasant death, improve your facial skin and lots more. But anyone who smokes and wants to give it up may try several times before they succeed. I used to smoke 50 cigarettes a day, and it took me quite a few tries before I succeeded and I'm so glad I did.

Some people give up with just will power. Many people find they benefit from help and support from either a complementary therapist or a health practitioner. Government health web sites often also have lots of useful. practical information.

Nicotine replacement products can also help some people. These give you a reducing mount of nicotine and allow you to deal with the other psychological aspects of smoking while you are still receiving some nicotine.

Nicotine Replacement Products

Nicotine replacement products are one type of smoking cessation product. Designed to wean your body off cigarettes, they supply you with nicotine in controlled amounts while sparing you from other chemicals found in tobacco products.

As you go about quitting smoking, you may experience symptoms of nicotine craving and withdrawal. These symptoms—which include an urge to smoke, depression, trouble sleeping, irritability, anxiety, and increased appetite—may occur no matter which method of stopping you choose.

Available over the counter and by prescription, nicotine replacement products should be used for a short time to help you deal with nicotine craving and withdrawal. If you are under 18 years of age and want to quit smoking, you should talk to a health care professional about the potential for using nicotine replacement therapies.

Over the counter nicotine replacement products are sold under brand names and private labels, and as generic products. They are approved for sale to persons 18 years of age and older.

Nicotine Replacement Products Include:

• Skin patches available as generics known as transdermal nicotine patches, as private-label products, and under the brand names Habitrol and Nicoderm. These patches are applied to the skin, in a way similar to how you would apply an adhesive bandage.

• Chewing gum available as a generic product known as nicotine gum, as private-label products.

• Lozenges available as generics known as nicotine lozenges, as private-label products.

Prescription-only nicotine replacement products are available too- both as a nasal spray and an oral inhaler.

Before You Use Nicotine Replacement Products:

There is important advice to consider before beginning a nicotine replacement therapy:

• You should stop using a nicotine replacement product and call your health care professional if you experience nausea, dizziness, weakness, vomiting, fast or irregular heartbeat,mouth problems with the lozenges or gum, or redness or swelling of the skin around the patch that does not go away.

• Don’t use any other product containing nicotine while using a nicotine replacement product. In particular do not smoke at the same time.

• Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should use these products only with approval from their health care professional.

• Talk to your health care professional before using these products if you have

  • diabetes, heart disease, asthma, or stomach ulcers

  • had a recent heart attack

  • high blood pressure that is not controlled with medicine

  • a history of irregular heartbeat

• If you take prescription medication for depression or asthma, let your health care professional know if you are quitting smoking; your prescription dose may need to be adjusted.

Learn more about smoking replacement products.