Nicorettegum(nicotine)MainuseAidforgivingupsmokingActiveingredientManufacturerNicotinePharmaciaHowdoesitwork?Nicorettegumcontainsnicotine.Itisatypeofmedicineknownasnicotinereplacementtherapy(NRT)andisusedtohelpsmokersgiveupthehabit.Nicotineistheaddictivesubstancepresentintobacco.Smokerswhotrytogiveupoftenexperienceunpleasantwithdrawalsymptomsandcravingsforcigarettes,becausetheyaredependentonthenicotineintobacco.Withdrawalsymptomscanincludeirritability,headaches,restlessness,insomniaanddifficultyconcentrating.These,combinedwithcigarettecravings,arewhyitisdifficultforsomepeopletogiveupsmoking.Nicotinereplacementtherapiesworkbygivingyouasmallamountofnicotine,butwithoutthedangerouseffectsofinhalingtobaccosmoke.Thishelpsrelievethewithdrawalsymptomsandcravingsforacigarettethatyougetwhenyoustopsmoking,andallowsyoutogetonwithbreakingthepsychologicalhabitofsmoking.Ifyouarephysicallyaddictedtonicotine,usingNRThasbeenshowntoalmostdoubleyourchancesofsuccessfullyquittingsmoking.ThenicotinereleasedfromchewingNicorettegumisabsorbedintothebloodstreamfromtheliningofyourmouth.Forthistowork,youdon'tchewthegumlikenormalchewinggum.Instead,youchewitslowly,foraboutaminute,untilthetastebecomesstrong,andthenrestitbetweenyourgumsandyourcheek.Everytimethetastefadesyourepeatthis,untilthegumhaslostitsstrength(afterabouthalfanhour).Nicorettegumcanbeusedtoreduceyourcravingsforacigaretteafteryouhavestoppedsmokingcompletely.Youshouldchewthegumwheneveryouhaveanurgetosmokeandthiswillhelpyoutobreakthesmokinghabitandnotstartsmokingagain.Ifyouarenotyetreadytostopsmokingcompletely,Nicorettegumisalsolicensedtohelpyoutocutdownthenumberofcigarettesyousmokeeachday,bychewingtheguminsteadofhavingacigarette.Thiscanmakeiteasiertoeventuallystopsmokingcompletely.However,ifyouhaven'tmanagedtoreducethenumberofcigarettesyousmokeadaywithinsixweeksofstartingtousethegum,youshouldaskyourdoctororpharmacistforadvice.Youshouldmakeaquitattemptassoonasyoufeelready,butnotlaterthansixmonthsafterstartingtocutdownusingthegum.Seekadvicefromyourdoctor,pharmacistornurseifyoufindthisdifficult.Nicorettegumisavailableintwostrengths.The2mggumissuitableforpeoplewhosmokelessthan20cigarettesaday,orwhosefirstcigaretteofthedayismorethan30minutesafterwaking.The4mggumprovidesalargerdoseofnicotineforpeoplewhoaremoredependentonnicotine,iepeoplewhosmokemorethan20cigarettesaday,orwhosefirstcigaretteiswithin30minutesofwaking.Thenumberofpiecesofgumyouuseeachdaywilldependonhowmuchyouusedtosmokeandwhatstrengthyourcigaretteswere.Youshouldnotusemorethanisrecommendedonthepacket.Whenyouquitsmokingcompletely,itisrecommendedthatyouusethegumwheneveryouhaveacraving,foruptothreemonthsafterstoppingsmoking.Afterthistimeyourpsychologicalurgetosmokeshouldbeless.Youshouldthenbeabletograduallyreducetheamountofgumyouareusing,sothatyouareusinglessandlessnicotine.(Itisraretobecomedependentonthegum.Ifthishappensitismuchlessdangerousthanbeingdependentoncigarettesandisamucheasierhabittobreakthansmoking.)Youshouldstopusingthegumwhenyourdailyconsumptionisdowntooneortwopiecesaday.Ifyouuse4mggum,the2mggumwillbeusefulwhenyoutaperdownuse.NRTcomesinmanyforms.Therearefactsheetsonalltheselinkedattheendofthispage.Nicotinepatchescanbeusedtohelppreventcravingsforcigarettes,whilenasalsprays,inhalators,chewinggum,tabletsthatdissolveunderthetongue,andlozenges,areallformsthatcanbeusedinstead...
