You are curious if this type of gum will help you quit smoking successfully? How to use nicotine gum? What are the side effects and special precautions of this alternative?
Let’s follow our tips and instructions carefully to take full advantage of nicotine gum in your journey to quit smoking!
More...
What is Nicotine and Nicorette Gum?
Nicotine gum is a type of nicotine drug designed to reduce nicotine levels and cravings in smokers.
Chewing nicotine gum instead of smoking will help suppress tobacco cravings, excitement, and euphoria and reduce the blood's nicotine levels.
Also, chewing gum encourages tobacco reduction and avoids health-related illnesses caused by smoke, such as pneumonia and lung cancer.
There are two categories of this nicotine gum: 2 mg for those who smoke less than 25 cigarettes a day and 4 mg for those who smoke 25 cigarettes or more.
When consuming it, bear in mind that you do not eat or drink anything for 15 minutes before chewing the nicotine gum. Because especially if you consume acidic food/beverages, which will lower nicotine absorption. Usually, nicotine gum is free of sugar, so you do not have to worry about weight gain.
However, nicotine gum is not a pharmaceutical substance, and it has a little therapeutic effect and can not complement medicinal drugs. If you wish to take this drug to reduce your smoking craving, you should consult your doctor or pharmacist first.
Brands and Flavors
Nicotine gum is an over-the-counter drug and would not require a doctor to give you a prescription.
A wide range of generic nicotine chewing gum is available on the market under several different brand names, including Nicorette, Habitrol, Nicotrol, and Nicotinell. Nicorette is probably the most common among them.
They divide it into two types of 2 mg and 4 mg, and usually, both of these chewing gums have a minty and fruity taste. Nicorette also applies the scents of Ice Mint and Cinnamon Surge for more choices.
Medically, there is no distinction between brands in general. Clients may, however, favor one brand's taste to another.
Nicotine Gum Using Tips
1. How to Use
They often sell Nicotine gum in many forms and at two levels: 2 mg and 4 mg. If you smoke 25 or more cigarettes a day, or if your doctor advises, start with 4 mg.
Do not chew nicotine gums like regular gums. Let’s follow the "chew and park" technique instead:
Just use a little bit of gum at a time. Place a piece of gum in your mouth and chew it softly a few times to crack. A "peppery" flavor can be released through chewing. Next, between gums and lips, park your gum and leave it there.
Repeat the chewing and sucking process for 15 to 30 minutes. Or until its taste is gone via blood vessels in your mouth. Nicotine gum will join the bloodstream.
Nicotine will quickly be released into the saliva and swallowed if you chew gum without parking. This can cause an upset stomach, hiccups, or heartburn. Nicotine can also take longer to reach the bloodstream.
2. Duration of Nicotine Gum Treatment
To guarantee the best consistency, adopt this chewing regimen for nicotine gum to reduce the tobacco cravings as follows:
Please do so periodically and according to the timetable prescribed.
3. Other Tips While Using Nicotine Gum
Stop drinking drinks, especially acidic beverages (such as coffee, juice, and soda) for 15 minutes before taking Nicotine gum. Your body will not absorb the nicotine amount correctly because of the acid in this mixture.
Follow the included handwritten directions to see how much gum you can chew every day. Most people eat between 10 and 15 servings a day. (You should not chew more than 30 pieces of 2 mg gum or 20 pieces of 4 mg gum every day.)
Try to use the nicotine gum products offered. These will assist you in improving your smoking habits.
Through daily chewing, follow the instructions strictly and do not overuse the gum. Like those induced by abrupt smoking abstinence, even little use of gum leads to increased withdrawal symptoms. At the same time, the nervous tract would be impaired by using too many.
Use an appropriate amount of gum per day, and it will minimize nicotine cravings. Remember to keep some nicotine gum with you in case you come to relapse. There are also cases of nicotine gum withdrawal, which are extremely rare.
Nicotine gum normally has no, or very little, side effects. Before taking this herbal substance, however, read the directions for usage carefully.
Especially, nicotine is not 100% healthy for small children and pets, so keep them away from the reach of this gum.
Hence, in the case of an overdose or the children or pets being over-exposed, you must keep nicotine gum in a safe location and call Poison Control Centers in your place.
4. Reduce Nicotine Gum Usage
Suppose you prefer to cut down on chewing gum times. You chew it for 30 minutes, slip it down for 20 minutes, then 15 minutes, then 10 minutes step by step, and so on.
Alternatively, you should swap a slice of nicotine gum per day for regular sugar-free gum as well. Switch to a 2 mg regular one whether you are using 4 mg of nicotine gum.
It would be best if you had the treatment with nicotine gum for up to three months. If you are having trouble during the therapy, consult your doctor right away before taking any steps further.
5. Side Effects and Relevant Precautions
The usage of nicotine gum seldom causes adverse effects. Hypersensitivity, product responses, hives, redness, itching, pimples, etc. are not frequently induced.
Patients can promptly alert the clinician and pharmacist when taking the medication to reduce the risk of adverse side effects or unexpected results.
Mouth sores, jaw pain, nausea, headache/dizziness are some of the adverse effects of nicotine gum treatment.
Besides, if any of the above happens, you must call the doctor immediately: irregular heartbeat, epilepsy, breathing issues, nicotine withdrawal signs.
If you have a history of the following: respiratory failure or heart disease, uncontrolled elevated blood pressure, dental infection or illness, excess thyroid glands, also consult the doctor before consuming nicotine gum.
Nicotine may pose risks to an unborn baby if the patient is pregnant or intends to become pregnant. Do not forget to ask your doctor for permission whether it is ok for you to use over-the-counter drugs before beginning the nicotine gum treatment.
6. Addiction
As an alternative to smoking tobacco, nicotine gum is used. Although there are quite unusual cases of Nicotine Gum abuse, the likelihood of overusing this unique drug addiction is remarkable. Thus, the chance of addiction to Nicotine Gum is as high as possible.
According to estimates, there are some confirmed cases where some patients resort to nicotine gum addiction after getting rid of smoking.
They have been doing it for more than ten weeks and are unable to stop chewing. What's more, they overdosed on the prescription nicotine gum, too. And this not only costs them, of course, but also impacts their welfare adversely.
Therefore, precisely as prescribed by the manufacturer, doctor, and pharmacist, you must take the medication. Take the allotted time guidelines if you intend to use nicotine gum to help you avoid smoking.
The Bottom Line
Your will and commitment play a crucial part in deciding whether you can quit smoking. The formula for success in the elimination of tobacco rests in you, not the drug.
Follow the doctor's advice to get the best results from nicotine gum. Avoid overuse of medication or overdose, leading to unwanted problems such as addiction to nicotine gum or serious side effects.
Over time, love and persistence from your family will help you win this race. Therefore, there should still be families and loved ones there and persuade smokers to stop with nicotine. And please believe in it, in yourself, and be careful with your target, no matter how long it takes.
Although nicotine gum can help reduce smoking cravings, bear in mind that it is an adjunct, not a miracle.
We hope after reading the article carefully, you can come up with the best treatment for your condition.
