How does nrt work

Nicotine gum is not meant to be used like regular gum. Chew the gum slowly until you get a peppery taste or tingle. Then tuck it inside your cheek until the taste fades. Chew it to get the peppery taste back, and hold it again.

Do this off and on for 20 to 30 minutes. This is important because many people misuse the nicotine gum and chew it like regular gum instead of how it should be used. An advantage of nicotine gum is that it allows you to control the amount of nicotine you get.

The gum can be used as needed or on a fixed schedule during the day. The most recent research has shown that scheduled dosing works better. A schedule of 1 to 2 pieces per hour is common. On the other hand, with an as-needed schedule, you can use it when you need it most — when you have cravings. Chew no more than 24 pieces of gum in one day. Nicotine gum is usually recommended for 6 to 12 weeks, with the maximum being 6 months. Tapering down the amount of gum you use as you approach 3 months may help you stop using it.

But it is better to keep using the gum rather than starting to smoke again. Stomach and jaw discomfort are usually caused by improper use of the gum, such as swallowing the nicotine or chewing too fast. If your heart is racing or beating irregularly, stop using the gum and talk to your health care provider.

It relieves withdrawal symptoms very quickly and lets you control your nicotine cravings. Most people are told to use 1 to 2 doses per hour. At least 8 doses 16 sprays each day may be needed when you first start, but use as directed by your health care provider. You should not use more than 40 doses 80 sprays per day. Instructions can vary. The FDA recommends that the spray be prescribed for 3-month periods and that it not be used for longer than 6 months.

Stop using the spray to see if the feelings get better and talk to your health care provider if this happens. You may need to use it less often. If you have asthma, allergies, nasal polyps, or sinus problems, your provider may suggest another form of NRT. Special note: This form of NRT poses a more serious risk to small children and pets because the empty bottles of nasal spray contain enough nicotine to harm them.

Do not get the liquid on your skin. If a bottle breaks or liquid leaks out, put on plastic or rubber gloves to clean it up. The nicotine inhaler is a thin plastic tube with a nicotine cartridge inside. They are not the same as electronic cigarettes, which are not approved by the FDA to help people quit smoking. At this time, inhalers are the most expensive form of NRT available.

You puff on the inhaler and the cartridge sends a pure nicotine vapor into your mouth. You may use up the cartridge all at once over about 20 minutes, or puff on it only a few minutes at a time. The recommended dose is between 4 and 20 cartridges a day, slowly tapering off over 6 months. Stop using the inhaler to see if the feelings get better and talk to your health care provider if this happens. Special note: This form of NRT poses an extra risk to small children and pets because the used cartridges still have enough nicotine in them to cause harm if it gets on skin or mucous membranes for instance, if licked or touched to the eyes, mouth, or other mucous membrane.

Be sure to store and dispose of the cartridges away from children and pets. The lozenge is available in 2 strengths: 2 mg and 4 mg. The needed dose should be based on how long after waking up a person normally has their first cigarette.

So, if you smoke your first cigarette within 30 minutes of waking up, use 4 mg nicotine lozenges. If you smoke your first cigarette more than 30 minutes after waking up, use 2 mg-nicotine lozenges. Some people who are using NRT prefer the lozenge to the gum because its use is less conspicuous. The recommended dose is 1 lozenge every 1 to 2 hours for 6 weeks, then 1 lozenge every 2 to 4 hours for weeks 7 to 9, and finally, 1 lozenge every 4 to 8 hours for weeks 10 to The lozenge makers also recommend:.

No one type of nicotine replacement therapy NRT - by itself or in combination - is necessarily any better than another. Think you know how quit-smoking medicines work? Take this short quiz. Nicotine Affects the Brain. Top of Page. Page last reviewed: February 8, Content source: Smokefree. To receive email updates about this page, enter your email address: Email Address. What's this. Related Links.

Also, the manufacturers of NRT often offer support such as telephone counselling, audio and video material, internet sites, personalised written programmes, etc. The details come on the packets of the various NRT products.

It is strongly advised that you take up any offer of support whilst going through the difficult time of giving up smoking. Find a range of services to suit you, from medication through to managed programs.

NRT does increase the chance of quitting smoking. Various studies have looked at this issue. The studies compared NRT to a similar dummy placebo product in people who were keen to stop smoking. The results from the studies showed that, on average, about 17 in people who took NRT stopped smoking successfully.

This compared with about 10 in who took the dummy product rather than NRT. A combination of NRT with support or counselling may give the best chance of success. There is not much difference in how well the different types of NRT work. Personal preference usually determines which one to use. Below are listed some points about each form of NRT. Please note, this is just a brief overview. Read the manufacturer's instructions on the packet for detailed advice on each type of NRT, or seek advice from a pharmacist, doctor or nurse.

Two strengths are available - 2 mg and 4 mg. You should use the 4 mg strength if you smoke 18 or more cigarettes a day. You can chew up to 15 pieces a day to start with. To release the nicotine, chew the gum slowly until the taste is strong. Then rest it between the cheek and the gum to allow absorption of nicotine into the bloodstream. Chew the gum again when the taste fades, and rest it again when the taste is strong, etc. Use a fresh piece of gum after about an hour. After months you should use the gum less and less.

For example, reduce the chewing time, cut the gum into smaller pieces, or alternate the nicotine gum with sugar-free gum. Gradually stop the gum completely. The disadvantage of gum is that some people do not like the taste or always having something in their mouth. Gum is not suitable if you wear dentures. A patch that is stuck on to the skin releases nicotine into the bloodstream. Some patches, which you wear only when you are awake, last 16 hours.

Other types last 24 hours and you wear these the whole time. The hour patch may disturb sleep but is thought to help with early morning craving for nicotine. Patches are discreet and easy to apply. The patches come in different strengths.

The manufacturers normally recommend that you gradually reduce the strength of the patch over time before stopping completely. However, some research studies suggest that stopping abruptly is probably just as good without the need to reduce the dose gradually. The disadvantage of patches is that a steady amount of nicotine is delivered. This does not mimic the alternate high and low levels of nicotine when you smoke, or with chewing nicotine gum. Skin irritation beneath the patch occurs in some users.

This resembles a cigarette. Nicotine cartridges are inserted into it and inhaled in an action similar to smoking. You should use about cartridges a day for eight weeks and then gradually reduce over four further weeks.