What is Nicotine Gum?
Nicotine gum is a form of nicotine replacement therapy designed to help smokers quit or reduce smoking. It delivers nicotine through the oral mucosa to satisfy nicotine cravings without the other chemicals and carcinogens found in cigarette smoke.
How Nicotine Gum Works
When a smoker feels the urge for a cigarette, they can chew a piece of Nicotine Gum instead. Nicotine is then slowly released into the mouth from the gum and absorbed through the lining of the cheek. This satisfies nicotine cravings and prevents withdrawal symptoms that could lead to a relapse. The gum comes in different strengths – 2mg and 4mg varieties – to slowly wean the user off of nicotine over time.
Benefits of Using Nicotine Gum
Nicotine gum offers several benefits compared to smoking cigarettes:
Reduced Health Risks: By avoiding cigarette smoke, the user significantly reduces their exposure to over 7,000 chemicals—many of which are carcinogenic. This lowers their risk of lung cancer, heart disease, and other smoking-related illnesses.
More Control Over Nicotine Intake: With cigarettes, smokers inhale an uncontrolled dose of nicotine with each puff. Nicotine gum allows the user to slowly administer nicotine on their own schedule as needed to curb cravings.
Fewer Withdrawal Symptoms: Nicotine from the gum satisfies cigarette cravings and prevents abrupt nicotine withdrawal that leads to irritability, anxiety, restlessness, difficulty concentrating, increased appetite, and insomnia during a quit attempt.
FDA-Approved Method: Nicotine gum is an OTC product sanctioned by the FDA as safe and effective for smoking cessation when used as directed.
Convenient to Use: Gum is discreet and portable, allowing smokers to use it anywhere—even where cigarettes are prohibited—to avoid triggers and stay on track with their quit plan.
How to Use Nicotine Gum Properly
For nicotine gum to work as intended, it's important to chew it correctly:
- Choose the strength (2mg or 4mg) based on how much you smoked daily.
- When a craving hits, take out a piece of gum and chew it slowly until the taste becomes strong. Then park it between the cheek and gum.
- Try to chew each piece for 30 minutes. Continue to park and chew throughout this time to maintain a steady release of nicotine.
- Slowly increase the time between gum doses to space out nicotine intake and reduce dependency over months of use.
- Don't eat or drink (besides water) for 15 minutes before and during use, as food/drinks wash nicotine from the gum.
- Brush teeth after use to get rid of residual nicotine that could otherwise be accidentally consumed later.
Potential Side Effects of Nicotine Gum
Like any product, nicotine gum does come with some potential side effects if not taken as directed:
- Jaw ache or discomfort from extended chewing periods. Rinse mouth if jaw tires or swap sides.
- Hiccups or heartburn,which usually go away with continued use. Drink water to soothe.
- Nausea or vomiting (rare), which typically means using too much gum at once. Scale back amount chewed over the 30-minutes.
- Mouth irritation if gum is overly chewed past flavor phase and becomes hard. Discard and use new piece.
- Sleep issues or vivid dreams as nicotine is absorbed through the night. Use gum only in mornings/daytime.
How Effective is Nicotine Gum?
Studies have found nicotine gum to be about 20-25% effective for long-term smoking abstinence rates when used as part of a comprehensive quit plan involving behavioral counseling. This means that out of 100 smokers who try to quit with the gum, about 20-25 will sustain abstinence after 6-12 months.
Combining nicotine gum with counseling doubles a smoker's chance of successfully quitting versus trying to quit cold turkey or relying on willpower alone. Gum replacement works best in highly motivated smokers sincerely trying to break free from cigarettes for good. Slips or lapses can occur, so it's important to resume or increase gum usage and not lose sight of the ultimate goal.
Length of Nicotine Gum Treatment
Most recommend using gum for at least 3 months to give it the best chance at propelling true long-term smoking abstinence. As dependence decreases with continued nicotine gum use, the frequency of dosage should steadily decrease to finish weaning off nicotine altogether. Extended use up to 6-12 months may maximize success rates for those with strong cravings. After that, it's recommended to stop using nicotine gum rather than becoming dependent on it in place of cigarettes.
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