Focus on Nicotine Gum

So you are chewing on pencils, carrot sticks and your finger nails and you think that your quit plan might benefit from the addition of some nicotine gum. In this edition of “Focus on…” we’ll look at some of the benefits and drawbacks to using nicotine gum in your plan to quit.

Nicotine gum is a nicotine replacement product (NRP) that some doctors recommend to their patients trying to quit smoking. This is easy to carry and is conveniently available and the most popular brand comes in two levels of nicotine, both 2 milligrams and 4 milligrams. There are several flavors available including mint, cinnamon and fruit flavor.

The benefit of having nicotine gum, along with the other nicotine replacement drugs, is that your body can possibly experience less severe withdrawal symptoms. The drawbacks include the possible side effects, including upset stomach upset and an increase in heart rate, possible dependence on and the need to quit the nicotine gum.

Another drawback, especially if you have children or pets, is that nicotine gum looks like candy. This may make it seem less dangerous than it really is, and if your children get some of it, it may make them very sick and they may need to be hospitalized. Also the candy look of the medicine might make you take more of it than necessary.

Your best bet is to talk to your doctor about other things you can try along with, or besides nicotine gum. Even the popular brands acknowledge that a quitting plan used with their product increases your chance of successful quitting. Attack your addiction from all sides and you could soon find yourself a non-smoker.