Smoke While On Nicotine Patch

Good news for quitters: the FDA has announced that using nicotine-replacement Geraldine Wilkins DKasinga

Millions have worn the nicotine patch, chewed the gum or sucked on the lozenge as a way to wean themselves off cigarettes. But millions more have ripped off the patch or spit out the gum or lozenges because they slipped and smoked a cigarette, and believed the warning labels that suggested the combination was dangerous.

Don t worry, the Food Drug Administration said Monday. Keep using the patch, gum or lozenges and keep trying to quit, even if you re still smoking: there s no danger to using both, at least for a short period.

The new directions to quitters amend warning labels that nicotine-replacement therapies have carried on their labels since they were first introduced to the U.S. market almost three decades ago. Those labels cautioned consumers not to use nicotine-replacement products if they continued to smoke or chew tobacco, and urged them to stop smoking or chewing tobacco completely once they began to use the nicotine replacement product.

Those warnings, the FDA said Monday, aren t necessary anymore in light of new data on nicotine-replacement therapy s safety. Smokers who slip up and smoke while wearing the patch or chewing the gum shouldn t discontinue their use of nicotine-replacement therapy -- a move that could derail their efforts to quit, said the FDA. They should continue to use them and keep trying to quit.

The same relaxed safety warnings apply to the common practice of using two nicotine-replacement products at the same time: those who feel they need to supplement the willpower that comes in the patch with some nicotine gum can do so safely, said the FDA.

While nicotine-replacement products do not have substantial potential for abuse or dependence, the FDA recommends that consumers not use them for longer than the packaging instructions suggest -- generally between eight and 12 weeks. If they feel they need to continue using the product for longer in order to quit, it is generally safe to do so, said the FDA in a statement released Monday.

GlaxoSmithKlineConsumer Healthcare, which makes Nicorette gum and the NicoDerm CQ patch, called the FDA s label change a positive step to help more smokers quit, and noted that nicotine-replacement products safety and effectiveness in helping smokers quit have been demonstrated in 110 clinical trials involving more than 40,000 participants.

About one in five American adults -- about 46 million people -- continues to smoke. In any given year, almost half of those try to quit.

What if I start smoking again while using the patch?

Helping you to quit smoking. Nicotine patch is a smoking deterrent. You will need to discuss the benefits and risks of using nicotine patch while you are pregnant.

If you slip-up and have a puff or a cigarette , don t let it lead you back to full-time smoking. It is safe to keep using the patch and re-commit to stopping smoking. Think of your reasons for quitting and what you have achieved so far. Talk to you doctor, pharmacist or call the Quitline if you want to discuss your smoking.

The purpose of the patch is to help you quit completely. If you are using the patch and occasionally smoking for more than three months, or you are smoking at more than half your previous level, you should talk to your doctor or the Quitline .

It is common for smokers to attempt to quit a number of times before successfully staying stopped, even when using the patch or other nicotine replacement products. For many people, re-adjusting to living without cigarettes is a learning process. It may take a while to figure out alternatives to cigarettes in certain situations. The purpose of the patch is to ease nicotine withdrawal symptoms while you deal with other aspects of quitting smoking.

If you have found the nicotine patch useful in quitting smoking, but have taken up smoking again, you should consider using the patch or other nicotine replacement products when you quit again.

Are you having trouble with cravings. Read Why may I still may cravings while using the patch.

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Apr 01, 2013  Nicotine replacement: safe, even if Millions have worn the nicotine patch, Smokers who slip up and smoke while wearing the patch or chewing.

Quit-Smoking Drugs and Nicotine Patches and Gums. What can help you quit smoking. Some of these treatments also help to minimize weight gain while.

If you buy a box of nicotine patches, you will notice that the instructions for use and warnings advise against wearing the patch while taking nicotine from any other.

NicoDerm CQ provides nicotine patches to help you quit smoking. NicoDerm CQ is a stop smoking aid to help with smoking cessation.

If you smoke while using the nicotine patch, it could cause a nicotine overdose. This eMedTV segment explains what happens if you smoke while on the nicotine patch.

A nicotine patch is a square patch that resembles a bandage and contains nicotine. It is used as an aid to quit smoking. Nicotine patches are one of the several.