Smoking Cessation – Steps to Quitting – Extra Help

There are ways to help with quitting cigarettes, such as nicotine gum and nicotine transdermal patch. Even acupuncture treatment can be quite useful.

About the Nicotine Transdermal Patch:

What is a Nicotine patch?

A nicotine patch is a medication you put on your skin. It contains nicotine designed to help you quit cigarettes and it may also help relieve symptoms of withdrawals such as irritability, anger or poor concentration.

How do Nicotine patches work?

It provides nicotine that you have been accustomed to getting through cigarettes. When you put a patch on your skin, nicotine passes from the patch through the skin into your blood.

How do I apply a Nicotine patch?

Step 1: Choose a non-hairy, clean, dry area of your body or the upper outer part of your arm. Do not put a nicotine patch on skin that is oily, burned, has a rash or cut, or that is irritated in any way.

Step 2: Remove the nicotine patch from its sealed protective pouch when you are ready to use it.

Step 3: The patch has two sides. The side with nicotine is sticky and protected by a piece of plastic. Remove the plastic cover and apply the sticky side to your skin. Press the nicotine patch firmly on your skin with the palm of your hand for about ten seconds to make sure it sticks well to your skin.

Step 4: Once you apply the new patch, place the old patch into the pouch before throwing it in the trash. Keep nicotine patches out of reach of children and animals. Wash your hands thoroughly after you have finished applying the nicotine patch.

Step 5: After approximately 24 hours, remove the patch you have been wearing. Choose a different place on your skin to apply the next nicotine patch. Do not leave on the nicotine patch for more than 24 hours because it may irritate your skin and because it looses strength after 24 hours.

Possible side effects of Nicotine patches and signs of Nicotine overdose:

The most common side effects associated with the nicotine patch are temporary redness, itching, or burning at the application site. The redness usually disappears within 24 hours. Too much nicotine in your body can cause nausea, increased salivation, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, sweating, headaches, dizziness, loss of hearing, loss of vision, weakness, and mental confusion. If you get any of the above symptoms, remove the patch and call your doctor immediately. To avoid nicotine overdose, do not smoke cigarettes while using the nicotine patch.

Tell your doctor if you have had heart disease especially a history of heart attacks, chest pain, irregular heart beat, high blood pressure, and diabetes. DO NOT allow anyone else to use your patches.

How to store the patches:

Like other medications, keep your patches in a dry, cool place, out of the reach of children. Throw away all opened pouches because they will loose their effectiveness