How Much Do You Know About Nicotine-Replacement Therapy?

Most medicines to help with smoking cessation do contain nicotine. These medicines are called nicotine-replacement therapy. They ease withdrawal symptoms and reduce the craving for nicotine, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) says. People trying to quit get a dose of nicotine but not by smoking. Because it is cigarette smoke that harms the lungs, a smoker's health begins to get better during this treatment. Smokers should use these medicines in smaller and smaller amounts for a few months, then finally stop using them. Bupropion and varenicline tartrate are 2 smoking-cessation aids that do not contain nicotine.

You should also check with your healthcare provider if you're pregnant or breastfeeding. Check with your provider if you have cardiovascular disease, diabetes, asthma, or stomach ulcers.

Over-the-counter nicotine-replacement therapy comes as a patch, gum, nasal spray, inhaler, or lozenge. Choose an aid that best fits your lifestyle and your need for nicotine. You can also get other help to quit smoking. This includes counseling, hypnosis, and acupuncture.

The inhaler looks like a cigarette and contains a cartridge. You can draw a small amount of nicotine into your mouth with each puff. The nicotine does not end up in your lungs, as it does in smoking. It is absorbed by the mucus membranes in your mouth and throat.

Each nasal spray has a certain dose of nicotine. Don't use a nicotine nasal spray if you have a nasal or sinus condition, or allergies or asthma. Young smokers also should not use this treatment, the NCI says.

The patches come in different amounts of nicotine. Once you put the patch on your skin, you leave it on for a certain amount of time, such as 16 to 24 hours. As treatment progresses, you use a patch containing less nicotine. The nicotine patch is not a good choice for people who have skin problems or allergies to adhesive tape, the NCI says.

This treatment is a good choice if you crave having something in your mouth. The gum is available in 2-mg and 4-mg strengths. If you have a jaw joint disease, gum disease, or peptic ulcer disease, you may not want to use nicotine gum. You also shouldn't use the gum if you have dentures or bridges. Nicotine gum also can be used along with the nicotine patch.

Bupropion eases withdrawal symptoms and the urge to smoke, but it does not contain nicotine. Common side effects of this medicine include dry mouth, difficulty sleeping, dizziness, and skin rash. Don't use this medicine if you have a seizure disorder or an eating disorder. You also shouldn't use it if you use other medicines that contain bupropion hydrochloride. Varenicline tartrate is another medicine than can help you quit smoking. It may cause sleep disorders, insomnia, and abnormal dreams. Don't drink alcohol while taking this medicine because it may cause unusual behavior or aggressiveness.

You shouldn't smoke while using nicotine replacement. But if you do, don't remove your patch. It’s much more risky that a person will have one cigarette and give up on the replacement therapy, thinking he or she can’t do both.

Your healthcare provider, dentist, or pharmacist can counsel you on quitting smoking. You can also call a "quitline," a toll-free number that connects you to a telephone counselor. Research shows that you are more likely to quit smoking if you have good social support during the withdrawal process. Medicine and counseling when used together work better than when either is used along, the CDC says.