Modified on: 23/08/2022
Stop smoking with nicotine gum? There is a better solution
Thousands of smokers are following a dream: to end their nicotine addiction.
Tobacco addiction has become a social and health scourge, and medicine has long been introducing tools to help smokers win their battle with cigarettes, including nicotine gum.
Are they effective? Is it really possible to beat the addiction to ‘blondes’ with a simple piece of chewing gum? Can these gums have side effects?
These questions are widespread and deserve a clear answer, which we will try to give in the following lines.
Advice on using nicotine gum
If you are going to try using nicotine gum to stop smoking, remember to read all the instructions on the product packaging and the leaflet carefully. Ask a pharmacist or doctor for advice on the ideal dosage to start treatment.
Once you stop smoking, your biggest enemy will be nicotine addiction. When you need a cigarette, start chewing gum very slowly. You may feel a slight tingling sensation during consumption. Stop chewing and only resume chewing after the tingling sensation has disappeared when you notice this. The nicotine in the gum is usually fully absorbed after 30 minutes.
In the first six weeks, the symptoms of addiction are likely to be very strong. During this initial period, you may even need about ten pieces of gum every day. However, remember to wait at least an hour before consuming the next one – chewing one after the other may increase the risk of suffering side effects such as nausea and heartburn.
After the first 40 days, you can try to gradually reduce the dose of nicotine, continuing the treatment for at least another six weeks. If you still feel a strong urge to smoke at the end of this period, consult a doctor and consider other methods of overcoming the addiction.
Nicotine gum: Contraindications
The consumption of nicotine gum can lead to the following side effects:
- mouth discomfort and pain when moving the jaw;
- headaches;
- heartburn;
- hypersensation;
- abdominal pain and diarrhoea;
- sudden changes in mood;
- numbness and tingling in the upper and lower limbs.
These side effects are more frequent in those who continue to smoke during nicotine replacement therapy.
Since the dose of nicotine taken with gum is proportional to the speed with which it is chewed, consuming it too quickly may cause dizziness, nausea, vomiting, sleep disturbances, tachycardia and agitation. Allergic reactions to nicotine gum are pretty rare. Still, they should not be underestimated as they can lead to very dangerous complaints such as swelling of the mouth and throat tissues, making it difficult to breathe.
Suppose you experience any of the above symptoms. In that case, you should immediately stop using nicotine gum and seek the advice of a medical professional, who will decide whether you can resume treatment in the future or whether you need to find an alternative solution.
The best way to quit smoking? Here is science’s answer
Suppose you are trying hard to quit smoking without success. In that case, you will be interested in answering the following question: Is nicotine gum the best way to break the addiction to cigarettes?
To find the answer, it is worth turning to the scientific professionals.
A recent study in the UK investigated the effectiveness of various aids in the fight against smoking. The study involved 886 smokers given nicotine replacement therapy products (gum, patches and sprays) and e-cigarettes. Patients were followed up for four weeks and provided with the help of psychologists experienced in supporting nicotine dependence.
At the end of this period, participants were left to decide whether to continue using these products, try to stay away from cigarettes without any support, or resume smoking. One year later, the researchers found that only 10% of those who had undergone nicotine replacement therapy had not resumed smoking. However, among those who had used e-cigarettes, the success rate was 18% – almost double that of the other group!
In addition, studies conducted by researchers at King’s College London on behalf of Public Health England, the former UK government agency responsible for health surveillance across the country and recently replaced by the UK Health Security Agency, found that:
- in England, e-cigarettes were the most famous tool used by people trying to quit smoking in 2020;
- in 2017, more than 50,000 UK smokers quit smoking with the support of e-cigarettes;
- between 2019 and 2020, using a vaping device as part of treatment for nicotine dependence had high success rates of between 59% and 74%.
Read also: The effects of vaporised nicotine in electronic cigarettes
In conclusion
We have explained how to use nicotine gum, the side effects of using it, and what medical science says about the effectiveness of these products.
Several studies conducted in the UK have shown that the e-cigarette is a much more effective tool for quitting smoking than nicotine replacement therapy.
If you are trying to quit smoking, remember that vaping devices can be a valuable ally! Enter the Terpy.shop online shop now and choose the ideal electronic cigarette for you. In no time at all, cigarettes may become just a bad memory!
