Do nicotine patches work?

Question

I'm trying to quit smoking and was wondering if nicotine patches really work? Would love for anyone to help me out on trying to quit smoking! Thanks.

Answer 1

Nicotine patches only HELP you quit by controlling the withdrawl symptoms! They are not the magic bullet, as you will need willpower, dedication and a lot of support from family and friends.

First of all, make sure you have no heart problems because if you use nicoderm you can put yourself at risk for heart attacks and other cardiovascular events. There are other alternatives like Zyban etc you can discuss with your Dr.

Before you start using patches, first throw away all cigarettes and matches at home, in your car, and at work. Put away ash trays and lighters. Tell your family and friends you're quitting and ask for their support. Avoid triggers for smoking. Set a no-smoking policy. Do not allow anyone to smoke in your home or car, and avoid other people when they are smoking. You can also join a support group.

Like I said, Nicotine patches are used to relieve withdrawal symptoms of smoking (imagine yourself when you haven't had a smoke in a while) like anxiety, palpitations, and irritability. An added benefit is that they don't contain the carcinogens and gases associated with tobacco smoke. So your pretty much getting your nicotine fix from a patch rather than a cigarette. One patch delivers a constant amount of nicotine to you for 24 hours, so you have to change the patch daily.

I would recommend Nicoderm because it provides smooth delivery of nicotine to your bloodstream as opposed to other generic brands which have mroe variability. You pretty much choose the strength of the patch based on the amount of cigarettes you smoke per day. Look on the box of the product you choose. I believe if you smoke more than 10 cigarettes a day you will need to use the following 3 STEP program.

Begin with STEP 1 (21 mg) for the first six weeks.
Move to STEP 2 (14 mg) for weeks 7-8.
Then move to STEP 3 (7 mg) for weeks 9-10. This prepares you to stop using NicoDerm altogether at the end of week ten.

But if you smoke fewer than 10 cigs a day, just use STEP 2 (14 mg) for 6 weeks and STEP 3 (7 mg) for 2 weeks.

As you use Nicoderm, you'll feel your cravings start to diminish as it helps your body gradually wean itself off nicotine. Over an 8 to 10 week period, depending on the strength you choose, you lower the dosage until you stop using it altogether.

Hope that helps,

Snoopy

Answer 2

Do Nicotine Patches Work

Answer 3

I just put my first patch on and am surprised that I have little to no craving for a cigarette. I got down to 10 cigarettes per day so I m using the 14mg patch. I m seriously shocked because I just ate a granola bar and always want one after I eat. This is so weird. I really hope I can quit this time. I have had many failed attempts but I need to do this for my health. I m turning 30 this year, getting married next year and eventually want kids so the smoking has gotta stop. My boyfriend smokes over a pack a day so he s doing the 21mg and I REALLY hope it works for him. It s nice to quit with someone but a little harder because one caves the other one wants to too, haha. Yesterday, without the patch, I thought I was going to die without a cigarette and ended up buying a pack. Today is different. Good luck to anyone trying, you can do it! And I agree, if this doesn t work for you, try something else! Oh, and for the oral fixation, we are using e-hookahs with no nicotine. YOU CAN DO IT!!!

Answer 4

I know this was posted years ago and hope it worked for you. Things work differently for people. Gum didn't work for me but I decided to get a patch one day to try I cause I hated smelling like smoke all the time. I smoked the day before I used the patch and whenever I put the patch on, I literally had no desire to light one up. It was shocking to me. Usually when I thought about smoking I'd want to. But with the patch, I had no desire to no matter how often I thought about it or saw someone else smoke. Patches worked for me. For some the nicotine gum does and patches don't. Hope it worked for you. I'm glad to not have that smoke smell anymore

Answer 5

The only thing nicotine patches do is satisfy your craving for nicotine. If you can make it just 4 days with out smoking you physical addiction will be gone. You will then need to work on the mental addiction. Just know that you can do it. It may take several attempts but you can. I did it cold turkey 4 years ago and never looked back.

Answer 6

Nicoderm Patches

Answer 7

Yes, they work. At least they worked for me. It's been 6 or 7 years now, and I don't have any desire to smoke. I smoked for a loooonnnng time, about a pack, or more a day. The "craving" went away in a few days. My mind didn't go blank and my eyes didn't glaze over after going without a cigarette for 2 hours.

When I first quit, I thought I'd need a patch the size of a "Wetsuit" but I was wrong.

Hang in there, and give it a try. If I can quit,you can, too. Good Luck.

Answer 8

They help curb the craving for nicotine, but it does nothing to help with the habit. That's why smoking is so addictive. I was more addicted to the habit of smoking when I got in my car, after a meal, etc. My husband used the patch and quit, but all I did was set a goal date for myself and only allowed myself a certain number of smokes a day. It took two months, but at the end, I was down to 3 a day. When I started forcing myself to finish those, and enjoyed them less, I knew I was mentally prepared to just throw those "sh*t sticks" away. Besides, I've saved over $2000 since I quit 4 years ago, and I'll be rewarding myself with a great vacation.

Answer 9

They work but you also have to keep busy, I found playing phone games, surfing the net, etc keeps my mind occupied enough to get past cravings even though I am on the patch. The first few days I had the worst anxiety, I was almost choking on it, but two weeks in and still have to keep busy but not as anxious or moody. Muscles ache though. No appetite either. Sleep ok so far. I try not to do or surround myself with anything stressful that may trigger relapse. But still think about smoking alot. But if I smell cigarette smoke it doesn't bother me. Hopefully I can get through the whole 10 weeks, last time I got to 8 weeks but stopped using the patch after the first step and held off for a little longer but started again, and it was like I never stopped. Didn't cough or choke, I loved it. That was two years ago so its taken me that long to build up the courage to go through with it again, its a very stressful time. Two weeks no cigarettes, one week no weed, both together is like torture.

Answer 10

Heyy. What's up? My name's Rachel, let me tell you a brief story about myself which I believe may be of some Help to you...

I am a lung cancer Survivor. I remember when I was diagnosed back in 2012, and they told me I had to quit otherwise I would not make it another 2 years. I told them, "If I'm going to die, I'd like to die Happy with a cigarette in my mouth". Stupid yes, but it's how I felt. I was stubborn, and did not believe that it could happen to me. I am only 32 years old, been smoking since I was 16... but the idea of Death at age 32 feels very foreign, almost surreal. However, when I began to notice a constant shortness of breath, and even coughing up blood- I decided something had to be done. I tried really hard to quit a couple of times, but could never resist the urges and temptation. Anyone who has ever tried quitting cold turkey, or by using one of those worthless patches/gums, will know what I'm talking about.

I went and saw a specialist, a physician who is reputed to be very successful in helping people quit. Among other practical advise, he referred me to a World-class Vapor E-Cig @ https://tryvaporcigs.im .. It is an electronic cigarette that heats "liquid nicotine" into a Safe water vapor which you inhale. No toxic smoke. I was told by my physician that this is something the tobacco industry does not want us to know about. It smells Clean, leaving no odor... and gives that relaxing "nicotine fix" we get from the regular, mundane cigarette. Being odorless, it can be smoked anywhere- even indoors. I have social anxiety, so a problem I do have with it is people always approaching me; telling me how cool it looks and asking a million questions when I'm seen Vaping in malls or restaurants. But yeah, my condition seems to be getting much better since I quit "smoking". I believe they still send out a completely Free Trial kit, only asking that you cover their cost of shipping.

Anyways, Take care! I hope I was of some help.. <3