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All
medicines have risks and benefits. You need to weigh the risks of
taking Nicorette Gum against the benefits it will have for you.
If you have
any concerns about taking this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Please
print this page and keep the printout with the medicine. You may
need to read it again.
What
is Nicorette Gum used for?
Nicorette Gum helps you to give up smoking by relieving the desire
to smoke, as well as some of the unpleasant effects, which smokers
experience when they stop smoking.
Nicorette Gum
is also used to help smokers who need to temporarily stop smoking
e.g. on long air flights. Nicorette Gum can also help reduce the
amount of cigarettes smoked in smokers who are unable or unwilling
to quit.
How
does Nicorette Gum work?
Smokers have both a physical reliance on nicotine (i.e. the body
becomes dependent on nicotine) and a psychological reliance on the
smoking habit.
When you give
up smoking, your body will miss the effects of nicotine and you
will miss the habit of smoking.
Nicorette Gum
helps you to tackle these two sides of the problem separately, instead
of all at once.
It is your body's
dependence on nicotine, which causes withdrawal symptoms when you
suddenly stop smoking. Nicotine is an addictive substance. Symptoms
may include irritability, restlessness, depression, weight gain,
and craving for cigarettes.
Nicorette Gum
is intended to ease such withdrawal symptoms by providing your body
with nicotine. This leaves your mind free to concentrate on overcoming
your psychological desire to smoke.
Before
using Nicorette Gum
When you must not use the Nicorette Gum
Do not
use Nicorette Gum if:
- You
are pregnant or intend to become pregnant
There is medical evidence that nicotine in any form may be harmful
to an unborn child. Therefore it is recommended that you do not
use Nicorette if you are pregnant or intend to become pregnant,
unless you are unable to stop smoking without nicotine replacement.
Talk to your doctor before using Nicorette Gum during pregnancy.
- You are breast-feeding or intend to breast-feed
Nicotine passes freely into breast milk, and can affect the health
of the baby. Therefore it is recommended that you do not use Nicorette
Gum if you are breast-feeding or intend to breast-feed.
- You have had a recent heart attack or stroke
- You have heart disease such as palpitations (fast or irregular
heart beats) or uncontrolled angina (chest pain)
- You are a non-smoker
- You are under 18 years old
There is not enough information about the use of Nicorette Gum in
children.
- You are allergic to nicotine or are sensitive to any components
of the chewing gum.
You should
not use Nicorette Gum if the expiry date printed on the carton has
passed or the packaging is torn or shows signs of tampering.
Do not give
Nicorette Gum to anyone else to use as it is recommended that they
seek professional advice prior to starting treatment.
Before
you start to use Nicorette Gum
If you have had any of the following, you should ask for your doctor
or pharmacist's advice before using Nicorette Gum.
These medical
conditions may need consideration by or discussion with your doctor
or pharmacist. You and your doctor or pharmacist can then weigh
up the risk of using Nicorette Gum against the benefits you will
get if you stop smoking.
The medical
conditions include:
Angina
(chest pain) or any other problem with your heart or blood vessels
such as pain in one or more legs when you walk
High blood pressure
Previous stroke
Kidney disease
Liver disease
Stomach ulcer or pain
Hyperthyroidism (a disorder of the thyroid gland)
Phaeochromocytoma (a tumour of the adrenal gland)
Diabetes.
If you have dentures, dental caps or partial bridges.
Nicorette Gum
may stick to your dentures, dental caps or partial bridges and therefore
may cause damage to your dental work. It is important that your
dental work is kept clean. You should stop chewing Nicorette Gum
if it is sticking to your dental work and discuss further use of
Nicorette Gum with your doctor and dentist.
Taking
other medicines
If you are taking any other medicines, including medicines that
you buy without a prescription, in a pharmacy, supermarket or health
food shop, the way these medicines work may be affected once you
stop smoking.
These medicines
may include:
Theophylline
(asthma medication)
Insulin
Imipramine (antidepressant)
Pentazocine (pain medication).
You may wish to seek professional advice from your doctor or a pharmacist
before you start to use Nicorette Gum.
Using
Nicorette Gum
What is the proper chewing method?
Do not chew Nicorette Gum when eating or drinking.
This causes
excessive swallowing of nicotine, reducing the effectiveness of
Nicorette. Do not drink acidic beverages, such as coffee or soft
drinks, for 15 minutes before chewing as they can interfere with
the absorption of nicotine.
To get the
full effect from Nicorette Gum these steps should be followed carefully:
Place
one piece of Nicorette in your mouth and chew it slowly until you
feel a slight tingling sensation.
When you feel the tingling (usually after about 10 chews), place
the piece of gum under your tongue or between your cheek and gums
until the tingling has gone. This will take about one minute.
When the tingling has gone, continue to chew the gum slowly until
the tingling returns. Then again place the gum under your tongue
or between your cheek and gums.
Chew each piece of Nicorette in this way until you no longer experience
the tingling sensation. Each piece of Nicorette will usually last
about 30 minutes.
Dispose of the chewed pieces of gum neatly, e.g. return to the bubble
pack.
Why
is proper chewing so important?
Nicorette Gum releases nicotine into your saliva. This nicotine
is absorbed through the lining of your mouth and enters your bloodstream.
Any nicotine that is swallowed in saliva is broken down in your
stomach. It is therefore wasted.
It is important
to chew Nicorette Gum slowly so that the nicotine is released a
little at a time and absorbed through the lining of the mouth.
If Nicorette
Gum is chewed too quickly or for too long, a lot of saliva is produced
and swallowed which reduces Nicorette's ability to work effectively.
Too much chewing may also produce an unpleasant strong taste, which
is a useful sign that you should slow down or stop chewing. Chewing
too quickly may at first irritate the throat or cause hiccups or
make you feel sick.
So remember
that if the taste is too strong you are chewing too fast!
Which
strength of Nicorette Gum should I use?
Nicorette Gum is available in 2 milligram (mg) and 4 mg strengths.
Usually, the 4 mg strength is recommended if you smoke 20 cigarettes
or more in a day or are a smoker who has not been able to quit smoking
using the 2 mg strength. Otherwise you should use the 2 mg strength.
How
much Nicorette Gum should I use?
The amount of Nicorette Gum you chew each day depends on your former
smoking habits. Usually, it is recommended that a piece of Nicorette
should be used when the urge to smoke is felt. About 8 to 12 chewing
gums, of either the 2 mg or 4 mg strength, each day will be adequate.
No more than 24 gums should be used daily.
How
long should I continue to use Nicorette Gum?
To quit
smoking:
It is important that you use Nicorette Gum for long enough to help
overcome your dependence on cigarettes. Normally this period will
be at least 3 months. Then you can start to slowly wean yourself
from using the gum. When you are only using 1 to 2 chewing gums
each day, then you can stop the treatment.
Temporary
abstinence:
Nicorette chewing gum should be used during smoke-free periods,
for example in smoke free areas or in situations when you wish to
avoid smoking.
Smoking
reduction:
Use Nicorette Gum between smoking episodes to prolong smoke-free
intervals and with the intention to reduce your smoking as much
as possible. If after 6 weeks you have not reduced the number of
cigarettes smoked each day, then you should seek professional advice.
You should try
to quit smoking as soon as you feel ready, but no later than 6 months
after starting your treatment. If 9 months has passed since starting
Nicorette Gum and you have still not been able to make a serious
attempt at quitting smoking, then seek professional advice.
Regular
use of the gum after 12 months is not recommended. Some ex-smokers
may need longer treatment to avoid returning to smoking.
Should
I combine use of Nicorette Patch(s) and Gum?
Normally Nicorette Patch or Gum alone would provide enough nicotine
to help most people control their craving for cigarettes. However,
some people may find that even though they are using nicotine replacement
therapy (NRT) they still have intense or frequent cravings they
find difficult to cope with. If you are one of these people you
may benefit from combining Nicorette Patch use with Nicorette 2
mg Gum.
Each morning
apply a Nicorette 15 mg/16 hour Patch to an intact area of skin.
The Nicorette Patch should be removed before going to bed. After
applying the Nicorette Patch use Nicorette 2 mg Gum whenever a craving
occurs.
For best results
try to chew at least 4 pieces of Nicorette Gum every day. Most people
will use 5-6 pieces. Do not use more than 24 pieces of gum.
The combination
of Nicorette Patch and Nicorette Gum should be used in this way
for 6-12 weeks. After this time if required you can wean yourself
off NRT by either:
Use the Nicorette
10 mg/16 hour Patch for 3-6 weeks and then use the Nicorette 5 mg/16
hour Patch for 3-6 weeks while using the same number of pieces of
Nicorette Gum in a day that you have routinely used. Then when a
patch is no longer needed, gradually reduce the number of pieces
of gum until you no longer need them. OR
Stop use of the Nicorette 15 mg/16 hour Patch and then gradually
reduce the number of pieces of Nicorette 2 mg Gum that are used
until you no longer need them.
If you use too much (overdose) or in accidental poisoning
Overdose of nicotine can occur if nicotine is used excessively,
either from chewing too many pieces of Nicorette Gum at the same
time or rapidly one after the other, and/or smoking.
Symptoms
of overdose or poisoning include:
Nausea and vomiting
Salivating
Diarrhoea
Abdominal pain
Cold sweats
Weakness
Disturbed hearing
Headache
Breathing difficulties
Weak, rapid or irregular pulse
Loss of consciousness.
Children
have a greater risk of poisoning from nicotine, therefore it is
important to keep Nicorette Gum out of reach of children.
In the event
of yourself or someone else showing symptoms seek medical advice.
Immediately telephone your doctor or the National Poisons Information
Centre for advice, or go to Accident and Emergency at your nearest
hospital.
What
are the side effects?
Nicotine like all other medicines may cause unwanted side effects
in some people.
Seek professional
advice from your doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible if you
do not feel well while you are using Nicorette Gum. Most of the
undesirable effects reported by users of Nicorette occur during
the first weeks after beginning treatment and are most likely due
to chewing incorrectly or to the effects of nicotine. Some are minor
and temporary but others may need medical attention.
You may
notice the following:
Headache
Nausea and/or vomiting
Hiccups
Sore mouth or throat
Jaw-muscle ache
Redness of the skin
Hives
Mouth ulcers.
Some effects, such as dizziness, headache and sleeplessness may
be withdrawal symptoms due to low nicotine levels.
If any of
these effects do not go away, or you have any other undesirable
effects during use, tell your doctor or pharmacist.
After
using Nicorette Gum
Storage
The expiry date of the Nicorette Gum is on the label of the carton
and on the foil of the blister pack. Do not use Nicorette Gum if
the expiry date has passed.
Leave all
pieces in the blister pack until immediately before use.
Store Nicorette
Gum below 25°C. Storage in a car in hot weather may cause deterioration
of the Gum.
KEEP
NICORETTE GUM OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN.
(See section on 'Symptoms of overdose or poisoning').
Disposal
When Nicorette Gum is no longer needed, dispose of carefully, where
children or animals cannot get it.
Product
description
What does Nicorette Gum look like?
As well as the Nicorette Gum there is an additional mint flavour:
Nicorette Mint Gum.
The 2 mg strength
is a beige colour. The 4 mg strength is a yellow colour.
Nicorette Gum
and Nicorette Mint Gum are available in packs of 30 and 105 pieces.
Nicorette
Gum is a General Sales Medicine.
Ingredients
The active ingredient in Nicorette Gum is nicotine-resin complex.
Nicorette
Gum:
Other ingredients in both strengths of Nicorette Gum are chewing
gum base, sorbitol powder, sorbitol 70%, flavour for smoker, haverstroo
flavour, sodium carbonate anhydrous, and glycerol 85%.
Nicorette
Mint Gum:
Other ingredients in both strengths of Nicorette Mint Gum are chewing
gum base, xylitol, peppermint oil, menthol, sodium carbonate anhydrous,
and magnesium oxide light.
An ingredient
found only in the 2 mg Nicorette Gum and Nicorette Mint Gum is sodium
hydrogen carbonate.
An ingredient
found only in the 4 mg Nicorette Gum and Nicorette Mint Gum is quinoline
yellow Al-lake E 104.
Supplier
Nicorette Gum is supplied in New Zealand by:
Pharmacia
PO Box 11-282
Ellerslie
Auckland
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