Nicotine replacement therapy, will it work for me?

The whole idea behind nicotine replacement therapy is that it gives your body a small amount of nicotine to help curb the cravings. This small amount helps to keep the withdrawals to a minimum. Keep in mind though that nicotine replacement therapy will cause you to go through withdrawals twice. First when you quit smoking then when you stop the therapy. You do not need to see a doctor to get this form of therapy.

Many people have a hard time dealing with the withdrawals the second time around. Especially as that familiar edgy feeling comes back and you go through a milder form of withdrawals for the next three days. It's hard for people to prepare themselves for that second wave and often find themselves unable to let go of the nicotine replacement therapy. Those that can let go are one step closer to becoming smoke free and altering their lifestyle.

There are several types of nicotine replacement therapy; the most common option used is the patch. Normally you start with a higher dose and gradually work your way down over a 6 to 12 week timeframe. One of the things that should be noted, is the amount of nicotine delivered over the 24 hours is often too much for the body to handle and side effects are very common.

One side effect associated with using the patch is the feeling of nausea and breaking out in a cold sweat. Usually this is a sign that the dose of the patch is too high for your body to tolerate. You can either try a lower dose or consider trying a different form of nicotine replacement therapy. The patch has been used by many people successfully, but everybody's body chemistry is different and yours may not be able to adapt to this form of therapy.

Nicotine replacement therapy comes in various forms, things have come a long way from just being a patch. Another form is nicotine gum, which has improved in taste over the years, you no longer have the pepper taste that would linger in your mouth. Now nicotine gum comes in fruit flavors that you can chew without feeling sick. You can control the dosage according to your own withdrawal symptoms.

Another therapy option is the nicotine lozenge, which you can find in a number of flavors. It delivers a low dose of nicotine to your system as it slowly dissolves in your mouth. You are in control of the dosage which you can adjust according to your withdrawals. Normally you can allow 2 to 4 hours in between tablets. You will experience some type of secondary withdrawal symptoms when you wean yourself off of them, but it's worth it when you know that in the end you can be smoke free.

The nicotine inhaler is also a good method for those that need to have something in their hand, which is a common problem among smokers. Again you receive low doses of nicotine, which you inhale through this device that assists you in overcoming you're cravings. And although I have personally not tried this I've spoken to several people who have found this to be really helpful.

The majority of nicotine replacement therapy options is available without prescription nowadays and can easily be picked up at your corner drugstore or supermarket. The advantage would be, not having to have the added expense of going to the doctor, but you still have to expect to pay quite a bit even over the counter. And many of the products have an online support system available along with several forums, in which you can receive support from other people who are also using the product and trying to quit.

Please remember that there are some side effects that come with nicotine replacement therapy. They can vary from insomnia, to a slight headache, to more severe symptoms like nausea, diarrhea or constipation. If the symptoms are not temporary you might want to think about changing the dosage or looking into other therapy options. There are also options out there that are non-nicotine based.