No one will argue that tobacco dependence is a big problem for all of modern mankind. According to statistics, around 1.5 billion people smoke in the world! This is approximately 1/7 of the total population of the planet, including the elderly and children. Russia is one of the leaders in the number of nicotine addicted citizens and takes fourth place in this list.
Many of the smokers have repeatedly tried to get rid of the addiction, but not everyone succeeded. The pharmaceutical market offers many tools that can help a person quit smoking. These are tablets, and chewing gums, and sprays. There is even a nicotine patch. Today we’ll talk in more detail about this method of getting rid of smoking.
What prevents quit smoking
When the smoker only decides that it is time to get rid of the addiction, it seems to him that he will succeed the first time. He can even last a day or two without smoking a single cigarette. But then he begins to feel a number of unpleasant symptoms:
- Deterioration of well-being.
- Weakness.
- Cardiopalmus.
- Headache.
- Lack of appetite.
- Nausea.
- Annoyance and more.
All this is accompanied by an irresistible desire to inhale nicotine smoke. At this stage, almost everyone gives up and is drawn to a cigarette again.
Why no smoking
Even many smokers will agree that smoking has no advantages, but it has a number of disadvantages:
- High material costs. The price of tobacco is growing every year, so more and more money is being spent on cigarettes. If we assume that a person needs one pack per day, the average cost of which is rounded up to 100 rubles, it turns out that he will have to spend about 3,000 rubles a month, and 36,000 a year!
- The second disadvantage is harm to the health of those around them. It has long been proven that children of smoking parents are much more likely to get sick, suffer from diseases of the upper respiratory tract, and themselves begin to use nicotine in the future. In addition, people around the smoker can easily earn lung cancer, but still not smoke a single cigarette in their life.
- Another minus is, of course, causing great damage to your health. Nicotine is hit by all body systems, causing cardiac arrhythmias, pulmonary failure, infertility, and cancer.
Even for these three reasons, no one will argue that tobacco dependence is a very addictive habit. However, those who are already addicted, getting rid of this is not so simple.
It is worth saying that success depends entirely on the mood of the smoker. First you need to firmly decide that you must quit smoking and start it immediately. Only after making a firm decision is there a chance to break the habit.
However, physiology can fail. In this case, the smoker's body will request another cigarette. Therefore, it is best to help yourself additionally with any pharmaceutical agents. One of them is a nicotine patch. Some do not believe that he can help. Consider what the instruction says about this tool.
What are the patches
One of the most famous nicotine patches is Nicorette. Thanks to widespread advertising, it is much more popular than other brands.
In addition, there are other trade names, for example, Nicotinell, Nicoderm, Habitrol. All of them have a common principle of operation and application scheme.
Operating principle
By its nature, the nicotine patch is a transdermal therapeutic system designed to systematically, in equal portions, deliver the required dose of nicotine to the smoker's body. Thanks to this, a person does not experience any symptoms of tobacco shortage.
An essential advantage of the patch is the peculiarity of its active substance. The nicotine that it contains does not bind to the proteins of the body, therefore it does not harm a person.
With the help of a patch in the body, a constant level of nicotine in the blood is maintained. This reduces cravings for a cigarette.
But it is worthwhile to understand that no means can cope with psychological dependence. If the smoker likes the process of inhaling tobacco smoke, then with the help of a patch he will not get rid of it.
Release form
The patch is available in the form of a rectangle with rounded edges. Outwardly, it can be translucent or beige, to match the skin. One side has an adhesive base.
In its composition (in addition to purified nicotine in a certain dosage), the patch has a number of excipients. They provide the proper release of the active substance and its entry into the body, as well as reliable attachment to the skin. These are the components:
- Triglycerides.
- Polyethylene terephthalate.
- Butyl methacrylate.
- Aluminum acetylacetonate.
- Croscarmellose sodium.
- Potassium hydroxyl.
- Acrylic adhesive solution.
The patch is packaged in cardboard packs of 7, 14, 28 pieces.
Are there any contraindications
Like any other drug, not everyone can use the patch. There are a number of conditions and diseases in which the use of the drug is unacceptable. According to the information specified in the instructions for use of the nicotine patch, the presence of intolerance to any of the components that make up the product is a contraindication.
It should be used very carefully and only after consultation with the attending physician to persons who have problems from the cardiovascular system. You can use the patch only a month after a stroke or myocardial infarction. Contraindications are the presence of arrhythmias and angina in a person.
Pregnant women also cannot use this method of treatment, but they must quit smoking.
Who can be used with caution
Nicotine patch should be used with caution in those patients who have:
- Violation of the liver, its insufficiency and other deviations.
- Renal failure, nephritis (inflammation of the kidneys) and the like.
- Diabetes.
- Hyperthyroidism
Side effects
The development of undesirable reactions on the part of the body is quite possible, especially in the case when a person violates the instructions, for example, sticks on two plasters at once in order to speed up the result. Also, the body may not perceive the remedy if the smoker stops treatment ahead of time, and then resumes again. Side effects are most often manifested in the form of:
- Irritation.
- Urticaria.
- Itching.
- Redness at the patch site.
Rarely, but possible manifestation of such phenomena:
- Nausea.
- Vomiting
- Profuse salivation.
- Headache.
- Dizziness.
- Cardiopalmus.
In addition, when using the patch, the concentration of attention decreases, therefore, in such a period it is not recommended to drive or perform hazardous work that requires increased attention.
Mode of application
According to the instructions for the nicotine patch, the treatment regimen for tobacco dependence is very simple. Every day, a person must stick a patch on his body and change it in a day. The pharmaceutical market has several options for patches that differ in the quantitative nicotine content: 10 mg, 15 mg, 25 mg.
If the smoker consumes more than a pack per day, then he should start with 25 mg. If less, then with 15 mg.
For heavy smokers, the following scheme is shown:
- 25 mg every day for 3 months.
- Then 15 mg - 1.5 months.
- Then 10 mg - 1.5 months.
For those who smoke less than a pack a day, the scheme is as follows:
- 15 mg - 1.5 - 2 months.
- 10 mg - 1.5 - 2 months.
Do not use nicotine patches for more than six months, skip or stop treatment.
Overdose
This phenomenon is possible in the following cases:
- Incorrect dosage calculation and use of a patch with a higher level of nicotine.
- The use of more than one application per day.
- Use of the product by a non-smoker.
Overdose is manifested by such symptoms:
- Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.
- Fatigue and lethargy.
- Pressure reduction.
- Labored breathing.
In case of overdose symptoms, stop using the patch immediately and seek medical help.
Cost
It is worth saying right away that the nicotine patch, like any transdermal therapeutic system, is expensive. Consider the example of Nicorette. It comes in packs of 7 pieces (enough for a week if used correctly). One such package will cost the buyer about 600 rubles. It is worth considering that the price in different regions and even pharmacies of the same city can vary. Since you need to make applications every day for 6 months, you need to spend more than 14,000 rubles on the full course.
Do nicotine patches help quit smoking
Reviews about this tool are very mixed. There are people who claim that the patch helped them. But there are not many such lucky ones. Mostly people write that you need unbending willpower and a great desire to get rid of addiction. Only then will the nicotine patch help. In the reviews of most smokers it is written that the effect of the drug is low, and the cost is high. Some users note that after applying the patch, they began to smoke more cigarettes than before treatment.
Also in the reviews it is noted that after the end of the course, craving for cigarettes returned.
Psychological factor
Why do some manage to quit smoking, others cannot even get rid of nicotine addiction with a patch? The thing is that some people are very psychologically attached to a cigarette. They find comfort, calm, pleasure in it. It is almost impossible for such smokers to force themselves to forget about cigarettes forever, because smoking becomes a part of their life.
You need to understand that the main opponent is not nicotine, but a habit. Therefore, the internal psychological attitude is so important. If it is, a patch will help. Many former smokers admit that they wrote down their goals, tasks, and advantages that can be obtained by getting rid of addiction. In the reviews of the nicotine patch, the “red thread” is the saying that it was possible to quit smoking when a strong desire or vital need arose.
Conclusion
We examined one of the modern means of combating tobacco dependence. It really can significantly reduce your cravings for smoking.
However, the nicotine patch is not without flaws. It has a high cost, a long course of treatment, a number of side effects and contraindications.
You also need to understand that to get rid of addiction, one "Nicorette" or another similar drug is not enough. The main thing is the psychological attitude. Then the answer to the question of whether the nicotine patch helps, is sure to be positive.