How well did Nicotine patch/gum/lozenges/inhaler work for you?

[GregH]

Providing a bump for more responses as well as adding another anecdote.

My aunt, who died this year, was diagnosed with emphysema in 2003. As far as we know, she finally quit smoking in 2005.

I went to the store for her the week before she died. Among the things she had on her list was a box of Nicorette Gum. So she was still using it 5 years after she had quit smoking.

 

[firefox335]

The beauty of the e-cig is that it is the only product on the market that is geared toward people who are addicted to smoking. All of the other products only treat an addiction to nicotine and as we all have come to find out, there is much more to a smoking addiction than just nicotine.

 

[BCB]

bump for more responses

 

[kcr]

I only ever used the gum and the lozenges, and they never really were good for anything except to keep me from assaulting strangers on overseas flights.

(Can't use the patch--allergic to the adhesive; *won't* use Chantix.)

As far as gum or lozenges being useful for me in the long run, they were not at all. They were merely something to tide me over when I could not smoke. I threw up several times from the gum, too.

But to me, it is the hand-to-mouth, inhaling and exhaling more than the nicotine, I think. Occasionally I use 24 mg liquid, but I am perfectly content with 0 mg much of the time, as long as I can go through the motions of smoking.

ETA: I smoked for 40 years, ending up at over two packs/day.

 

[alovingmommyof3]

I tried the patch. The dumb thing never stayed on. It made my skin stink and made me feel strange. It did not curb my desire to smoke. The habit of smoking wasn't curbed by having nicotine alone. Also I was a "lab rat" for the lozenge. It worked somewhat but some of the paticipants were ready to rip each other's heads off because we couldn't only smoke for 10 minutes in 48 hours and only received one lozenge a day. I think they were studying the effects on the body not it's effectiveness.

 

[Richie G]

Wouldn't it be safe to say that the *vast majority* of people who have found this forum *failed* with NRTs? Certainly not all, there are extenuating circumstances I'm sure... but, what would be the forum attraction for MOST if they quit smoking with an NRT?

I voted with the answer that suited me best in the poll, btw. More accurate in my case would have been --

-- stopped smoking for awhile but went back to it

(which is probably a popular occurrence from what I can ascertain)

 

[akingsley9000]

I don't fit into any of the categories listed above. The only method I tried unsuccessfully was quitting cold turkey, this would last an where from a few days to a few months and in my early years of smoking upto a year.

The reason I never tried any of these NRTs is partially becuase my Dad who is also a smoker has tried the patch and chantex. He experienced several side effects with the patch and eventually went back to smoking. He is on his third attempt with chantex.

The main reason I have never tried any of these options is because I truly enjoy smoking. It is my one bad thing and I don't want to give it up. I actually quit analogs the day I received my 510 and have since upgraded to the Ego. People ask me all the time how long I have to use it before I quit. I simply tell them that if hats how they choose to use it then that is certainly an option but that I have not intentions of giving it up.

I also have a friend that has been using the lozenges for 3+ years and although she has cut back, she still smokes.

 

[JeffTM]

None of the options really fit for me. I generally would use the product long term and quit completely... the problem is that I just couldn't stay quit.

 

[acidrayne280]

i tried the patch...garbage, the gum, slightly less bad, but still garbage. and then i tried chantix. that stuff had me completely quit, but it made me nauseous and gave me almost a rage.

 

[7thCabal]

I used to smoke while wearing the patch, chewing the gum, & popping Chantix-- since going w/ the PV cigarettes have 0 ZERO 0 appeal... I feel empowered & I miss nothing about smoking cigarettes.

 

[Automaton]

I picked "did not work at all."

I did manage to quit for maybe a couple days each time I tried, but it was just as hard as cold turkey. And then I started smoking as normal again while still using NRT, until eventually I realized that was a stupid thing to do since it wasn't helping me quit or reduce.

So basically, if I had just gone with my urges to smoke while using NRT, I would not have reduced or quit at all. Me quitting for a couple days was all will-power. I did not notice any reduction in urge to smoke will using NRT.

 

[chimney55]

I picked "did not work at all."

I did manage to quit for maybe a couple days each time I tried, but it was just as hard as cold turkey. And then I started smoking as normal again while still using NRT, until eventually I realized that was a stupid thing to do since it wasn't helping me quit or reduce.

So basically, if I had just gone with my urges to smoke while using NRT, I would not have reduced or quit at all. Me quitting for a couple days was all will-power. I did not notice any reduction in urge to smoke will using NRT.

Okay, although I voted number 3 (I think) this better describes my experience. And used as directed? I put the patch on (highest dosage) to me that was "as directed". I never got past 3 days without so there wasn't any question about gradually coming down in "dosage".

BTW, I tried the patches AND the gum TWICE! The longest that I was ever able to go was 3 days! EVER! With either.

 

[AJMoore]

My answer isn't there so I didn't vote. I quit completely..... for awhile while using several of those products, then went back to smoking full time. They "worked" temporarily with much physical and mental discomfort, then I just couldn't take it anymore and went back to smoking. With E-cigs, no analogs and no real desire after 10 months. I'm done with smoking as long as I have my e cig.

 

[Automaton]

Okay, although I voted number 3 (I think) this better describes my experience. And used as directed? I put the patch on (highest dosage) to me that was "as directed". I never got past 3 days without so there wasn't any question about gradually coming down in "dosage".

BTW, I tried the patches AND the gum TWICE! The longest that I was ever able to go was 3 days! EVER! With either.

The longest I made it was 4 days, using a 44mg patch and the 4mg gum at the same time. Those were the highest doses available. They were reluctant to put me on it due to my size, but earlier attempts with lower doses had failed, and I was smoking over 2 packs a day at that point.

I was dizzy from nic overdose all day. And it still didn't help at all. By the end of the 4th day I was chainsmoking my second cigarette with the patch still on.

I am quite sure I'm addicted to nic, but I think the strongest aspect of the addiction for me is the habit. I think this has a lot to do with why it didn't work. And I think that's true of a lot of smokers.

I didn't get the physical withdrawal symptoms using NRT like I did when I went cold turkey (instead I was nic sick all day, ha ha). But those symptoms weren't a big deal to me. I don't mind being physically uncomfortable. It was the compulsion to smoke that got to me.

Most of us have tried NRT, and it obviously didn't work. The only thing that's different about e-cigs is that you get the habitual side of it as well, and it works for 85% of ECF'ers according to the polls here.

 

[electrowoman]

tried it all--including the FDA approved treatments: zyban, chantix, gum, patch, lozenge, inhaler. except for chantix (which worked well while i was on the drug, but dropped me off a craving cliff after I was done and produced some freaky side effects), nothing even helped me REDUCE my smoking (even zyban). i've been using e-cigarettes full time for about 3 weeks. so far, it's been working really beautifully. if i get a little "twitchy" sometimes, i pop a snus to quell the crave. it works great. please tell them to let us keep our e-cigs--because the "approved" methods don't help much at all.

 

[Pez]

For me the inhaler, patches, and gum did not work. As for chantix my wife told me to stop taking it and keep smoking.

 

[FieryOne]

White knuckling it worked best for me, but never for more than a few months. Stress ALWAYs leads me back to cigs. Not with the e-cig though....I can vape a zero when I want and it really helps me stay away from tobacco.

 

[Vvenus]

Nothing worked for me until I found the e-cigs.

 

[Midwest Dude]

I tried everything to get off cigarettes - patches, Wellbutrin, gum - the only thing that worked for me was Nicorette gum. 4 mg, two pieces at a time, 10-12 per day. That worked well except it sent my blood pressure through the roof. Even so I stayed on it for about 10 years... until I finally figured out that was the cause of the BP issue. So I quit the gum, went to smokeless tobacco and Stonewall. (Hard snuff - highly recommend this by the way.) But I wanted to get off the dip and I'm a sucker for gadgets, so I bought a 510 starter kit. Vaping is amazingly cool, works to quell the nicotine addiction, and is so much more socially acceptable than tobacco.

 

[Midwest Dude]

Addendum - the Wellbutrin actually worked, but insurance only covered it for 90 days and once that prescription ran out I was right back to nicotine. Guess I'm just weak...