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How
to use your Nicotine Replacement Product
Patient Education Handout associated with
UMHS Clinical Care Guideline
|
This
information is not a tool for self-diagnosis or a substitute for medical treatment.
You should speak to your health-care provider or make an
appointment to be seen if you have questions or concerns about this information
or your medical condition.
Please see some useful pointers below regarding the type of
nicotine replacement your doctor has recommended for you:
The Patch
1. On the morning of your quit date, place the patch on a hairless skin
at a site above the waist.
2. Do not smoke any cigarettes while wearing the patch.
3. Change the location of the patch each day to avoid skin irritation.
Call your doctor if you develop a rash.
4. If you have trouble sleeping at night, remove the patch before bed and
put a new one on first thing in the morning. (Most people can sleep with
the patch.)
You will be using the patch called: ________________________________
Dose:
Gum
1. Chew gum until spicy flavor begins. Then, "park" the gum between
your cheek and gum. ("Parking" is
very important to absorb the nicotine.) You
can re-chew
and park every 5
minutes or so to release
more
nicotine.
2. Remove stick of gum after ½ hour.
3. Coffee and acidic beverages such as fruit juices
will decrease the absorption of nicotine from the
gum, so
avoid these right before
and
right after use.
4. You can chew a new stick every hour to keep a
steady nicotine level or as needed for cravings.
Your doctor has recommended the ________ mg gum for
you.
Nasal Spray
1. Tip head back slightly and spray one squirt
in each nostril. Do not "sniff" the
spray.
2. You can repeat this dose every ½ -
1 hour as needed for cravings. (Do not
exceed 40 doses in one day.)
3. Most patients will experience some runny
nose and mild nasal irritation the first
week using the
spray.
This usually decreases after the
first week.
Inhaler
1. Suck on the inhaler as if you are sucking
on a straw. Do not try to “inhale” while
sucking... Use
the inhaler
frequently (about 3
puffs/minute)
for 20
minutes to get the maximum benefit. The
cartridge will then be empty after the 20 minutes.
2. Each 20 minutes of cartridge use will
provide you with the same amount of nicotine
as 2 cigarettes.
3. Use one cartridge up to every hour
as needed to control your cravings. Do
not use
more than 16 cartridges
in
a single day.
For more information contact the Tobacco
Consultation Service at 734-936-5988.