Nicotrol 2mg Mint Flavour Gum assists by relieving nicotine craving and withdrawal symptoms. It is your body's dependence on nicotine, which causes with-drawal symptoms when you suddenly stop smoking. Symptoms may include irritability, restlessness, depression, weight gain, and craving for cigarettes. Nicotrol Gum offers a great degree of flexibility to your NRT stop smoking programme. You can take a piece of gum whenever you most need it to alleviate the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. The chew and 'park' technique ensures that the nicotine in the gum is quickly transferred into your system. When you use Nicotrol Gum other people probably will not even know that you are not chewing standard gum. Nicotrol 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. It is important that you use Nicotrol 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, you can stop the treatment.

Do not chew Nicotrol Gum when eating or drinking. This causes excessive swallowing of nicotine, reducing the effectiveness of Nicotrol. 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 Nicotrol Gum these steps should be followed carefully: Place one piece of Nicotrol 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 Nicotrol in this way until you no longer experience the tingling sensation. Each piece of Nicotrol will usually last about 30 minutes. Dispose of the chewed pieces of gum neatly, e.g. return to the bubble pack.

Nicotrol 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.

The amount of Nicotrol Gum you chew each day depends on your former smoking habits. Usually, it is recommended that a piece of Nicotrol 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.

To quit smoking: It is important that you use Nicotrol 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: Nicotrol 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 Nicotrol 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 Nicotrol 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. Why is proper chewing so important? Nicotrol 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. So it is important to chew Nicotrol Gum slowly so that the nicotine is released a little at a time and absorbed through the lining of the mouth. If Nicotrol Gum is chewed too quickly or for too long, a lot of saliva is produced and swallowed which reduces Nicotrol'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! To quit smoking: It is important that you use Nicotrol 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: Nicotrol 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 Nicotrol 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 Nicotrol 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.

The active ingredient in Nicotrol gum is nicotine-resin complex. Each piece contains 2mg per piece. Other ingredients are: chewing gum base, sorbitol powder, sorbitol 70%, flavour for smoker, haverstroo flavour, sodium carbonate anhydrous, and Glycerol 85%.

When you Must not use Nicotrol Gum
Do not use Nicotrol 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 Nicotrol if you are pregnant or intend to become pregnant, unless you are unable to stop smokig without nicotine replacement. Talk to your doctor before using Nicotrol Gum during pregnancy.

You are breast-feeding or intend to breast-feed
Nicotine passes freely into breastmilk, and can affect the health of the baby. Therefore it is recommended that you do not use Nicotrol 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 Nicotrol Gum in children.

You are allergic to nicotine or sensitive to any components of the chewing gum.

Before you start to use Nicotrol Gum
If you have had any of the following, you should ask for your doctor or pharmacist's advice before using Nicotrol Gum.

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 thryroid gland)

Phaeochromocytoma (a tumour of the adrenal gland)

Diabetes

If you have dentures, dental caps or partial bridges

Nicotrol Gum may stick to your dentures, dental caps or partial bridges and therefore may cause damage to your dental work.

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).

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 Nicotrol 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.

Adverse Effects

Nicotine like all other medicines may cause unwanted side effects in some people.

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.