No one will argue with the fact that tobacco addiction is a big problem for all modern humanity. According to statistics, approximately 1.5 billion people smoke in the world! This is approximately 1/7 of the entire population of the planet, including the elderly and children. Russia is one of the leaders in terms of the number of citizens dependent on nicotine and takes fourth place in this list.
Many of the smokers have repeatedly tried to get rid of addiction, but not all succeeded. The pharmaceutical market offers many tools that can help a person quit smoking. These are tablets, and chewing gum, and sprays. There is even a nicotine patch. Today we will talk in more detail about this particular method of quitting smoking.
What prevents you from quitting smoking
When a smoker just decides that it's time to get rid of an addiction, he thinks that he will succeed the first time. He can even go a day or two without smoking a single cigarette. But then he begins to feel a whole host of unpleasant symptoms:
- Feeling worse.
- Weakness.
- Increasedheartbeat.
- 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 again reaches for a cigarette.
Why you shouldn't smoke
Even many smokers will agree that smoking does not have any advantages, but it has a number of disadvantages:
- High material costs. The price of tobacco is rising every year, so more and more money is 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, then 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 he alth of people around. It has long been proven that the 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 a smoker can easily get lung cancer, but at the same time not smoke a single cigarette in their life.
- Another disadvantage is, of course, causing great damage to your he alth. The impact of nicotine is on all systems of the body, causing cardiac arrhythmias, pulmonary insufficiency, infertility and oncological formations.
Even on the basis of these three reasons, no one will argue with the fact that tobacco addiction is a very harmful habit. However, for those who are already addicted, get rid ofit's not that easy.
It should be said that success depends entirely on the mood of the smoker. First you need to firmly decide that it is imperative to quit smoking and start it immediately. Only after making a firm decision is there a chance to get rid of 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 some pharmaceutical means. 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 extensive 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.
Operation principle
By its nature, the nicotine patch is a transdermal therapeutic system designed to systematically, in equal portions deliver the necessary dose of nicotine to the smoker's body. As a result, the person does not experience any symptoms of a lack of tobacco.
A significant advantage of the patch is the peculiarity of its active substance. The nicotine contained in it does not bind to body proteins, therefore it does not harm a person.
With the help of a patch in the body is supportedconstant level of nicotine in the blood. This reduces the craving to smoke a cigarette.
But you should understand that no remedy can cope with psychological addiction. If a smoker enjoys the process of inhaling tobacco smoke, then using a patch will not get rid of it.
Issue form
The patch is produced in the form of a rectangle with rounded edges. Outwardly, it can be translucent or beige, in skin tone. One side has an adhesive backing.
In its composition (in addition to purified nicotine in a certain dosage), the patch has a number of auxiliary substances. They ensure 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 grout.
The patch is packed 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, contraindications include the presence of intolerance to any of the components that make up the product.
It should be used very carefully and only after consultation with the doctordoctor for people with problems with the cardiovascular system. You can use the patch only a month after suffering a stroke or myocardial infarction. Contraindications are the presence of arrhythmia and angina pectoris in a person.
Pregnant women should also not use this method of treatment, but they must quit smoking.
To be used with caution
Use the nicotine patch with caution in patients who experience:
- Disruption of the liver, its insufficiency and other abnormalities.
- Kidney failure, nephritis (inflammation of the kidneys) and the like.
- Diabetes mellitus.
- Hyperthyroidism.
Side effects
The development of unwanted reactions from the body is quite possible, especially when a person violates the instructions, for example, sticks two patches at once to speed up the result. Also, the body may not perceive the drug well if the smoker stops treatment ahead of time, and then resumes again. Side effects most often appear as:
- Annoyances.
- Urticaria.
- Itchy.
- Redness where the patch was applied.
Rarely, but possible manifestation of such phenomena:
- Nausea.
- Vomiting.
- Profuse salivation.
- Headaches.
- Dizziness.
- High heart rate.
In addition, whenthe use of the patch reduces concentration, so during this period it is not recommended to drive or perform dangerous work that requires increased attention.
How to use
According to the instructions for the nicotine patch, the treatment regimen for tobacco addiction is very simple. Every day, a person should stick a patch on his body and change it every other day. There are several options for patches on the pharmaceutical market, which differ in the quantitative content of nicotine: 10 mg, 15 mg, 25 mg.
If a 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 pattern is:
- 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 higher nicotine patch.
- Use more than one application per day.
- Use by a non-smoker.
Overdose is manifested by the following symptoms:
- Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain.
- Highfatigue and lethargy.
- Reducing pressure.
- Difficulty breathing.
If symptoms of overdose occur, stop using the patch immediately and seek medical attention.
Cost
It should be said right away that the nicotine patch, like any transdermal therapeutic system, is expensive. Consider the example of "Nicorette". It comes in packs of 7 (enough for a week with proper use). One such package will cost the buyer about 600 rubles. It is worth considering that the price in different regions and even pharmacies in the same city may vary. Since applications need to be done every day for 6 months, more than 14,000 rubles will have to be spent 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. Basically, people write that they 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 remedy is low, and the cost is high. Some users report that they smoke more cigarettes after applying the patch than before the treatment.
Also in the reviews it is noted that after the end of the course, the craving for cigarettes returned.
Psychological factor
Why do some people manage to quit smoking, others even with the help ofpatches for nicotine addiction can not get rid of? The thing is that some people are very strongly attached to cigarettes psychologically. They find comfort, peace, 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 enemy is not nicotine, but habit. That is why the mental attitude is so important. If it is, a patch will help. Many ex-smokers admit that they wrote down their goals, tasks, pluses that can be obtained by getting rid of addiction on paper. In reviews of the nicotine patch, the "red thread" is the statement that it was possible to quit smoking when there was a strong desire or a vital need to do so.
Conclusion
We reviewed one of the modern tools to combat tobacco addiction. It can actually reduce the cravings for smoking to a great extent.
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 in order to get rid of an addiction, one "Nicorette" or another similar drug is not enough. The main thing is the mental attitude. Then the answer to the question of whether the nicotine patch helps will definitely be positive.
