PlanetRx - Learn More - Product Advice - Nicotine Patches

Patch up your resolve to quit smoking

A nicotine patch can be a badge of courage for a tobacco smoker trying to quit. It can also be a source of strength, weaning you off a long-time habit that is addictive and deadly. A transdermal patch allows a consistent amount of nicotine to seep slowly through the skin over a 24-hour period, so the smoker can gradually "detoxify" from nicotine without inhaling the tar and other carcinogenic ingredients in cigarette smoke. With determination and the help of the patch, you are on your way to a smoke-free life.

Sticking to It

Patches are to be applied daily for a maximum of three months.
You can overdose if you use nicotine patches while continuing to smoke cigarettes or if you wear more than one patch at a time.
Patches should be worn only by people over age 18.
Patches come in various sizes, descending in diameter as dependency on tobacco wanes.
Patches are most effective when used in conjunction with a smoking cessation campaign, whether self-directed or directed by others.
Patches themselves can become addictive, but some health threats, notably lung cancer, are eliminated in the process.
Initial quit rates for people using patches have been as high as 50%. Despite some backsliding, patch users have racked up an impressive 10% to 20% freedom-from-cigarettes rate even after a year or two down the line.

Nicotine

Nicotine is the only ingredient found in nicotine patches to aid in smoking cessation. The patches allow nicotine to be slowly absorbed through the skin into the bloodstream. The nicotine then travels to the brain and reduces the craving. Gradually decreasing the dosage of the patch allows the user to be slowly weaned from nicotine addiction.

Ingredient		Description
Nicotine
Nicotine	?	The transdermal patch is a safe and relatively effective method of satisfying nicotine craving as part of a smoking cessation program. While initial quit rates using this method are as high as 50%, follow-up rates one to two years later generally hover below 20%.

Motivation is Key

You must be committed to quitting smoking if the patch is to be of any use. This means immediately stopping smoking as soon as therapy is started.

Making the Most of Patches

Remove the patch from the packet and save the packet.
Apply patches at the same time each day to get into a routine. Use a different area of skin than where your previous patch was located (if applicable). Do not use the same skin site for at least one week.
Find an area of hairless and unbroken skin to place the patch. Your upper thigh or upper arm make good choices.
Clean and dry your target site. Apply the patch.
Remove the patch after the appropriate length of time has passed. No patch should be kept on for more than 24 hours. Put the patch back in its packet and discard.
If you have not stopped smoking after four weeks, treatment should be stopped; subjects in trials who did not quit by this time failed to quit at all.