The whole idea behind nicotine replacement therapy is that it gives your body a small amount of nicotine to help curb the cravings. This small amount helps to keep the withdrawals to a minimum. Keep in mind though that nicotine replacement therapy will cause you to go through withdrawals twice. First when you quit smoking then when you stop the therapy. You do not need to see a doctor to get this form of therapy. Many people can find this very difficult, especially the second time around as that old familiar edgy feeling comes back and you basically have to go through a milder form of withdrawals for the next three days. People aren't really prepared for that second wave of withdrawal and often have a hard time letting go of the nicotine replacement therapy. Those that can, have made a very important step to becoming smoke free and changing their lifestyle. Nicotine replacement therapy comes in many varieties; the patch is the most common. Usually you will start with a higher dose and steadily decrease the dose over a 6 to 12 week period. Please note that the amount of nicotine delivered over th 24 hours often exceeds what the body can handle and can produce side affects. Nausea and cold sweats is a common side effect of the patch. This can be an indication that the dose is to high for your system and you can try a lower dose the next day. It might be a good idea to look into another form of nicotine replacement therapy. Many people have had great success with the patch, but since the human body's chemistry varies from person to person not everyones body is able to adapt to the patch. Now there are several forms of nicotine replacement therapy, and things have come a long way from simply just being a patch. There's nicotine gum, that I must say has improved in flavor immensely, long gone is that pepper taste it is left lingering in your mouth. Today comes in several fruit flavors that you can actually chew without feeling like you're going to throw up. You set your own dosing schedule, which is based on your own withdrawal symptoms. There are also the nicotine lozenge, which now comes in a variety of flavors. You let the tablet slowly dissolve in your mouth and it delivers a low dose of nicotine into your system. Again, you set your own dosing schedule, normally about 2 to 4 hours in between tablets, depending on your personal withdrawals. As with all nicotine replacement therapy you will experience some form of secondary withdrawal symptoms when you wean yourself off of them but that is a very small price to pay compared to continuing to smoke. Another method of nicotine replacement therapy is the nicotine inhaler. It is a good method for anyone who needs to have something in their hand, a common problem among smokers. The inhaler sends a low dose of nicotine to your system which helps deter the cravings. I do not have first hand experience with the inhaler, but I have heard from several people who have been successful with it. There are nicotine replacement options available without a prescription and readily accessible at any corner drugstore or supermarket. You will still have to expect to pay quite a bit for over the counter therapy. But many of the products provide online support and forums, which help keep you in touch with other people who are trying to quit smoking. Please remember that there are some side effects that come with nicotine replacement therapy. They can vary from insomnia, to a slight headache, to more severe symptoms like nausea, diarrhea or constipation. If the symptoms are not temporary you might want to think about changing the dosage or looking into other therapy options. There are also options out there that are non-nicotine based.
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