Stop Smoking Treatments - Nicotine Gum

Nicotine addiction is actually quite a serious one. Studies have shown that it is just as addictive as many class 'A' drugs such as cocaine with dependency on the drug developing in a very short time. When a cigarette is smoked then a short high burst of nicotine is released into your bloodstream, this is what is known as a nicotine spike. Smoking cessation is made all the more difficult when these nicotine spikes are absent such as when stop smoking help is attained by using nicotine patches. Therefore an effective smoking cessation program might employ the use of nicotine gum instead of the patches. See the planning to stop smoking page

There will be times when you are trying to stop smoking that you will crave a cigarette and your will power will be pushed to the limit. At times like this as a sort of stop smoking help the use of nicotine gum will provide your body with the nicotine spike that it is craving. Granted the spike will not be as great as if a cigarette had been smoked and the feeling certainly will not be as satisfying but the body's physical craving will have been attended to leaving only the psychological craving to deal with.

Nicotine gum is not like regular gum and should not be used the same. It is to be chewed three or four times then flattened and placed between the gum and the cheek until the body (or the mind) craves a cigarette then the gum should be chewed on a few times to release nicotine into the blood again.

There are two main strengths of nicotine gum, 2mg and 4mg. The 4mg strength is really only used by those who have been smoking more than 20 cigarettes a day. The recommendations for use are to use one every 2 hours during the day for a period of up to 3 months. At the end of three months the addiction should be more under control and its use tapered off.

The disadvantages are that it is not effective within 15 minutes of taking any liquids and therefore can not be used to quench the craving when in a bar for example which is mostly a psychological craving anyway but is where most recent ex-smoker are most in need of help and support.

The nicotine gum can be a useful stop smoking help tool and if used in conjunction with willpower can prove for a successful smoking cessation program.

Smoking cessation is made much easier when stop smoking help is enlisted in the for of a smoking cessation program.

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