Ramblings on patches!? (Nicorette Patch Step 3)

Member Name: bumblebee86

Product:	Nicorette Patch Step 3
Date:	28/06/09 (90 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: They reduce cravings and are cheaper than smoking

Disadvantages: may cause itchy skin and redness on area applied - can be addictive

Product Information:-

Nicotine Patches are a type of NRT (Nicotine Replacement Therapy) used to try and help you stop smoking. NRT is when you replace smoking with an alternative healthier way to get your fix of nicotine. (It is like a heroin addicts methadone.)

Nicorette Patches come in 3 different strengths and are marked as step 1 (15mg) step 2 (10mg) and step 3 (5mg). These are 16-hour patches, which means the nicotine is released equally over that many hours (so really they are only useful for 16 hours) The patches are a 'Nude' colour and you stick them to your body so the nicotine can be absorbed.

The step 3 (5mg) patch is used after approximately 10 weeks of stopping smoking (through using step 1 and 2) and is the last phase, which is meant to last 2 weeks. The patch at this stage is only about 1 inch square and releases 5mg over 16 hours. By this time you should have gotten over the worse withdrawals from not smoking and this small dose is then meant to wean you off nicotine patches.

Nicorette Patches can be bought without prescription from most pharmacies and high street retailers such as Boots and Superdrug their retail price is approx £12.49 for a pack of 7 (1 week) but can be found cheaper on 3 for 2 deals and half price offers. Alternatively you can sign up with the doctor and get them on prescription, which is £7.40, or free to certain people.

My opinion:-

I find nicotine patches to be the best form of NRT and they do seem to reduce my physical withdrawal symptoms enough and my will power then has to do the rest.

I have used the nicorette patches many times ( this shows that I have restarted smoking and quit many times so ultimately they cant be that good but that is down to my own will power) and have found them to be good patches which actually do what they are meant to which relieves the physical withdrawals by supplementing the nicotine that you would have got from smoking.

Every time I use patches I do quit smoking (also with determination) which means they work however I have found that up to half an hour after I put the patch on the area is very itchy and when I take the patch off at night the area is very red (although not sore) and the adhesive used to make it stick to the skin is very hard to scrub off. However I do think this is a small price to pay compared to the risks of smoking!

Overall the patches are a good form of NRT and highly recommended.

Problems!?

The problem starts when you stop using the patches and you crave the nicotine again you are advised to only use the patches for 12 weeks so as not to become addicted them. I have done this 12 week cycle many times only to have a cig the day after I stop using them! So how can you quit long term? I have decided that being addicted to these is much better than smoking so the 5mg patch is a great way to continue using the patch but at a much lower dose until you are really ready to give up. If you feel like a cigarette stick one of these on and the feeling will go within 15 mins - don't give up on your hard work!

Dont give up giving up!

Summary: The best NRT I have used.