Give up, and don't give in! (Nicorette Patch Step 3)

Member Name: missbrowneyedgirl

Product:	Nicorette Patch Step 3
Date:	07/02/02 (1245 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: get rid of that sticky. filthy, kiler habit without turning into a nervous wreck, no cravings at all, discreet

Disadvantages: I'm still a nicotine addict but give me time...;), expensive, smaller patches aren't cheaper

Amidst all of the trauma I am going through at the moment I decided to give up smoking again. Firstly it would give me something to focus on and more importantly, if I can give up now I must be a superhero!

In the past I have tried gum, the inhalator, cold turkey, chewing paper, some herbal potion and various other crazy methods but to no avail. This time, with inspiration from a close 20-a-day friend who has recently given up, my weapon of choice is patches.

The only concern I had were my friend's report of strange dreams. I kind of enjoy my dreams as they are always pleasant and this made me a little wary of buying the same patches as him. There was only one thing to do: pop into my beloved local Boots and ask the pharmacist.

Having noted that you can't buy anything from the pharmacy counter these days without getting a long lecture, I left myself an hour spare. Sure enough, I got the full spiel about lozenges, despite telling her I wasn't interested in them. Anyway, eventually she got round to answering my question, and showed me the Nicorette 16 hour patch. This gets around the disturbed sleep problem, as you don't wear it when you go to sleep.

The programme has three stages, represented by the three levels of patch strengths:
Step One - 15mg (full strength) is about breaking your smoking habit. You are still getting the same amount of nicotine but without the cigarettes. Nicorette recommend that you do this for 8 weeks and if you haven't given in to temptation, you go onto the next step. Steps Two & Three - 10mg and 5mg respectively, are about breaking your addiction to the nicotine. You do of these stages for 2 weeks each.

She also took my name and address then game me a 'useful' booklet full of all the advice I had been told or read about giving up. I suppose it was kind of useful to keep it all in one place, although I'm positive the tone of junk mail I'll receive from it w
ont be at all useful. Nonetheless I had my step one patches and I was ready to start, or stop as the case may be, the very next day.

Back at my desk, I thought I'd open the pack and look at the instructions. They seemed fairly straightforward:
*Apply one fresh Nicorette Patch first thing every morning.
*Remove the Patch before going to bed and dispose of it safely.
*Apply the Patch to a clean, dry, hairless area of skin on the front or side of your chest, upper arm or hip.
*Don't apply the Patch to the same spot of skin two days running.
*Don't use the Patch on broken or inflamed skin.
*Never smoke or use other nicotine products at the same time.
*Remember, if you have any questions or are not sure of anything, please ask your pharmacist or local GP for advice and always read the label.
(taken from information leaflet in the box)

These all seemed fairly simple although I was a little worried by the warning not to apply the patch to the same area of skin for two days. My friend said his 24 hour patches had irritated his skin a little, making it red and slightly itchy when he had removed the patch. I guess the warning is to prevent you from severely irritating your skin.

The Step 1 patch actually contains around 25mg of nicotine but only 15mg is released in a 16 hour stretch. I'm not really sure of how this works but the pack states that there is around 0.8mg in each cm squared and the entire patch is 30cm squared. I used to smoke 10 - 20 Marlboro Lights a day, which means my daily nicotine intake was roughly 10mg.

I was recommended to start on step 2, which is 10mg, but a friend of mine who smoked a similar amount to me had a terrible time on this level and didn't manage to quit. I decided if I was going to do it, I'd do it properly!

The application of the patch is very simple. Each pack contains seven individually wrapped patches. To open a patch you simply c
ut along the dotted line with scissors and remove the patch from the foil pack. The patch itself is similar in appearance to a smooth skin-toned plastic plaster (except it has Nicorette emblazoned across it) and is roughly 5cm x 6cm for Step 1. The patches get smaller as the dose gets lower.

The sticky side is protected by a clear plastic backing which is broken by a curved incision. Therefore you simply bend the patch around your fingers and the backing peels away. The silver (sticky) side is very stick and has quite a strong and unpleasant smell but that only lasts a few minutes and it sticks well all day.

I did have trouble one day when I applied the patch to my arm after using moisturiser and it just wouldn't stick, so I had to fix it in place with micro fibre tape (you can imagine how nice that looked!). I'd recommend that you decide where you are having your patch that day and then miss that area out of your moisturising routine that morning. You can always give it double when you go to bed!

One thing I noticed was that for the first few days I wash rushing to get up, showered and ready for my patch before I started to crave cigarettes. I used to have one after my breakfast -around 15-20 minutes after I get up. However, on day five, I was so preoccupied that I completely forgot to apply my patch for two hours! And better than that, I didn't crave a cigarette once!

As I mentioned earlier, you remove the patch before you go to sleep (or after 16 hours if you are one of those all night creatures). Removal is again like a plaster. The patch sometimes even leaves those sticky black marks around the edge. I have also found that my skin hasn't been affected (irritated) by the patch at all except for the initial smarting after I tear it off.

A packet of step one patches costs £15.99 for a weeks worth (7 patches) which to be honest isn't cheap. However, my cigarettes would have cost me slightly more (5 p
acks a week @ £4.30 each = £21.50). Also I don't need an extra pack if I'm going clubbing, or have to pay vending machine prices if I run out in the pub! Also this is a short term expense rather than the infinite cost of cigarettes.

Starting my patches on a Saturday didn't seem like a bad idea to me until it came to the point when I was getting ready to go out. Showering wasn't a problem, as the patches are waterproof if applied correctly (you can even swim in them!) but I found myself hunting through my wardrobe trying to find a suitably sexy top that would cover up the monstrosity! Later in the week I was mortified when it could be plainly seen through my gym top. However, I think this is something that I will just have to get over.

I certainly wouldn't poke fun at anyone wearing one and aside from the obvious drunken 'jokers' offering you a cigarette I can see no disadvantages to wearing your patch with pride! If it's good enough for Sarah Jessica parker, it's good enough for me! Also, a little forward planning in the patch position department could easily overcome this issue.

Now you may have picked up on the fact that I went out drinking on Day One! Ordinarily a night on the town is easily a 20-pack activity so you can imagine how surprised I was when I didn't crave a cigarette once. Even though missblueyedflatmate smoked like a chimney throughout the evening! The only real difference was I realised how smoky it was in all my usual bar haunts! My eyes were stinging a little, and the smell of my clothes and hair repulsed me in the morning but on the plus side, my mouth didn't taste like a used ashtray!

Today is Day Six and I have been astounded by the fact that I haven't CRAVED a cigarette once! I have had the odd whim when I have fancied one, mainly in time of habit, but then I have remembered that I don't smoke and that has been that. Previously I have been in tears when I&
#39;ve quit because I want one so much, but not this time! Clearly, I am still addicted to the nicotine but this habit breaking section is easy peasy, and if that's more than half the battle I've got loads of confidence in my willpower!

I would highly recommend this method to anyone who smokes a similar amount to me and wants to give up. There are some cases that cant use the patches though. You can use them if...
* You are pregnant or breast-feeding. If however you cannot give up smoking without the use of nicotine replacement therapy, you should consult your doctor for advice.
* You are under 18 years of age (unless recommended to do so by your doctor)
* You continue to smoke.
* You suffer from psoriasis, chronic dermatitis or another chronic skin disorder.
* You have an allergy to nicotine or any component of the patch.
(Taken from www.nicorette.com)

I think the last comment is a little odd because surely those who are allergic to nicotine wouldn't have been able to start smoking in the first place! However, here are the other ingredients of the patch:
Medium molecular weight polyisobutylene, low molecular weight poyisobutylene, polybutylene, non-woven polyester, backing film, siliconised release liner.
Sound scary don't they!

I have had little more help than just the patches, in the form of the Nicorette website: www.nicorette.com. It is packed full of information about the products and also lots of useful tips, advice and distractions. My favourite area is the Nicorette forum, which is a message board full of advice and support from other quitters.

They also offer a free download called Desktop Diversions which has four quick games you can play: Swing (an animated Newton's Cradle), Slide (a sliding puzzle), Spot (matching pairs) and Spell (hangman). I have found this invaluable to pass the time when the rest of the studio goes out for a cigarette - at least I don't feel
like I'm doing more work than they are!

In addition you can register on the site for Fresh Start email updates, which are daily email tips and comments about your improving health. Unfortunately you can't tell them what day you gave up on so do try and register on the day you quit. Today I was told that on Day 3 my Carbon Monoxide levels have returned to that of a non-smoker.

Another important factor is the support of my friends and family. My car broke down yesterday and when I finally got to work I had an email from my Mum that simply said,

'If you have set off in your car, had it break down, called the garage, had it towed, caught the tram and the bus, got to work and still not had a cigarette then you are a saint'.

Bless her! Well this one's for you mum! Someone pass me a halo shaped patch!

~ Update ~

I am still doing well - day 19 and not even one real craving yet! I have however cut my patch strength down to a more appropriate level.

I'm now on 5mg patches which is the equivalent of Step 3, although I am using Step 2's cut in half, and here lies my moan!

All of the steps are esentially the same patch but in different sizes. That is, each patch contains 0.83mg of nicotine per cm squared but Step 3 patches are one third of the size (surface area) of step 1.

This is when I noticed I was being conned as Step 3 patches cost exactly the same as Steps 1 and 2! £15.99 regardless! I think this is terrible as Nicorette should be rewarding the quitter with a cost reflective of the product size!

The good news is I have now got 2 weeks of Step 3 on a prescription from my GP! this is only available in some NHS areas so check with your GP. Also if you are on a higher strength you can have up to 4 weeks worth of patches on one £6.10 prescription. That's a saving of £57.86!

God bless the NHS!

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