nicotine gums addictive

[ampan75]

is gum addictive, I read some feedback suggesting so.

[Iamkfaz]

yes it is, anything with nicotine is addictive.  I have several friends who chew the gym all day long.

[ampan75]

thanks. will u suggest for it to quit. for cravings.

[YoungAtHeart]

I don't like the gum as a quitting aid because the addict controls the dose....and thus can substitute a piece of gum for every cigarette they used to smoke.  This does nothing to help them wean off of the drug, and doesn't give them the tools necessary to deal with life without it.   I have also seen people become addicted to it, and continue to use it for years.  If you use the gum as a very last resort and try EVERYTHING else we recommend to get past a crave first, it can be a helpful tool.

Looking at your blogs, it seems to me that you are looking for a magic bullet that will quit FOR you....sorry to say there is no such thing.  This endeavor takes education, preparation, planning, commitment and support to be successful.  The smoking addiction has two parts - physical AND psychological and as such, it takes some effort on your part to ditch it.

Nancy

[ampan75]

Nancy I am doing my research before quit day. harder the quit difficult is stay. cold turkey without support fails as this site says and suggest to have NRT. be smart.

[JonesCarpeDiem]

This site makes a lot of claims people don't wholly agree with.

[YoungAtHeart]

There are plenty of folks here who were successful quitting Cold Turkey (we call it Smart Turkey). The nicotine is out of your system around three days and then it's your body adjusting to life without it.  The site recommendation to use an NRT is based on studies that I don't necessarily agree with........You are right to do your research and determine what you think will work best for YOU.  Some folks need to work on the psychological addiction without working on the physical one to nicotine and for those people, NRT's can be a help.  Some folks don't want to continue using nicotine and for them Smart Turkey or one of the Rx drugs is a good choice.  Do all the reading you can - then make your decision!

Nancy

[Posamari]

Yes. It's nicotine just like cigarettes but the method of delivery is different. A friend of mine has had the gum addiction now for 8 yrs.  He chews from the time he gets up in the morning til he goes to bed. Also has dental problems because of the chronic gum chewing. 

[Deb-EX]

I am 26 days smoke free using the "Nicotine Patch" I choose the patch because it's easy to use, it controls the amount of nicotine that I get during the day and not me. I'm using the 21mg patch which is the recommended starting dose if you smoke more than 20 cigarettes a day. I also keep it on for the 24 hours... I do not take it off at night like some people do because of bad dreams, I haven't experienced that side effect. I highly suggest the patch if are not ready to go cold turkey like me.

What I also like about the patch is that I have been able to concentrate on mental addiction of smoking, before I try to conquer physical addiction of smoking. Don't get me wrong in any way though, while the patch definitely helps ease the nicotine withdrawals.. it's not the cure all...  You still have to put the work into your quit.

After 35 years of smoking, honestly I never thought I could make it through 1 day.. 26 days is a miracle. This support group has been a God send to me.. Between the patch and the EX support group I have been successful in ways that I never thought possible.. I feel so very blessed.

 My husband used the nicotine lozengers for his quit, however he used them for a couple of YEARS before he finally gave them up.  We never even realized he was ADDICTED to them. 

I wish YOU the best of luck in what ever you choose in your quit! Smoke Free is the best feeling ever.

[elvan]

No one and no thing is going to quit for you...you have to accept that this is a journey and it is not easy, it is one step at a time and baby steps count.  I did not use any NRT but I do not have anything against it, I do think, from what I have observed here, that the best method is probably the patch.  It maintains a bit more control than giving the addict the gum or the lozenges or whatever else is out there.  It's important to start with the right dose and to figure out what you need because there will be fewer side effects.  I do believe that the success of your quit is going to be based upon your commitment to it, the time you are willing to put into education about nicotine addiction, and your involvement on this site.  I came here first thing in the morning...instead of smoking and I came here last thing at the end of the day.  When I was able, I came here DURING the day as well.  I read blogs, I commented, I connected with people, I asked for advice and I received it and I ACCEPTED it.  I knew that anyone with a successful quit knew something that I didn't know.  I paid attention to the elders...then I became one, much to my great surprise.  I smoked for 47 years and had many failed quits. The longest times I stayed quit were during pregnancies because the smell of the smoke made me sick.  I always went back to smoking because I never developed a plan, I never received the education that is imperative to have a healthy quit.  I have not smoked since January of 2014 and it is because of this site, the people on this site, the education from this site, the support from this site...you CAN do this.  You have to be willing to go through some things that will change your life for the better.

Ellen