I'm 2 weeks into my quit and facing an unfortunate setback. My planned NRT, and NRT of choice as I don't participate in the decision about how much nicotine goes into my body, turned on me. I started noticing that over the past week, each time i removed the patch the skin irritation under got redder, itchier and eventually started to swell. After taking my self to urgent care yesterday I was informed I was having an allergic reaction and instructed to stop the patch immediately or the reaction could become systemic and cause bigger issues.
I tried another brand with a different type of adhesive and the same thing happened - it could be I'm allergic to all varieties of adhesives or that my system is flared so I'm going to react either way.
Regardless, instead of giving up and going to get a new JUUL, i got some nicotine gum. I was using the 21mg patch and opted for the 2mg gum. Has anyone else had to change NRT in the early stages of their quit? What were your experiences? I've been so focused on using the patch I haven't paid much attention to stories about the gum. Hoping someone will share their positive experience - in desperate need of a little hope on this slightly depressing day 15.
Thank you.
Wow - sorry this is happening to you! Like - you didn't need MORE stress??!! 15 days is a GREAT start, though!
The website for Nicorette recommends that you use the 4 mg if you smoke your first cigarette within 30 minutes of getting up in the morning. They didn't seem to link the number of cigarettes smoked to the dosage of the gum.
I recommend that you only use the gum as a very last resort. Change up your routines, stay busy, and put off each use as long as you can. Subbing it for every cigarette you used to smoke might lead you to become addicted to IT!
If you start with the 4 mg gum, you can begin to wean yourself from it by first going to the 2 mg. Then, you can cut each piece in half, then in quarters, then sub regular gum of the same flavor in between, adding more and more regular gum.
Don't let this railroad you out of your quit. You have a good start - adjust and keep doing all the other things you are doing.
Let us know how it goes!
Nancy