Nicorette Gum Fresh Mint 4mg 30 Pieces

Nicorette 4mg Gum nicotine replacement therapy for those smoking more than 20 cigarettes a day

    * sugar-free coated gum
    * full strength
    * freshmint flavour

Nicorette Gum is a nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). It is used to relieve withdrawal symptoms and reduce the cravings for nicotine which people get when they stop smoking or when they are cutting down the number of cigarettes they smoke while trying to stop smoking.

If you smoke more than 20 cigarettes a day, this product will help relieve your cravings.

If you smoke 20 or fewer cigarettes a day, 2mg nicotine gum may be more suitable.

When you stop smoking or cut down the number of cigarettes you smoke, your body misses the nicotine that you have been absorbing from the tobacco smoke. You may experience unpleasant feelings and a desire to smoke ("craving"). This shows that you were dependent on nicotine. However, it is the toxins in cigarette smoke such as tar, lead, cyanide and ammonia that cause smoking related disease and death, rather than the nicotine. The benefits of stopping smoking far outweigh any potential risk from using nicotine from NRT.

When you chew Nicorette Gum nicotine is release and passes into your body through the lining of your mouth. The nicotine released from the gum is sufficient to relieve the unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. It will also help to stop the cravings to smoke but Nicorette Gum will not give you the "buzz" you get from a cigarette. Make sure you chew Nicorette Gum correctly to get the best effect.
As well as the effects of nicotine, you could be very attached to the habit of smoking. For example lighting up after a meal or in certain circumstances or when you are with particular people. These rituals are part of your smoking habit which you may have had for many years. To succeed in giving up you should try to avoid situations where you may be tempted to smoke. Think about the times when you are most likely to miss smoking and try to plan how you will cope on these occasions. Changing your routine will help you to break the habit of smoking.

Encouragement and support from your doctor, nurse, pharmacist, friends and family can make giving up less stressful and more successful. For professional advice about giving up smoking, ask your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

Adults over 18 years of age: Because smoking is an addiction, you may find it difficult to give up. Some people may find it easier to set a quit date and stop smoking immediately. Others may benefit from gradually reducing the number of cigarettes they smoke each day until they feel able to set a quit date. If you are ready to stop smoking immediately, follow Programme 1. If you are not ready to quit immediately but would rather stop smoking gradually, follow Programme 2.

Dosage Instructions

How many pieces should you take?

Most people use between 8 and 12 pieces of gum a day
You should not use more than 15 pieces a day
Use only one piece of gum at a time

Programme 1 (Stopping Immediately)

Step 1: 0 - 3 months
Set yourself a quit date, when you are not too stressed and ready to stop smoking. Over a period of 3 months use the gum to relieve the craving to smoke.

Step 2: Weaning period
After 3 months you should be able to reduce the use of the gum. You should try to use fewer pieces of gum each day. When you are using only one or two pieces per day you should stop completely. However you should remember that you might feel a sudden craving to smoke long after you've given up and you can use the gum again if that should happen.

If you need to use the product for longer than 9 months, ask your doctor, nurse or pharmacist for advice.

Programme 2 (Stopping Gradually)

Step 1: 0 - 6weeks
Establish how many cigarettes you smoke. Set yourself a date when you decide to reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke. Use Nicorette Gum whenever you feel the urge to smoke and with the intention to reduce smoking as much as possible. If after 6 weeks you have not managed to reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke, consult your doctor.

Step 2: 6 weeks — 6 months
If you have managed to reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke after 6 week, continue to use Nicorette Gum to reduce your smoking progressively until you feel ready, to attempt to stop smoking completely. You should aim to stop smoking completely by 6 months. If you have not made a serious attempt to stop smoking completely within 9 months you should speak to your doctor.

Step 3: 6 months —9 months
When you're ready to stop smoking completely, cut out all cigarettes and continue to use Nicorette Gun for up to another 3 months to relieve the cravings to smoke.

Step 4: Weaning period
3 months after you have stopped smoking completely, you should be able to reduce the use of the gum. You should try to use fewer pieces of gun each day. When you are using only one or two pieces a day, you should stop completely. However you should remember that you may feel a sudden craving to smoke long after you've given up and you can use the gum again if this should happen.

If you need to use the product for longer than 9 month from the time you give up cigarettes, ask your doctor, nurse or pharmacist for advice.

Children 12 years and over

Use the number of pieces of gum as recommended for adults. Children 12 years and over should only use NRT for up to 12 weeks. The steps below should be followed when using this product.

Stopping immediately (Programme 1)
Step 1: Over an 8 week period use the gum to relieve the cravings to smoke.

Step 2: After 8 weeks reduce the use of the gum over the next 4 weeks.

You should try to use fewer pieces of gum each day. When you reduce usage to only 1 or 2 pieces per day you should stop completely.

If you need to use this medicine for longer than 12 weeks, consult your doctor, nurse or pharmacist for advice.

Stopping gradually (Programme 2)
Stopping gradually is an option if you are unable to stop immediately. However, as the recommended duration of NRT treatment in children 12 years and over is 12 weeks, you should seek advice from your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before attempting to stop gradually.

Do not give to children under 12 years

Each gum contains 4 milligrams of nicotine, which is the active ingredient.

Other ingredients in Nicorette Freshmint 4mg Gum are:
Chewing gum base, xylitol, acesulfame potassium, sodium carbonate, peppermint oil, menthol, polacrilin, magnesium oxide, quinoline yellow E104 (yellow colour), titanium dioxide E171 (white colour), talc. acacia and carnauba wax.
The chewing gum base contains butylated hydroxy toluene, (E321) an anti-oxidant.

Contains no sugar (sucrose) or animal products

Like all medicines, Nicorette Gum can have side- effects. These effects are rarely serious. As many of the effects are due to nicotine they can also occur when nicotine is obtained by smoking.

Some unwanted effects you may notice when you first start to use Nicorette Gum for the first time include hiccups, sore throat, increased saliva in your mouth, mild indigestion or heartburn. These effects may be due to using too much Nicorette Gum, chewing it continuously or swallowing too much nicotine released from the gum. You may also feel faint of sick or get headaches. Please read the chewing instructions again.

Other commonly reported side-effects include dizziness, vomiting, sore mouth or jaw-muscle ache. Chest palpitations, redness or itching of the skin have also occurred but reports of this are uncommon.

Very rarely abnormal beating of the heart has been reported.

If you develop an allergic reaction (swelling of the mouth and tongue, itching of the skin, ulceration and inflammation of the lining of the mouth), palpitations, and uneven (irregular), heart beat or bad indigestion, stop using the Nicorette Gum, do not smoke and contact a doctor immediately.

You may experience some unwanted effects because by stopping smoking you have reduced the amount of nicotine you are taking. These effects are nicotine withdrawal symptoms and include irritability/aggression, feeling low, anxiety, restlessness, poor concentration, increased appetite/weight gain, urges to smoke ('craving'), night-time awakenings/sleep disturbance and lowering of your heart rate. You may nicotine withdrawal symptoms if you use too few pieces of Nicorette Gum before you are ready to reduce your nicotine intake.

When you stop smoking, you may experience mouth ulcers. The reason why this happens is unknown.

If you notice these or any other unwanted effects not listed in this leaflet you should tell your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.
Do not use Nicorette Gum if: you have an allergy to nicotine or any of the other ingredients in your Nicorette Gum Before you use Nicorette Gum: There are some circumstances (listed below) where you should consult your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before using Nicorette Gum:

    * If you are pregnant or breast-feeding - you should try to give up smoking without the use of nicotine replacement therapy
    * If you have heart disease (including heart attack and disorders of heart rate and/or rhythm) or have suffered a stroke for which you are in hospital. In other heart conditions not requiring you to be in hospital, using NRT is better than continuing to smoke.
    * If you have high blood pressure that is not adequately controlled by treatment.
    * If you have a stomach or duodenal ulcers and/or inflammation of the oesophagus (passage between the mouth and stomach).
    * If you have serious liver or kidney disease.
    * If you have an overactive thyroid gland or have a phaeochromocytoma (a tumour of the adrenal gland that can affect blood pressure) - your doctor will have told you this.
    * If you have diabetes - you should monitor your blood sugar levels more often when starting to use Nicorette Gum as you may find your insulin/medication requirements alter.
    * If you are taking any other medicines such as theophylline, clozapine or ropinirole. Stopping smoking or reducing the number of cigarettes you smoke may require the dose to be adjusted.
    * If you have been told you have an intolerance to certain sugars. Nicorette 4mg Gum contains sorbitol. Nicorette Mint 4mg Gum and Nicorette Freshmint 4mg Gum do not contain sorbitol.
    * Nicorette Gums contain butylated hydroxy toluene (E321) which may irritate your mouth Pregnancy: Smoking during pregnancy is associated with risks such as poor growth of the baby before birth, premature birth or stillbirth. Stopping smoking is the single most effective intervention for improving both your health and that of your baby and the earlier smoking stops the better. Ideally, stopping smoking during pregnancy should be achieved without NRT. However if you have tried and this is not possible, NRT may be recommended to help as the risk to the developing baby is less than that expected from continued smoking. The decision to use NRT should be made as early on in the pregnancy as possible with the aim of discontinuing use as soon as possible. Products that are used intermittently may be preferable to nicotine patches. However, patches may be preferred if you have nausea or sickness. Patches, if used, should be removed before going to bed at night. Breast-feeding: Tobacco smoke produces breathing and other problems in babies and children. If you need to use NRT to help you quit, the amount of nicotine that the baby may receive is considerably smaller and less harmful than the second-hand smoke they would otherwise be breathing in. You are best to use NRT products that are taken intermittently (i.e. not patches) and try to breast-feed at a time just before you use the product to ensure that the baby gets the smallest amount of nicotine possible.

Do not use the gum after the 'Use before' date on the box or blister strip.
Keep Nicorette Gum out of reach and sight of children and animals as nicotine in high doses can be very dangerous and sometimes fatal if taken by small children
Do not store Nicorette Gum above 25°C
Dispose of Nicorette Gum sensibly

1 box

To view this product's Patient Information Leaflet, click here.