Many of its users are found to develop addiction to nicotine gum, a product which is often used to wean off smoking.
Smoking is undoubtedly one of the most dangerous habits that you can develop in your lifetime. It can cause harm to your health and at the same time, affects others too. Apart from nicotine, cigarette smoke is found to contain around 4000 chemicals. Among them, 200 are said to be poisonous and 60 are believed to be carcinogens. Even though long-term use of nicotine is harmful for health, it is not as damaging as the chemicals found in cigarette smoke. This is the reason why nicotine replacement therapy is used as one of the successful methods that help people quit smoking.
Small doses of nicotine are administered to smokers for a short period of time, so as to reduce the intensity of withdrawal symptoms that may be experienced by those who try to get rid of smoking. Nicotine products like gum, patch, spray, tablets and lozenges are used for this purpose. Even though, many smokers have benefited by using these products, there are many who develop addiction to these products. In other words, smokers using nicotine products to get rid of smoking may eventually get addicted to these products. They may find it really difficult to overcome nicotine addiction.
Nicotine Gum Addiction Signs
This is one of those products that is widely used to wean off smoking. It is nothing other than chewing gum with a small amount of nicotine. Each nicotine chewing gum contains around 2 to 4 grams of nicotine and this amount is roughly similar to the nicotine content in one or two cigarettes. The dosage of nicotine gum is determined on the basis of the smoking habits of the user and nicotine content in the specific brand.
Nicotine in the chewing gum is absorbed into the blood stream, through the mouth tissues. Usually, use of nicotine gum is recommended for a period of three months after stopping smoking cigarettes. While most of the users are successful in quitting smoking without getting addicted to any other nicotine product, some are found to develop an addiction for the latter.
Even though, this gum is not as harmful as cigarettes, long-term use, that too in large doses can be dangerous for the body. Nicotine gum side effects start with minor headaches, increased saliva production, frequent hiccups, indigestion, jaw pain and mouth sores. The person may develop constriction of the throat muscles and gum diseases. Some of the users may develop allergic reactions too.
In case of pregnant woman, use of this nicotine product may lead to birth defects in the baby. If chewed fast, it can cause dizziness, nausea and vomiting. Those addicted to this nicotine product are found to increase the use of this product day by day. If discontinued, they will develop withdrawal symptoms like anxiety, increased craving for the gum, difficulty concentrating, sleep disturbances, increased appetite and weight gain.
Ways to Overcome Nicotine Gum Addiction
While long-term use of this gum could be harmful to health, another problem is the expenses that is incurred. This product is quite expensive and unabated use is enough to burn a hole in your pocket. The sad part is that you are switching over from one addiction to another. If you want to get rid of nicotine gum addiction, then you have to be determined. Think about your efforts to stop smoking. If you can become successful in quitting smoking, nicotine addiction is a minor thing that can be tackled with strong determination.
Try to reduce the use of nicotine gum on a gradual basis. If you consume approximately fifteen gums a day, try chewing thirteen for two, three days. Then gradually reduce it 11, 9, 7, 5, 3, 1 and finally, zero. So, you can quit these gums completely within a period of one month. Work out a plan and execute it, without fail. You may also try replacing the product with regular gum, so that you can overcome nicotine gum addiction.
Another method is to go cold turkey and discontinue its use all of a sudden. You have to withstand the withdrawal symptoms and get out of the addiction. Some people suggest that sleep is one of the best ways to avoid experiencing withdrawal symptoms. All you have to do is to discontinue its use and refrain from sleeping for at least a day. Now, sleep through the next two days. By following this method, you may get rid of nicotine addiction, without experiencing the worst part of addiction symptoms.
In short, overcoming nicotine gum addiction is not a Himalayan task. If you are determined to get out of this habit, then nothing can prevent you from doing that. If you fail in your efforts, contact your doctor, who can help you out. You may also try other methods like acupuncture, hypnosis, etc. Even yoga and meditation may prove useful in this task.
