Nicotine Replacement Therapy and Nicotine Patches
Did you know that tobacco use around the world causes more than 7 million deaths per year? It is a type of substance that releases a large amount of dopamine into the body causing people to be addicted to the sensation. To combat the rising epidemic, researchers have developed a type of therapy called Nicotine Replacement Therapy.
What is Nicotine Replacement Therapy? Well, Nicotine Replacement Therapy is the most widely prescribed group of quit-smoking drugs. It works by delivering a small dose of nicotine, which helps to satisfy nicotine cravings while also lowering cigarette use. To give us a better perspective as to how this system works, we are going to focus on a specific type of NRT known as Nicotine Patches
Developed by Dr. Frank Etscorn in the mid-’80s, these patches function as a 24-hour delivery system of transporting a small amount of nicotine is transferred through the skin at a relatively constant rate. Depending on your smoking habit, the delivery system comes in three different doses: 7, 14, or 21 mg.
How do we know that the Patches are efficient? Well, according to a meta-analysis published by PubMed.gov called “The effectiveness of the nicotine patch for smoking cessation,” The results have shown that the nicotine patch is an effective smoking cessation tool. In their trial, The researchers gave half of the volunteers a placebo patch and the other half a nicotine patch. They concluded that the volunteers who used an active patch are more than twice as likely to stop smoking than those who wore a placebo patch, and this impact was demonstrated at both high and low therapy level
The main advantage of the patches is that they are easy to use. Some disadvantages that come with using patches include skin irritation, sleep disturbance, sweating, and vomiting. Nicotine Patches are the type of NRT available for purchase over the counter at any drug pharmacy. In the current market, brands such as Nicoderm or Niquitin are excellent choices for Step 1 patches. Each pack contains 14 nicotine patches in quantities of 21 mg, making it simple to use. Adult or smokers who consume upwards of 10 cigarettes every day, Nicoderm also offers a ten-week quit smoking program that needs you to wear one patch every day for the first six weeks.
Other types of NRT include Gum, Nasal Spray, Inhaler, Lozenge. Combining different types of NRT with other strategies such as group therapy for quitting can significantly improve your chances of quitting and staying quiet.
What are your thoughts on the matter? Is Nicotine Replacement Therapy, such as Nicotine Patches, effective in helping patients quit smoking?