{"id":69973,"date":"2022-01-14T08:23:30","date_gmt":"2022-01-14T13:23:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ottawahospital.on.ca\/?p=69973"},"modified":"2022-12-12T13:29:29","modified_gmt":"2022-12-12T18:29:29","slug":"do-nicotine-replacement-products-work-expert-answers-to-your-stop-smoking-questions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ottawahospital.on.ca\/en\/healthy-tomorrows\/do-nicotine-replacement-products-work-expert-answers-to-your-stop-smoking-questions\/","title":{"rendered":"Do nicotine replacement products work? Expert answers to your stop smoking questions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Deciding to quit smoking is one of the best things you can do for your health, but the prospect of dealing with nicotine withdrawal and other effects can be daunting.&nbsp; Emilie Serano, an advanced practice nurse in smoking cessation at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute provides practical, evidence-based answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about quitting smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"192\" height=\"247\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ottawahospital.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Emilie_Serano_The_Ottawa_Hospital-1.png\" alt=\"Emilie Serano\" class=\"wp-image-69970\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Quit-smoking expert Emilie Serano at The Ottawa Hospital answers frequently asked questions about nicotine replacement products and quitting for good.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Remember, The Ottawa Hospital has several <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ottawahospital.on.ca\/en\/healthy-tomorrows\/do-you-want-to-quit-smoking-we-have-resources-to-help-you\/\">smoking cessation programs<\/a> for both patients and people in the community to support you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What makes nicotine so addictive?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.canada.ca\/en\/health-canada\/services\/smoking-tobacco\/effects-smoking\/smoking-your-body\/nicotine-addiction.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Nicotine is so addictive<\/a> in tobacco because of how fast it hits your brain and how powerful that hit is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As soon as nicotine is absorbed in your lungs, your brain releases neurotransmitters (chemical messengers) such as dopamine into your brain within about ten seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Do nicotine replacement products work?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Nicotine replacement products like gums, lozenges, inhalers, patches and sprays can be effective tools to help people stop smoking, but they do not act instantly, as nicotine does.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>Product<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Time to take effect<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Gum<\/td><td>2 to 5 minutes<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Lozenge<\/td><td>2 to 5 minutes<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Inhaler<\/td><td>2 to 5 minutes<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Patch<\/td><td>1 to 2 hours<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Spray<\/td><td>1 minute<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Talk to your smoking cessation counsellor about what nicotine replacement product might be right for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Aren\u2019t nicotine patches harmful?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>No. Nicotine is the addictive ingredient in a cigarette, but it does not cause cancer, lung damage or heart disease. The harm from smoking comes from the thousands of chemicals contained in cigarette smoke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can I get addicted to nicotine replacement products?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A lot of people shy away from nicotine gums, inhalers, patches and sprays out of fear that they are themselves addictive. These products are absorbed through the mouth or skin\u2014not the lungs, meaning that the absorption is much slower. So your risk of addiction is much lower.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">I\u2019m sick in the hospital.&nbsp; Does it really matter if I quit now?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Definitely. Whether you\u2019ve been smoking your whole adult life, or have just been diagnosed with cancer, it is worth quitting because you can start to see improvements in your health within eight hours of your last cigarette.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Quitting smoking can:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Prevent you from having to be readmitted to the hospital.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Prevent infections.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Prevent you from having to use an oxygen tank.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>There are no guarantees, but by quitting smoking, you are stopping any damage that continuing to smoke could cause. It doesn\u2019t matter how old you are or what condition your health is in. It\u2019s never too late to quit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What happens when I quit smoking?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Good thigs happen in eight hours after your last cigarette, and continue to benefit you years into the <a>future<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"455\" height=\"702\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ottawahospital.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/image.png\" alt=\"The benefits of quitting\" class=\"wp-image-69976\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ottawahospital.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/image.png 455w, https:\/\/www.ottawahospital.on.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/image-194x300.png 194w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 455px) 100vw, 455px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What are the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Nicotine is a powerfully addictive chemical, so your body will most likely feel uncomfortable when it does not get as much nicotine as it\u2019s used to.&nbsp; Here are some symptoms of nicotine withdrawal:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Feeling restless<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Feeling irritable or grouchy<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Feeling anxious<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Feeling depressed<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Having trouble concentrating<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Having trouble sleeping<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Medication or natural supplements such as nicotine replacement products will help lessen the withdrawal symptoms, which will make you more comfortable and make it easier to reduce or quit.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">I\u2019ve tried quitting before and failed.&nbsp; Why should I try again?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Try to reframe the way you think about your \u201cfailures.\u201d They\u2019re more like trial runs. The more times you try to quit smoking, the more likely you are to quit for good. Every time you try, you learn something new about yourself, and you bring that knowledge forward to your next attempt. It\u2019s like adding a new piece to a puzzle.&nbsp; Eventually all the pieces will be in place.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Do I have to quit cold turkey?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>No. Setting a quit date can be a big barrier for a lot of people. Many people rebel against this idea and think to themselves, \u2018Well, I can\u2019t see myself quitting in the next year, so I\u2019m not even going to try.\u2019 Or \u2018I don\u2019t want to fail again.\u2019 The more pressure on a particular date, the more stress you\u2019ll feel and the more likely you\u2019ll be to reach for a cigarette to manage that stress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A more gradual approach is often more realistic. If you feel a craving, try the four \u201cD\u201ds:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Delay: Try to wait 15 to 30 minutes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Distract: Do something you enjoy to keep your mind off smoking.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Drink water: A glass of water can offer a healthy distraction and can help you feel satisfied.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Deep breathing: This can help reduce your stress.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Over time, your brain will no longer associate certain patterns with smoking, helping you quit for good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why else should I quit smoking?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to improving your health, there are many other <a href=\"https:\/\/www.canada.ca\/en\/health-canada\/services\/smoking-tobacco\/quit-smoking\/benefits-quitting.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">benefits to quitting smoking<\/a>.&nbsp; For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>You\u2019ll save money on cigarettes and tobacco products.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Your life and house insurance premiums may go down.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Smoking cigarettes will no longer control your life.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You won&#8217;t have to search for places that will let you smoke.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You&#8217;ll feel proud of yourself for overcoming something so challenging.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How can I support my loved one who wants to quit smoking?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Smokers\u2019 Helpline is a really good resource for family and friends who want to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.smokershelpline.ca\/static\/help-someone-quit\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">support their loved one on their smoking cessation journey<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019ve seen well-meaning people try to micromanage their spouse\u2019s smoking.&nbsp; They have the best intentions, but resentment and stress levels may rise, which could result in a smoker turning to cigarettes to relieve the stress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s important that people come up with a plan together so that there\u2019s a balance: there\u2019s enough motivation to keep the person going on their journey to quit, but not enough pressure or stress to make them want to give up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re not sure how to help, ask them what kind of support they need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">It&#8217;s never too late to quit, and you aren\u2019t alone.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Contact a quit smoking program through The Ottawa Hospital or the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ottawaheart.ca\/clinic\/quit-smoking-program\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Quit Smoking Program<\/a>&nbsp; at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute for support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do for your health, but that doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s easy.  Learn evidence-based answers to common smoking cessation questions to help you quit for good.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":69974,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[13,412],"class_list":["post-69973","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-healthy-tomorrows","tag-cancer","tag-population-health"],"acf":[],"wps_subtitle":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ottawahospital.on.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69973","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ottawahospital.on.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ottawahospital.on.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ottawahospital.on.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ottawahospital.on.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=69973"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ottawahospital.on.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69973\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ottawahospital.on.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/69974"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ottawahospital.on.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=69973"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ottawahospital.on.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=69973"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ottawahospital.on.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=69973"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}