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Nicobrevin Gum is perhaps one of the most bizarre aids to giving up smoking that you will come across. It's a nicotine free gum, claimed to be at its most effective when used along side the 'Nicobrevin 28 Day Capsule Course' (also nicotine free) but available to purchase alone as a support ... Read review
Advantages: Cheaper and healthier than 20 ciggies Disadvantages: Didn't stop me smoking
...a while.
Nicobrevin Gum is perhaps one of the most bizarre aids to giving up smoking that you will come across. It's a nicotine free gum, claimed to be at its most effective when used along side the 'Nicobrevin 28 Day Capsule Course' (also nicotine free) but available to purchase alone as a support to break the habitual side of smoking addiction.
The theory is that when you get the urge to reach for a ciggie you reach ... ...
My Nicobrevin hell
===============
Day 1
-------
08.00 - wake up, want a ciggie, have a piece of gum instead. YUK! Chew a bit, YUK! Chew a bit more, YUK!
08.10 - still chewing, YUK! Can't stand the taste any longer. Spit out gum, have ciggie, feel so much better.
09.00 - hmmm, ciggie time? No! Piece of gum. YUK! Tastes as vile as it did before. Chew ... more
I wasn't surprised that this category, prior to my op, was empty. In order to review a product and give an opinion on it you do have to try and gain some familiarity with it. Quite frankly when I tried this gum I had an overwhelming urge to spit it out and smoke a whole packet of ciggies rather than give up. But I persisted with it for a while.
Nicobrevin Gum is perhaps one of the most bizarre aids to giving up smoking that you will come across. It's a nicotine free gum, claimed to be at its most effective when used along side the 'Nicobrevin 28 Day Capsule Course' (also nicotine free) but available to purchase alone as a support to break the habitual side of smoking addiction.
The theory is that when you get the urge to reach for a ciggie you reach for the gum instead. You simply chew a piece until the taste disappears, and can have up to 20 pieces a day, (the box claims most people use about 10 pieces a day).
The ingredients of the gum are - Gum base, Sweeteners (Isomalt, Aspartame, Acesulphame K) Menthol and Eucalyptus flavour, 50mg Passiflora Extract 4:1, 50mg Chamomile Extract 4:1, Vitamin C 30mg, Silicon Dioxide, Talc, Magnesium Stearate - very tasty... NOT!
Anyway, facts aside for the moment, here's my short and not so sweet relationship with it...
My Nicobrevin hell ===============
Day 1 -------
08.00 - wake up, want a ciggie, have a piece of gum instead. YUK! Chew a bit, YUK! Chew a bit more, YUK!
08.10 - still chewing, YUK! Can't stand the taste any longer. Spit out gum, have ciggie, feel so much better.
09.00 - hmmm, ciggie time? No! Piece of gum. YUK! Tastes as vile as it did before. Chew a bit, YUK!
09.15 - fighting the urge to spit. Still chewing, YUK! Have a cup of tea, tastes fowl, damn gum. Still chewing, YUK!
09.20 - I feel sick. Still chewing though, YUK! Nope, can't do it, my jaw is aching, I have to spit. Have ciggie, feel better.
10.10 - Want a ciggie, am having a ciggie, sod the gum, will try again later...
Day 2 -------
07.45 - wake up, want a ciggie, have a piece of gum instead. YUK! Chew a bit, YUK! Chew a bit more, YUK!
08.05 - Still chewing, that's 20 mins now. Still chewing, YUK! Feeling sick again. Still chewing, YUK!
08.10 - I just cannot stand much more. Think I need a ciggie now. Spit gum out. Light up, sit back, enjoy.
09.05 - want a ciggie. Have gum instead. YUK! Chew, chew, YUK! Still want a ciggie. Still chewing, YUK!
09.10 - sod this, I'm having a ciggie...
Day 3 and 4 ---------------
Pretty much a repeat of days 1 and 2 with an assortment of different times, but the very same feelings of sickness and cravings for a ciggie...
Day 5 --------
06.30 - wake up, want ciggie, have ciggie, bin gum...
Okay, so maybe I didn't give it long enough, but I really felt when I got to day 5 that this gum was if anything hindering any chance I had of giving up smoking, rather than actually helping me break the habit.
The gum itself is a nasty browny green colour, and the taste is simply rank. A sort of herbal infusion, unbearably sweet too, and extremely strong. It invaded my taste buds to the extent of making all consequent meals and drinks seem positively revolting. YUK! YUK! YUK!
Chewing the Nicobrevin Gum did nothing to relieve my desire for a ciggie. The fowl taste was a constant reminder of smoking - I was putting myself through hell in an attempt not to smoke, and it just didn't work. In terms of time that the gum allowed me to be ciggie free, quite frankly I could've lasted longer with a stick of Wriggleys.
In brief defence of the product, I did admittedly try it alone rather than with the capsule course that is recommended, and I failed to last the 28 days. But both products are nicotine free, and pumping an assortment of herbs, vitamins, and sweeteners into my body was never likely to compensate for the nicotine I'm used to.
Probably the most useful thing about the pack of Nicobrevin Gum was the accompanying leaflet entitled 'Some important hints on self help', but realistically it did not include anything that I hadn't heard or considered before.
It covered all the normal guidelines for successfully giving up smoking, with the key one being 'Be determined'. Yup, it's just a fancy way of saying 'You need willpower'. If I had enough bl**dy willpower to give up by myself I wouldn't be trying the darn gum would I?
Well, as you've no doubt guessed, I am not recommending it. If you've given up smoking aided by this gum (or by any method) you have my utmost respect and admiration for sticking with it, but most of all for using your willpower to succeed.
Should you still want to try this gum, it’ll set you back around £2.50 for a pack of 10 pieces. If you want to try the capsules too you’re looking at in the region of £28.00 for the 28 day course. So, for a combined gum/capsule course taken as suggested it’d be in the region of £100. Nicobrevin is widely available both on and offline, not requiring a prescription to obtain it.
* Please Note - Nicobrevin should not be used by those who are pregnant or breast feeding *
