... (And a lot of remembering to buy it, and remembering that pubs, clubs, most shops you normally buy fags from won’t sell you Nicorette gum: A lot of planning ahead!).
But before I close there is, some, redeeming features of the gum and I feel obliged to list them.
Good point of ... Read review
Advantages: No tar will be entering you Disadvantages: You will become a nicotine junky
...fags from won’t sell you Nicorette gum: A lot of planning ahead!).
But before I close there is, some, redeeming features of the gum and I feel obliged to list them.
Good point of the gum:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. If used properly by someone with a steely will power the gum will help and make it easier on you (and others) to quit smoking. Replacing the nicotine source will stop you smoking ... ...sparking up!
Nicorette gum?
Nice idea, just didn’t work for me.
For anyone that's interested I have written more on how to quit smoking. I have a diary at Home » Health & Beauty » Health » Giving Up Smoking » Member's Advice » Member's Advice to Giving Up Smoking » How to quit smoking, my story
I am not trying to plug my own ops. I just feel that if someone came here for help whats the harm of pointing ... more
Before we get to whether it works or not, it’s important to know why I wrote this! I wrote an opinion on this stuff, coz I've tried the gum and I now know the truth about the gum. Also I am a 20 a day smoker and I want to quit.
So…
I brought (well my lovely girlf brought me) 30 pieces of 4mg Mint gum, £7.49 it cost.
We went for the 4mg gum as it is the strongest available, there is also 2mg available. We chose the 30-piece packet, as 15 seemed to few, and 105 far to many. Mint was her choice.
Inside your packet of gum you will find a very helpful pamphlet on which packet suits you best. (Not very helpful once you’ve brought it though!) The advice is very helpful though. It tells you to work out how much you smoke and what gum will suit your tastes best.
It also gives loads of maxims and handy tips on how to quit. Some are good, but most you will have heard before. In truth it’s you that will make you quit, not a maxim. (Unless you’re a maxim lover)
Purchasing advice: ~~~~~~~~~~~
If you smoke less than 20 a day get the 2mg (Low Strength) gum, more than 20, 4mg gum (Full Strength).
Get sugar free if you have less than perfect teeth, as you will have something sugary next to your teeth for over half an hour at a time. (So get sugar-free)
Buy a small packet first, 15 pieces or 30. Don’t go crazy and waste your money on 105-piece packet and then find you can’t stand the stuff.
The main problem about the gum: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now here’s the stinker.
You have to chew this gum in a special way! (Yeah I know) Unfortunately you cannot just whip a piece into your mouth every time you want a smoke and then chew away. Oh no.
You have to chew how they say or you will become sick. (Actually ill)
How to chew gum: ~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. Chew slowly until taste is strong. 2. Rest between gum and cheek. 3. Chew again when taste has faded.
That’s is what it says on the back of all the manuals and packets, three easy steps to relief.
WRONG, here are the real steps.
How you will chew the gum: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. When homicide level increases to an uncontrollable level hunt for gum packet. 2. Take care to not allow anyone to see you do it, so as avoid all the “Are you giving up?“ questions. (OF COURSE I’M GIVING UP, DO THINK I CHEW THIS STUFF FOR FUN!) 3. Rip open packet and throw gum into mouth and sit shaking wondering when nicotine will kick in. 4. Try to chew softly as instructed and await any flavour in your mouth. 5. Nearly gagging on the horrible taste now filling your mouth of nicotine, halt chewing. 6. Jam gum into back part of your mouth somewhere uncomfortable between your gum and teeth. 7. Realize you probably look like a gopher with a huge piece of half chewed gum in your mouth and surreptitiously smooth it over through your cheek with your hand. 8. Try not to swallow any of the saliva built up in your mouth as your throat already burns from the last piece you had. 9. Try to stabilize your moods with new nicotine input. 10. Feel very light headed from way too much nicotine at once. 11. Chew again 2mins later loving the new, huge, nicotine hits you are getting. 12. Still crave cigarette, as gum is nothing like a fag.
You will become sick? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yes unfortunately you will become very sick if you chew like normal gum. The theory of the gum is that as you chew nicotine will be released into your mouth and absorbed through your gums. Which is great. Except nicotine is really poisonous and will irritate your mouth, your throat and if enough gets into your tummy, you will feel very sick indeed. The problem is that 4mg of nicotine is loads, roughly 8 of my normal fags. So when you chew most of the nicotine will go down your throat and not be absorbed where it should be. So you don’t get to chew much, which is unfortunately one of the few things that would relieve your cravings. (Try a lollypop apparently they work)
Second problem: ~~~~~~~~~~
As I said above 4mg is roughly 8 cigarettes of nicotine. If you only have 4 pieces a day and you normally smoke 20 a day. You will actually be taking in more nicotine than you would smoking. Which when / if you fail quitting is a right pain in butt. If you go back to smoking after the gum your cravings will be huge and worse than ever.
The idea is you’re meant to keep too, is that you gradually reduce the amount of nicotine you require by using less and less of the gum. Lowering the strength and just using less. Which is a good plan.
Unfortunately it’s also an arse plan. If you don’t have enough self-control to stop smoking in the first place, where on earth are going to get the self-control not to get hocked on nicotine now that you don’t smoke.
I’m sorry this is too dangerous a way to quit. I myself got up 10 pieces a day, that’s 40mg on nicotine, that’s 80 fags!!! I was getting through two packets a day once I had failed with the gum. It made me a nicotine junky in under two days, and I thought I was doing well!!!
Third Problem: ~~~~~~~~
The gum is actually more expensive than smoking on a 1-to-1 basis. Say you have one piece of gum for every cigarette you would normally have.
1 cigarette cost : 22p 1 piece of gum : 25p
Okay, that might not seem like much, but in three days you could either smoke 3 packets of fags or use 2 packets of gum.
Again that might seem like hardly anything. But you are not going to quit within a few days; it will probably take you at least 4 weeks to quit. That’s a lot of expensive gum. (And a lot of remembering to buy it, and remembering that pubs, clubs, most shops you normally buy fags from won’t sell you Nicorette gum: A lot of planning ahead!).
But before I close there is, some, redeeming features of the gum and I feel obliged to list them.
Good point of the gum: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. If used properly by someone with a steely will power the gum will help and make it easier on you (and others) to quit smoking. Replacing the nicotine source will stop you smoking and hopefully allow you remove from your life the social and physiological habits you have from smoking.
That’s the good points done :)
Summary: ~~~~~~
I doubt the gum will help and it didn’t help me. It didn’t remove the cravings for a smoke, instead it moved them to the gum and made me a nicotine junky. I also had a sore tummy and throat due to the gum for a week or two. Maybe I just wasn’t the right kind of person for the gum to work on.
But I do know this: When I ran out of gum in the pub and the new HUGE cravings kicked in. It would’ve taken the entire cast of Baywatch and the Knightrider babes standing next to me, naked, getting down to some serious lesbian action, chanting “Come here big boy,” and dragging me back to join in, to stop me getting to that cigarette machine and sparking up!
Nicorette gum? Nice idea, just didn’t work for me.
For anyone that's interested I have written more on how to quit smoking. I have a diary at Home » Health & Beauty » Health » Giving Up Smoking » Member's Advice » Member's Advice to Giving Up Smoking » How to quit smoking, my story I am not trying to plug my own ops. I just feel that if someone came here for help whats the harm of pointing them further. (If anyone objects email me and i will remove this bit)
P.s. I know why we arn't allowed to use special characters for titles. But surely we could be allowed one or two? Or at least question marks?
Advantages: Stops the craving Disadvantages: Burns like mad
I have only been using this gum for a few days, and I am not really looking to quit smoking, just cut down (and then maybe think about quitting), but I felt i had to write a report on how disgusting these things are ! I went for the 4mg gum in so called mint flavour because I smoke about 20 a day (depends on how stressed I am !!), there is also a 2mg gum for people who smoke less than 20 a day. I bought a pack of 24 which cost me £3.98, but had seen ... ...thing, so shop around a little for a better price.
Well I was in bed and started craving a cigarette and as I couldn't be bothered to walk downstairs to get one i decided to try a piece of gum instead. I read the instructions which stated
1)Chew slowly until the taste becomes strong (about 1 minuite).
2)Stop and rest gum against your cheek.
3)When taste fades chew a few times until the taste gets strong, then rest the gum again.
4)Keep chewing ...
upton_girl 06.05.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Nicorette Nicotine Gum Full Strength
Advantages: its worth trying- if you really do want to give up smoking and need some help Disadvantages: could be nothing more than a placebo
WHY do I smoke? Because I am stressed. And I believe smoking helps in some vague way. My stress level goes up, I have a cigarette. I rarely enjoy smoking. But I do feel slightly relieved afterwards. I understand little about the chemistry involved... Scientists reckon nicotine in your blood does something I know-not-what. Scientists reckon if smokers get nicotine in a safer way... they can stop smoking...
I've tried nicotine gum. I vowed when I ... ...light a cigarette ever again- theory being the nicotine in the blood is at its lowest after not smoking for about 8 hours whilst one sleeps. To help this suceed, in the weeks leading up to this dreaded day, I reduced my intake by timing my cigarettes- only one cigarette an hour, only one every 2 hours etc, and forcing myself to stick to this rigidly. (This system may be good for reducing levels of nicotine... but it means you clock-watch and can't ...
No1Tester 20.12.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Nicorette Nicotine Gum Full Strength
Advantages: health Disadvantages: expensive..and expect to use gum for 3 months
...that’s for another op…
Nicorette gum is available in Citrus and Mint in both 2mg and 4 mg and in different sizes
24 pieces is aprox £5.77 2mg
96 pieces aprox £19.00
I have used the gum for a successful for 6 weeks, the first few days were only difficult, because you don’t know what to do with your hands….and I now feel that I could make it. I don’t use more that 6/8 pieces a day ,I tend to take a piece of gum when it seems most natural after ...
Diane22025 21.05.2001 (25.04.2003)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Nicorette Nicotine Gum Full Strength
Advantages: You can smoke (chew them) anywhere :O) Disadvantages: You need willpower to stop chewing it!
...I bought Nicorette chewing gum ‘Low strength’ and went for it! It worked fine, at first it tasted fowl but I got used to the taste and in time I actually preferred the gum to a cigarette! After the three month period I stopped using the gum and within a week I was smoking again! A year or so later I thought I would try again. After all my sisters had given up smoking with the help of Nicorette. Once again I duly bought my pack of Nicorette and started ... ...If I don’t chew a Nicorette for a long period I find that old familiar feeling - the need of that intake of smoke - creeping over me so I grab for a jaw exerciser instead! And I might add, I can smoke where others can’t! I now cut each one in half and have a special little carry pouch for them (I hear you laughing at me) so I just need to slip one out whenever the need takes me and I feel at least a bit better for only chewing a half at a time now ...
mobabs 02.11.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Nicorette Nicotine Gum Full Strength
Advantages: a healthier way of taking in nicotine Disadvantages: Disgusting taste
...and when I purchased the Nicorette 2mg mint gum I was not smoking then either, but I was intaking alot of snuff into my body at the time. I really wanted to kick the habit and the nicotine level in smokeless tobacco seems to be more addictive than that in cigarettes, atleast to me so I was unable to do it on my own. I was in Virginia Beach, Va at the time I decided to pick up this gum, big mistake, and I am not talking about being in Virginia Beach ... ...did not stick with the Nicorette gum, I had just wasted loads of money for less than 5 pieces of gum used. Well now as much of the interesting facts that I can give you about the gum. Nicorette gum comes in 2 different strenghts, 4mg for heavy users and 2 mg for light users. You can get the gum in either Mint or an Orange flavor. I have only tried the Mint, I was too scared to try the other.
To learn more about this gum you can visit the nicorette ...
fun2night4us 25.09.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Nicorette Nicotine Gum Full Strength
