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Long Term Effects of Nicotine Gum

I quit smoking in February of 2000 due to chronic sinusitis. I used the gum for about 3 months to aid me in quitting and it worked well. In September of 2006 I had a stressful event happen and was on the brink of picking up a cigarette. I decided to start the gum chewing instead of smoking. I have been on it ever since. I guess I am coming to the realization that this nicotine gum can be very bad for your health if chewed past the recommended timeframe. I have been having stomach problems for the last 6-9 months that were fueled by a stressful job that I am no longer in. I had an endoscopy done in February of this year and a small eroded area in the opening of my stomach was detected. They also noted two small ulcers. Thankfully none of the areas tested positive for h pylori.  I guess at this stage in the game it is never too late to make a change that will be positive for my heath. It freaks me out about the damage I have done to my body. I will have to admit that the thought was always in the back of my mind about the risks of chewing nicotine gum but I always told myself it is much better than smoking by far. Having the addictive nature I know I do have gives me yet another chemical I have to watch for and work on keeping out of my life in order to stay healthy. Even though things are not pleasant at the moment I am happy that I have come out of denial about chewing nicotine gum. It is a great tool to help one quit cigarettes but not for long term use as it can have devastating effects on one's health. Is there anyone out there dealing with a similar issue/dilema?
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Avatar universal
I just wanted to say that ive been chewing nicotine gum 2mg, for 10 years now, and I am up to 24 pieces daily! (ridiculous right) I am so dependent on this and I don't really want to stop even for years people warned me you better quit, that it will harm you! I've researched long term effects of the gum but didn't come up with very much, so I just make this a part of my behavior !
     I started having some abnormal blood work about 1 year ago (kidney function not good) Also I got tinnitus (ringing in ear) one morning and I have been struggling with that for a year now, and also I got an abnormal brain MRI
(many white spots) for a 55 year old male. Even with all this going on I still feel
fairly healthy but I wonder if the nicotine gum caused some of these problems ?
      I told my doctors how long I have been using this gum but none of them really
know too much about it but they do encourage me to quit
Helpful - 0
1827057 tn?1397520277
Hi  I am not sure that the gum caused these problems.Nicotine is said to aggravate an ulcer but not cause one.I actually have been chewing the stuff for 7 years almost eight and have had no stomach problems at all.I cut each piece of gum into several small pieces and chew a tiny portion of it at a time.Nicotine does not cause cancer.It is the tar and the delivery system of  smoking.that causes the problems.Good for you getting off of it though.I plan on getting off of it this year but one thing at a time I guess.Right now I just quit my ad med and am cutting way way back on sugar. I wouldn't blame yourself because I don't think your use of nicotine gum is the culprit here.It is probably due to the stressors that were beyond your control.
Helpful - 0
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