nicorette gum

[Barb]

What are the long-term risks of continuing to chew nicorette gum for years?  I chew maybe one or 2 pieces a day.  I quit smoking 8 years ago and I realize I am addicted to the nicotine in the gum.  This is all right with me, but is it possible it can cause cancer of the mouth like chewing tobacco can?  I asked the nicorette people at their 800 number, and they said it couldn't give you cancer, but they sternly advised me to stop chewing it, that I was addicted to it now instead of cigarettes.  

Many thanks - this is a great idea for a website!

[Shericrest]

Yes, and rot your teeth and make your hair fall out. Read about it here: http://whyquit.com/pr/120108.html

My hair is falling out. Good thing it was extra thick when I started. I've been noticing it getting thinner for about 6 months now. I've lost close to half of my hair. I quit nicotine gum 2 weeks ago, so I don't know yet if it will grow back, hell, I don't know yet if it will stop falling out. But I'm optimistic. I also couldn't breathe without wheezing (thought that would go away when I quit the cigarettes) but surprise! I can breathe a lot better after quitting the gum. Still some wheezing, but way less.

Here's more information on it: http://www.smoking-is-hunger.com/nicorette-gum.html   but this one was written to sell books.

I quit nicotine gum cold turkey, but chew a lot of gum. I tried sugar-free first but turns out that gives me awful gas and diahrrea so I switched to gum that's not sugar-free. It was hard to quit nicotine gum, but not as hard as quitting cigarettes. I quit cigarettes 8 years 10 months ago.

[Caretaker51]

We get your point.....Jerkoff.

[Caretaker51]

That's a crock of crap. Nicotine in any form is bad for you. I chewed that 2mg. crap for over a year and there were times I felt the high you get from it, but most of the time it made me a hyper-maniac and I was chewing day and night. You said you have no health issues.....Well guess what there buddy ?.....you will. With some it takes longer. I been off the gum for three weeks and feel a hell of a lot better. I will always remember chewing that **** made me have this taste like I was putting poison in my mouth and down my throat. I think the gum is as addictive as smoking, if not more....Have a good time chewing that crap Tebob2.

[Caretaker51]

I makes your hair fall out and rots your teeth. It also causes depression and nervousness. Don't keep chewing it...Especially since your sick now. God Bless !

[Caretaker51]

Good for you...I quit a week ago also and I feel like crap. I miss the buzz off the gum and I don't want to gain weight. Nicotine is great for keeping weight down. I sleep more and I feel lazy at times. Nicotine gum gives a burst of energy and with coffee forget about it.

[Mentholmel]

I too am addicted to Nicorette ice mint 4 mg lozenges,

Problem is I smoke menthol cigarettes too when using the lozenges and boy, if u think nicorettes are addictive, try smoking at the same time.

Nicotine overdose warnings are crap. I lit a cigarette one night while tipsy and it was like I discovered the best tasting thing in my life, It gave me a nice feeling, but after a few days that feeling went and I started chasing it again...

I was hooked within a few months, that was 10 years ago and I can't stop. I ran out one day and was uncontrollably chain smoking, even in public I shamelessly lit ciggy after ciggy right up to the door of the store where I got more Nicorette,

I can't give up. I am so addicted now,

[candychica206]

I am in the same boat, let's do it!

[candychica206]

I love this idea, I am really addicted as well. At least 10 pieces a day for 5 years.

[Davie_Jones]

I quit smoking 1 1 /2 years ago after 50 years by using 4 mg nicorette gum. I had a bad cold one day and when I inhaled it hurt really bad. With the cost of cigarettes, the stigma and loss of rights (to smoke where you want), that was the last straw. I have gradually reduced from 4 mg to 2 mg (after 1.5 years) and tapered-off the use of the gum (for one month) until I stopped entirely three days ago. I was getting a skin rash and experiencing shortness of breath recently which I attributed to the gum. The shortness of breath was really troubling. My doctor gave me lots-O-tests and couldn't find a medical reason. Since stopping, those symptoms seem to have disappeared. Time will tell if the skin rash and shortness of breath are gone for good. I don't think I could have quit without the gum. I sure would like more input on side effects other people have experienced with the gum.

[Tebob2]

This posting is old but here goes. I have been chewing Nicorette on most every day for 11 years and quit smoking before that. I hate cigarettes and rather than go back to them went to the gum. I go through 10 to 14 pieces a day, no health issues and yes, I love it and I'm addicted but Nicorette doesn'e have any harmful effects for me, none... I work out daily, am a health nut now but can't kick it. The Dr. said it has not increased my BP and it's fine... it's expensive, that's the drawback...  Chew on dude

[miranda807]

Try to find sugarless gum without the harmful sugar substitutes like aspartame and sorbitol.  Over time they may be worse for you than the nicotine.  Nicotine gums use xylitol which is a natural sweetner.  I haven't been able to find sugarless gum which uses only xylitol as a sweetner. Let me know if you can locate any.

[Bear3117]

Don't chew the gum, best not to try one piece.  The only way to give up nicotine is cold turkey.

This is my story:

When I was 19 I dated a guy who smoked roll up cigarettes and marjuana.  I was very anti-smoking.  One day when trying to give up his habit he had nicotine chewing gum.  I tried some, liked it and then had pieces every so often for the mini rush when he was chain chewing it.  We dated 6 years, he inevitably relapsed into smoking and it was not long before I tried a cigarette and he taught me to smoke it properly.  I would have the odd joint and even tried coke, ecstasy etc on occasion - and I started with Nicorette!

Anyway I eventually decided to quit smoking, and discovered that I couldn't.  Then I started on a pattern of chewing gum for a week or two, then running out of gum and buying a packet of cigarettes because they were easier to get hold of.  Smoking more than ever for next couple of weeks, before deciding to quit again with the gum.  This has gone on for years.  

I am now 33, that's 14 years since I first chewed the gum.  I have not smoked a cigarette for a year, but cannot ditch the gum.  I chew about 30 pieces a day and it is very embarrassing.  I have to hide the chewed gum from my husband so he doesn't get disgusted by the amount I've chewed.  It's like this big secret that I don't talk about with anyone.

The bad points:
- it is costing me £100 a month!
- the social embarrassment of people asking for a piece of gum seeing me put a piece in my mouth and having to say its my last piece!
- the enormous pile of chewed gum everywhere
- being in a work meeting and popping chewing gum throughout with others noticing and thinking it odd
- having to keep gum-remover close by for when it gets on clothing/bedding
- the panic when I forget to bring it with me or run out and the ever-present risk that I'll smoke as I'm still just as nicotine-dependent as the last day I smoked
- not knowing the long term risks
- the shame of knowing I chewed it throughout my pregnancy and when breastfeeding my daughter
- the example I will set to her if I don't do something about it before she is old enough to notice

So... I'm trying again to quit.  It's not the first time.  But I'm not working at the moment so less stressed, my daughter is now sleeping through the night so I'm rested, and never has the financial incentive for quitting been more pressing (I'm on maternity leave).  It is 3 days I've been nicotine free.  I hope I stay strong.

NRT need further research and should be more controlled.  They are easy to purchase (I have been rotating shops for years so I don't have to explain my habit to a nosy pharmacist/shop assistant), you can chew in public places yet they are highly addictive.  If you are struggling to kick the fags they are likely to be healthier than cigarettes but they will not cure the addiction - the only thing that will do that is will power.

[ChrisP6878]

Have signifcantly reduced my use of 2MG gum. No pieces yesterday. Only 2 the day before. I like the "zing/rush" the gum gives me. I can focus and my hunger is held at bay. But...I know that chewing this stuff for a long period of time is probably not healthy. I'm trying to stop because it affected my stomach and the way my body processed food. Too many pieces would give me diarrhea, One morning I had abourt 10 pieces! This habit is getting out-of-control. I'm feeling better, but stil have cravings-I'm addicted to the gum but have to give it up. I feel like it is ruining my stomach lining and or intestines. I was relieved to read that  I wasn't the only one who stashed "wads" and tried to hide the habit.

[primrosehillchewer]

Hi,
I have been off nicorette gum for a week now.
I was on about 8 2mg pieces a day for about 2 years. Sometimes I was using them just because I felt like gum and happened to have it around! Usually though I liked the slight rush it gave me as well as the flavour. I would be alternating between coffee and the gum all day at work.
I think it may have contributed to anxiety during the day and difficulty sleeping at night. It got quite embarrassing keeping reaching into my bag to get gum throughout the day next to my work colleagues and also when I was out with someone who asked for a gum but I couldn't give them one!

Anyway I think the sleeping is a bit better. I do feel like some gum but it is out of the house. I actually smoked in the last couple of days of my chewing whilst I had a cold. A final blast. It made me feel awful and then I ran out of the gum so I decided enough was enough.  

Anyway - just have to take it in short intervals at the moment. I know I don't need to have one tonight before I sleep and that's good enough for me. I do recommend stopping if you happen to be ill!

[sookie438]

Now THAT'S funny! I thought I was the only old lady gum addict out there-guess not. Quit a week ago and am not enjoying it.  I know the nicotine is out of my system, but you couldn't tell by my crabbiness and lethargy. I DO feel cleaner and healthier already, though.

[ZaChewer]

I have been chewing over 20 pieces of 4 mil gum for over 8 years. I do it 2 at a time (8 mils a whack) to get the feeling of that "rush" of a cigarette use to give. Niccorette is for the most part horrible stuff that gives me indigestion and leaves an acidy taste in my mouth. Thrive "Fruit Explosion" rules the day. I think it is much better than smoking, however it seems that it is FAR more likely you will reach for the gum every hour than going for a smelly socially unacceptable smoke. This is the reason for abuse. The nic companies advice strongly on their literature in their packaging not to use over long periods and not to exceed the dosage, but hell, from the pharmacists to the dentists, all professionals seem to say the long term use its better than smoking. I'm a bit suspicious. How can it be healthy to chew petrochemicals all day??? There needs to be more research and epidemiological studies on this. I'm starting to rant and I'm off on a tangent here, but to Jana 5's question about getting off the gum...besides cold turkey, a doctor once told me that I should go to the patch to get a baseline of nicoteen to reduce then eventually stop the chew habit. It worked at the time quite well, and I am shortly going back to this, combined with eating the less preferable chalky lozenges.  Good luck. ZaChewer.

[zoelouise180]

dont quit now, it wont be long before the addiction passes a week at the most! just get through that and you will be fine, i have been addicted for 6 years to the 2mg gum about 20pcs a day. have been fooling myself that they are harmless because ever since i quit smoking i have been ill all the time! i have had no nicotine for 48hrs now the nights are bad (sweats, restless, insomnia, fear) but i am determined that nicotine is not going to rule my life anymore!! its just stupid because surely after 13years of smoking i gave that up then the gum should be a piece of cake in comparison! good luck to all in the process of quitting, we can do it! :)

[gilliankjs]

Feel myself weakening....longing for a piece.

[gilliankjs]

I am 48 and have chewed the stuff for over a decade--probably longer. Have often worried about the effects and have deliberately not investigated UNTIL NOW!.. Five years ago I developed a salivary cyst that the doctor assured me was not caused by the gum ~(I have my doubts) but the bigger side effect for me is elevated heart rate and sometimes palpitations....I really noticed this when the exercise class I was taking insisted we all wear a heart rate monitor...and it has been interesting to see that my heart rate is very changeable from class to class and often related to the amount I have been chewing...Has anyone continued to exercise while they chew? I have always been a runner, even when i smoked...and now as a chewer...and doing both is starting to wear me out. So yesterday at 3 I quit and I am going to go cold turkey. Last night was pretty dreadful (restless) and I'm worried I won't be able to work or concentrate and that i'll be a crazy b@@@ but I am fed up with it--the whole messy business of it...and so am setting a goal of daily exercise and tons of running as all that fresh oxygen...well, let's see...suspect i am in the worst and most dangerous section: day 2.

[rosepot]

I have used nicorett since june 1, 1996 and can not quit. I have gum disease from using the gum and have lost teeth because of it. I now have dentures because I used the gum for so long. I am wearing a patch and I search every corner of my house hoping to find a piece of gum. I chewed 30 pieces a day and slept with it in my mouth at night.

[Hypochondria563]

I actually chew nicortte gum to help out my anxiety(OCD comorbid with ADD) I've been chewing two 4mg pieces along with my adderal and wellbutrin. Nicottine actually follows the same neural pathways interms of activating the sypathetic autonomic nervous system for he norepinephrine and dopamine activation, which is what wellbutrin and adderal do. However I do have concernes about losing my teeth, cancer, etc. I have been doing this for about 6 monthes. Never smoked a day in my life but i have my concerns. Have any of you ever had a problemn with tooth loss or anything else. I'm about 25 years old, great diet(no sugar, 50% carbs 30% Protein 20% fat, no dairy , use almond milk and supplements for calcuim, no fruit, tons of vegetables(low glycemic and all raw)  nothing processed or in a package, wieght train and Zumba , 10-12% body fat,) I just want to know if i'm at rick becuase teh nicorette does wonders for my anxiety and i want to keep it that way. Please send me a message if you have information or articles, thank you

[j0vian]

Hi there, been chewing nic gum for at least 7 or more years I lost count a long time ago. I chew half a peice now put still manage to eat 6 pieces a day. My wife complains about the little yellow gum balls that miss the trash can in the bedroom at night. I just heard about this mouth cancer from nic gum thing. I dont have it that I know of just wanted to research it a little. Regardless, these days cancer in blamed on everything from alarm clocks to cell phones. From what I read nic gum is still safer than cigerettes and other nic products. Oh ya, an a tip for you fellow nic gum addicts, I buy it buy the case from ebay , and find it from 5-15 dollars a box at the local flea markets and around 11-16 dollars a box on ebay. I rarely buy the 35-50 dollar boxes from the drug store or walmart. I love my gum and find it to keep my teeth clean from chewing reguarly.

thanks,

j0vian

[teko]

Wow! I quit cold turkey from cigarettes 6 months ago. When deciding to use patches, gum or other aids I am thankful that I decided on cold turkey. It was tough, still is on occasion but I am free of nicotine. I so feel for you guys, it is all about trading one addiction for another isnt it? You are addicted to the very aids you used to get off of the smoking but still need the nicotine. Me, well lets just say that my current battle is the weight gain from trying to replace the hand/mouth fixation. Im starting Atkins soon and have taken up chewing sugarless gum to keep my mouth full and not stick food in it. lol

[crazyaussiekat]

30 pieces of gum, 15 lozenges, 10 microtabs PER DAY = my addiction for 15 months.  

I don't know if it was related but I had inflamation of the kidneys 10 months into my nic addiction.  I used patches and extra gum to ween myself off nic products.  My kidneys are now fine-- interesting.  I'm off the patches but now a extra addict-- at least it is a lot cheaper than nicorette!