Nicotine (Systemic)

Brand Names : Commit, NicoDerm CQ, Nicorette, Nicotrol, Habitrol, Nicoderm, Nicorette Plus, Prostep

Before Using This Medicine

If you are using this medicine without a prescription, carefully read and follow any precautions on the label. For nicotine gum, lozenges, and patches, the following should be considered:

Allergies - Tell your healthcare professional if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to nicotine. Also tell your healthcare professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes. If you plan to use the nicotine patches, tell your healthcare professional if you have ever had a rash or irritation from adhesive tape or bandages.

Pregnancy - Nicotine, whether from smoking or from the gum, lozenges, or patches, is not recommended during pregnancy. Studies in humans show that miscarriages have occurred in pregnant women using nicotine replacement products. In addition, studies in animals have shown that nicotine can cause harmful effects in the fetus.

Breast-feeding - Nicotine passes into breast milk. It may be necessary for you to stop breast-feeding during treatment.

Children - Small amounts of nicotine can cause serious harm in children. Even nicotine patches that have been used still contain enough nicotine to cause problems in children.

Adolescents - Although there is no specific information comparing use of nicotine in teenagers with use in other age groups, this medicine is not expected to cause different side effects or problems in nicotine-dependent teenagers than it does in adults.

Older adults - Nicotine gum, lozenges, and patches have been used in a limited number of patients 60 years of age or older, and have not been shown to cause different side effects or problems in older people than in younger adults.

Other medicines - Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your healthcare professional may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are using nicotine gum or patches, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the following:

• Aminophylline (e.g., Phyllocontin) or
• Insulin or
• Labetalol (e.g., Trandate) or
• Oxtriphylline (e.g., Choledyl) or
• Prazosin (e.g., Minipress) or
• Propoxyphene (e.g., Darvon) or
• Propranolol (e.g., Inderal) or
• Theophylline (e.g., Slo-Phyllin, Theo-Dur) - Stopping smoking may increase the effects of these medicines; the amount of medicine you need to take may change

• Isoproterenol (e.g., Isuprel) or
• Phenylephrine (e.g., Neo-Synephrine) - Stopping smoking may decrease the effects of these medicines; the amount of medicine you need to take may change

Other medical problems - The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of nicotine gum or patches. Make sure you tell your healthcare professional if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Dental problems (with gum only) or
• Diabetes, type 1 (sugar diabetes) or
• Heart or blood vessel disease or
• High blood pressure or
• Inflammation of mouth or throat (with gum only) or
• Irritated skin (with patches only) or
• Overactive thyroid or
• Pheochromocytoma (PCC) or
• Stomach ulcer or
• Stroke, recent or
• Temporomandibular (jaw) joint disorder (TMJ) (with gum only) - Nicotine may make the condition worse