Tobacco has a very powerful, addictive drug in it called nicotine. Your body becomes used to the effects of nicotine. When you go without nicotine, because you cut back or quit, your body and brain need time to adjust. This adjustment is called nicotine
withdrawal.
Withdrawal can start as soon as 30 minutes after you last used tobacco. There are medicines that can help with withdrawal. These can help raise your chance of using less tobacco or quitting.
Your healthcare provider will help you decide if this product is the best one for you, what dose you need, how long you should take it, and if you should combine it with another medicine that helps you quit smoking.
How does it work?
Nicotine Replacement Thereapy (NRT) replaces some, but not all, of the nicotine you get from tobacco. With NRT you don’t get the toxic and dangerous chemicals that are in commercial tobacco products. NRT is safer to use than tobacco.
Nicotine withdrawal can cause:
- tobacco craving
- irritability
- anxiety
- trouble concentrating
- restlessness
- sleeplessness
- depression
- increased appetite
When you use the mouth spray, it releases nicotine into your mouth. The nicotine is absorbed into your bloodstream through the blood vessels in your mouth. Nicotine withdrawal should get better within 1 minute (60 seconds).
Each bottle of NRT mouth spray has about 150 sprays. One spray will give you about 1mg of nicotine. This is almost the same as 1 cigarette.
If you have any other medical conditions, or are pregnant or breastfeeding, make sure you tell your doctor and your pharmacist before you start this or any other medicine.
How do I use it?
| - 1.Point the spray nozzle toward the open mouth.
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| - 2.Hold spray as close as possible to your mouth - avoid touching your lips.
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| - 3.Press down on the top of the dispenser firmly to release 1 spray into your mouth.
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| - 4.Do not inhale or swallow while spraying.
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| - 5.Hold the spray in your mouth for a few seconds before you swallow. Expect a strong taste in your mouth.
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| - 6.If cravings are still present after 1 minute, you may take 1 more spray.
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What else should I know?
- One or 2 sprays replaces one cigarette. Do not use more than 2 sprays at a time or more than 4 sprays in 1 hour.
- The NRT mouth spray contains a very small amount of alcohol, less than 100 mg per spray. If this is a concern to you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about other medicines.
- Try to quit using tobacco products before using the NRT mouth spray. If you still smoke or use tobacco products, you can use NRT as you cut down your tobacco use.
- Some mouth spray pumps need to be primed before you use it for the first or if you haven’t used the spray for more than a couple days. This means pressing on the dispenser several times into a tissue until a fine spray comes out. The spray may also have a child safety lock feature. Read the product information for more instructions.
- Don’t eat or drink 15 minutes before and after using the mouth spray. This may affect how the nicotine enters your body.
- Store the mouth spray at room temperature.
- Store and dispose out of reach of children and pets as the spray container has enough nicotine in it to harm a child or animal.
What should I watch for?
You may be getting too much nicotine if you have:
- a fast heartbeat
- nausea and vomiting
- dizziness or weakness
- fainting
- sweating
- blurry vision or trouble hearing
- confusion
- seizures
If you have any of these after taking NRT mouth spray stop using it and see a doctor right away.
Side effects may include:
- hiccups
- headache
- stomachache
- dry mouth or throat
- pain or tingling in the mouth or lips
- a bad taste in your mouth
This may be because the spray wasn’t used in the right way. Please review how to use the mouth spray.
Stop using this spray and see a doctor right away if you have an allergic reaction.
Allergic reaction symptoms may include:
- very bad itching
- hives
- swelling in your mouth
- a tight feeling in your chest
- trouble breathing
Talk to your pharmacist about how quitting might affect other medicine you take. Your body may respond to some medicine differently once you stop using tobacco.
Some people have had suicidal thoughts when they try to quit smoking without medicines. Sometimes quitting smoking can lead to some mental health problems you already have, like depression, getting worse.
Before taking any quit-smoking treatment, tell your healthcare provider (doctor, pharmacist, or nurse):
- if you’ve ever had depression or other mental health problems
- about any symptoms or concerns you had other times you tried to quit smoking, with or without medicines
What else can I do?
Your chance of quitting tobacco is better if you combine quit methods, like medicine and counselling.
You can get support and information from Alberta Health Services if you’d like to quit smoking or spit tobacco.