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For smokers of greater than
20 cigarettes per day, strong cravings.
Nicotine nasal spray is a prescription-only product for
highly dependent smokers who experience strong cravings
when trying to quit smoking. When used, nicotine nasal
sprays provide levels of nicotine similar to that obtained
when smoking, achieving peak blood nicotine levels about
10 minutes after administration.
What types of nicotine nasal
sprays are available?
Nicotine nasal spray is available only on prescription
after consultation with your doctor.
How to use nicotine nasal spray
To activate the spray, press the bottom of the spray container
a few times. Tilting the head back, the nosepiece of the
spray is placed into the nostril. To administer the spray
press the bottom of the container. It is recommended that
one or two sprays be used each hour as required for the
first eight weeks. For the following two weeks this amount
should be halved and then reduced to zero over a further
two weeks. No more than two doses per hour should be used
for a maximum of 16 hours per day. One bottle of spray
contains about 100 doses.
Success rate of nicotine nasal
spray
Clinical trails using the nicotine nasal spray, found
that about 26% had stopped smoking after 12 months compared
to 10% reported from groups using a placebo. The studies
reported a high number of side effects including watering
eye, cough, irritation of the nose (including nose bleeds)
and throat, which declined over time. It has been reported
that for highly dependent smokers, use of nicotine nasal
spray increases their chances of successfully quitting
by a factor of 8.
Cautions when using nicotine
nasal spray
As stated, the use of nicotine nasal sprays is
associated with a greater number of side effects, which
may be worse at the earlier stages of treatment. Headaches
and nausea associated with using the nasal spray usually
decline over time. Irritation of the nose and eyes, nose
bleeds and sore throats are more frequently reported while
palpitations, sweating and cold extremities occur less
frequently. Those who are pregnant, breast-feeding, who
have diabetes mellitus; phaeochromocytoma, kidney or liver
problems, heart disease, peripheral vascular disease;
hyperthyroidism; history of gastritis and peptic ulcers
should consult their doctor before using any nicotine
product.
| Chewing Gums
| Patches | Nasal
Sprays | Inhalers
| Lozenges | Sublingual
tablets | NRT
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