Nicotine gum is a smokeless substitute for tobacco used to help people quit cigarettes. It delivers small, measured doses of nicotine absorbed through the mucous membranes lining of the mouth. Nicotine gum can help to reduce cravings and nicotine withdrawn symptoms like irritability, nervousness and insomnia, which people often feel when trying to give up smoking. Nicotine gum can increase the chance of smoking, but it also has some undesirable effects just like any other medications.
Mouth Ulcers
Mouth ulcers, also known as aphthous ulcers, are common side effects of long-term nicotine gum use, according to the Patient UK website. Multiple rounded, painful canker sores form inside the mouth, especially in the lining of the tongue and gingivae or gums, followed by ulcers. They look like grayish-white bases surrounded by a reddish inflamed area. Mouth ulcers often interfere with eating and drinking because of the pain. If nicotine gum is the underlying cause of mouth ulcers, then patients can switch to nicotine nasal spray or patches.
Gastrointestinal Side Effects
Gastric and esophageal effects are also among the most frequently reported adverse reactions associated with chronic use of nicotine gum, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians. The possibility of gastrointestinal side effects increases when the nicotine gum isn't properly chewed. Nicotine gum should be chewed slowly until a pungent taste is liberated due to the dissolution of nicotine. Chewing the nicotine gum too vigorously decreases the absorption and large amounts of nicotine pass into the stomach and may cause nausea, dry mouth, dyspepsia and diarrhea.
Endocrine Effects
Long-term users of nicotine gum may also suffer from metabolic aberrations. Metabolic abnormalities associated with nicotine gum are hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance, notes the National Center for Biotechnology Information. Insulin resistance is a physiological condition in which insulin becomes less effective at regulating blood glucose levels. Consequently, the body forces the pancreas to produce larger amounts of insulin to level off abnormally high blood glucose concentrations. As a result, insulin remains in the blood in higher concentrations. This is known as hyperinsulinemia.
References
- National Cancer Institute: Nicotine Gum
- Patient UK: Aphthous Mouth Ulcers
- The American Academy of Family Physicians: Smoking Cessation: Integration of Behavioral and Drug Therapies
- National Center for Biotechnology Information: Long-term use of nicotine gum is associated with hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance
- Mayo Clinic: Is hyperinsulinemia a form of diabetes?
