Some smokers may need additional assistance to quit smoking, such as using a nicotine aid. One of these aids is the NicoDerm CQ patch, used to help decrease withdrawal from nicotine. The patch delivers a lower dose of nicotine and is worn by a former smoker to help him succeed in stopping smoking. If quitting smoking is your New Year's resolution, the NicoDerm CQ patch could be one part of your approach.
Description
The NicoDerm CQ patch is a a small adhesive patch that you wear on your arm every day while quitting smoking and dealing with the craving for nicotine. These patches come in three strengths: containing 7, 14 or 21 mg of nicotine in each patch.
If you made a New Year's resolution to quit smoking, the patch can help you handle the nicotine cravings after you have smoked your last cigarette, making you more likely to succeed in quitting your smoking habit. Using the patch can be one part of a treatment program that should also include counseling, behavior modification and emotional and psychological support.
Function
Nicotine is an addictive drug that stimulates your brain and body and helps lift your mood every time you smoke. The patch is used to replace the nicotine you received from the cigarettes you smoked.
Your doctor can prescribe the NicoDerm CQ patch to help you address the nicotine craving you may experience after you quit smoking. Your doctor prescribes a specified patch strength, and you wear it around the clock.
Features
The NicoDerm CQ patch helps to combat strong cravings that you feel when you first wake up in the morning. Experiencing these cravings in the first part of your day when you're trying to stay away from smoking puts you at a higher risk of smoking "just one cigarette." The NicoDerm CQ patch puts a steady, small dose of nicotine into your bloodstream, which keeps a low level of the drug in your system while you're quitting smoking.
Benefits
While the dose of nicotine in the patch is lower than what you received from smoking cigarettes, it may be enough to decrease your craving for smoking cigarettes. The dose prescribed by your doctor also may be enough to help prevent you from experiencing other withdrawal symptoms.
After you quit smoking, you could experience frustration, anger, restlessness, irritability, anxiety and problems concentrating. The NicoDerm CQ patch can help reduce the intensity of your symptoms.
Considerations
NicoDerm CQ patch therapy is intended to be a short-term treatment--if you can't stop smoking within four to 10 weeks of beginning patch therapy, your doctor may conclude that this treatment is not effective for you.
Patch therapy is intended to help the quitting smoker over the most intense withdrawal period. It should be accompanied by behavioral therapy and emotional support, such as signing up for a free membership with LiveSTRONG's Dare to Quit Smoking.
