USE OF THE NICOTINE PATCH

Congratulations on your decision to quit smoking. The nicotine patch your doctor has prescribed will help make quitting smoking easier. The instructions in this handout will help you use the patch in the right way. Stop smoking on the day you start using the patch!

Do not let anyone else use the patch. Keep the patch away from children and pets. Do not use the patch if you are pregnant, unless your doctor has told you to do so and he or she knows you are pregnant.

DIRECTIONS

Only open the sealed package when you are ready to put on a patch.
Peel the protective corner off the patch and throw the cover away. Try not to touch the silver side of the patch (the sticky side).
Put one patch on a dry area without hair, such as your stomach, upper arm or side. Do not put the patch on burned, cut or sore skin.
To apply the patch, place the silver side on your skin and press it firmly for 10 seconds with the palm of your hand.
Wash your hands after putting on the patch. Nicotine on your hands could get into your eyes or nose and cause stinging or other problems.
Wear the patch for about 24 hours. Put the next patch on a different place. Use a different place each day. You can use the old place again after waiting one week.
When you take off the old patch, fold it in half with the sticky sides together. Put the old patch in the package from the new patch, and put the package in the trash where children and pets cannot find it.

Please tell your doctor if you take any medicines. The patch may change how some medicines work.
Please tell your doctor if you have any illnesses, including the following:

Chest pains or a recent heart attack.
Skipped or irregular heart beats
Allergies to tape, bandages or medicines
Skin rashes or skin diseases
High blood pressure
Stomach ulcers
Thyroid disease
Diabetes
Kidney or liver disease

Call your doctor if you get too much nicotine (an overdose). Signs of an overdose could be dizziness, upset stomach, bad headaches, vomiting, cold sweats, drooling, confusion, blurred vision, hearing problems, weakness or fainting. If problems happen, take off the patch and call your doctor right away.

It is normal to feel mild tingling, itching or burning when you put the patch on. This feeling lasts 15 minutes to one hour. When you take off an old patch, your skin may be red where the patch was. Your skin should not stay red for more than one day. If the skin becomes very red, swollen or sore, call your doctor and do not put on a new patch.

You can wear your patch when you bathe, shower, swim or soak in a hot tub. Water will not harm the patch. If your patch comes off, put on a new one and change it again at the usual time the next day.

This information is intended to provide only a general overview on use of the nicotine patch and may not apply to each individual case. Consult your physician to determine whether this information can be applied to your personal situation and to obtain additional information.

This handout is provided to you by your family physician and the American Academy of Family Physicians.