What Nicorette Inhaler is used for

Nicorette Inhaler helps you to give up smoking by relieving the desire to smoke, as well as some of the unpleasant effects, which smokers experience when they stop smoking.

Nicorette Inhaler is also used to help smokers who need to temporarily stop smoking e.g. on long air flights. Nicorette Inhaler can also help reduce the amount of cigarettes smoked in smokers who are unable or unwilling to quit.

How Nicorette Inhaler works

Smokers have both a physical reliance on nicotine (i.e. the body becomes dependent on nicotine) and a psychological reliance on the smoking habit.

When you give up smoking, your body will miss the effects of nicotine and you will miss the habit of smoking.

Nicorette Inhaler helps you to tackle these two sides of the problem separately, instead of all at once.

It is your body's dependence on nicotine, which causes withdrawal symptoms when you suddenly stop smoking. Nicotine is an addictive substance. Symptoms may include irritability, restlessness, depression, weight gain, and craving for cigarettes.

Nicorette Inhaler is intended to ease such withdrawal symptoms by providing your body with nicotine. This leaves your mind free to concentrate on overcoming your psychological desire to smoke.

Nicorette Inhaler consists of a plastic tube with a plug loaded with nicotine. Menthol is added as a flavour.

The cartridge is inserted into the mouthpiece prior to use. Nicotine is vaporised and absorbed in the mouth when air is drawn through the inhaler. The amount of nicotine in the Nicorette Inhaler is sufficient to help overcome the withdrawal symptoms but is lower than the amount of nicotine, which you get from smoking.

Unlike cigarettes Nicorette Inhaler does not contain harmful tar and carbon monoxide.

Before using Nicorette Inhaler

When you must not use the Inhaler

Do not use Nicorette Inhaler if:

• You are pregnant or intend to become pregnant
  There is medical evidence that nicotine in any form may be harmful to an unborn child. Therefore it is recommended that you do not use Nicorette if you are pregnant or intend to become pregnant, unless you are unable to stop smoking without nicotine replacement. Talk to your doctor before using Nicorette Inhaler during pregnancy.
• You are breast-feeding or intend to breast-feed
  Nicotine passes freely into breast milk, and can affect the health of the baby. Therefore it is recommended that you do not use Nicorette Inhaler if you are breast-feeding or intend to breast-feed.
• You have had a recent heart attack or stroke
• You have heart disease such as palpitations (fast or irregular heart beats) or uncontrolled angina (chest pain)
• You are a non-smoker
• You are under 18 years old
  There is not enough information about the use of Nicorette Inhaler in children.
• You are allergic to nicotine or may be sensitive to menthol.

You should not use Nicorette Inhaler if the expiry date printed on the carton has passed or the packaging is torn or shows signs of tampering.

Do not give Nicorette Inhaler to anyone else to use as it is recommended that they seek professional advice prior to starting treatment.

Before you start to use the Inhaler

If you have had any of the following, you should ask for your doctor or pharmacist's advice before using Nicorette Inhaler.

These medical conditions may need consideration by or discussion with your doctor or pharmacist. You and your doctor or pharmacist can then weigh up the risk of using Nicorette Inhaler against the benefits you will get if you stop smoking.

The medical conditions include:

• Asthma
• Chronic throat diseases
• Angina (chest pain) or any other problem with your heart or blood vessels such as pain in one or more legs when you walk
• High blood pressure
• Previous stroke
• Kidney disease
• Liver disease
• Stomach ulcer or pain
• Hyperthyroidism (a disorder of the thyroid gland)
• Phaeochromocytoma (a tumour of the adrenal gland)
• Diabetes.

Taking other medicines

If you are taking any other medicines, including medicines that you buy without a prescription, in a pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop, the way these medicines work may be affected once you stop smoking.

These medicines may include:

• Theophylline (asthma medication)
• Insulin
• Imipramine (antidepressant)
• Pentazocine (pain medication).

You may wish to seek professional advice from your doctor or a pharmacist before you start to use Nicorette Inhaler.

How do I use NICORETTE Inhaler?

The NICORETTE Inhaler tackles the habit of smoking, as well as the physical addiction to nicotine. When you puff on the mouthpiece, the cartridge releases nicotine to help relieve your cravings. And, because it's designed to be held like a cigarette, your hands are kept busy too.

After 20 minutes of continuous use with deep inhalations or shallow puffing, you will have used all the nicotine in a cartridge.

Do not try to make one cartridge last all day. Although every smoker is different, the most successful quitters often use an average of six cartridges per day.

NICORETTE Inhaler Programme

The full course for using NICORETTE Inhaler lasts around 16 weeks, from quitting cigarettes to no longer requiring Nicorette Inhaler.

During that time, you should gradually reduce your intake of nicotine, until you can do without it. We suggest that you use NICORETTE^® Inhaler for 12 weeks, reducing use during the next 4 weeks - as shown in this guide.

Detailed instructions on how to assemble the Inhaler

1. Remove the mouthpiece from the plastic wrap
2. Align the marks on the mouthpiece and pull apart
3. Take out the blister tray
4. Peel back to release one cartridge
5. Press the cartridge firmly into the bottom of the mouthpiece until the seal breaks
6. Put the top onto the mouthpiece
7. Again align the marks on the mouthpiece and push the top and bottom firmly together to break the top seal of the cartridge
8. Twist to misalign the marks
9. Your NICORETTE Inhaler is now ready to use

How to use the Inhaler

Remove the mouthpiece and the blister tray from the box.

Separate the mouthpiece into two parts by aligning the marks (Fig. 1) and pull apart.



Remove the protective foil from the blister tray and take out one cartridge. Insert the cartridge in the mouthpiece (Fig. 2).


Fig. 2

It does not matter which end of the cartridge you insert into the mouthpiece.

Re-assemble the mouthpiece by aligning the marks once again. The seals in both ends of the cartridge are automatically broken when you assemble the mouthpiece (Fig. 3).



Rotate the two parts of the mouthpiece in opposite directions so that the marks are not aligned.

Now the mouthpiece is sealed (Fig. 4).



Return the blister tray with the remaining cartridges into the plastic container and close it.

Your Nicorette Inhaler is now ready for use. The nicotine strength is reduced when the seal of the cartridge is broken. Therefore, it should be used fairly soon. Opened inhalers should be used within 12 hours.