Addicted to the Nicabate Lozenges & Trapped

To rainbow4006.. I find it "incredibly sad" that some people leave comments without actually reading the previous comments correctly. Nobody on this thread said that they wanted the TAR etc, they said they are addicted to the NICOTINE in the lozenges!! As you stated, the nicotine is NOT the issue! "INSTEAD OF PEOPLE GETTING ON HERE AND WHINING", READ THE PREVIOUS COMMENTS BEFORE GETTING ON YOUR SOAP BOX! To Thailand, I too am "addicted" to the lozenges. I went to my doctor and asked about this, she said "take them til you're 96, better than smoking". So now I don't worry about it at all. They are still less harmful than smoking and still cheaper than buying cigarettes. I also take about 9 or 10 per day and have done now for about 2 years.

Hi Sewmad..... Thank you for your comments and making me feel better. I have no time for negative comments this is why I did not come back to this site. I wish you all the best of luck in your journey and take good care.. :)

Hello All,

I am really glad I found this site, I have been on the lozenges for about 4 years, I was concerned as many about trading one addiction for another but I had no choice but to quit smoking due to health issues. I now feel great, i can breath again and walk up a flight of steps without sweating and being light headed but I cant seem to kick the lozenges or as I now refer to as the "MINTS". As with Sewmad, my doctor too said they are better than smoking so have at it....I would like to get off them, in fact I have been able to go most of some days without them but cant seem to get to being without them for more the 24hours. Thank you for a place to share my story, I hope to come back often and either share an opinion or report that I am MINT free...

Take care

I was using the Nicobate lozenges for over 3 years. I knew I was addicted to them but it was sure better than smoking. Suddenly they stopped making the lozenges I used and after trying others on the market I didn't like them. After 3 years of not smoking I did have that first ciggie and that was the end of me. I am going through a divorce and unemployment so I'm sure that doesn't help. Does anyone know when Nicabate will resume selling the lozenges?

I think worrying about being addicted to the lozenges is misplaced. When I stopped smoking I used lozenges for years and then when I stopped using lozenges I developed inflammatory bowel disease. I now find out the smokers rarely get these inflammatory diseases. Nicotine has HEALTH BENEFITS!

No one tells you this! Smoking lowers incidence of alzheimer's and ulcerative colitis.

The lozenges are not in the shops! I tried the films and the spray but the taste is just obnoxious!

I want to keep taking the lozenges as treatment for my IBD

I am in USA. I am addicted to nicotine lozengers. I take almost 20 or more a day. I know I have a real problem but I eat them like candy,one after another. They comfort me and help me thru my oh so stressful life. If I knew how to cope with life and how to quit I might try. Any help would be appreciated. Comments? also, where are you all from? I have never heard of nicobate that is why i ask.thanks

I am in USA. I am addicted to nicotine lozengers. I take almost 20 or more a day. I know I have a real problem but I eat them like candy,one after another. They comfort me and help me thru my oh so stressful life. If I knew how to cope with life and how to quit I might try. Any help would be appreciated. Comments? also, where are you all from? I have never heard of nicobate that is why i ask.thanks

I am in USA. I am addicted to nicotine lozengers. I take almost 20 or more a day. I know I have a real problem but I eat them like candy,one after another. They comfort me and help me thru my oh so stressful life. If I knew how to cope with life and how to quit I might try. Any help would be appreciated. Comments? also, where are you all from? I have never heard of nicobate that is why i ask.thanks

I am still addicted to the lozenges it is two years now and I still take them around 10 to 15 per day. To my USA friend, I am from Australia and have been the same as you eating these like candy I cannot get off them I am totally dependent and have tried to not take them but as bad as giving up the cigarettes.. If I could help you all believe me I would but I am incapable of even helping myself. I am so sorry that I cannot help any of you desperate people whom are just like me "Hopelessly Addicted" we are now addicted to the mere product that was to aid us in the first place with our first addiction... go figure cause I sure cannot :(

I can definitely relate Thailand, it was several years for me and I was having more per day than you are, more like 20 or more per day. The stuff is so expensive and in the end that is why I absolutely had to stop taking them. It seemed nearly impossible but three days ago, I stopped. For the first day, my mind felt crazy, day two nearly as bad, day three better, and now that I am on the fourth day, I actually have whole hours of time where I don't think about it. Tips for quitting: buy plenty of gum, tic-tacs or whatever you like to have on hand. It doesn't have nicotine of course but part of my problem was putting something in my mouth. Also, find something else to focus on..for me whenever I think of the lozenges I make a conscious effort to redirect that desire for a cool, refreshing glass of water. Just before bad, I imagine myself waking up craving a glass of water...trust me, it really helps! You could try to focus on something else like coffee or mints...whatever you love. It has still been hard and it still is but I really do not believe there's any way to stop other than cold turkey and replacing your brain's desires with something different. I hope that helps. Those lozenges are so addictive and I wish you the best in quitting.

PS: one more thing! I was an extremely light smoker. Was only smoking like 2-4 per day...for some reason the lozenges were way more addictive for me. I am not sure why. I wanted to add a word of encouragement and say that EVEN THOUGH I only smoked 2 cigs per day and EVEN THOUGH I was up to 20+ lozenges per day...I still thought giving up the lozenges was FAR FAR easier than giving up smoking. Perhaps that gives others some hope!!

Long time nicotine lozenge user and even longer smokeless tobacco user.. I just quit lozenges "cold turkey". Thursday night was my last lozenge. I would fall asleep with one in my mouth every night. I've decided to quit for a few reasons, one of which was for a life insurance physical. I do not know if it helped or not, but I would halve the lozenge in two. I would pop half after half after half. I don't know if I would have quit if I didn't just stop completely. I also started to substitute mints or tic tacs in between lozenge halves. I think the only way to quit is cold turkey, have a lot of mints, tic tacs, gum, etc. And to have someone to hold you accountable. If I didn't have a spouse I'm sure I would have relapsed by now. I'm currently 72+ hours nicotine free. I literally can't even remember the last I went 24 hrs without nicotine before this. It is possible and it is hard. I'm not sure I won't relapse, but I'll keep you guys updated.. Stay strong.

Hi am in UK.I want to thank everyone for posting about being addicted to the nicotine lozenges as I am. I started out on the 4mg and am now down to the 1mg but must have about 20 a day. I have not smoked for about 3 year ( did smoke for about 50 year) now and tell truth don't want one but find it hard to go with out the lozenges like someone said eat them like sweets. I have over many years had trouble with my bowels and thought maybe eating the lozenges were making me worse. I have started to try and eat mints instead and hopefully cut them out that way. I think maybe its the mint in them that is making things worse so will have to find another sweet to suck on. I am just so glad that I am not on my own . I live a very stressful life with a husband who has dementia and having breathing problems myself I can't do or get out very often. thanks again for your comments

I had my last cigarette 3 years ago the night before I had surgery for lung cancer. I had been a heavy smoker for 50 years. As far as the cancer is concerned I'm doing fine but now I'm addicted to nicotine lozenges. Want to get off them but it's hard.

I don't chew or swallow them. Just let them dissolve in my mouth

Sick of the mints which were more addictive to me than smoking! Fell asleep with them stuck to my teeth, ate one after every meal, when bored with glass of wine etc. Now on day 8 of no mints! To break habit I took vacation for 7 nights where I could not buy more mints. Ate my supply within 2 nights! First 72 hours were the worst and now home day 3 I've thrown away all my mint stashes and doing ok. 5 years on lozenges and hoping to break habit once and for all!

IF you are QUIT, don't worry about the lozenge use!! Relax, and stay quit. I am on Day 156...after 50 years of smoking. Yes, 50 years. This is attempt 11 in my lifetime and the longest smoke free ever. I am on 14mg patch, down from 21mg for 3 months, and also 4mg mini lozenge, 8 times a day. I am fortunate here in the US as a disabled veteran to receive all NRTs free. Not sure for how long however, but I plan to stay on the NRTs as long as needed...even if for life. I was diagnosed with moderate COPD 2 years ago, and the only way to slow/stop its progression is to STOP smoking! I have. Don't sweat the NRT use, although the gum can be bad for your teeth. See recent FDA reports re long term NRT use....NO adverse affects! If you have to beg your doctor/provider/ins. co to continue to supply your NRT do it. To me it is no different than taking a statin for high cholestorol...if you can't reduce your cholestorol through diet, your doctor readily prescribes a statin or similar to reduce your cholestorol, so what's the difference with smoking? Cold turkey doesn't work for me, so give me the NRT. The day will come, for me, and you, that we will simply stop using the NRT. It will hapen, but don't stress out about it now. Don't even think about it. I did at first, worried about when I would be cut off, and my counselor said, "relax"...and even gave me a mild anti depressant...Gabapentine. The NRTs are 1000 times safer than those freaking death sticks the tobacco companies have laced for years!! Be strong!

BTW...30 cigs/day when smoking...

13 Days no Mints. How this feels great!

After 4 years of being hooked on lozenges...spending about $80-90 per week...& hating it...I realised that the nicotine in lozenges is likely to be similarly related to periodontal disease (just like smoking) because nicotine is a vasovonstrictor. So last weekend I spent the days fighting cravings. Had a few lozenges in the evenings. I've done this Monday Tuesday Wednesday too. Today Thusday...I've had nothing & don't intend to again. That's a huge $ saving for me (& the drug company that makes these is also making mega bucks out of me)...but finally & most exciting for me...I'm going to be free of a nicotine addiction that began before I turned 16 & now I'm turning 53. Seriously...giving up these products is challenging ...but nothing like giving up smoking. So good luck everyone!!!

I am so glad that I found this site! After my mom was diagnosed with lung cancer 5 years ago I quit cold turkey and turned to nicotine lozenges. I felt so much better! I could breath, I did not smell like smoke and knew this was better for me? Well after 5 years and taking one right after another, this is become a problem. After my mom passed away, 1 year later my only sister at 54 passed away from lung cancer. My doctor told me, take them all you want, they are better than smoking and with my history, I will never smoke again. But these lozenges with prolonged use are not good for you. Not only am I having dental problems, peridontal issues but now my lips are swelling and I recently was having problems swallowing. I know that I need to quit, but just found this site so helpful in knowing that I am not the only one addicted to these lozenges. I will take all of the suggestions in quitting and work on being Lozenge free! Thank you!

I too am addicted to the mint losengers. I've been on a them for 2 years, taking 15 to 20 a day and after reading all the other comments can relate to all of them, falling asleep with one in, finishing one then having another straight away. A few months ago I started to feel unwell, aching all over and having hot sweats(I'm no where near that age!!) I went to my doctors, they ran blood tests and my ferritin levels came back very high (this is to do with the liver and your blood cells carrying iron) , this could mean a number of things, most commonly excessive alcohol consumption( I don't drink that much) After more and more and a few more blood tests to rule every thing out and going totally tee total, they still remain high and nothing else was coming back on the blood results. I was advised to follow a low iron diet, whilst looking on the internet for low iron content foods I came across something that said nicotine replacement gum raises ferritin levels. I contacted my doctor who had never heard of that, after further investigation she confirmed that both gum and lozengers cause it. I was advised to stop them immediately!!! I'm currently on patches and finding it very hard, i don't want to smoke, I just want a mint!!!! Just wanted to share my experience in case anyone else is going through the same as me.

I was off the smokes for 12 months - However supported by patches & Nicabate lozenges. Now I am addicted to the lozenges. They are costing me just a much as the smokes. I said to both the doctor & the chemist, hey I think I am addicted to these things now ! & the comments back in both cases was better addicted to Nicabate than the cigarettes ?? Now that's advice.

Some issue for me... I have found the lozenges so addictive. It used to be the gym until about 2.5 years ago, I did get onto normal gum. Then a small relapse smoking and the mints have been part of my lifestyle. They can be eaten throughout the day, and st night. So addictive. They have been costing me so much money. So two days ago I stopped when I felt a bit sick, still have not bought one. Have a patch on that does not seem to be doing anything. Although it might be. Glad to have read that there are others out there in my position.