Nicotine Gum (Polacrilex)

What Is It?
Nicotine polacrilex, or "gum" is a nicotine-containing compound that is designed to slowly release nicotine into the mouth when chewed and placed between the cheek and gums.

Unlike smoke, which passes almost instantaneously into the blood through the lining of the lung, the nicotine in the gum takes several minutes to reach the brain. This makes the "hit" less intense with the gum than with a cigarette.

Warnings, Cautions and Various Nasty Possibilities
The FDA and the manufacturers of nicotine gum warn very strongly against smoking while also using the gum, as it could result in more nicotine in the user's system than they are prepared to handle. While actual cases of this are extremely rare, it is not worth the risk. Since the idea behind using any sort of nicotine replacement therapy is to let you break the smoking habit, continuing to use cigarettes while also using the gum is counter productive.

Remember to treat any nicotine-containing product with respect. While both the patch and the gum eliminate most of health risks associated with tobacco use, nicotine itself can cause serious medical problems, including death, if abused.

Use of Nicotine Gum
Repeat: "Nicotine gum is not gum." Seriously, nicotine gum is not designed to be chewed like normal gum (hence the technical term "polacrilex"). Rather it is used in the "chew and park" method.

When you insert a piece of gum into your mouth, chew it a few times to break it down, then park it between your gum and cheek and leave it there. The nicotine from the gum will make its way into your system via the blood vessels just under the skin. If you continue chewing without parking, the nicotine will be released directly into the saliva in your mouth, which will eventually be swallowed, leaving you with a nasty stomachache and a craving for a cigarette.

Chewing will release a "peppery" taste that indicates that you should park the gum. Continue chewing and parking intermittently for a half hour or so. Note that acidic beverages including sodas can interfere with the efficacy of the gum, so they should be avoided for 15 minutes before and after chewing.

Most people who use the gum make the mistake of using too little or stopping use too soon. Make sure that you read the directions inside the pack and follow your doctor's instructions carefully. Using too little of the gum will result in withdrawal symptoms similar to abruptly stopping smoking.