Do Nicotine Patches Have Side Effects?

The quitting process can be quite challenging for most smokers. If you’re one of the lucky ones, you won’t need to ‘ease’ through the entire thing.

But fortunately, if you’re quite unfortunate throughout the process, you can always use nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) to make quitting smoking much easier and smoother for yourself.

Still, while they’re effective in many ways, NRT doesn’t always work for everyone — the patches can cause side effects a day or a week after they’re used.

But, are these side effects dangerous? What should you know about them? Let’s learn more in today’s post.

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Nicotine Patches: Long-Term Side Effects

Nicotine patches are quite harmless, especially if you’re just starting out. Your skin will still feel okay while the patch works the nicotine into your system and reduce your withdrawal symptoms.

However, after a few weeks or months using them, you might experience some side effects. Here are some of them:

Irritated Skin

Patches can feel uncomfortable as early as the first day — they constrict your skin and may cause you to feel itchy. However, stop using the patch and seek medical care if the skin underneath feels itchy, red, and rough.

For some quitters, the patches may appear within just a single time they used the patches. For most smokers, this could appear after 2-3 weeks of using the patches.

When this happens, stop using the patches and see your GP. They may simply prescribe switching the patch area from left to right (if you used your left shoulder for the patches) or prescribe an alternative brand or treatment where needed.

Nausea

Nausea is typical for first-time smokers who have only had their first nicotine hit, and this is also true for some first-time NRT patch users even if they’ve smoked for quite a long time.

Typically, this happens because the patch contains more nicotine than your body is used to absorbing, even through cigarettes.

While this is relatively harmless when it happens, we strongly advise calling a GP to get the correct NRT dosage the first time (and get medical advice for your other needs too).

Muscle Soreness and Stiffness

Your muscles might feel sore after you’ve placed the patch. It’s normal to feel as if you’ve used your shoulder playing tennis once you’ve stuck the patch.

Most transdermal patches, such as NRT patches, creates a small amount of pressure on your shoulder. It can feel constricting or bothersome in most cases.

However, nicotine patches shouldn’t cause your shoulder to feel bruised or weak, especially if the symptoms only began weeks after you’ve used the patches.

When this happens, stop using the patch in the same area — it’s highly likely the vessels in the usual area it’s attached are already constricted (remember that nicotine can constrict blood vessels). Instead, use them on the opposite area or stop using the patches for a while to let these muscles rest.

Insomnia

While nicotine is quite harmless (it’s the chemicals in cigarette smoke that are harmful), it can cause the body to react with some discomfort to its presence.

For instance, most motivated smokers report a small burst of energy and forget hunger when they light a cigarette – a side effect of consuming nicotine.

Now, imagine that you’ve applied a nicotine patch before going to bed. You feel comfortable and do not feel any cravings, thanks to the patch. 

But, it feels hard to fall asleep. It’s medically established that nicotine can disrupt neurotransmitters in the brain that communicate with each other during sleep.

When this happens, most GPs recommend removing the patch an hour or two before you sleep, then apply a new patch once you wake up.

Higher Heart Rate

As mentioned, one of nicotine’s side effects is constricting blood vessels temporarily, causing it to narrow and resulting in a higher heart rate.

Like nausea, a higher heart rate right after using a nicotine patch is most likely due to the high nicotine dosage. See a GP or use a lower-level nicotine patch and see if your heart rate steadies after applying it.

How Long Do The Side Effects of Nicotine Patches Last?  

The side effects of nicotine patches should come off right after you stop using them.

In case you have skin irritation after applying a patch, the irritation should go away a few days after you stop using it. 

For motivated smokers who have used the patches after 2 to 3 weeks and experienced irritation and muscle soreness, they may need to place the product on another part of the body.

Both nausea and higher heart rates should come down shortly after you’ve removed the patch.

The Side Effects Of Coming Off Nicotine Patches 

Are there side effects after you’ve stopped using nicotine patches a week or two during your NRT? 

The answer isn’t straightforward because the effect is different for every person.

Some quitters who have been on their fourth week and stopped NRT patches felt no difference – a sign that their body has adapted to the low nicotine dose and is ready to stop altogether.

On the other hand, some who have used the patches for more than a month report that their body starts craving the patch rather than a cigarette. 

When this happens, the urges might not be as strong as quitting a cigarette for the first time. But still, to address possible withdrawals, a GP may prescribe a lower-dose patch for use within a few weeks to a month.

In any case, if you feel any side effects after using nicotine patches, the withdrawals are most likely significantly weaker than that of quitting cigarettes for the first time – it’s possible you can wing it even without lower-dose patches by keeping yourself busy.

The Side Effects of Nicotine Patches: Are They The Right NRT For You?

Nicotine patches are one of the best NRT products that can help you quit smoking for good. 

While you might experience the side effects mentioned here, there’s no big danger and life-altering event that can happen (except for quitting smoking forever) once you start using them.

We highly recommend trying NRT patches. And, if the side effects prove to be too terrible, you can always use other NRT products – such as gum, lozenges, and inhalers that may work better for you.

We also recommend working with a stop-smoking GP specialising in helping smokers go through the quitting process. You can avoid higher heart rates, nausea, and other symptoms because your GP can prescribe the right dosage that helps you stop smoking, without overdoing it.

What’s The Alternative If NRT Doesn’t Work For You?

Many motivated smokers stand by the efficacy of NRT products, but they don’t always work for everyone. If your GP deems your first-line solution to quitting isn’t working, they may prescribe nicotine vaping products (NVPs) from pharmacies.

Here’s how to go about accessing NVPs. 

Go Through First-Line Solutions First

Some motivated smokers can handle cold turkey just fine and see success within a few tries, but oftentimes, smokers have strong withdrawals that can draw them back to lighting a stick.

That’s where nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) products come in. These are readily available and stocked at your local pharmacy.

NRT products are the most trusted quitting option available for motivated smokers. They might not imitate cigarettes, but they contain a small dose of nicotine that may be enough to alleviate your withdrawals. These come in the form of patches and gums for easy and convenient nicotine delivery.

While NRTs can be effective, they don’t work for everyone. If these haven’t done the trick for you, you may now be eligible for a nicotine prescription to use nicotine vaping products (NVPs).

Chat to a GP

As mentioned, NRT products have worked for many successful ex-smokers. But, you might have ingrained behaviours and triggers that only something that mimics a cigarette can successfully address, such as the hand-to-mouth motion, and needing something to use while having a drink with friends. 

That is where NVPs become very handy in helping you fight the urge to consume tobacco.

You need a nicotine prescription before you can purchase NVPs, so you’ll need to consult with a GP to help you on your smoking cessation journey. 

And, if your GP deems it necessary, they can write you a nicotine prescription for NVPs. 

You can chat to your usual GP more about this.

Visit Your Local Pharmacy

Once you have your nicotine prescription, you can pop down to your local pharmacy. Over 2,200 pharmacies across Australia hold these products in-store, but any pharmacy can order these in for you if they don’t currently stock them.

Both your pharmacist and GP can advise you on how best to use the product, such as the initial setup, and the number of puffs to take when you feel withdrawals.

Summary

Nicotine patches might have some side effects, but they don’t always happen to everyone. If it does, stop using them and see a GP immediately. Better yet, you can see them before you start going through NRT to reduce or completely avoid these side effects.

If you want to talk to a GP before going through NRT, we can help.

Smokefree Clinic gives you access to many medically reviewed and trustworthy resources that can inform and aid you in your path to wellness, so have a look around! 

If you’re ready to get started, Smokefree can connect you to Australian healthcare professionals who excel in helping patients quit smoking for good.

Link Reference:

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4958544/
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7591043/