Prescription required
NiQuitin Clear Patches
Stopping smoking
- Strengths:
- 7mg, 14mg, 21mg
- Indicative price:
- £12.99
GetMeds Online
Stopping smoking
Nicotine replacement to manage cravings while you quit.
This guide is general health information about Stopping smoking. It is not personal medical advice and does not replace an assessment by your GP or pharmacist. Any treatment is only supplied after a consultation is reviewed by a UK prescriber at our partner pharmacy.
In short
Stopping smoking is one of the best things you can do for your health. Combining support from a stop smoking service with a stop-smoking medicine roughly triples your chances of quitting for good, compared with trying on willpower alone.
- Best combination
- A nicotine patch plus a fast-acting product (like gum or spray) works better than either alone
- Typical length of use
- 8–12 weeks, gradually reducing the dose
- Success rates
- Using support plus a medicine roughly triples your chance of quitting successfully
- Health benefit
- Your extra risk of heart disease from smoking roughly halves within a year of quitting
Overview
Combining a long-acting patch with a fast-acting product such as gum or lozenges gives the best chance of stopping for good, especially alongside behavioural support.
Common symptoms
- Cravings
- Irritability
- Difficulty concentrating
What causes it
- Nicotine dependence, plus strong habit and situational triggers
- Withdrawal peaks in the first week
What you can do yourself
- Set a quit date and remove cigarettes, lighters and ashtrays
- Plan for triggers such as alcohol, breaks and stress
- Use local stop-smoking support — it roughly doubles success
What you'll be asked
- 1How many cigarettes you smoke a day, and how soon after waking you have your first one (this shows how strong the addiction is)
- 2Any past quit attempts — what helped, and what led you to start again
- 3Your mental health, how much alcohol you drink, and whether others in your home smoke
- 4Any medicines you take that are affected by smoking, such as those for asthma, certain mental health conditions, or diabetes
- 5Whether you're pregnant or breastfeeding
How it is usually treated
Combination nicotine replacement works best: a patch for background cravings plus a fast-acting gum, lozenge or spray for breakthrough urges, used for eight to twelve weeks.
Nicotine patch
Worn on the skin, it gives a steady background level of nicotine throughout the day to reduce cravings. The strength is chosen based on how much you smoke, and gradually reduced over 8–12 weeks.
Fast-acting nicotine products
Gum, lozenges, an inhalator, mouth spray or mouth strips, used alongside the patch for sudden cravings or trigger moments, such as after meals or with a coffee.
Behavioural support
Free stop smoking services in the UK offer advice and encouragement that significantly improve your chances of success. It helps to set a quit date and plan ahead for situations where you'd usually smoke.
Doses shown are indicative. Any treatment is chosen by the prescriber at our partner pharmacy based on your answers.
Follow-up and reviews
- Expect to be contacted, or to check in, during the first week after quitting — this is when you're most likely to be tempted to smoke again
- If cravings are strong, your dose may need increasing rather than decreasing
- Some other medicines you take may need a dose change once you stop smoking, as it affects how your body processes them
- If you slip up and have a cigarette, don't see it as failure — get back on track with your quit plan straight away
Safety and who should avoid it
- Ask for advice before using nicotine replacement if you've recently had a heart attack, stroke or an irregular heartbeat
- Patches can irritate the skin — put them on a different area of skin each day
- If patches disturb your sleep or give you vivid dreams, try taking them off before bed
- Cravings for nicotine can continue for some time — plan to reduce your dose gradually rather than stopping suddenly
Get urgent help if you notice
- New chest pain, a racing or irregular heartbeat, or unexplained breathlessness needs urgent medical attention
- Coughing up blood, a hoarse voice that doesn't go away, or losing weight without trying should be checked by a doctor
- A significant worsening in your mood, or any thoughts of suicide — seek help straight away
Call 999 for an emergency, or NHS 111 for urgent advice.
When to see a doctor
- A recent heart attack, stroke or unstable angina
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding
- Low mood that worsens after quitting
Treatments you can request
General sale — no questions
Nicotine lozenges 2mg
Stopping smoking
- Strengths:
- 2mg, 4mg
- Indicative price:
- £7.49
Common questions
- Is nicotine replacement safer than smoking?
- Yes. The serious harm from smoking comes from tar and combustion products, not nicotine itself.
- What if I slip up?
- A single cigarette is not failure — keep using your treatment and carry on with your quit attempt.