Physical dependence on nicotine gum: effect of duration of use

Abstract

This study examined whether longer duration on nicotine gum promoted dependence on nicotine gum. Subjects (N = 128) answering an advertisement for smoking cessation research and wanting to quit smoking cigarettes were randomly assigned to 1- or 3-month duration of nicotine gum use. Assessments were made weekly for smoking status (with biochemical verification) and withdrawal symptoms during and at the end of treatment. Follow-up was conducted at 1, 6 and 12 months to provide exploratory data on treatment outcome. The results showed minimal nicotine gum withdrawal symptoms after gum cessation with virtually no difference in gum withdrawal between the 1- and 3-month groups. Withdrawal symptoms from the nicotine gum included difficulty with concentration, increased variability on a reaction time task, and decreased vigor. The results also showed that continuous use of the gum at 1 year was observed in 1.5% of subjects and estimated to be as high as 14%. Finally, the 3-month group experienced a 2-fold increase in abstinence compared to the 1-month group, although this difference was not statistically significant. We conclude that there is minimal physical dependence on nicotine gum.

Subjective effects of the nicotine lozenge: assessment of abuse liability

“…They do not however address the issue of dependence with long-term use, which may lead to continued use beyond treatment recommendations. Abrupt cessation of nicotine gum may lead to withdrawal (Hatsukami et al 1991(Hatsukami et al , 1993, suggesting that some dependence may occur. Indeed, use beyond the recommended treatment has been observed (Spyker et al 1998).…”

Reduced Nicotine Content Cigarettes and Nicotine Patch

“…Subjective measures included: a) a Tobacco Use Questionnaire asking about current tobacco use status (cigarettes and other tobacco products); b) a daily diary detailing the number of assigned products used and usual cigarettes smoked; c) the Minnesota Nicotine Withdrawal Scale , a widely used scale assessing withdrawal from cigarettes (12-14), nicotine gum (15, 16) and smokeless tobacco (15, 17) d) Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND, 18); e) Centers for Epidemiological Studies 20-item scale (CES-D) assessing current symptoms of depression (19) and f) Perceived Health Risk , a ladder involving rating risk for addiction to a product on a scale ranging from 1 to 10 (6). All of these measures were assessed at baseline.…”

Reduced nicotine content cigarettes: effects on toxicant exposure, dependence and cessation

“…Subjective measures included: (i) a tobacco use questionnaire that asked about current tobacco use status (cigarettes and other tobacco products), number of ≥24-hour quit attempts and duration of abstinence during these quit attempts; (ii) a daily diary detailing the number of cigarettes smoked; (iii) the Minnesota Nicotine Withdrawal Scale, a widely used scale that assesses withdrawal from cigarettes [22–24], nicotine gum [25,26] and smokeless tobacco [25,27]; (iv) the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND, [28]), the most widely used and psychometrically tested scale for nicotine dependence; and (v) perceived health risk, a ladder involving rating risk for addiction of a product on a scale ranging from 1 to 10. All these measures were assessed at baseline.…”