Nicotine Transdermal System Instructions

Gone are the days when smoking was accepted in airplanes, restaurants, indoors at home and on TV. Now that Americans are aware of the potential dangers of smoking, they are quitting in droves, which means a boost in the use of nicotine transdermal systems, or nicotine patches. Along with nicotine gum, this is one of the most popular methods used to aid individuals in quitting smoking. The patch delivers a steady stream of nicotine to the body throughout the day, thus reducing cravings.

Things You'll Need

• Full strength nicotine patches

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Instructions

• 1

  Clean the skin where you would like to place the patch. The hip or upper arm are both good locations for this. The skin should be free of any open cuts, irritation or other injury of any kind. It should also be hair free, so you may wish to shave the location in the shower before applying a patch.

• 2

  Pull a single patch from the box and remove the plastic wrapping.

• 3

  Get the patch ready to put onto your skin by pulling off the backing and revealing the adhesive.

• 4

  Put the patch onto a dry, hair free and clean part of your hip or upper arm. Press the patch onto the skin for 10 seconds to ensure that it stays put. Wash your hands thoroughly; nicotine patches contain chemicals which should not be ingested or spread around.

• 5

  Pull the patch off after 24 hours. Fold the used patch with adhesive side in, and throw it away immediately. Keep it away from children and pets, and wash your hands immediately afterward.

• 6

  Apply a new patch in a different location than the one you just removed to keep from irritating the skin. You may want to rotate daily between your two arms and two hips so that each location can rest before a new patch is applied.

• 7

  Go down to a weaker dose patch when the time recommended on the box for treatment at high doses has been fulfilled.