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Smoking cessation - Management
What important adverse effects are associated with nicotine replacement therapy?
- The most common adverse effects include localized reactions (e.g. skin irritation with patches; irritation of the nose, throat, and eyes with nasal spray), sleep disturbances (e.g. vivid dreams), gastrointestinal disturbances, dizziness, and headache. These are unlikely to lead to discontinuation of treatment, but people may prefer to try an alternative formulation (e.g. changing from a 24-hour patch to a 16-hour patch if sleep is disturbed).
- Driving: nicotine replacement therapy is not known to affect people's ability to drive. The nasal spray can cause sneezing and watering eyes for a short time after use, so advise people not to use it while they are driving.
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