Nicorette Nasal Spray nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) is for the rapid relief of nicotine withdrawal symptoms as an aid to giving up smoking

• Nicorette Nasal Spray delivers approximately 200 sprays, each containing 0.5 mg of nicotine

When you stop smoking, your body misses the nicotine which you have been absorbing. You may experience unpleasant feelings and a desire to smoke (craving). This indicates that you were dependent on nicotine.

When you spray Nicorette Nasal Spray into your nose, nicotine passes rapidly into your body through the lining of the nose. The nicotine absorbed is sufficient to relieve the unpleasant nicotine withdrawal symptoms. It will also help to stop the craving to smoke, but will not give you the "buzz" you get from a cigarette.

• The benefits of stopping smoking far outweigh any potential risk from using nicotine from NRT
• It is the toxins in cigarette smoke, such as tar, lead, cyanide and ammonia that cause smoking related disease and death, rather than the nicotine.

How and when to use Nicorette Nasal Spray:

How to use Nicorette Nasal Spray: Follow the instructions in your own product before using Nicorette Nasal Spray

If you are using Nicorette Nasal Spray for the first time or if you have not used the spray for 2-3 days you must first prime the spray pump. (Please note priming reduces the number of doses you may get from a bottle).

Point the spray safely away from you and any other adults, children or pets near you.

• Place the nozzle between your first and second finger with your thumb on the bottom of the bottle
• Press several times firmly and quickly until a fine spray appears (up to 7-8 strokes)
• Insert the spray tip into one nostril, pointing the top towards the back of your nose.
• Press firmly and quickly. Then, insert the spray tip into you other nostril and repeat the process.

Use Nicorette Nasal Spray whenever you feel the urge to smoke. The frequency with which you use the spray will depend on how many cigarettes you smoked and how strong they were.

• You can use one spray in each nostril up to twice an hour. You may find you need less.
• Each Nicorette Nasal Spray delivers 50 microlitres of solution, which contains 0.5 mg of nicotine
• The 10ml bottle contains enough solution to deliver about 200 sprays

You may find that for the first few days of use Nicorette Nasal Spray irritates your nose making you sneeze and your eyes may water. If this occurs do not drive or operate machinery until these unwanted effects have stopped.

• Do not give this product to children under 12 years

Dosage Adults and Children 12 years and over: 

• One spray in each nostril up to twice an hour to relieve cravings
• Do not spray in each nostril more than twice in one hour
• Do not use more than 64 sprays per day - this is equivalent to using one spray into each nostril for twice and hour for 16 hours.

Children aged 12 and up to 18 should not use for longer than 12 weeks in total without asking for help and advice from a doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

Adults aged 18 years and over should not use for longer than 9 months in total without asking for help and advice from a doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

Because smoking is an addiction you may find it difficult to give up. From time to time you may still have strong urges to smoke.

If you find it hard to stop using Nicorette Nasal Spray, you are worried that you will start smoking again without it or you find it difficult to reduce the amount of sprays you are using, talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

If a child has used or swallowed Nicorette Nasal Spray contact your doctor or your nearest hospital Accident and Emergency Department immediately

Each spray of Nicorette Nasal Spray delivers the active ingredient: Nicotine

Other ingredients in Nicorette Nasal Spray are: disodium phosphate, sodium dihydrogen phosphate, sodium chloride, citric acid, polysorbate 80, ß-ionone (aroma), methyl and propyl parahydroxybenzoate (E216 and E218), disodium edetate and water.

• Nicorette Nasal Spray consists of a glass bottle of solution, attached to a pump spray unit designed to be put into your nose
• The solution is sufficient to deliver about 200 sprays from each bottle

Do not use Nicorette Nasal Spray: If you have an allergy to nicotine or any of the ingredients in Nicorette Nasal Spray

Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before using Nicorette Nasal Spray:

• If you are in hospital because of heart disease (including heart attack, disorders of heart rate or rhythm or stroke). In other heart conditions not requiring you to be in hospital, using NRT is better than continuing to smoke
• If you have a stomach, duodenal ulcer or inflammation of the oesophagus (passage between the mouth and stomach)
• If you have serious liver or kidney disease
• If you have an overactive thyroid gland or have a phaeochromocytoma (a tumour of the adrenal gland that can affect blood pressure) - your doctor will have told you this
• If you have respiratory disease, especially asthma
• If you have diabetes - monitor your blood sugar levels more often when starting to use Nicorette Nasal Spray as you may find your insulin or medication requirements alter
• If you are taking any other medicines such as theophylline, clozapine or ropinirole, stopping smoking may require the dose to be adjusted

Nicorette Nasal Spray contains methyl and propyl parahydroxybenzoate (E216 and E218), which may cause allergic reactions (this may happen after a few days).

If you are Pregnant or Breast-feeding: You may be able to use nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) to help you give up smoking but you should try to give up without it.

If you are pregnant: Ideally, you should try to give up without NRT. If you can't manage this, you can use NRT as the risk to your baby are far less than smoking, however you should talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist for advice.

Products that are used intermittently, including Nicorette Nasal Spray, may be preferable to nicotine patches. However patches may be more suitable if you have nausea or sickness. If you do use patches, take them off before going to bed at night.

If you are breast-feeding: Ideally, you should try to stop without NRT. If you can't manage this you are best to use NRT products that are taken intermittently (not patches), however you should talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist for advice.

• Breast-feed just before you use Nicorette Nasal Spray to make sure that the baby gets the smallest amount of nicotine possible

If you do need to use NRT to help you quit, the amount of nicotine that the baby may receive is considerably smaller and less harmful than the second-hand smoke they would inhale if you smoked. Tobacco smoke produces breathing and other problems in babies and children.

Like all medicines, Nicorette Nasal Spray can have side-effects: As many of the effects are due to nicotine they can also occur when nicotine is obtained by smoking.

Effects related to stopping smoking (nicotine withdrawal): You may experience unwanted effects because by stopping smoking you have reduced the amount of nicotine you are taking. You may also experience these effects if you under use Nicorette Nasal Spray before you are ready to reduce your nicotine intake. These effects include: irritability or aggression, feeling low, anxiety, restlessness, poor concentration, increased appetite or weight gain, urges to smoke ('craving'), night-time awakenings or sleep disturbance and lowering of heart rate.

Effects of too much nicotine: You may also get these effects if you are not used to inhaling tobacco smoke. These effects include: Feeling faint, feeling sick (nausea) or headache.

Side effects of Nicorette Nasal Spray: During the first 2 days of treatment, many people experience nasal irritation such as sneezing, running nose, watering eyes and cough. If you continue to use the nasal spray, the severity of these effects and how often they occur will reduce.

Very common side-effects: More than 1 in every 10 people are affected:  Runny nose, sneezing, watering eyes or nose bleeds.

Common side effects:  Less than 1 in every 10 people are affected: Headache, dizziness, cough, stomach discomfort, feeling sick (nausea) or sickness (vomiting).

Uncommon side effects:  Less than 1 in every 100 people are affected: Chest palpitations.

Very fare side effects: Less than 1 in 10,000 people are affected:  Abnormal beating of the heart.

If you notice these or any other unwanted effects not listed in your own leaflet tell your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

• When you stop smoking you may also develop mouth ulcers. The reason why this happens is unknown