Addicted to Nicotine Lozenges

[Bellsandbows]

I gave up smoking two years ago. I used 1mg Nicotine lozenges but ended up chaging to 2mg and now I am having at least 15 a day. I am ashamed to admit I eat them all day long like sweets. Whenever I feel tense or anxious I reach for another lozenge. I terrified of giving them up because I know my anxiety might flare up and I will have a bad temper... but I also want to be free on the addiction. I hate being dependent and the panic I feel if I am running low on lozenges. I ingest way more nicotine than I ever would have as a smoker and I'm worried about the long term affect on my body. Has anyone managed to quit Nicotine? Or know where I can get some help?

I'm on 1mg still and rather than being able to decrease my dose, I'm actually using more than ever.
The only time I.notice I have less is when I'm distracted by things such as housework.
I spend too long with my other addictions (TV and my phone) and I pop them like sweets. I sometimes have maybe 4 an hour.

I'm determined to get more active this year and hoping that will distract me enough.
I tried using sugar free sweets but it's the action of constantly needing something in my mouth that is the issue now.
I got dreadful stomach upset with the sweets.
Good luck and if you have any tips that work please share.

I feel your pain Bobski, I think another poster has already mentioned mints, I’ve changed from the large lozenges to the smaller type and bought smints which are a similar size and flavour and when I’m tempted to pop nicotine I have those instead- it’s working well so far and I’ve cut right back to 6 a day (ish) now- only thing the smints give me the most glorious wind 😳 worth it in the long run though I hope.. good luck everyone- those dam things are a curse and wishing I’d just gone cold Turkey!

I’m in a similar boat but it’s patches. If I’ve got a patch on I don’t smoke. If I don’t, I crave and often give in. I figured it’s better to be addicted to the patches than fags and will reduce or stop when I’m ready. I’d rather not use them but I’m not overly worried about it.

OMG!! i thought i was the only one who was having this issue!! i quit smoking 12 years ago ... but i was never a heavy smoker anyway. i'm only on the 1 mg but like many of you, my whole life is controlled by these tiny lozenges. i love the taste, i don't even know if its the nicotine i'm addicted to but instead the habit of having that taste in my mouth. i eat them like sweets and plan every day around them. the only reason i want to give them up is that they are so expensive!! i'm no better off financially for having given up the cigarettes :( it's now Jan 2024 and i can't ever see me giving them up.. patches would never have worked when i gave up smoking because it was the habit of having something in my mouth that was the problem. any suggestions?

In the same boat - been on lozenges since about 2012 so more than 10 years. I have had dreadful trouble with my teeth and am now having serious gastric issues which may or may not be caused or exacerbated by lozenges.
I’ve cut right back - what I do is to put one in my mouth for a few minutes then take it out and throw it away. I used to do that with cigarettes too. Smoke 1/3 and throw away, and I do it with food.
but I am really worried about my health now. I need to throw my whole supply in the bin and now replace it. Just sit it out.

My last message was intended as a reply to you. As I have mentioned I am now experiencing serious gastric issues after years of nicotine use. Whether or not there’s a connection I don’t know - there doesn’t seem to be much info about long term use of these products. Probably because they haven’t been around for very long. I am too ashamed to discuss with my doctor. (Who I am now seeing on the regular)

Ditto!! No idea how to get off these. I’ll confess I would rather smoke because it’s more enjoyable but strangely, I don’t ever crave a cigarette but I do crave these all the time 😬😕

The cravings are much worse than when I smoked. I also have some gastric issues but no idea if its linked. I'm hoping to get more active so I'm distracted as I tend to have more when I'm sedetary.

I have the gastric issues too but like you, not sure if they’re linked ??

The gym is just as bad and I've been addicted to that for over ten years. I loathe and love it, just like I did with cigarettes. It's destroying my mouth and stuff, must be, all that nicotine washing over delicate tissues day in day out about 4 times an hour. I'm miserable

GUM!!! not gym. It clearly messes with typing ability, too