Nicotine replacement therapy is intended to give your body a low dose of nicotine to help cut back the cravings. Your withdrawal symptoms will not be as severe since small amounts will be put into your system. However nicotine replacement therapy will cause your system to go through withdrawals twice. The first time when you initially quit smoking and the second time when you stop the nicotine replacement therapy. You do not need to go to a doctor to get it.

Many people have a hard time dealing with the withdrawals the second time around. Especially as that familiar edgy feeling comes back and you go through a milder form of withdrawals for the next three days. It's hard for people to prepare themselves for that second wave and often find themselves unable to let go of the nicotine replacement therapy. Those that can let go are one step closer to becoming smoke free and altering their lifestyle.

There are many methods of nicotine replacement therapy; the patch is the most commonly used. Normally you will start with a higher dose and gently work your way down over a 6 to 12 week period of time. Side effects are common as the amount delivered in the 24 hour period is often too much for the body to handle.

Nausea and cold sweats is a common side effect of the patch. This can be an indication that the dose is to high for your system and you can try a lower dose the next day. It might be a good idea to look into another form of nicotine replacement therapy. Many people have had great success with the patch, but since the human body's chemistry varies from person to person not everyones body is able to adapt to the patch.

There are several forms of nicotine replacement therapy, the patch is no longer your only option. Nicotine gum now has improved in flavor and lacks that pepper taste that used to linger in your mouth. You don't have to worry about feeling sick due to the taste, because now the nicotine gum comes in fruit flavors. The dosage schedule is controlled by you depending on your withdrawal symptoms.

There are also the nicotine lozenge, which now comes in a variety of flavors. You let the tablet slowly dissolve in your mouth and it delivers a low dose of nicotine into your system. Again, you set your own dosing schedule, normally about 2 to 4 hours in between tablets, depending on your personal withdrawals. As with all nicotine replacement therapy you will experience some form of secondary withdrawal symptoms when you wean yourself off of them but that is a very small price to pay compared to continuing to smoke.

Now if find yourself needing something in your hand then you can look to the nicotine inhaler to help curb that desire. This too will release a low dose of nicotine which you inhale through this device. I have never tried this myself but I have talked to several people who had success with it.

Most nicotine replacement therapy options are available over the counter, helping you avoid any added expense that seeing a doctor would create. You will also benefit from the online support that many of the products provide, along with several forums in which you can receive support from your peers that are also trying to stop smoking.

As mentioned before, some of the side effects of nicotine replacement therapy can range from: a slight headache, insomnia, to more severe symptoms such as nausea, diarrhea or constipation. Some of the side effects tend to be temporary, if they are too much you may want to think about changing your dose or about looking into other smoking cessation options, such as non- nicotine based medication.