Nicotine (Inhalation-Systemic)

Brand Names : Nicotrol Inhaler

Before Using This Medicine

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of using the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For nicotine, the following should be considered:

Allergies - Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to nicotine or to menthol. Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.

Pregnancy - Nicotine, whether from smoking or from the inhaler, is not recommended during pregnancy. Studies in animals have shown that nicotine can cause harmful effects in the fetus.

Breast-feeding - Nicotine passes into breast milk and may cause unwanted effects in the baby. It may be necessary for you to stop breast-feeding during treatment.

Children - Small amounts of nicotine can cause poisoning in children. Even used nicotine inhaler cartridges contain enough nicotine to cause serious harm in children. Also, the cartridges are small enough that they can cause choking if they are swallowed.

Older adults - This medicine has been tested in a limited number of patients 60 years of age or older and has not been shown to cause different side effects or problems in older people than it does in younger adults.

Other medicines - Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are using the nicotine inhaler, it is especially important that your health care professional know if you are taking any of the following medicines:

• Theophylline (e.g., Theo-Dur) or
• Tricyclic antidepressants (amitriptyline [e.g., Elavil], amoxapine [e.g., Asendin], clomipramine [e.g., Anafranil], desipramine [e.g., Norpramin], doxepin [e.g., Sinequan], imipramine [e.g., Tofranil], nortriptyline [e.g., Aventyl], protriptyline [e.g., Vivactil], trimipramine [e.g., Surmontil]) - Stopping smoking may change the effects of these medicines; the amount of medicine you need to take may change

Other medical problems - The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of nicotine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Asthma or other breathing problems or
• Heart or blood vessel disease or
• High blood pressure or
• Liver disease or
• Overactive thyroid or
• Pheochromocytoma or
• Stomach ulcer or
• Type 1 diabetes mellitus (sugar diabetes) - Nicotine may make the condition worse