Chemo

rzientek

Does Anyone know if you can use nicotine replacement products during chemo?

Thanks.

eDivebuddy

Just wanted to share a few thoughts in case they help.

You can usually use nicotine replacement during chemo. Patches, gum, lozenges. A lot of doctors say it’s fine, especially if it keeps you off cigarettes. But nicotine still affects the body, no matter the source. It can change how your body processes certain medications. I don’t know of any lung cancer chemotherapies that are directly affected, but it’s worth checking with your care team.

I’m not here to say, “If you keep smoking, you’re going to die.” That’s not always true. I smoked the entire time I was on chemo. No one stopped me. For a long time, no one even told me to quit. I get it. Sometimes it feels like one of the only things you can still control.

What I can say is this. Life is easier without it.
No more chasing the next fix. No more preloading nicotine before a drive or a meal. No more hunting down a smoking area outside the airport. I didn’t realize how much mental energy it was costing me until I didn’t have to think about it anymore. Food tastes better. Smells are richer. It’s a little easier to breathe. And it is expensive. Quitting didn’t change everything, but it changed more than I expected.

There was one thing I didn’t expect. It was really hard to think about how my grandkids saw me smoking, especially when I knew they thought it was killing me. They didn’t say it out loud, but I could see it in their eyes. They were scared. Quitting didn’t just help me — it gave them something to hold onto. A little hope. A little less fear. That mattered more than I thought it would.

If you’re not ready, that’s okay. If NRT helps, use what keeps you stable, then taper down when you can. Not because it’s dangerous, but because being free of nicotine feels different. Lighter. Quieter.

I used Chantix to stop. I’d used it before with success. This time, I picked a date that felt right and started it twelve weeks ahead of time. Honestly, I probably didn’t even need it. I just knew I was done.

rzientek

Thanks eDivebuddy for the awesome response. You are right about everything you said. It seems like there is no room for smoking in today's world. I have my first chemo session this Friday and I will ask them if they feel like NRT will be a big problem. I'm glad you had great success with chantix. Everything you say makes complete sense to me. Thank you soo much for your detailed response it really hit home for me. I just hope I don't get addicted to the gum. I know of quite few people that did. Thanks again for your words.

eDivebuddy

Getting addicted to the gum can be very expensive . Amazon has SD one that's comparatively cheap

rzientek

rzientek

Thanks for the awesome tip!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!