The best products to help you quit smoking, according to doctors

Safe OTC products to help you quit smoking

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All our docs agreed that nicotine patches, lozenges, and gum are the best way to quit smoking because they're proven to be the most effective. Nicotine gum in particular has been shown to reduce cravings and the urge to smoke, even in the low 2mg dose. 

Nicorette gum and its generics delivers a hit of nicotine without the harmful chemicals in cigarettes. You're meant to slowly wean your dependency on the chemical over the course of 12 weeks by chewing a piece of gum every 1-2 hours. Then, after six weeks you cut down to every 2-4 hours, then 4-6 hours. If you're not ready to go off the nicotine after 12 weeks, the FDA has said that it's safe to use NRTs for longer.

The gum comes in 2mg and 4mg pieces, and the best dose depends on your current smoking habits. Though you should start at these lower doses, a 2019 study found when smokers chewed a higher 6mg gum, they saw faster relief and had fewer nicotine cravings compared to when they only chewed 4mg gum. 

Keep in mind side effects of nicotine gum include a risk of mouth irritation and jaw soreness, heartburn, hiccups, and nausea, and folks with TMJ or who wear dentures may want to steer clear.

Like its gum, Nicorette's lozenges are a form of NRT that delivers the nicotine without the harmful stuff in cigarettes. The lozenges are ideal if you have a muscular or dental condition or just prefer not to chew gum.

Like gum, the lozenges are meant to be used for 12 weeks (though if necessary, longer is okay) as you gradually wean yourself off. The dosage is virtually identical to the gum but you shouldn't have more than 20 lozenges a day (compared to gum's 24 piece limit).

Nicotine lozenges can also cause gastrointestinal side effects like heartburn, hiccups, and nausea. If used improperly — i.e., if you crunch the lozenge instead of letting it dissolve slowly — you may feel these side effects more severely, plus an added risk of lightheadedness. 

Transdermal nicotine patches, often just called "the patch," are one of the most scientifically-backed over-the-counter nicotine replacement therapies. 

There's strong clinical evidence behind all of these over-the-counter NRTs. But the nicotine patch might even have some advantages over the rest: "The patches provide a steady stream of nicotine for most people and work over a longer period of time throughout the day," Dr. Olulade told Insider. 

In her opinion, it's also the easiest option: You just stick it on and you're set for 24 hours. It's meant to help you wean yourself off of nicotine over the span of 8-10 weeks.

It's also the cheaper option of NRTs, our medical reviewer, Dr. Jason McKnight, pointed out. "If you chew a lot of the gum, a box only lasts about 6 days, whereas for the same cost you can get 14 days of patches."

What's more, ​​research out of Great Britain reports that using a nicotine patch alongside other fast-acting NRTs (gum, lozenges, or nasal spray) ups your chances of quitting nicotine altogether by 25% compared to using any of them alone. Both Dr. Olulade and Dr. Sachin Nagrani, medical director at telemedicine service Heal, support this strategy of dual-use, too.

The nicotine patch side effects do include skin irritation, dizziness, racing heartbeat, sleep disturbances, nausea, muscle aches, and headaches, just FYI.