15 replies to this topic

[penisbreath]

I tried experimenting with a local Australian brand of the patch several months ago, but cutting it up seemed to cause excessive amounts of nicotine to be released into my bloodstream (resulting in unpleasant overstimulation). However, I believe I read that certain brands obey a 'matrix' design, which means that upon dividing the patch up, the nicotine will still be distributed slowly over a 24-hour period.

Does anyone know which brands it's okay to divide up? American, etc. is okay, since i'm happy to import.

[aLurker]

I used Niquitin clear, which is made by GSK. I think it's sold as Nicoderm CQ in the states. All the strengths cost the same here so I bought the strongest (21 mg) and cut it up. Also, some surgical tape to hold the piece in place is a good idea.

[k10]

I hear that Nicoderm is the only one that is safe to cut into peices. Apparently it doesn't disrupt the slow-release of it.

[penisbreath]

thanks for your replies! I googled Nicoderm and it says it's sold as Nicabate in Australia, so I'll check it out. aLurker, do you seal the remaining pieces in a zip-lock bag per chronos' suggestion, or is that not really necessary?

[aLurker]

thanks for your replies! I googled Nicoderm and it says it's sold as Nicabate in Australia, so I'll check it out. aLurker, do you seal the remaining pieces in a zip-lock bag per chronos' suggestion, or is that not really necessary?

Yep. I put the remaining piece of patch back in the original packaging which I then put in a ziplock bag. No idea if it is 'necessary' since I've always done this.

Edited by aLurker, 05 December 2010 - 07:59 AM.

[chrono]

The Novartis patches I use give off a sweet/alcohol smell when they're first cut, which dissipates pretty quickly if not re-sealed. I haven't read a whole lot about how the matrix system works, so I'm not sure if it's necessary to keep them sealed up. But it's an absurdly simple measure to take, to possibly ensure that the nicotine and/or its delivery system remain efficacious, so I'd still recommend it.

[penisbreath]

k, I bought the 21mg Nicabate patches today. aLurker (or anyone else), what size portions do you cut the patch up into? I also couldn't find any zip-lock bags for some reason, so ended up going with sandwich bags - hopefully they should do the same job.

Edited by lucky.pierre, 06 December 2010 - 09:19 AM.

[distinct]

k, I bought the 21mg Nicabate patches today. aLurker (or anyone else), what size portions do you cut the patch up into? I also couldn't find any zip-lock bags for some reason, so ended up going with sandwich bags - hopefully they should do the same job.

I cut 21mg patches into quarters. I've found that this is a decent dose for daily use, whereas ~10.5 mg is better suited for occasional use as it's very stimulating and can make me jittery or lethargic at random (well not random, I just haven't taken the time to see which supps of mine might cause which reaction when used in combination).

[aLurker]

A quarter or even a sixth of a patch worked fine for me initially (5.25/3.5mg). Try a quarter first and see how you respond, I've seen studies where they used 7 mg on healthy volunteers with good results and a quarter (5.25 mg) isn't that far off from that. It's easy to measure up a pretty exact dose so try out what works best for you.

Edited by aLurker, 06 December 2010 - 05:27 PM.

[penisbreath]

So far, so good, except the area where I applied the quarter-patch is starting to itch. Is that normal? Or an allergic reaction?

[penisbreath]

Nevermind . . the itchiness went away. More alarmingly, I've been experiencing chest-tightening and difficulty breathing. Is that a normal potential side-effect? Is there anything I can do about it?

[chrono]

More alarmingly, I've been experiencing chest-tightening and difficulty breathing. Is that a normal potential side-effect? Is there anything I can do about it?

I'm no expert, but that sounds incredibly undesirable (i.e. potentially dangerous) to me. Definitely not a normal reaction. The severest side effects I get are a little orthostatic hypotension, cold extremities, and the same kind of variable stimulation/lethargy distinct described above—and I'm very out of shape.

You can check this thread for some discussion of nicotine's vasoactivity, and a few supplements that might ameliorate the problems. But honestly, if it were me, I would just stop. I don't think nicotine's effects are unique or powerful enough to warrant the kind of risk that may be implied by your reaction.

Is your cardiovascular system otherwise OK?

Edited by chrono, 07 December 2010 - 06:24 PM.

[penisbreath]

More alarmingly, I've been experiencing chest-tightening and difficulty breathing. Is that a normal potential side-effect? Is there anything I can do about it?

I'm no expert, but that sounds incredibly undesirable (i.e. potentially dangerous) to me. Definitely not a normal reaction. The severest side effects I get are a little orthostatic hypotension, cold extremities, and the same kind of variable stimulation/lethargy distinct described above—and I'm very out of shape.

You can check this thread for some discussion of nicotine's vasoactivity, and a few supplements that might ameliorate the problems. But honestly, if it were me, I would just stop. I don't think nicotine's effects are unique or powerful enough to warrant the kind of risk that may be implied by your reaction.

Is your cardiovascular system otherwise OK?

Thanks for your concern. My cardiovascular system is perfect otherwise. To be honest, I was really hoping I could use Nicotine as a temporary resolve against my horrendous fatigue ('til I see a psychiatrist), since I can't think of any other OTC substances that would be effective in that regard. Caffeine works, but then I just crash. Stimulants are too taxing. I like that can control my Nicotine intake with the patch, as well as the fact that I receive a steady delivery over the course of the day.

I'm experiencing difficulty breathing today without the patch, so maybe it's a postural thing, I donno. I'll cautiously experiment again sometime and see what happens.

[aLurker]

If the nicotine doesn't agree with you, ditch it. The chest tightening could be due to muscle tension induced by over-stimulation. You could try a lower dose but it doesn't sound promising.

If you want something available OTC that could temporarily help with fatigue: try Rhodiola for a week or two of relief, I wouldn't combine it with nicotine though. Tolerance builds quickly but otherwise it seemed pretty effective for me. There is also a thread about Schizandra and that might also be available locally.

IMHO there are some very effective meds for this purpose though so a psychiatrist is a great idea.

Edited by aLurker, 08 December 2010 - 02:42 PM.

[chrono]

Indeed, I'd encourage you to do some searching here for fatigue, caffeine replacement, stimulant replacements, adaptogens, etc. As aLurker mentioned, rhodiola has been mentioned quite a bit in this context.

Edited by chrono, 09 December 2010 - 02:33 AM.

[nito]

A quarter or even a sixth of a patch worked fine for me initially (5.25/3.5mg). Try a quarter first and see how you respond, I've seen studies where they used 7 mg on healthy volunteers with good results and a quarter (5.25 mg) isn't that far off from that. It's easy to measure up a pretty exact dose so try out what works best for you.

I use Niquitin Lozenges mini pills each 1.5 mg to dissolve on the tounge. 7 mg for healty volunters?? Is that not quite high? I used the patches from the same brand but never went over 5 mg and to be honest i felt 5 mg was weak, i hardly felt anything but i didn't have the balls to go higher. Do you have the study for that paper?