If you are having any symptoms or have any questions, please call 811 to speak with a registered nurse 24 hours a day.

How do I use the patch?

Congratulations on your decision to quit smoking! The nicotine patch your healthcare provider has recommended will help make it easier to quit. The following instructions will help you use the patch the right way. Be sure to stop smoking on the day you start using the patch. Smoking or using other forms of tobacco while you’re using the patch may lead to health problems.

Do not let anyone else use the patch. Keep the patch away from children and pets. Do not use the patch if you are pregnant, unless your healthcare provider knows you are pregnant and has told you to do so. If you are breastfeeding, contact your healthcare provider before using the patch. You should also contact your healthcare provider before using the patch if you are younger than 18 years old.

Directions

• Only open the sealed package when you are ready to put on a patch.
• Peel the protective cover off the patch and throw the cover away. Try not to touch the sticky side of the patch (the side with the protective cover).
• Put one patch on a clean, dry area of skin on your upper body that isn’t covered with hair, such as your stomach, upper arm or side. Do not put the patch on burned, cut or sore skin.
• To apply the patch, place the sticky side on your skin and press it firmly with the palm of your hand for 10 seconds. Make sure the patch is flat and smooth against your skin.
• Wash your hands after putting on the patch. Nicotine on your hands could get into your eyes or nose and cause stinging or other problems.
• Wear the patch for the amount of time shown on the package. Most patches are worn for 16 or 24 hours. If you have sleep problems when you have the patch on, you can take it off at bedtime and put on a new patch in the morning.
• When you take off the old patch, fold it in half with the sticky sides together. Put the old patch in the package from the new patch or in the disposal tray provided. Put the package or tray in the trash where children and pets cannot find it.
• Put the next patch on a different area of skin. Use a different area each day. You can use a previously used area again after waiting 1 week.

What do I need to tell my healthcare provider?

Tell your healthcare provider if you take any medicines. The patch may change how some medicines work. Also, tell your healthcare provider if you have any illnesses, including the following:

• Chest pains or a recent heart attack
• Heart disease
• Stomach ulcers
• Thyroid disease
• Diabetes
• Skipped or irregular heart beats
• Allergies to tape, bandages or medicines
• Skin rashes or skin diseases
• High blood pressure
• Kidney or liver disease

Contact your healthcare provider if you experience dizziness, upset stomach, bad headaches, vomiting, cold sweats, drooling, confusion, blurred vision, hearing problems, weakness or fainting while using the patch. These could be signs that you are getting too much nicotine (an overdose) from the patch. If you experience any of these problems, take off the patch and contact your healthcare provider right away.

My skin tingles under the patch. Is that normal?

It is normal to feel mild tingling, itching or burning when you put the patch on. This feeling usually lasts 15 minutes to 1 hour. When you take off an old patch, your skin may be red where the patch was. Your skin should not stay red for more than 1 day. If the skin stays very red for 4 days, or if it gets swollen or sore, do not put on a new patch. Contact your healthcare provider.

Can I wear the patch in the shower?

You can wear your patch when you bathe, shower, swim or soak in a hot tub. Water will not harm the patch as long as it is firmly in place.

What if the patch falls off?

If your patch comes off, put a new one on a different area of skin. Change it again at the usual time the next day.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Tobacco Free Nova Scotia
Phone 8-1-1 from your Nova Scotia telephone to access the Tobacco Free Nova Scotia program 
https://tobaccofree.novascotia.ca/

Quit Smoking – Prince Edward Island
Call the Smokers’ Helpline at 1-877-513-5333 (toll-free)
https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/information/health-pei/quit-smoking