After My Heart Attack Last XXXXXXX 2018. I Quit Smoking

Posted on Mon, 18 Mar 2019

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Mon, 18 Mar 2019 Answered on

Last reviewed on

Question : After my heart attack last XXXXXXX 2018. I quit smoking using nicorette XXXXXXX lozenges. My heart has recovered and I'm on standard post heart attacked meds and have been doing well. Thing is I have never gone back to smoking, but I still use the Nicorette lozenges 2mg about 6 or 7 times a day. I like the calm feeling. My PCP cannot tell me if this is bad for me long term. I have gained weight without increasing my food intake. Is this harmful and should I stop?

Answered by Dr. Bhanu Partap (28 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Please refer to the detailed answer below

Detailed Answer:
Hello

After going through the medical details provided by you I can understand your concern for your health and well being and I would like to tell you that Nicorete lozenges are a part of de addiction therapy for patients who have addiction to nicotine.

Studies have found this to be safe for use in post heart attack patients as a part of nicotine replacement therapy.

But it’s highly recommended that patients should not abuse it and this should also be slowly quitted.

Cause of your weight gain should be evaluated by testing your HBa1c levels, thyroid levels.

I hope this information will guide you properly and will answer your query.

Kind Regards
Dr Bhanu Partap

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Yogesh D

Follow up: Dr. Bhanu Partap (33 minutes later)

I have been doing the Nicorette XXXXXXX lozenges now for 9 months, the regular program if you follow it is 3 months. What no one has answered is, is long term use harmful and what would the harm be? Both PCP and Cardeologist said it's better than smoking...but there has to be a time limit before the good I've realized turns to bad due to extended use? That is what I need to know.

Answered by Dr. Bhanu Partap (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
Hello again

Detailed Answer:
The recommended time duration for its use is a maximum of up to 6 months. Extended duration use may expose the individual to the risk of developing tachycardia or sometime even cardiac arrhythmia which could be life threatening.

Hope to have been helpful.

Kind Regards
Dr Bhanu Partap

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T