Nicotrol

Add Info

Nicotrol Recall

Get an alert when a recall is issued.

Ask a Question

Questions & Answers

Add Info

Side Effects & Adverse Reactions

Nicotine from any source can be toxic and addictive. Smoking causes lung disease, cancer and heart disease, and may adversely affect pregnant women or the fetus. For any smoker, with or without concomitant disease or pregnancy, the risk of nicotine replacement in a smoking cessation program should be weighed against the hazard of continued smoking, and the likelihood of achieving cessation of smoking without nicotine replacement.

Pregnancy, Warning

Tobacco smoke, which has been shown to be harmful to the fetus, contains nicotine, hydrogen cyanide, and carbon monoxide. The NICOTROL Inhaler does not deliver hydrogen cyanide and carbon monoxide. However, nicotine has been shown in animal studies to cause fetal harm. It is therefore presumed that NICOTROL Inhaler can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. The effect of nicotine delivery by NICOTROL Inhaler has not been examined in pregnancy (See PRECAUTIONS). Therefore, pregnant smokers should be encouraged to attempt cessation using educational and behavioral interventions before using pharmacological approaches. If NICOTROL Inhaler is used during pregnancy, or if the patient becomes pregnant while using it, the patient should be apprised of the potential hazard to the fetus.

Safety Note Concerning Children

This product contains nicotine and should be kept out of the reach of children and pets. The amounts of nicotine that are tolerated by adult smokers can produce symptoms of poisoning and could prove fatal if the nicotine from the NICOTROL Inhaler is inhaled, ingested, or buccally absorbed by children or pets. A cartridge contains about 60% of its initial drug content when it is discarded, which is about 6 mg. Patients should be cautioned to keep both the used and unused cartridges of NICOTROL Inhaler out of the reach of children and pets.

All components of the NICOTROL Inhaler system should also be kept out of the reach of children and pets to avoid accidental swallowing and choking.

Add Info

Legal Issues

There is currently no legal information available for this drug.

Add Info

FDA Safety Alerts

There are currently no FDA safety alerts available for this drug.

Add Info

Manufacturer Warnings

There is currently no manufacturer warning information available for this drug.

Add Info

FDA Labeling Changes

There are currently no FDA labeling changes available for this drug.

Add Info

Uses

NICOTROL Inhaler is indicated as an aid to smoking cessation for the relief of nicotine withdrawal symptoms. NICOTROL Inhaler therapy is recommended for use as part of a comprehensive behavioral smoking cessation program.

Add Info

History

There is currently no drug history available for this drug.

Add Info

Other Information

NICOTROL® Inhaler (nicotine inhalation system) consists of a mouthpiece and a plastic cartridge delivering 4 mg of nicotine from a porous plug containing 10 mg nicotine. The cartridge is inserted into the mouthpiece prior to use. Nicotine is a tertiary amine composed of a pyridine and a pyrrolidine ring. It is a colorless to pale yellow, freely water-soluble, strongly alkaline, oily, volatile, hygroscopic liquid obtained from the tobacco plant. Nicotine has a characteristic pungent odor and turns brown on exposure to air or light. Of its two stereoisomers, S(-)nicotine is the more active. It is the prevalent form in tobacco, and is the form in the NICOTROL Inhaler. The free alkaloid is absorbed rapidly through skin, mucous membranes, and the respiratory tract.

Chemical Name: S-3-(1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinyl) pyridine

Molecular Formula: C10H14N2

Molecular Weight: 162.23

Ionization Constants: pKa1 = 7.84, pKa2 = 3.04 at 15°C

Octanol-Water Partition Coefficient: 15:1 at pH 7

Nicotine is the active ingredient; inactive components of the product are menthol and a porous plug which are pharmacologically inactive. Nicotine is released when air is inhaled through the Inhaler.

Sources

Nicotrol Manufacturers

U.s. Pharmaceuticals

Nicotrol | U.s. Pharmaceuticals

Patients must desire to stop smoking and should be instructed to stop smoking completely as they begin using NICOTROL Inhaler. It is important that patients understand the instructions, and have their questions answered. They should clearly understand the directions for using the NICOTROL Inhaler and safely disposing of the used cartridges.

The initial dosage of NICOTROL Inhaler is individualized. Patients may selftitrate to the level of nicotine they require. Most successful patients in the clinical trials used between 6 and 16 cartridges a day. Best effect was achieved by frequent continuous puffing (20 minutes). The recommended duration of treatment is 3 months, after which patients may be weaned from the NICOTROL Inhaler by gradual reduction of the daily dose over the following 6 to 12 weeks. The safety and efficacy of the continued use of NICOTROL Inhaler for periods longer than 6 months have not been studied and such use is not recommended.

Dosing recommendations are summarized in the table below.

No Recall
Physicians Total Care, Inc.

Nicotrol | Physicians Total Care, Inc.

Patients must desire to stop smoking and should be instructed to stop smoking completely as they begin using NICOTROL Inhaler. It is important that patients understand the instructions, and have their questions answered. They should clearly understand the directions for using the NICOTROL Inhaler and safely disposing of the used cartridges.

The initial dosage of NICOTROL Inhaler is individualized. Patients may selftitrate to the level of nicotine they require. Most successful patients in the clinical trials used between 6 and 16 cartridges a day. Best effect was achieved by frequent continuous puffing (20 minutes). The recommended duration of treatment is 3 months, after which patients may be weaned from the NICOTROL Inhaler by gradual reduction of the daily dose over the following 6 to 12 weeks. The safety and efficacy of the continued use of NICOTROL Inhaler for periods longer than 6 months have not been studied and such use is not recommended.

Dosing recommendations are summarized in the table below.

No Recall
Us Pharmaceuticals

Nicotrol | Us Pharmaceuticals

Patients must desire to stop smoking and should be instructed to stop smoking completely as they begin using NICOTROL Inhaler. It is important that patients understand the instructions, and have their questions answered. They should clearly understand the directions for using the NICOTROL Inhaler and safely disposing of the used cartridges.

The initial dosage of NICOTROL Inhaler is individualized. Patients may selftitrate to the level of nicotine they require. Most successful patients in the clinical trials used between 6 and 16 cartridges a day. Best effect was achieved by frequent continuous puffing (20 minutes). The recommended duration of treatment is 3 months, after which patients may be weaned from the NICOTROL Inhaler by gradual reduction of the daily dose over the following 6 to 12 weeks. The safety and efficacy of the continued use of NICOTROL Inhaler for periods longer than 6 months have not been studied and such use is not recommended.

Dosing recommendations are summarized in the table below.

No Recall
Pharmacia And Upjohn Company

Nicotrol | Pharmacia And Upjohn Company

Patients must desire to stop smoking and should be instructed to stop smoking completely as they begin using NICOTROL Inhaler. It is important that patients understand the instructions, and have their questions answered. They should clearly understand the directions for using the NICOTROL Inhaler and safely disposing of the used cartridges.

The initial dosage of NICOTROL Inhaler is individualized. Patients may selftitrate to the level of nicotine they require. Most successful patients in the clinical trials used between 6 and 16 cartridges a day. Best effect was achieved by frequent continuous puffing (20 minutes). The recommended duration of treatment is 3 months, after which patients may be weaned from the NICOTROL Inhaler by gradual reduction of the daily dose over the following 6 to 12 weeks. The safety and efficacy of the continued use of NICOTROL Inhaler for periods longer than 6 months have not been studied and such use is not recommended.

Dosing recommendations are summarized in the table below.

No Recall
Pharmacia And Upjohn Company

Nicotrol | Pharmacia And Upjohn Company

It is important that patients understand the instructions for use of NICOTROL NS, and have their questions answered. They should clearly understand the directions for using NICOTROL NS and safely disposing of the used container. They should be instructed to stop smoking completely when they begin using the product.

Patients should be instructed not to sniff, swallow or inhale through the nose as the spray is being administered. They should also be advised to administer the spray with the head tilted back slightly.

The dose of NICOTROL NS, should be individualized on the basis of each patient's nicotine dependence and the occurrence of symptoms of nicotine excess (See Individualization of Dosage).

Each actuation of NICOTROL NS delivers a metered 50 microliter spray containing 0.5 mg of nicotine. One dose is 1 mg of nicotine (2 sprays, one in each nostril).

Patients should be started with 1 or 2 doses per hour, which may be increased up to a maximum recommended dose of 40 mg (80 sprays, somewhat less than 1/2 bottle) per day. For best results, patients should be encouraged to use at least the recommended minimum of 8 doses per day, as less is unlikely to be effective. In clinical trials, the patients who successfully quit smoking used the product heavily when nicotine withdrawal was at its peak, sometimes up to the recommended maximum of 40 doses per day ( in heavier smokers). Dosing recommendations are summarized in Table 4.
Table 4: Maximum Recommended
Duration of Treatment
Recommended
Doses per Hour Maximum
Doses per Hour Maximum
Doses per Day * One dose=2 sprays (one in each nostril). One dose delivers 1 mg of nicotine to the nasal mucosa. 3 months 1–2* 5 40
No tapering strategy has been shown to be optimal in clinical studies. Many patients simply stopped using the spray at their last clinic visit.

Recommended strategies for discontinuation of use include suggesting that patients: use only 1/2 a dose (1 spray) at a time, use the spray less frequently, keep a tally of daily usage, try to meet a steadily reducing usage target, skip a dose by not medicating every hour, or set a planned "quit date" for stopping use of the spray.
Individualization of Dosage
The success or failure of smoking cessation is influenced by the quality, intensity and frequency of supportive care. Patients are more likely to quit smoking if they are seen frequently and participate in formal smoking cessation programs.

The goal of NICOTROL NS therapy is complete abstinence. If a patient is unable to stop smoking by the fourth week of therapy, treatment should probably be discontinued.

Patients who fail to quit on any attempt may benefit from interventions to improve their chances for success on subsequent attempts. Patients who were unsuccessful should be counseled and should then probably be given a "therapy holiday" before the next attempt. A new quit attempt should be encouraged when conditions are more favorable.

Based on the clinical trials, a reasonable approach to assisting patients in their attempt to quit smoking is to begin initial treatment, using the recommended dosage (See DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION). Regular use of the spray during the first week of treatment may help patients adapt to the irritant effects of the spray. Dosage can then be adjusted in those subjects with signs or symptoms of nicotine withdrawal or excess. Patients who are successfully abstinent on NICOTROL NS should be treated at the selected dosage for up to 8 weeks, following which use of the spray should be discontinued over the next 4 to 6 weeks. Some patients may not require gradual reduction of dosage and may abruptly stop treatment successfully. Treatment with NICOTROL NS for longer periods has not been shown to improve outcome, and the safety of use for periods longer than 6 months has not been established.

The symptoms of nicotine withdrawal overlap those of nicotine excess (See Pharmacodynamics and ADVERSE REACTIONS sections). Since patients using NICOTROL NS may also smoke intermittently, it is sometimes difficult to determine if patients are experiencing nicotine withdrawal or nicotine excess. Controlled clinical trials of nicotine products suggest that palpitations, nausea and sweating are more often symptoms of nicotine excess, whereas anxiety, nervousness and irritability are more often symptoms of nicotine withdrawal.

No Recall