Nicotine patch

Nicotine replacement products including gum and transdermal patches are on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines.

[1] A meta-analysis found that fewer than 20% of people treated with nicotine replacement therapy remain abstinent from smoking at one year.

[7] Research has shown that NRT in combination with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can improve the rates of smoking cessation in pregnant women.

[17] A study published in the medical journal JAMA Internal Medicine in 2015 found that the most common side effects experienced when using a nicotine patch include: cough, headache, nausea, light-headedness, insomnia, disturbing dreams, sweating, watery eyes, shortness of breath, and skin irritation at the application site.

The same study found that the following side effects were reported by patch wearers less frequently: diarrhea, dizziness, coldness in limbs, vomiting, and fast or pounding heart beat.