I also got sore gums when I used the lozenges. I think i compensated some by putting them under my tongue sometime, but I think that got sore sometimes, too. I was unable to find any information about what the soreness was about. I also asked my dentist, and she didn't really know. I figured that something that irritates the gums probably isn't doing me any good, so that provided some incentive for me to finally let them go.
Maybe you can pose this question to the health educators. They might have some more information about the lozenges.
Very interesting. Hey, it worked for you, that's great! So, today is 2 months smoke free and also 2 months on lozenges. I think I'm gonna give myself 5 pounds lol. I would like to lose 5 of the 10 lbs I gained before I stop. The logic behind that is totally personal to me lol. Question for ya, did the lozenges cause any harm to your teeth? I am noticing that my gums are very tender and bleeding. Not sure if this is possibly caused by the lozenges? Any thoughts?
My quit process was different than what others have done and different from what is recommended. I was using lozenges as I was decreasing cigarettes, basically replacing certain cigarettes with lozenges until I got comfortable, and then replacing another cigarette or two with a lozenge. That process took about 4 months. Once I was down to lozenges only, I ended up going cold turkey on them a week later. By then, I was tired of the mood swings and the cravings, and decided to just get it over with. But realize that I had taken 4 months to get to that point.
The purpose of the lozenges is to learn to live without the behavior/habit before going through physical withdrawal. You can decide when you are ready based upon the directions on the box, how you feel about it, and/or a Dr's advice. I can not tell you when or how to do that.
But I can tell you this: There will be a day in which you don't think about smoking at all. Not even once.
