Nicotine allergy

[nykkieberry]

Does anyone know the symptoms of a Nicotine Allergy? I have stupidly smoked 5 cigs a day for 3 years and I am determined to give up. I tried a patch the other day and it practically ate my skin - I'm left with a huge red raised itchy patch about 5mm in height that looks like a giant mosquito bite. I was also violently sick within a couple of hours of wearing it. It's only now with retrospect that I realize that every time I have a cigarette I practically have to lie down with tiredness ( I associated it with having a sleepless child rather than a nicotine habit!) and that I have been severly fatigued (to the point of considering I may have ME) since I started smoking. Do I have a nicotine allergy as well as a nicotine addiction? Does a nicotine allergy cause chronic fatigue and nausea?? Where can I find out more? Thanks

[Addison]

If you only smoked 5 cigarettes a day then the patches you are using maybe too strong. What strength are they? When I stopped i used the full strength ones as I used to smoke 20 a day. I found they irritated my skin (mild itch) initially but nothing more. Just a thought.

[AllYourBase]

It is more likely that you are allergic to the glue used in the patch. This is rare but does manifest in the way you describe. I would advise speaking your chemist to make sure you are using the correct strength, and then changing brand to try and resolve the problem. In all honesty, five a day should be beatable by will power alone, but you may be better with a more active product choice. For example, your nicotine dependance will be low based on the number you smoke, therefore there is no need for a 24 hour drip feed of nicotine such as the patch. What about using nicotine gum, lozenges or microtabs to replace the nicotine "hits" you require through the day, then reducing you usage frequency over time.

[Philtaz]

SimonC is right. I work in the Op Theatre and we have a lot of people who are allergic to plasters, elastoplast etc. The symptoms you describe are classic for someone who has a particular allergy. Your GP will advise you further.

[nykkieberry]

Thanks for all your answers. I am going to ditch the patches and try gum instead. I should be able to kick a 5 day habit buty i find it hard because i liove with a smoker and socialise with smnokers. I can go all day with out a cigarette but get home and habitualy light up when i walk imn the door, after dinner and before bed. Then I turn to cigarettes when I am stressed. At weekends, i smoke all night when i am out. I suppose breaking the habit and changinmg my routine is the answer...

[cojita]

i am also allergic to nicotine , tested, and i also smoke, i tried using the patch and it made me very sick, ached all over , very tired all the time. you need to be tested for this allergy, and i would say not to use the gum even until you know for sure.

[sneakygirlam]

I too think that I have nicotine allergies and I have gotten to where when I smoke that I get really tired and need a nap...sometimes I get palpitations but mostly I feel chinically fatigued...It makes my vision seem off tooo...I feel nausea ...I ahve been trying to quit but just keep thinking it'll get better but it hasn't....