How to Combine Quit Smoking Medicines

How to Combine Quit Smoking Medicines
Combo Medication icon

Combo Medication icon
  • You can use some quit-smoking medicines together for a better chance to quit smoking. Quit-smoking medicines work in different ways to help ease withdrawal symptoms and lessen cravings. For example, you can use a long-acting nicotine replacement medicine together with a short-acting one:
    • Long Acting: The nicotine patch is referred to as “long acting” because it provides a slower, steady level of nicotine over a long period of time. It can be helpful by providing a steady state of nicotine throughout the day to help ease withdrawal symptoms.
    • Short Acting: The nicotine gum, lozenge, nasal spray, and oral inhaler are referred to as “short acting” because they give you nicotine more quickly. Short acting medicines can be used to help you get through cravings, or even in anticipation of a craving.
Quick combination medicines tips
combination nicotine replacement therapy - a patch and nicotine gum

No product endorsement implied.

  • Start the patch in the morning, as directed.
  • Use a short-acting form of quit-smoking medicine (like gum or lozenge) as needed and as directed for breakthrough cravings.

Patch + one of these - gum or lozenge or spray or inhaler

How to Combine Nicotine Replacement Therapies to Quit Smoking
The nicotine patch, gum, and lozenge are FDA-approved medicines that can help people quit smoking. The nicotine patch can be used with nicotine gum OR lozenge to control withdrawal symptoms and the urge to smoke. This combination of medicines can increase your chance of staying quit. This video offers step-by-step instructions on how to use nicotine patch with nicotine gum or lozenge. This video is part of the SmokefreeVET partnership between the Department of Veterans Affairs and the National Cancer Institute’s Smokefree.gov Initiative.

For more help using medicines to quit smoking, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW or visit CDC.gov/quit. Talk with your healthcare provider about the best medicine for you. Using medicine together with behavioral counseling gives you the best chance of quitting smoking.

Combine quit-smoking medicines as follows:

Combine quit-smoking-medicines
Long acting: Short Acting:
Nicotine gum
OR
Nicotine Patch + Nicotine lozenge
OR
Nicotine nasal spray
OR
Nicotine oral inhaler

Talk with your doctor or other healthcare provider about other combinations of quit-smoking medicines that may improve your chances of quitting for good.

How to Combine Nicotine Replacement Therapies to Quit Smoking
The nicotine patch, gum, and lozenge are FDA-approved medicines that can help people quit smoking. The nicotine patch can be used with nicotine gum OR lozenge to control withdrawal symptoms and the urge to smoke. This combination of medicines can increase your chance of staying quit. This video offers step-by-step instructions on how to use nicotine patch with nicotine gum or lozenge. This video is part of the SmokefreeVET partnership between the Department of Veterans Affairs and the National Cancer Institute’s Smokefree.gov Initiative.

For more help using medicines to quit smoking, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW or visit CDC.gov/quit. Talk with your healthcare provider about the best medicine for you. Using medicine together with behavioral counseling gives you the best chance of quitting smoking.

The quit-smoking medicines talked about on this website are approved by the FDA for adults to use to quit cigarettes. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or younger than 18, you should not use these medicines without talking to your doctor. If you use tobacco products other than cigarettes (like cigars, chew, snuff, hookah, or e-cigarettes), talk to your doctor or other healthcare provider or call the quitline (1-800-QUIT-NOW) to get help with quitting. All the ways to use medicines presented here are reviewed in Smoking Cessation: A Report of the Surgeon General (Chapter 6) [PDF-1.8 MB]. Some of the ways have not been evaluated or approved by the FDA.