Patient Leaflet Updated 27-Sep-2021 | THE BOOTS COMPANY PLC
Boots NicAssist 15 mg Inhalator
Boots NicAssist 15 mg Inhalator
(Nicotine)
This medicine is available without prescription to help relieve and/or prevent cravings for nicotine when you are trying to give up smoking or for when you can’t or don’t want to smoke cigarettes. However, you need to use it carefully to get the best results from it.
This medicine contains nicotine which belongs to a group of medicines called nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). It acts to substitute the nicotine that you normally get from cigarettes and can be used to relieve and/or prevent cravings for nicotine when you are stopping smoking, cutting down or when you can’t or don’t want to smoke cigarettes.
It can be used to relieve the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal and to relieve and/or prevent the cravings for nicotine that you get:
This medicine can also be used when you are pregnant or breastfeeding to help you stop smoking, as the risk to your baby when using this product is far less than if you continue to smoke. For more information see "Other important information".
When you stop smoking, cut down, or you can’t or don’t want to smoke cigarettes, your body misses the nicotine that you have been getting from the smoke. You may experience unpleasant feelings and a strong desire to smoke (“craving”).
This shows that you are dependent on nicotine. When you use the inhalator, nicotine is released and passes into your body through the lining of your mouth. The nicotine is sufficient to relieve and/or prevent the unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. It will also help to relieve and/or prevent your craving to smoke but will not give you the “buzz” you get from a cigarette.
You should always aim to stop smoking completely whilst using the inhalator. To help you cut down or stop smoking completely you should also try to use a behavioural support programme to increase your chances of successfully stopping smoking.
For the best effect, ensure that you use Boots NicAssist Inhalator correctly – see “How to use the inhalator”.
The benefits of stopping smoking far outweigh any potential risk from using nicotine from NRT. It is the toxins in cigarette smoke such as tar, lead, cyanide and ammonia that cause smoking related disease and death, not the nicotine.
Nicotine replacement therapy can help relieve nicotine withdrawal symptoms such as irritability, low mood, anxiety, restlessness and cravings when used in place of cigarettes.
Use of NRT is safer than smoking tobacco but as soon as you are ready, you should aim to stop smoking completely.
This medicine can be used by adults and children of 12 years and over. However, some people should not use this medicine or should seek the advice of their pharmacist or doctor first.
Choking risk: This product contains small cartridges, which could be a choking hazard if a child attempts to swallow one. Keep any unused cartridges in the pack out of the sight and reach of children.
If you are pregnant: You should try to stop smoking without using NRT.
However, if you still need help to stop smoking, you can use this product as the risk to your baby is far less than if you continue to smoke. You should talk to your pharmacist, nurse or doctor for more advice.
NRT products that are used intermittently, such as this one, may be preferable to nicotine patches. However if you feel sick or are sick (morning sickness) the patches may be better for you. If you do use nicotine patches they should be taken off before bedtime.
If you are breastfeeding: You should try to stop smoking without using NRT.
However, if you still need help to stop smoking, you should use NRT products that are used intermittently, not patches. You should talk to your pharmacist, nurse or doctor for more advice.
Breastfeeding your baby just before you use the inhalator makes sure that your baby gets the smallest amount of nicotine possible.
The amount of nicotine that your baby may receive when you are using the inhalator or other NRT products is much smaller and less harmful than the second-hand smoke they would inhale if you smoked. Tobacco smoke causes breathing and other health problems in babies and children. If your husband, partner or other family members smoke too, try to get them to give up with you.
Nicotine products and children: Nicotine can be very dangerous to children. The amount of nicotine tolerated by adults and adolescents can make children very ill, and can sometimes be fatal. Do not leave your inhalator or cartridges where children may get hold of them.
Before you use this medicine, make sure that you tell your pharmacist about ANY other medicines you might be using at the same time, particularly the following:
When you stop smoking or reduce the amount of cigarettes you smoke, your metabolism slows down. This can mean that some medicines may stay in your body longer than usual.
If you take any medicine on a regular basis, tell your doctor that you intend to stop smoking or reduce the amount of cigarettes you smoke and follow his or her advice about these other medicines.
Check the foil is not broken before use. If it is, do not use that cartridge.
Read all of the following information carefully before using the inhalator:
The number of inhalator cartridges you use each day will depend on how many cigarettes you smoke and how strong they are.
When making an attempt to stop smoking completely behavioural therapy, advice and support will normally improve the success rate.
Adults and children of 12 years and over: Use the inhalator when required, up to a maximum of 6 cartridges per day
Don’t use more than 6 cartridges per day.
You should always aim to stop smoking completely whilst using the inhalator.
If you are unable to reduce your use of the inhalator you should ask for help and advice from a pharmacist, nurse or doctor.
Do not give this medicine to children under 12 years of age.
See the directions below.
1. Take the sealed plastic tray from the box. Peel back the foil.
2. Take the plastic mouthpiece from the tray.
3. Twist the two sections of the mouthpiece until the two marks line up. Then pull the mouthpiece apart.
4. Take a cartridge from the tray. Push the cartridge firmly into the bottom of the mouthpiece until the seal breaks.
5. Put the top section on the mouthpiece, lining up the two marks. Push together firmly to break the cartridge seal.
6. Twist to lock.
Using the inhalator
1. To use the inhalator, take either deep or shallow puffs. Choose the way that suits you. Either way, your body will receive the amount of nicotine required to relieve and/or prevent cravings.
You may find it takes more effort than inhaling from a cigarette, but the amount of nicotine you get through the lining of your mouth is the same whether you take deep or shallow puffs
2. The amount of nicotine that you may get from one puff from the inhalator is less than that you may get from a cigarette and you may need to take more puffs from the inhalator.
It is up to you how many inhalations (puffs) you take, how often you take them and for how long.
3. Each cartridge will provide you with about 40 minutes worth of puffs. You can divide this time how you like. For example, you could use a cartridge for four 10 minute inhalation periods.
Or you could use a cartridge for 10 minutes on waking and then for six periods of 5 minutes later on in the day.
Once the cartridge is used up, normally after a total of 40 minutes of intense use, you will need to change it.
1. Open the mouthpiece as in step 3 of “Setting up the inhalator”. Pull out the cartridge and dispose of it safely (see “How to clean, store and dispose of this medicine”)
2. Put a new cartridge into the inhalator as in steps 4 to 6 of “Setting up the inhalator”.
The inhalator works best at room temperature and it is best not to use the inhalator in the cold.
In cold surroundings (below 15°C or 59°F) you may have to inhale more often to get the same amount of nicotine as when using the inhalator at room temperature.
When you are in surroundings above 30°C or 86°F, you should inhale less often to avoid taking in too much nicotine.
If you have used the inhalator too often or too much: You may get the following – nausea (feeling sick), vomiting, salivation, pain in your stomach, diarrhoea, sweating, headache, dizziness, hearing disturbance, weakness. If this happens stop using the inhalator and do not smoke. Contact a doctor or hospital casualty department straight away. Take the medicine and this leaflet with you.
If a child under 12 accidentally uses, swallows, sucks or chews some of this medicine take them to casualty immediately. Take the medicine and this leaflet with you. Nicotine ingestion by a child may cause severe poisoning.
Most people can use this medicine without any problems but sometimes you may notice some side effects. Many of these effects are due to nicotine, they may also happen when you smoke.
Effects related to stopping smoking (nicotine withdrawal)
You may experience unwanted effects because by stopping smoking or using the inhalator when you are unable to smoke you have reduced the amount of nicotine you are taking. You may also experience these effects if you use too few inhalator cartridges or puffs from the inhalator before you are ready to reduce your nicotine intake.
These effects include:
It is possible to inhale too much nicotine if you use the inhalator in very warm surroundings (see “Effect of temperature on the inhalator”). You may also get these effects if you are not used to inhaling tobacco as you smoke. You may be able to relieve these effects by using the inhalator less often.
These effects include:
When you first start using the inhalator you may be more likely to notice some of these side effects.
Very common side effects:
(more than 1 in every 10 people are affected)
Common side effects:
(less than 1 in every 10 people are affected)
Uncommon side effects:
(less than 1 in every 100 people are affected)
Rare side effects:
(less than 1 in every 1,000 people are affected)
Very rare side effects:
(less than 1 in 10,000 people are affected)
Side effects with an unknown frequency:
When you stop smoking you may also develop mouth ulcers. The reason why this happens is unknown.
If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed on this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via the Yellow Card Scheme at: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store. By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.
Clean the empty mouthpiece several times a week by rinsing it in water.
Store below 25°C.
Keep this medicine in a safe place out of the sight and reach of children and animals, preferably in a locked cupboard. Nicotine in high amounts can be very dangerous and sometimes fatal if used or swallowed by children.
Dispose of any cartridge that has been inserted into the mouthpiece within 48 hours, even if it has not been used.
Use by the date on the foil or the end flap of the carton. After this date return any unused medicine to your nearest pharmacy for safe disposal.
Dispose of any used inhaler cartridges safely.
When a cartridge is used up, it is very important that you dispose of the empty cartridge carefully as it still contains some nicotine fixed to the plug. This nicotine is not available for inhalation but could be harmful to children or pets if swallowed or sucked.
You can return the empty cartridge to the foil tray then dispose of all the empty cartridges with your household rubbish.
Each inhalation cartridge contains Nicotine 15 mg, which is the active ingredient.
As well as the active ingredient, the inhalation cartridges also contain menthol.
Boots NicAssist 15 mg Inhalator consists of a plastic mouthpiece into which you insert a tube-like cartridge containing 15 mg of nicotine, the active ingredient, held in a porous plug.
The plug also contains menthol to give the nicotine a slight minty flavour.
Boots NicAssist 15 mg Inhalator is supplied as either a starter or a refill pack.
The starter pack contains a plastic tray sealed with foil containing 4 cartridges and a plastic mouthpiece.
The refill pack contains a mouthpiece and 20 cartridges.
Not all pack sizes may be marketed.
This product is manufactured for
by
The Marketing Authorisation holder is
Leaflet prepared February 2021
If you would like any further information about this product, please contact
Artwork reference: 651995 NBE-a
1 Thane Road West, Beeston, Nottingham, NG2 3AA
+44 (0)1159 592 565
+44 (0)1159 595 165