It’s crucial to use your nicotine patches at the recommended dosage. It is not advisable to use nicotine patches that are beyond their expiration date, just like with other drugs.
Expired patches can lose their effectiveness. Additionally, some might release pollutants that are harmful to your health, particularly if your immune system is compromised.
This page explains the normal dosages for individuals trying to stop smoking as well as the use of nicotine patches. We also discuss the potential dangers of using a nicotine patch that has expired and if it is safe to do so.
Lastly, we provide a few free tools that can assist individuals in giving up smoking.
Short answer: Is it safe to use an expired nicotine patch?
No, it’s not secure. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the United States advises against using any medication that has passed its expiration date because of potential safety and effectiveness issues.
What happens if you use an expired nicotine patch?
Because nicotine is a “readily volatile” molecule, it degrades easily, especially in the presence of air and light.
Although research on the effects of expired nicotine patches has not been conducted, it is unlikely that they will continue to work for you after that point.
The FDA states that drugs that have expired may lose some of their efficacy or power and become less effective. It’s possible that you’re not getting enough nicotine from your patch to avoid the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal if it’s expired.
This might perhaps lead to you picking up smoking again.
According to the FDA, toxic substances produced by expired drugs can also have detrimental impacts on health, particularly in individuals with compromised immune systems.
How long before nicotine patches expire?
The length of time that nicotine patches last varies depending on the kind and manufacturer.
Nonetheless, the expiration date needs to be printed on the medication label or container by all manufacturers. To make sure you have enough time to use any updates before they expire, be careful to check these dates before making any purchases.
If the drug’s expiration date has passed, discard it by the manufacturer’s recommendations.
Free resources to help quit smoking
According to a 2023 study, using nicotine replacement treatment, such as patches, can boost your chances of quitting smoking between 50% to 70%. Nicotine patches aren’t the sole useful aid for quitting smoking, though.
Here are a few free tools that can assist you in giving up smoking:
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) smoking quitline: Make a discreet phone call to 1-800-QUIT-NOW to speak with a qualified quit counselor who can:
- help you to create a tailored quit plan
- offer encouragement, support, and helpful tips
- give you access to drugs to aid in your quitting, and in certain situations, even cover the cost of the first two weeks’ supply at no cost.
- provide access to other useful smoking cessation resources
- The American Lung Association smoking cessation quitline: Contact 1-800-LUNGUSA (1-800-586-4872), or use the live chat feature when it’s available, to ask a question.
- The American Cancer Society (ACS) email-based smoking cessation program “Empowered to Quit” is an online method for quitting smoking that lets you designate your own “quit day.” After that, the ACS will send you emails with resources and information specifically designed to assist you with quitting.
- The National Institutes of Health (NIH) personalized Quit Plan: a free service that can assist you in determining the things that make you want to smoke and in creating a custom plan of action and resources to help you stop.
For additional information on free or inexpensive smoking cessation techniques, you can also consult a physician or pharmacist.
The takeaway
When someone is quitting smoking, nicotine patches, a type of nicotine replacement treatment, can help lessen their cravings for nicotine and mitigate the consequences of withdrawal.
Over the day, the adhesive patches gradually penetrate the skin, supplying a consistent dosage of nicotine to the bloodstream.
Using prescriptions that have passed their expiration date poses a risk to their strength and effectiveness. This implies that you might not be getting the dosage of nicotine you need to combat your symptoms of nicotine withdrawal and tobacco cravings if you use an expired nicotine patch.
Certain drugs that have expired may also release toxic compounds that are dangerous to your health, particularly if you already have compromised immune function.
Consider contacting a smoking cessation helpline, or ask a doctor or pharmacist for more guidance, if you’re looking for free or inexpensive smoking cessation therapy.