PlainPill

Nicotine Patch

People mainly take Nicotine Patch for focus, energy, memory. Based on 25 first-hand reports and 58 meta-analyses & systematic reviews in the medical literature. Ranked #195 of 1,974 overall.

43
User score
Mostly positive
52% positive16% mixed4% negative28% unclear

Of reports that state an outcome, 72% are positive.

Clinical research
AStrong research base
58
meta-analyses
490
RCTs
1,149
papers

What Nicotine Patch does, according to users

Of the people who reported each effect, the share who said it got better.

What the research says

Systematic reviews and meta-analyses from PubMed, with their published conclusions.

AStrong research base

3+ meta-analyses or systematic reviews and 10+ randomized controlled trials in humans. The grade measures how much human research exists — read the conclusions below for what it found.

Cochrane Database Syst Rev · 2017 · Meta-analysis / systematic review
Tobacco cessation interventions for young people

Conclusion: There is limited evidence that either behavioural support or smoking cessation medication increases the proportion of young people that stop smoking in the long-term. Findings are most promising for group-based behavioural interventions, but evidence remains limited for all intervention types. There continues to be a need for well-designed, adequately powered, randomized controlled trials of interventions for this population of smokers.

PubMed 29148565 ↗
Cochrane Database Syst Rev · 2018 · Meta-analysis / systematic review
Nicotine replacement therapy versus control for smoking cessation

Conclusion: There is high-quality evidence that all of the licensed forms of NRT (gum, transdermal patch, nasal spray, inhalator and sublingual tablets/lozenges) can help people who make a quit attempt to increase their chances of successfully stopping smoking. NRTs increase the rate of quitting by 50% to 60%, regardless of setting, and further research is very unlikely to change our confidence in the estimate of the effect. The relative effectiveness of NRT appears to be largely independent of the intensity of additional support provided to the individual. Provision of more intense levels of support, alt

PubMed 29852054 ↗
Cochrane Database Syst Rev · 2013 · Meta-analysis / systematic review
Pharmacological interventions for smoking cessation: an overview and network meta-analysis

Conclusion: NRT, bupropion, varenicline and cytisine have been shown to improve the chances of quitting. Combination NRT and varenicline are equally effective as quitting aids. Nortriptyline also improves the chances of quitting. On current evidence, none of the treatments appear to have an incidence of adverse events that would mitigate their use. Further research is warranted into the safety of varenicline and into cytisine's potential as an effective and affordable treatment, but not into the efficacy and safety of NRT.

PubMed 23728690 ↗
Cochrane Database Syst Rev · 2023 · Meta-analysis / systematic review
Pharmacological and electronic cigarette interventions for smoking cessation in adults: component network meta-analyses

Conclusion: The most effective interventions were nicotine e-cigarettes, varenicline and cytisine (all high certainty), as well as combination NRT (additive effect, certainty not rated). There was also high-certainty evidence for the effectiveness of nicotine patch, fast-acting NRT and bupropion. Less certain evidence of benefit was present for nortriptyline (moderate certainty), non-nicotine e-cigarettes and tapering of nicotine dose (both low certainty). There was moderate-certainty evidence that bupropion may slightly increase the frequency of SAEs, although there was also the possibility of no increas

PubMed 37696529 ↗

Dosage people report

As stated by users — not a recommendation. Follow the label or your doctor.

7 mgdaily
lowest available doseas reported
low doseas reported
1-2 mgas needed, few times per week

Reported side effects

How often each side effect came up across all reports.

vivid dreams ×3nausea ×2overdose risk ×1jitteriness ×1addiction ×1irritability ×1sleep disruption ×1

What users say

Verbatim quotes, shortened only — each links to the original discussion.

“When you cut them you break the special layer allowing all the nicotine to come out all at once.”
Source discussion ↗
“over the phone and medication or patches to help them stop.”
Source discussion ↗
“Transdermal patch. Stable pharmakinetics, no addiction liability, no potential for oral health problems.”
Source discussion ↗
“I take modafinil sparingly, offsetting it with whatever racetam is cheapest and available; but a 7mg nicotine patch will keep me going all day.”
Source discussion ↗
“Nicotine patch and Methylphenidate totally removes my ADHD. I think there is something about the slow release that makes it that much more effective.”
Source discussion ↗
Top discussions (5)

Other options for focus

User data from public discussions; research from PubMed. Information only, not medical advice — talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or combining anything. Data updated October 2, 2026. How we rate