Nicotine vs. placebo gum in the alleviation of withdrawal during smoking cessation.

In a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of nicotine gum, withdrawal symptoms were systematically scaled for one week in 50 subjects. Baseline responses on withdrawal items were obtained for comparison to five days of smoking abstinence. Twenty-six subjects receiving nicotine gum and twenty-four subjects receiving placebo gum provided the withdrawal data. A withdrawal scale (SCS) was derived from smokers' complaints in previous abstinence attempts. Pulse rate changes were recorded. Carbon monoxide served to verify abstinence. Pulse rate dropped significantly during abstinence for the placebo vs. nicotine group. All subjects experienced significant increases in withdrawal over time. However, the placebo group reported significantly more severe withdrawal than the nicotine subjects. No sex differences in reported withdrawal were found. It was concluded that the appearance of withdrawal symptoms may be attributed, in part, to the removal of nicotine per se. Conversely, nicotine-specific symptoms may be alleviated with nicotine gum.