Wspólna 7, 25-369 Kielce
Opening hours:Mon - Sun: 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
The price includes:
Nicotine from smoke reaches the brain within a few seconds, binds to nicotinic receptors and increases the release of dopamine, which the smoker feels as pleasure or relief. Between cigarettes, its blood level rises and falls noticeably. When it falls, a dependent person feels a craving and reaches for the next cigarette. The World Health Organization classifies nicotine dependence, also called nicotine addiction, as a disease, under code F17.2 in ICD-10 and under code 6C4A.2 in ICD-11.
With regular smoking, the brain adapts to nicotine. Some receptors stop responding to it, and their number grows. During a break from smoking, the receptors start responding again, and that is when withdrawal symptoms get stronger.
Nicotine medicines deliver nicotine more slowly than a cigarette. A patch keeps the nicotine level roughly steady for 24 or 16 hours, while gum, spray and lozenges help when a sudden craving hits. Too low a dose of nicotine from a medicine may not ease cravings, and too high a dose causes symptoms of too much nicotine, which is why the doctor sets the dose.
For the heart, what counts is quitting completely, not just smoking fewer cigarettes. In an analysis of 141 studies, the extra risk of coronary heart disease in men who smoked one cigarette a day was almost half the extra risk in men who smoked 20 cigarettes a day. In women, it was about a third. The authors of the analysis concluded that there is no level of smoking that is safe for the heart and blood vessels.
According to Statistics Poland (GUS), a pack of 20 cigarettes cost PLN 21.61 on average in 2025, compared with PLN 17.24 two years earlier. A person who smokes a pack a day spends about PLN 7,888 a year on cigarettes, and a person who smokes 10 cigarettes a day about PLN 3,944. Over 10 years, even if prices stayed the same, that comes to about PLN 78,900 and PLN 39,400 respectively.
Patients from Kielce and the surrounding area do not have to quit alone. The doctor chooses the medicine and dose. In the treatment plan, the addiction therapist helps patients prepare for situations in which they most often smoked, while the app provides dose reminders. Patients can arrange an earlier medical appointment at the clinic or by video, and an earlier therapy session in the app.
At the first appointment, the doctor asks how many cigarettes the patient smokes, how soon after waking up they light the first one, whether they also use an e-cigarette or nicotine pouches, what conditions they have and what medicines they take. Based on this, the doctor decides whether to recommend a medicine and, if so, which one. The medicine chosen also determines when the quit date falls.
Between appointments, patients take their medicine as prescribed. The Nasz Gabinet app provides reminders during treatment with cytisine or nicotine patches. Those who choose the treatment plan also attend addiction therapy sessions. The number of follow-ups is agreed in the treatment instructions, as it depends on the medicine, progress and whether the patient has smoked after the quit date. Patients also having difficulties with alcohol or medication can receive addiction therapy in Kielce.
The manufacturers of Nicorette Invisipatch, nicotine gum and nicotine spray note that some former smokers need longer treatment to avoid going back to smoking. According to the manufacturer of varenicline, the risk of relapse rises just after treatment ends, and for someone who is not smoking after 12 weeks of treatment, the doctor may recommend another 12 weeks. Before treatment ends, we discuss with the patient what they will do if they want to smoke again after stopping the medicine.
Nasz Gabinet in Kielce at ul. Wspólna 7 is open every day, including weekends, from 8:00 to 20:00. No referral is needed. Residents of Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, Starachowice, Skarżysko-Kamienna, Busko-Zdrój and Jędrzejów can have video consultations in the Nasz Gabinet app. All patients purchase their chosen treatment option in that app. The Anti-Nicotine Course (PLN 350) provides an e-prescription for the medicine selected by the doctor and does not include therapy sessions. With the Anti-Nicotine Treatment Plan (PLN 2499), the doctor issues prescriptions for 3 months, and the patient also receives 10 addiction therapy sessions. Pharmacy medication is paid for separately.
Stop-smoking medicines differ in their ingredients, how they work, their price and when the quit date falls. The patient starts taking cytisine, varenicline and bupropion while still smoking, whereas a nicotine patch is usually put on after the last cigarette. We give effectiveness according to reviews by Cochrane, an independent scientific organisation that brings together the results of studies on one topic. The figures show how many more people were not smoking after at least six months than in comparison groups, not what share of patients quit.
Cytisine is the active substance in Desmoxan, Tabex and Recigar, in 1.5 mg tablets. It acts on the same receptors in the brain as nicotine but stimulates them more weakly, so it eases cravings and reduces the pleasure of smoking. A pack of Desmoxan contains 100 tablets for 25 days of treatment. For the first 3 days, the patient takes one tablet every 2 hours, up to 6 tablets a day, then less and less often, and in the last 5 days 1 or 2 tablets a day. They give up cigarettes by day 5 of treatment at the latest and do not smoke until the end, because smoking during treatment can make side effects worse. In 4 studies involving 4,623 people, 30 percent more people taking cytisine than people in the placebo group were not smoking. Most cytisine products are available without a prescription, and in September 2026 a pack for the whole course cost about PLN 40 to 78.
Varenicline, the active substance in Champix, acts on nicotinic receptors in a similar way to cytisine. On days 1 to 3, the patient takes a 0.5 mg tablet once a day, on days 4 to 7 twice a day, and from day 8 until the end of the 12-week course a 1 mg tablet in the morning and evening. The quit date is usually set in week 2 of treatment. A patient who does not want to or cannot set it that early can choose their own date within 5 weeks of starting treatment. In 41 studies, varenicline more than doubled the number of non-smokers. The medicine requires a prescription, but in September 2026 we did not find it in the pharmacies we checked.
Bupropion, the active substance in Zyban, in 150 mg tablets, is an antidepressant that contains no nicotine. Treatment starts while the patient is still smoking, and the quit date is planned within the first 2 weeks, preferably in the second. For 3 days, the patient takes one tablet in the morning, and from day 4 a second one as well, at least 8 hours after the first. Insomnia is a very common side effect, so the second tablet is not taken just before bed. In 45 studies, 64 percent more people were not smoking than in placebo or no-treatment groups. The medicine requires a prescription, and the marketing authorisation for Zyban expired in December 2023.
NiQuitin Przezroczysty and Nicorette Invisipatch release nicotine through the skin, without the tar and carbon monoxide from smoke. For people quitting overnight, the manufacturer of NiQuitin patches recommends stopping smoking before putting on the first patch. The patch is applied once a day, in the morning after waking up. A course of NiQuitin patches usually starts at 21 mg for 6 weeks, followed by 2 weeks at 14 mg and 2 weeks at 7 mg. A person who smokes no more than 10 cigarettes a day starts at 14 mg. Nicorette Invisipatch, in strengths of 25, 15 and 10 mg, is worn for 16 hours and removed before bed. Patches increased the number of non-smokers by 64 percent compared with placebo or no treatment. They are sold without a prescription, and 10 weeks of treatment with NiQuitin patches cost about PLN 606 to 930 in September 2026.
Nicorette Classic Gum in 2 and 4 mg strengths, Nicorette Spray at 1 mg per spray and NiQuitin MINI lozenges deliver nicotine through the lining of the mouth whenever the patient feels like smoking. The manufacturers intend the 4 mg gum and lozenges for people who smoke more than 20 cigarettes a day, and the 4 mg gum also for a Fagerström test score of 6 points or more. People usually use 8 to 12 pieces of gum or lozenges a day and should not go above 15. No more than 2 sprays should be used at a time, 4 sprays an hour and 64 sprays a day. The manufacturers of the gum and spray also describe using them while cutting down, before quitting completely.
Gum increased the number of non-smokers by 49 percent and lozenges by 52 percent compared with placebo or no treatment. All these forms are available without a prescription. In September 2026, 105 pieces of 4 mg gum cost PLN 78 to 100, and a spray with 150 doses PLN 62 to 85.
The quit date is the first completely smoke-free day. The doctor agrees it with the patient, taking the selected medicine into account. With cytisine, smoking must stop by day 5 of treatment at the latest. When to start using a patch depends on the product and treatment schedule. Patients prepare for the quit date with an addiction therapist in video sessions in the Nasz Gabinet app, so residents of Busko-Zdrój or Jędrzejów do not need to travel. The treatment plan includes 10 sessions.
Before that day, patients explore why they want to stop smoking with the therapist and write down their own reasons. Doubts can be discussed through motivational interviewing, a conversation in which patients consider what keeps them smoking and what makes them want to stop. They also learn to recognise when and why they smoke: which cigarettes are linked to a time of day, a place or a mood. These observations help them prepare for the quit date and the first cravings.
After the quit date, sessions address everyday life: changing routines that used to end with a cigarette, managing stress and emotions, lifestyle changes, and concerns about weight gain if the patient has them. Later work focuses on maintaining new habits and seeing oneself as a non-smoker. Patients also decide what to do if they smoke, because a single lapse does not have to undo treatment. The doctor oversees medical care, assessing how patients cope with nicotine withdrawal and supporting them particularly during the quitting period.
The Nasz Gabinet app sends a reminder for every dose of cytisine and for putting on a patch, according to the plan agreed at the appointment, and the patient sees the next dose on the home screen. This helps especially in the first days of cytisine treatment, when a tablet is taken every 2 hours. From the quit date, the app also shows the money the patient has not spent on cigarettes.
The app does not change the medicine or dose. Patients who miss doses for several days in a row tell the doctor and book an appointment, including by video, in the app. They also purchase their course or treatment plan there; either purchase gives access to the stop-smoking programme. Nasz Gabinet in Kielce can help with installation or purchasing by phone or in person.
After quitting smoking, anger, anxiety, low mood, difficulty concentrating and insomnia are strongest in the first week and usually last 2 to 4 weeks. During this time, cravings come back several times a day, most often in situations in which the patient used to smoke. A stop-smoking medicine eases these symptoms.
During sessions in the app, patients and therapists decide how to manage cravings, for example with morning coffee, during a work break or after an argument. Patients who smoke after their quit date should not stop treatment on their own, but tell the doctor or therapist, as this affects subsequent appointments and sessions. A marked deterioration in mood requires contacting the doctor without waiting for the scheduled appointment; suicidal thoughts require immediate medical help.
A missed dose is not made up with a double dose. If there are symptoms of too much nicotine, the patient stops taking it and contacts the doctor, and if cravings are strong despite treatment, the doctor checks whether the dose is too low. The details depend on the medicine.
According to the manufacturer of varenicline, taking all doses at the right time throughout the recommended period increases the chance of quitting. The patient takes a forgotten Champix tablet as soon as they remember, unless the next dose is due within 3 to 4 hours. In that case, they skip the missed tablet and do not take a double dose. Bupropion is not taken at more than 150 mg at a time, and at least 8 hours must pass between two doses, so two Zyban tablets are not combined into one dose.
The Summary of Product Characteristics for Desmoxan does not say what to do after missing a cytisine tablet. The treatment schedule does, however, give the maximum daily dose, for example 6 tablets on days 1 to 3 and 5 tablets on days 4 to 12, and the patient does not exceed this dose. The patient talks to a doctor or pharmacist about how to continue cytisine after missing several tablets.
A NiQuitin patch is applied once a day, always at the same time, and not worn for longer than 24 hours, because after that it releases less nicotine. Two patches are never applied at the same time, even if the patient is late changing it. The patient does not use gum, spray or lozenges at fixed times, but when a craving hits, and keeps to the daily limit.
According to the manufacturers of nicotine replacement products, symptoms of too high a dose of nicotine can occur in a person who took in little nicotine before treatment, and in a person who takes in nicotine from other sources during treatment, for example by still smoking or using an e-cigarette. The symptoms are similar to those of nicotine poisoning. They include:
A patient with such symptoms stops taking nicotine and does not wait for a scheduled appointment, but contacts the doctor straight away. They remove the patch and rinse the skin with plain water, because according to the manufacturer of NiQuitin patches, soap can increase nicotine absorption. Nicotine stored in the skin keeps passing into the blood for several hours after the patch is removed, so symptoms may not go away immediately. Low blood pressure, a weak or irregular pulse, difficulty breathing, extreme exhaustion and seizures can occur after a large dose of nicotine and need immediate medical help.
The manufacturer of the gum and of Nicorette Invisipatch recommends stopping nicotine for a while if there are symptoms of too high a dose, and if they do not go away, using the medicine less often or at a lower dose. If marked side effects do not go away a few days after starting treatment with the NiQuitin 21 mg patch, the manufacturer recommends lowering the dose to 14 mg. The doctor agrees the new dose with the patient.
Cytisine does not contain nicotine, but according to the manufacturer of Desmoxan, the symptoms of a cytisine overdose are similar to those of nicotine poisoning. They include feeling unwell, nausea, vomiting, a fast heartbeat, changes in blood pressure, breathing and vision problems, and seizures. A patient who has taken more tablets than the treatment schedule allows and has such symptoms needs urgent medical help.
Strong cravings despite treatment may mean the dose of nicotine is too low, but the doctor also checks whether the patient is using the medicine correctly, for example whether they chew the gum as the manufacturer recommends. If a craving does not pass within a few minutes after one spray, the manufacturer allows a second spray. For people who have not stopped smoking while using 2 mg gum, the manufacturer recommends 4 mg gum. For someone for whom a patch alone is not enough, gum, a lozenge or nicotine spray can help with sudden cravings. Such a combination, a higher dose or a change of medicine is decided by the doctor, especially for a person with heart disease, and two patches are never applied at the same time.
Your treatment is led by a doctor specialising in addiction medicine together with certified addiction therapists. Meet our team.
Medical doctor, addiction treatment specialist
Lek. med. Bogdan Bas has specialised in addiction treatment for over 15 years, combining medicine and psychotherapy into a modern treatment method.
Doctor of psychology, certified addiction therapist
Graduate of the University of Wrocław.
Psychologist, certified addiction psychotherapy specialist
Graduate of SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities.
Book your first appointment
A 3-month treatment plan for PLN 499: a medical interview in the chat, an e-prescription for the medicine and reminders for every tablet in the app. Consultations with a psychologist are paid separately.
