aw ▁sor eness . ▁▁ ▁People ▁with ▁dent al ▁problems ▁should ▁also ▁be ▁c aut ious ▁ ▁from ▁the ▁effects ▁of ▁constant ▁g um ▁che wing ▁and ▁should ▁consult ▁their ▁dent ist ▁before ▁using ▁the ▁nic ot ine ▁g um . ▁ ▁Mus cle ▁control ▁Two ▁un ple asant ▁sympt oms ▁which ▁affect ▁some ▁new ▁users ▁and ▁existing ▁users ▁who ▁make ▁excess ive ▁use ▁of ▁nic ot ine ▁g um , ▁are ▁h ic cu ps ▁and ▁a ▁perce ived ▁con str iction ▁of ▁the ▁thro at ▁mus cles , ▁as ▁accident al ▁sw allow ing ▁of ▁sal iva ▁containing ▁high ▁amounts ▁of ▁nic ot ine ▁may ▁cause ▁ir rit ation . ▁ ▁Special ▁populations ▁ ▁P reg n ancy - related ▁comp lications ▁ ▁B irth ▁defect s ▁Women ▁who ▁use ▁nic ot ine ▁g um ▁and ▁patch es ▁during ▁the ▁early ▁stages ▁of ▁pre gn ancy ▁face ▁an ▁increased ▁risk ▁of ▁having ▁b ab ies ▁with ▁birth ▁defect s ▁according ▁to ▁a ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁study ▁that ▁looked ▁at ▁about ▁ 7 7 , 0 0 0 ▁pre gn ant ▁women ▁in ▁Den mark . ▁The ▁study ▁found ▁that ▁women ▁who ▁used ▁nic ot ine - rep lacement ▁ther apy ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁ 1 2 ▁weeks ▁of ▁pre gn ancy ▁had ▁a ▁greater ▁risk ▁of ▁having ▁b ab ies ▁with ▁birth ▁defect s ▁than ▁women ▁who ▁did ▁not . ▁ ▁Bre ast feed ing ▁ ▁No ▁studies ▁have ▁been ▁done ▁to ▁show ▁the ▁effects ▁of ▁nic ot ine