Nicotrol (nicotine patch) inhaler or e-cig? which do you recommend more? my doc is not an advocate of ecig but i think it would be more helpful than inhalers have been

Your choice: First, it depends upon which e-cig you're thinking about. Some vaporize nicotine while others don't use any nicotine at all. Obviously, the latter are "best" but they may not be enough if you're really addicted to nicotine. In that case, any way to get you nicotine is fine whether patch, gum, inhaler or e-cig. Benefit of these options is less exposure to cancer-causing components in cigarette smok.