Nicotine Withdrawal Worst Symptoms
Nicotine Withdrawal is the collection of physical and emotional signs a person experiences as nicotine leaves his or her body. Signs can be feelings of irritation, frustration, the urge for nicotine, and difficulty in sleeping and concentrating. Treatment can be quite smoking pills, nicotine replacement therapy, non-drug remedies, and coping techniques.
When a person uses tobacco products, his or her brain and body get accustomed to nicotine. Nicotine is an extremely addictive drug. When a person reduces or quits the use of nicotine products, the nicotine deficiency in his or her body may result in uneasy signs. A few can be nausea, increased urge to smoke, headache, or being crabby. These are the side effects of nicotine withdrawal in other terms.
Trying to quit smoking is diverse for every individual. However, every person would experience some signs of nicotine withdrawal. When a person stops, his or her brain and body need to get accustomed to not using nicotine. This might be uneasy; however, nicotine withdrawal would not hurt a person, unless he or she gives in and uses a cigarette. Gradually, symptoms of nicotine withdrawal would fade providing a person stays smoke-free.
Below are some of the nicotine withdrawal symptoms:
Having urges or desires for smoking:
Practically every person who smokes regularly experiences desires or urges to smoke when they stop. They might be mild or may at times feel irresistible. Believing how to cope with desires is one of the principal things a person may do to stay efficacious.
Ways to manage:
There are many things a person may do to make longings and desires less of an issue. Quit-smoking drugs might assist a lot, and so can other quitting instructions. Longings might be activated by things that make an individual believe smoking-like individuals, a place he or she often smoked, or things he or she is accustomed to doing while smoking. Even a thought or a feeling can activate a desire. Yet, other thoughts may aid a person go through a longing, like memorizing why he or she is quitting. A person must keep in mind that he or she never has to give in to a craving and that it will always pass.
Some tips to manage all the stages of nicotine withdrawal:
- Keep busy and distract one’s mind.
- Spend time with friends who do not have the habit of smoking.
- Be physically active, some physical activity is always good than none.
- Make use of a quit-smoking drug.
- Look for other ways to manage withdrawal.
Feeling annoyed, crabby, or disappointed:
It is a common feeling to get irritable or crabby while a person quits smoking. Even a lot of individuals who have never smoked know this is part of quitting. Knowing this is usual might be useful.
Ways to manage:
Remind oneself that a person feels this way as his or her body is accustomed to being without nicotine. It is better to take some deep breaths and remind oneself why a person is quitting.
Feeling nervous and agitated:
Feeling agitation during the initial days or weeks after stopping is usual. Just like one’s mind gets irritable without nicotine in the beginning, the rest of the body might, as well.
Ways to manage:
Performing some exercise might assist in reducing nervousness. Wake up and walk around in case of restlessness. Try reducing tea, coffee, or other caffeinated beverages. When a person quits smoking, caffeine persists for a longer time in the body.
Nicotine Withdrawal Insomnia:
It’s normal to experience sleeping troubles while quitting smoking for the first time. This would get better, however, if it troubles a person, it is better to talk to a doctor for help. If a person feels tired from lack of sleep, this might increase the difficulty to quit.
Ways to manage:
- If a person drinks tea, coffee, or other caffeinated beverages daily. It is advisable to drink them in the late evening. When a person stops smoking, caffeine persists longer in the body.
- If a person is using the nicotine patch, try using it off 60 minutes before bedtime. Times, the nicotine in the patch may have an impact on sleep.
Try a few other things that may assist a person in getting a good night’s sleep:
- Ensure that the bedroom is noiseless, dark, comforting, and at a soothing temperature.
- Avoid watching television or using computers, phones, or e-books in bed.
- Include some exercises throughout the day (but not right before bed).
- Avoid consuming a heavy diet or drinking alcoholic beverages before bed.
- Go to sleep and get up around the same time daily, even on weekends.
Starving or Gaining Weight:
It’s usual for a person’s appetite to enhance some when a person quits. And a person’s body might not burn calories as rapidly as it should. Also, a person might consume more due to the stress of quitting or to have something to do with hands and mouth. Food might even be more pleasurable as the sensations of taste and smell are not being blunted by all that smoke.
Ways to manage:
Snack smart: If a person consumes between meals, they must look for healthy, low-calorie foods. Also, they can keep their hands and mouths busy using a toothpick or a straw.
Be physically active: Any exercise is just better than no exercise. Although, a person does not wish to join a gym or go running, just doing a walk might accompany health benefits.
When a person consumes, focus on consuming: Eating is often something people do in the background while watching television or checking phones. When people consume like this, they consume more. When a person quits smoking, removing distractions while consuming is important. In addition, people must try consuming a bit slower and concentrate on enjoying food. This might aid a person notice when he or she is getting full.
Nicotine Withdrawal Depression:
Individuals who smoke are expected to have increased anxiety or depression compared to individuals who do not smoke. A few individuals experience mood changes for a short time after they stop smoking. Look for this, particularly if people have ever experienced anxiety or depression. These might be one of the severe nicotine withdrawal symptoms.
For a few individuals, smoking might appear as it aids in anxiety or depression, however, don’t be deceived. Smoking may make a person feel better temporarily. However, that’s because the nicotine in cigarettes prevents the uneasiness of withdrawal, not as it assists in anxiety or depression. There are improved ways to manage such withdrawal signs and mood changes than going back to smoking.
Treatment that can help people to quit tobacco products and decrease nicotine withdrawal signs:
When a person is prepared to stop smoking, the concerned doctor is also prepared to discuss medicines that may assist. Nicotine replacement therapy is just great to relieve withdrawal signs. Replacement therapy consists of a little quantity of nicotine but none of the cancer-causing chemicals or others present in tobacco products. This little quantity of nicotine mitigates a person’s withdrawal signs. A person feels better and more relaxed, which makes it easy to quit tobacco products.
Nicotine replacement therapy comes in the form of chewing gums, skin patches, lozenges, inhalers, or nasal sprays. Nicotine replacement therapy also comes on the market:
- OTC (patches, gums, and lozenges) and,
- prescription (nasal spray and oral inhaler).
Other medicines for treating withdrawal signs can be:
- Bupropion: which is an antidepressant medicine, and
- Chantix: Chantix (Generic Varenicline), is a smoking quitting aid that inhibits the enjoyable effects of nicotine on the brain.
Nicotine replacement therapy or other drugs for treating withdrawal signs only treat a person’s physical dependence on nicotine. To assist a person in dealing with the mental and emotional aspects of dependence, he or she needs other help.
How to speed up nicotine withdrawal (non-medical ways)?
Other ways to cope with weed and nicotine withdrawal signs can be:
- Get physical: It is better to find some form of exercise to keep one’s body active. It can be a double win for the person. It would quit the use of nicotine use plus makes the body fit at the same time.
- Spend time with friends who are non-smokers: Tell individuals that you are stopping smoking. They would encourage you and offer more support.
- Do deep breathing when you wish to do smoking. It helps a person relax and lets the urge pass.
How to ease nicotine withdrawal naturally?
Regrettably, every person who has been a frequent user of tobacco products experiences some extent of withdrawal while they quit. A doctor may suggest OTC or prescription products relieve a person’s withdrawal signs. These products, yet, typically target cravings or urges. There are also a few home remedies for nicotine withdrawal that help mitigate these withdrawal signs. These include:
- Drink lots of fluids or water to relieve cough.
- Consume low-calorie, fiber-rich foods to ease constipation.
- Chew sugar-free gum or candy to relieve dry mouth or sore throat.
- Get enough sleep, and take short naps as required to counter fatigue.
- Do deep breathing exercises to relieve chest tightness.
- Avoid having caffeinated drinks and chocolates before bedtime.
- Do relaxation techniques, or go for a walk to lower down feelings of irritability.
How long does nicotine withdrawal last?
Alcohol and nicotine withdrawal symptoms might persist some days up to several weeks. Your signs would get a little better daily, particularly after the 3rd day following quitting.
FAQs:
Does Nicotine withdrawal cause nausea?
When you reduce or quit utilizing nicotine-consisting products, the deficiency of nicotine in your body might lead to uncomfortable signs. Few include the urge of smoking again, feeling nauseated, having headaches, or being crabby.
How soon does nicotine withdrawal start?
The nicotine withdrawal timeline initiates vanishing totally after 2-4 weeks, even if for some individuals they might persist longer.
Can nicotine withdrawal cause headaches?
Nicotine withdrawal includes physical and emotional signs. The first week, particularly days 3 through 5, is always the nastiest. During this time, nicotine gets removed from the body and the person begins getting nicotine withdrawal headaches, lack of sleep, and cravings. A majority of relapses occur within the initial 2 weeks of quitting.
How to deal with nicotine withdrawal?
Nicotine replacement therapy comes on the market as OTC and prescription medications. Other medicines are also available that treat withdrawal signs.
When does nicotine withdrawal peak?
Nicotine withdrawal signs classically start a few hours after your last dose of nicotine. They reach their peaks or are most powerful, on day 2 or 3 after going nicotine-free.
Is fatigue a sign of nicotine withdrawal?
These are generally on the mild side, and they’re frequently the initial withdrawal sign to appear and the initial one to taper off. Nicotine is a CNS stimulant and takes a person up. Hence, a person would possibly feel tired without it. But a person would also be agitated and may experience insomnia.
Can nicotine withdrawal kill you?
Within 20 years of stopping smoking, the risk of mortality among earlier smokers was like that of chronic non-smokers for a majority of reasons for death. An exception to this is lung cancer.
What happens to your body when you stop nicotine?
The body starts showing nicotine withdrawal signs such as headaches, tiredness, drowsiness, coughing, constipation, and mouth ulcers. The good news is that people can do a lot to lower their nicotine cravings and treat their common withdrawal signs.
Why is breathing worse after quitting smoking?
Cigarette smoke aggravates these pathways. Through these pathways, air enters and gets out of the lungs. That might increase breathing difficulty in a person. However, it begins getting better within 72 hours after a person stops as the tubes begin relaxing. Also, a person may observe an energy boost.
When does nicotine withdrawal stop?
A lot of individuals find nicotine withdrawal signs vanishing totally after 2-4 weeks. Even if for some individuals they might persist for a longer time.