Less common symptoms you may experience — which will also pass — include: Cold symptoms such as coughing, sore throat and sneezing. Dizziness or light-headedness. Mouth ulcers. Feeling emotional when you quit In the first days and weeks when you quit smoking, the emotional ups and downs could feel like a rollercoaster ride.
Knowing how quickly you will recover with quitting can help: Within six hours your heart rate will slow and your blood pressure will become more stable. Within one day your bloodstream will be almost nicotine free, the level of carbon monoxide in your blood will have dropped, and oxygen will be reaching your heart and muscles more easily. Within one week your sense of taste and smell may have improved. Within three months you will be coughing and wheezing less, your immune function and circulation to your hands and feet will be improving, and your lungs will be getting better at removing mucus, tar and dust.
Within six months your stress levels are likely to have dropped, and you are less likely to be coughing up phlegm. Within two to five years your risk of heart disease will have dropped significantly and will continue to do so over time. After 10 years your risk of lung cancer will be lower than if you had kept smoking. After 15 years your risk of heart attack and stroke will be similar to that of someone who has never smoked. Weight gain and quitting smoking Weight gain is not always part of quitting smoking but it is common.
Make plans and stay busy. Engage friends and family to help distract you from your cravings and keep you motivated. Remember the four Ds : delay acting on the craving for five minutes and it will usually pass do some deep breathing drink water, or do something else.
Routines to help you manage cravings One of the biggest challenges many people face in the early days of quitting is the regular cravings. Here are some ideas for activities to do instead of smoking at those times you usually reach for the cigarettes: First thing in the morning — have a shower. With coffee or tea — change to a different drink, a different cup, or change where you drink it. At morning tea — sit in a different place or with different people, read a magazine or take a scroll through your social media.
At the computer at home — move your desk or redecorate to change the look. After a meal — go for a walk. After work — exercise or meditate. Before dinner — make your dinner time earlier. With alcohol — change to a different type of drink or hold your drink in your smoking hand. As you plan your next task — breathe deeply. As a reward — listen to music or have a piece of fruit. In front of the television — move the furniture around, hold a stress ball, do some easy stretches.
Before bed — have a warm drink or read a book. Here are a few more ideas you can try at any time: Sip a glass of water slowly. Play with a pet. Call a friend. Play a game on your phone. Ask your partner or a friend for a shoulder massage.
Try some gardening. Put on some hand cream. Do a jigsaw puzzle or crossword. Peel an orange. Managing stress when you quit smoking It will take time to settle into new routines and find new ways to deal with stress now that smoking is not an option. Costs of smoking There is no point dwelling on the amount of money you have already spent on smoking. Benefits of quitting smoking Quitting is the best thing you will ever do for your health.
Benefits to your health and life from quitting smoking include: Your sense of taste and smell may improve, so you may enjoy your food more. Exercising to increase your fitness will become easier.
You will be free from the hassles of smoking, such as smelling of smoke, or always having to make sure you have enough cigarettes. You will save thousands of dollars a year that you can save or spend on other things. If you decide to use them make sure you talk it out with your doctor and follow the instructions. Symptoms of nicotine withdrawal will not be so prominent if your body is getting nicotine from sources other than a cigarette. NTR should be used as needed as there is a danger of substituting one addiction with another.
Quit Smoking Timeline. Common nicotine withdrawal symptoms include: Nicotine cravings Difficulty concentrating Depression and anxiety Irritability Sweating Tingling sensation in hands and feet Nausea, vomiting and cramping Headaches Sore throat Insomnia Weight gain Nicotine Withdrawal Timeline Most of these symptoms will peak during the second or the third day into the cessation process.
This is when the craving starts. Instead of yielding to temptation, try focusing on something else — clean the house, iron all your shirts, or go out for a jog.
The craving for nicotine will pass but you will have to steel yourselves for when it starts again. Drink plenty of water, tuck yourself in and prepare to ride it out. Depending on your smoking habits you might get an urge to light a cigarette as soon as you open your eyes. Fight it. Over time, you'll feel less irritable, and you may even be better able to cope with annoyances than you did before you quit.
For now, give yourself and others as much time and space as possible. If you know you tend to get anxious under stress , especially if you're prone to panic attacks, try to avoid stressful situations while you're quitting nicotine. Try to ease the pressure: Don't quit smoking when you have an exam coming up, at tax time, or during any other time which requires a lot of mental focus under pressure. Instead, do it at a time when you're under less pressure to concentrate.
Yoga, mindfulness , meditation , and relaxation exercises can all help with reducing the anxiety you feel during nicotine withdrawal. It's all too easy to fall into the trap of comfort eating in response to cravings and increased appetite, and you may end up gaining weight or even developing a substitute food addiction.
Avoiding overeating is key to preventing these pitfalls. It is normal for cravings to subside, but to still pop up occasionally months, or even years, after quitting nicotine. The trick to maintaining a smoke-free lifestyle is to distract yourself quickly and not give in to the craving. Every relapse starts with a single puff, so be sure to have a substitute activity to deal with any situation when you might have smoked —to manage stress, to celebrate, to help you focus.
That way, you won't be tempted to smoke again. Occasionally, withdrawal symptoms can go on for longer than usual. If this happens, see your doctor. Sometimes, what seems to be the stubborn symptoms of nicotine withdrawal can be related to another condition.
Remind yourself that these feelings are temporary. You should be careful to only use nicotine replacement therapies as recommended. Long-term treatment may include the extended use of nicotine replacement therapies. Research has shown that nicotine patches, for example, can be effective in maintaining smoking abstinence beyond the standard eight weeks of treatment.
However, evidence suggests there may be little benefit in using these treatments beyond 24 weeks. Behavioral treatments such as cognitive-behavioral therapy CBT may also be helpful.
CBT works to change the underlying thought patterns and behaviors that contribute to smoking. Replacing these maladaptive patterns with healthier ones can improve the chances of long-term smoking abstinence.
Withdrawal can be difficult, but there are resources that can help. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provide free quitting smoking plans, educational materials, and information on local resources. The American Lung Association also offers information and programs designed to help people quit smoking. You can also visit Smokefree. They also offer smoking cessation apps and texting programs that can also help you stay on track. For more mental health resources, see our National Helpline Database.
Coping with nicotine withdrawal is often one of the hardest parts of quitting smoking. Fortunately, there are things you can do to manage your symptoms, and nicotine replacement therapies can reduce your symptoms and improve your long-term outlook. Identify the triggers that make you want to smoke, find ways to manage your cravings, and don't be afraid to reach out to your doctor for advice and further assistance. So you're ready to finally quit smoking?
Our free guide can help you get on the right track. Sign up and get yours today. Managing withdrawal. Department of Health and Human Services. Nicotine dependence and psychological distress: outcomes and clinical implications in smoking cessation. Psychol Res Behav Manag. Bruijnzeel AW. Tobacco addiction and the dysregulation of brain stress systems.
Neurosci Biobehav Rev. Nicotine replacement therapy. National Library of Medicine. Biology of addiction. National Institutes of Health. Change in mental health after smoking cessation: systematic review and meta-analysis.
How cigarette smoking may increase the risk of anxiety symptoms and anxiety disorders: a critical review of biological pathways.
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