While nicotine withdrawal is never fun, it is important to remember that it's only a temporary situation. With a little preparation and persistence, you will get through it. Smoking urges, commonly known as nicotine cravings, is one of the most challenging and persistent symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. The cravings you feel are caused by nicotinic receptors in the brain. Craving is a physiological response in which the body yearns for something to which it has adapted and become tolerant.
Nicotine cravings typically last for five to 10 minutes. They may be extremely uncomfortable, but try to wait them out and remind yourself that the feeling will pass. Chewing nicotine gum or taking a long, brisk walk usually helps. The urge to snack is about more than just replacing cigarettes with food. Whenever you smoke, the intake nicotine triggers the release of glucose sugar from your muscles and liver while altering your insulin response.
As a result, if you were to stop smoking, you would experience a drop in blood sugar and feel the need to consume carbs, sweets, and other foods to satiate this sudden and often unexplained hunger. As a result, people who quit cigarettes will gain an average of 10 pounds after one year with most of the gain occurring during the first three months, according to research from the University of Birmingham in England.
Sleep problems are common side effects of nicotine withdrawal and can run the gamut from insomnia to needing extra sleep during the day. The symptoms are also closely linked to the dysregulation of dopamine, the hormone of which is also involved in sleep regulation.
Studies have also shown that rapid eye movement REM can be adversely affected when you quit, resulting in a lack of quality sleep and a persistent tiredness during the day.
Improved sleep hygiene can often help. People will often become alarmed when they develop a persistent cough after they quit smoking. When you smoke, the tiny finger-like projections in the lining of your airways, called cilia, will become immobilized and eventually flatten out.
After you quit, the cilia will return to its normal shape and function, pushing toxic deposits out of the lungs to be coughed up. You can help relieve this symptom by staying well hydrated, humidifying the air, and using honey or an over-the-counter cough drop to ease any throat irritation. While in the process of quitting, you may experience something popularly referred to as the " quitter's flu. The sudden cessation of smoking can trigger an immune response in much in the same way as it would respond to a bacteria or virus it considers abnormal.
In most cases, a quitter's flu will last for only a couple of days. Nicotine replacement therapy, along with over-the-counter pain relievers, may help ease the symptoms. Any advice? Hi jmkelly62 Congrats in your quit day! Smoking do not solve any problem, instead make it worse! You can do this! Believe in yourself! One day at the time! Hi jmkelly62, I am sorry to hear about your situation with your spouse and that you have went back to smoking.
Is this your first attempt to quit smoking? Not everyone will stay quit on their first try. Try to feel good about your effort. It is not easy. We are here for you. I said to myself a couple of times..
I feel like crap" The thing that kept me going was the fact that I was not getting any horrific leg cramps like I was when I was smoking. Better blood flow I guess My doctor told me it was the cyanide in cigarettes that shrink the blood vessels and arteries. I am 18 weeks god willing I can actually go into a store now and pay for that quart of milk and look at the smokes behind the counter and ignore them now without breaking into a sweat I have lost 20 pounds and my appetite has not increased with cravings for sweets and stuff??
I want to lose 40 more pounds cause I am a bit overweight. Good Morning woodywow Congrats in 18 weeks free! I know it felt a bit down, is just the new you, with out smokes. Your Body and mind is adjusting to the new you, about your wait lost , I think if you loose 20, already you can easy reach Keep the good work!
I would like to add that while feeling very fatigued and distant to a lot of things I needed to experiment and after 2 days using 2 methods have paid off for me. First was using Astragalus and second part was drinking a glass of pomegrant juice with 3 dates eaten while drinking.
After 2 days on both i fell like I have more mental energy to do things and no spaced out feeling, I wish I knew which one is actually helping or maybe both are. Thank you for sharing, pitbull1. Fatigue and difficulty concentrating are two very common withdrawal symptoms. While frustrating, they are a sign that your body is working hard to get well.
We do encourage you all to speak with a health care professional before taking any supplements. Healthy snacks are a great way to help you feel good, act as a distraction, boost energy, and satisfy the hand-to-mouth motion you may be missing.
Warmly, Sarah. Hi all, I'm trying to get myself in a healthy mindset for quitting. I've been smoking for 23 years All of my friends have quit I'm so lazy, I have a cough, phlegm I've taken other steps towards a healthy lifestyle and this is the final one These days, we are all plugged in to all kinds of news and social media, consuming all sorts of information.
This can leave our minds feeling revved up and busy even as we try to calm down before sleeping. Instead, reading a book or paper magazine before turning in can have a calming effect — and many other positive effects as well. Drowsiness during quitting is a challenge that can be difficult to avoid unless gradually stepping down nicotine intake. Some people may think that dealing with this on top of quitting smoking is a tough challenge to deal with.
It certainly can be. Smokers themselves may not be fully aware of it, but their clothes as well as Read More. Many current smokers presume that when they kick the habit, their body weight will start Drinks, smokes and sharing laughs with friends. For many smokers, going out to the bar or As a smoker, have you ever experienced sudden, dizzy dizziness or tinnitus? Here are some ideas for coping with depression related to quitting smoking:.
If your symptoms are persistent and you cannot find ways to relieve them, consider checking in with your doctor to discuss ways you can find treatment moving forward. When it comes to mental health, it can be difficult to distinguish the differences in terms of whether people engage in smoking because of their mental health conditions or whether they begin to struggle with their mental health as a result of their smoking habits.
But, just as we know quitting smoking can result in temporary depression symptoms, it can also result in feelings of anxiety.
In fact, a large majority of smokers will experience anxiety associated with quitting. The answer, once again, lies in the mechanism by which nicotine affects your brain. Along with all of the other withdrawal symptoms that can accompany your choice to stop smoking, anxiety is another one that challenges your mental health.
As a result, you might feel nervous, frightened or even panicked from time to time. Rather than lighting up, it is important to understand that focusing on treating your anxiety symptoms will benefit you in the long run.
The coping strategies mentioned previously in this article are applicable to dealing with your anxiety as a result of quitting. If you feel that you need to seek further treatment, you can check out MyTransformations to read more about Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation TMS therapy and how it is used to treat symptoms of anxiety and depression. Though not an easy feat, overcoming your withdrawal symptoms associated with quitting smoking will ultimately lead to improved mental health overall.
Research has shown that smokers are actually more prone to developing an anxiety disorder, such as generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder. So, it is important to recognize that despite the anxiety symptoms you may experience at first, smoking cessation actually alleviates your levels of anxiety over time. Consistent smoking impacts your body in a variety of ways, including physically and mentally. Nicotine has the ability to alter your mood, emotions, and energy levels to the extent that you develop a dependence on it that can be challenging to counteract.
If you familiarize yourself with the barriers that you might encounter on your journey to quitting smoking, you can better prepare to face them with confidence.
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