How long does nicotine withdrawal last when quitting smoking?

Nicotine is a legal drug

It's hard to wrap your head around it, but nicotine is a drug. Cigarettes are sold everywhere, and only in recent years have restrictions on the sale of tobacco products been tightened: it has become more difficult for teenagers to buy them; in stores, packs of cigarettes are hidden from prying eyes in special locked cabinets. Naturally, it is hard to believe that the drug can be sold in the open.

The method of drug use also plays an important role in the frivolous perception of tobacco addiction. The cigarette is easy to smoke. Even a Spartan meal for alcoholics requires minimal preparation, and you don’t need company to smoke a cigarette; you can even ask the first person you meet for a lighter. And the process itself seems harmless and safe. True, for the time being.

Acute phase: first week

Many of the symptoms that appear in the first week persist throughout the nicotine withdrawal process. Sometimes they persist after the withdrawal syndrome ends. This is the nature of addiction. Smokers have the hardest time getting through the first week, as the body gradually normalizes after exposure to nicotine.

Nicotine withdrawal symptoms can begin as early as 30 minutes after smoking a cigarette. Depending on how long and how much a person smokes, the effects of nicotine on the brain stop within 30 minutes to 2 hours. The effect has a very short period, so nicotine is required regularly to maintain the “noise” that the brain is accustomed to.

Most of the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal reach their peak approximately 3-5 days after quitting smoking. Then they begin to decrease

The earliest sign of the syndrome is a craving for a cigarette, accompanied by anxiety, anger, irritation, decreased mental function, problems with attention, and difficulty performing certain tasks. These symptoms begin within 30 minutes of smoking and will continue to worsen over time. They reach a peak approximately 3-5 days after smoking cessation, then begin to decrease. This is due to the fact that by the third day the body is cleared of the nicotine of the last cigarette.

These symptoms begin within 30 minutes of smoking and will continue to worsen over time. They reach a peak approximately 3-5 days after smoking cessation, then begin to decrease. This is due to the fact that by the third day the body is cleared of the nicotine of the last cigarette.

Physical symptoms of nicotine withdrawal in the first week include headache, increased appetite, dizziness, constipation, abdominal pain, fatigue, and insomnia.

Also, many smokers experience chest tightness, coughing, and increased mucus. This is due to the fact that the respiratory system has begun to recover and is in the process of removing irritants, which it could not do before.

Watch the video - Dr. Myasnikov: is it possible to suddenly quit smoking?

Withdrawal syndrome when quitting smoking

After a certain period of regular tobacco smoking, a person suddenly discovers that he has become dependent on this process.

When quitting smoking, he begins to experience obvious inconveniences. They are primarily expressed in psychological discomfort. Smokers describe this condition in different ways, but, as a rule, it is an inability to concentrate and irritability. There are also physiological manifestations that accompany nicotine withdrawal.

This whole set of unpleasant and painful symptoms is called withdrawal syndrome. It is a sign that the smoker has developed a persistent physical dependence on tobacco, or more precisely on its psychoactive component - nicotine.

How does the withdrawal state proceed?

Nicotine withdrawal is not a one-time event, but a long-term condition characterized by a gradual change of stages. According to medical observations, when you quit smoking, the first changes appear within an hour. A person simply wants to smoke a cigarette, smell tobacco, but this condition will not cause serious discomfort, although it does not last long. At the next stage, the quitter will become nervous, behavior changes, irritability appears - all due to an increasing desire to resume smoking.

The height of withdrawal begins after 3-4 days

What happens on the third or fourth day can be called the height of withdrawal, a turning point that most smokers fail to cope with. The desire to smoke is so strong that a person becomes depressed, often with suicidal thoughts. It is noteworthy that men endure nicotine withdrawal much more difficultly than women and cannot get past this stage, fail to cope and start smoking again.

Many factors and health indicators influence how long it takes for each stage to replace the previous one and how long nicotine withdrawal lasts in general, so it is impossible to give a definite answer to the question posed. On average, a decrease in the severity of symptoms is observed after 2-4 weeks. Complete disappearance of manifestations is possible after 1.5-2 years.

How does nicotine affect the body?

When smoking cigarettes, nicotine acts on the central nervous system of a person, which is where the feeling of a surge of strength, vigor, and lifting the mood arises. The psychoactive substance affects the acetylcholine receptors of the brain, which provokes an unnatural release of adrenaline.

This is how a conditioned reflex arises; a connection is formed in the psyche between smoking a cigarette and receiving pleasure. Later, when the addict wants to get rid of the disease, it will be very difficult to break it.

In the case of smoking, this reflex arc causes harm to the body. However, it is worth remembering that all rewarding reflexes are formed in this way, and this can be used not only for harm, but also for good. In the case of sports activities, the body itself rewards us with the release of joy hormones. But we can give them to ourselves consciously with the help of natural pleasures. Thus, knowledge about the formation of reflexes makes it possible to control and shape your life according to your own rules.

But in the case of smoking tobacco, the opposite happens. The release of hormones is provoked by force; the body does not receive any real benefit or pleasure. But the deceived brain still adds smoking to the list of useful and pleasant actions that bring satisfaction. This is a stable psychological dependence on a drug.

How long does it last

The duration of nicotine withdrawal may vary for each smoker, since this condition is largely determined by the number of cigarettes smoked per day and the overall length of addiction. There are several stages of nicotine withdrawal syndrome.

First day

Already after an hour from the moment of giving up cigarettes, the smoker begins to experience nicotine hunger, which first manifests itself as a desire to smoke, which after a couple of hours causes significant discomfort. After 6-8 hours have passed since the last smoke break, the patient develops causeless anxiety, impaired concentration and irritability.

Nicotine stops entering the smoker’s body, which is why all of the above manifestations occur. On average, this condition bothers a smoker for several hours. Symptoms gradually increase, become intense and enter an acute phase of apogee.

Apogee

This stage of nicotine withdrawal usually occurs on the second or third day after quitting cigarettes and lasts for 3-4 weeks. These days, the smoker has only one thought - whether to smoke or not to smoke.

The patient's condition appears:

• Severe irritability;
• Hot temper;
• Intemperance, in some ways even ferocity;
• The smoker falls into deep depression, often accompanied by suicidal feelings.

The onset of the apogee is due to the fact that the body experiences an acute deficiency of nicotine. Not only does it not come from outside with cigarette smoke, but regular smoking also stops its production in the body. In addition, the physiological need for a dose of nicotine is significantly aggravated by the need of a psychological nature, because the smoker really enjoys smoking.

After about three to four days of the apogee of nicotine withdrawal, the body, or more precisely, the liver, resumes the production of its own nicotine, necessary for full organic activity. Although the craving for smoking still remains. The reason is that during smoking, specific nicotine receptors are formed in the brain. After quitting cigarettes, they begin to gradually die off. If the smoking experience is ten or more years, then the duration of their dying off can last for several years.

The climax period for women is somewhat calmer, although they also experience anxiety and causeless irritability. Therefore, it is not possible to accurately answer the questions of how long withdrawal lasts and how long it takes to pass.

Month

At the end of the apogee, all symptoms of nicotine withdrawal disappear, although the desire to smoke still bothers the patient. The general condition of the smoker improves, because after a week without smoking, the body starts detoxification processes of cleansing from nicotine. The results of cleansing are often accompanied by increased sputum production in the morning and an unpleasant sensation in the oral cavity.

During the first month after quitting cigarettes, immune defense decreases, which increases the risk of infectious pathologies, and existing chronic pathologies may worsen. How long does it take for withdrawal to occur? By the end of a month of quitting cigarettes, physical nicotine dependence usually disappears. The psychological need for nicotine still remains.

The video explains how long nicotine withdrawal lasts:

How does a person feel when quitting smoking?

When a dependent person begins to smoke regularly, a physical craving for nicotine is added to the psychological dependence.

During the period of quitting smoking, the patient experiences a strong desire to smoke, psychological discomfort is expressed in anxiety, irritability, and excessive psychological stress. The addict becomes depressed, he can be aggressive and unrestrained, it is difficult for him to concentrate on anything because thoughts about smoking constantly creep into his head.

Withdrawal syndrome when quitting smoking is an unpleasant condition from a psychological point of view, however, this is not all the tests that a smoker faces.

Causes

The underlying cause of withdrawal syndrome is the body’s attempt to restore the state that existed during the period of active use of alcohol or other narcotic substances.
For an organism accustomed to existing in a state of chronic intoxication (or receiving a dose of a drug, nicotine), the absence of a narcotic substance is an abnormal state; it cannot bring physiology to the narcotic “norm”. And it is precisely attempts to compensate for the absence of the substance that caused the habit that are manifestations of withdrawal syndrome.

Physiological manifestations of withdrawal syndrome

Let's not forget that nicotine is a real poison. It poisons the human body and causes great harm to it.

During the period of nicotine withdrawal, the body also has a hard time. A smoker develops severe headaches and may develop seizures. A classic symptom of abstinence, characteristic of many addictions, hand tremors, also awaits a nicotine addict.

The functioning of the gastrointestinal tract is abnormal. On the one hand, there is an increase in appetite, on the other hand, the smoker suffers from nausea. Sometimes the patient may experience constipation. A rapid heartbeat is accompanied by sharp changes in blood pressure, shortness of breath appears, as if the person does not have enough air when breathing. A state of general weakness and weakness complements this bouquet of symptoms.

And the method of using the drug itself harms the respiratory system, so when you quit smoking, a strong cough occurs, and ulcers may appear in the mouth. During the period of withdrawal syndrome, a smoker's overall level of immunity decreases. The immune system decides that it is possible to “relax”, because so many poisons no longer enter the body. Together with the damage caused by smoking to the respiratory organs, this leads to bronchitis, laryngitis, and rhinitis. When a person smokes, his bronchioles are in a state of prolonged spasm; accordingly, during the period of withdrawal syndrome, they expand, and infections penetrate through them more easily.

Switching to an electronic cigarette

According to the observations of narcologists, the use of electronic vaporizers potentially allows an addicted person to completely distance themselves from traditional tobacco products during the rehabilitation period. Absorption of a suspension of aromatic liquids saturates the body with a moderate amount of nicotine and makes it easier to survive withdrawal symptoms.

It is advisable to quit tobacco using an electronic cigarette according to the following scheme:

1. During the first two weeks, it is wise to use a liquid with a fairly high concentration of tonic. At the same time, it is necessary to completely avoid contact with regular cigarettes.
2. The device should be used within a month. During this time, it is important to rid the house of empty cigarette packs, cigarette butts, ashtrays, lighters, and other items that can remind you of your past addiction to smoking.
3. The second month of rehabilitation should begin with reducing the concentration of nicotine in the aromatic liquid.
4. Subsequently, it is necessary to reduce the amount of the substance in its composition weekly. Preference should be given to consuming products with rich odors that evoke the most positive impressions.

Following the described scheme promotes a gradual, almost painless cessation of cigarettes. A complete transition to nicotine-free liquids will significantly reduce health harm and will no longer make you crave tobacco products.

Treatment of nicotine withdrawal syndrome

We have described a number of physical and psychological symptoms that accompany smoking cessation. This is how the body adjusts to a normal mode of operation without the use of nicotine. This is a lot of stress for a person, for his body and psyche. Therefore, few people can go through the pangs of nicotine withdrawal on their own. The best thing to do in this case is to consult a doctor.

After all, it can be a shame when a patient, having endured the most painful first days or weeks of nicotine withdrawal, then smokes a cigarette again. So he dooms himself to walking in circles.

Modern narcology offers many ways to combat nicotine addiction, varied and effective. Why not make it easier for yourself to quit smoking?

Treatment of nicotine withdrawal syndrome

Depending on the severity of symptoms, treatment may take place in the hospital or at home. The second is acceptable only when the symptoms do not cause any concern, but even in this situation it is worth contacting a specialist.

Some experts recommend quitting smoking during a cold.

Why is treatment for nicotine addiction necessary?

When smoking, nicotine interferes with the body's metabolic processes and becomes an integral part of metabolism. Every cell of the body, even indirectly, experiences its impact. First of all, of course, nicotine addiction has an effect on the central and peripheral nervous systems of a person.

Nicotine acts on brain receptors, unnaturally stimulating nerve cells, stimulating the endocrine glands, in particular the pituitary gland. Subtle and complex metabolic processes are stimulated excessively, the body gets used to this state, and it becomes normal for it.

In fact, a smoker who has developed a persistent addiction does not smoke for pleasure, but to return to his “normal” state.

Naturally, such deep attachment is not easily overcome. Withdrawal syndrome when quitting smoking can break anyone, so the body needs to be helped to get through this difficult period, especially since there are plenty of funds for this today.

Traditional methods of dealing with withdrawal symptoms

A good solution for treating nicotine addiction at home is the use of healing herbal tinctures and decoctions. There are many recipes that stop the desire to take a drag on a cigarette and relieve the feeling of discomfort. Let's consider the most effective options.

Traditional healers recommend using so-called anti-nicotine tea. To prepare the product, take ordinary black tea. A tablespoon of the product is brewed with boiled water (400 milliliters). Then add 5 grams of chicory, valerian, dried nettle and mint. Cook the mixture over moderate heat and bring to a boil. Medicinal tea is infused for 30-40 minutes. Take a healing decoction of 100 milliliters every time a craving for smoking occurs.

Oat decoction will also help in the fight against nicotine withdrawal. Cereal contains a whole range of substances that have a calming effect on the body and contribute to tissue intoxication. The product eliminates nervous irritability and improves sleep. To prepare the medicine, take 50 grams of oats, which are ground in a coffee grinder. The raw materials are brewed with a glass of boiling water, place the pan on low heat and cook for 5-10 minutes. The liquids are allowed to steep thoroughly. Take the medicine 70 milliliters before each meal.

A folk remedy based on aloe has a general strengthening effect on the body. It restores the immune system and normalizes the functioning of the respiratory system. The medicine is prepared as follows. Aloe leaves are twisted in a meat grinder. The pulp is squeezed through cheesecloth. You need to get 75 milliliters of plant juice. Then it is combined with butter in the amount of 100 grams. Add a similar mass of cocoa powder. The components are thoroughly mixed until a homogeneous consistency is obtained. The product is consumed daily, shortly before breakfast, washed down with warm milk.

Treatment with drugs

When treating nicotine addiction, specialists quite often turn to medicinal treatment methods. It should be noted that in essence these methods are coding for smoking.

By themselves, they cannot cure addiction, but they give the patient the opportunity to live without cigarettes and appreciate the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. Secondly, drug blocking of addiction in combination with psychotherapeutic treatment methods can cure the disease completely. In addition, medications alleviate or relieve withdrawal symptoms when quitting smoking, and a person goes through the period of adaptation to life without cigarettes more easily.

What medications are used to relieve nicotine addiction? They can be divided into two types of drugs. Some are replacement therapy and simulate the flow of nicotine into the body. The most common of these products is the anti-nicotine patch.

The person who uses the patch does not experience withdrawal symptoms. If the remedy is chosen correctly, then the body is easy to deceive; the body does not even suspect that you no longer smoke. What does it mean to choose correctly? It is important to consider how strong cigarettes you smoke, in what quantity and how often. In other words, the patch should imitate your smoking regimen as accurately as possible.

It is best to select an anti-nicotine patch with the help of a doctor, because this very convenient and effective remedy may not help you only because of the wrong dosage. In addition to the patch, there are also sprays, chewing gums, and mouth rinses that have a similar effect. Their disadvantage is that you can violate the regimen and forget to use them, which will negate the effect of the treatment. In this regard, the patch is the most convenient solution.

There are drugs that block receptors in the brain, those that respond to nicotine entering the body. Thus, the smoker does not experience any sensations from the smoking process, which makes it meaningless.

A fairly large group of drugs works to reduce cravings for tobacco. In fact, these medications relieve the unpleasant psychological manifestations of withdrawal symptoms, which will allow the patient to control their behavior.

Please note that many drugs have side effects. In addition, for the correct choice of medication, it is necessary to take into account the specific medical history of the disease. That is why the choice of treatment for smoking should be entrusted to a professional so that it brings benefit to your health and not additional harm.

How to ease withdrawal symptoms and get rid of tobacco addiction

As practice shows, only a few managed to quit smoking on their own. Most addicts (about 90%) return to cigarettes a few months after quitting. It is for this reason that it is better to contact a specialized specialist.

Doctors usually use combination treatments. These are nicotine-containing medications combined with psychotherapy. This approach makes it possible to increase the effectiveness of therapy by 4–6 times. In accordance with international recommendations, doctors use the so-called “5A” tactics, which consists of the following:

1. Ask. By and large, this is a kind of history taking and finding out the current smoking status (how long ago, how many cigarettes per day, etc.).
2. Advise. The doctor talks in detail about the dangers of such a habit; visual illustrations of potential complications (cases from medical practice, photographs) provide a good effect.
3. Assess. At this stage, the specialist impartially assesses the addict’s motivation for treatment. Usually, special questionnaires are used for this purpose.
4. Assist. The doctor draws up an individual treatment plan, offers coding methods, and talks about the advantages and disadvantages of the proposed medications.
5. Arrange. Considering the rather sad statistics, a narcologist must constantly support the patient in his quest to finally quit smoking. Individual and group psychotherapy sessions are indicated, and, if necessary, adjustment of medication prescriptions.

The most effective way to relieve withdrawal symptoms is nicotine. But not “cigarette”, but medicinal. This type of therapy is called replacement therapy. Nicotine-containing patches (provide long-term retention of the effect), lollipops, sprays, and chewing gum are used. To achieve the desired result, such drugs are prescribed for 8–10 weeks. An excellent addition to medications is hypnotic coding.

Withdrawal syndrome after smoking is a difficult experience, but modern treatment methods can significantly alleviate it. But the result is worth it! Numerous studies confirm that after quitting cigarettes, overall health improves, the frequency of stress and mood swings decreases, and higher levels of happiness and life satisfaction are also noted.

Psychotherapeutic treatment

If a person wants to get rid of the very root of the disease, from internal psychological causes, a psychotherapist or psychologist will help him with this. This process may take several weeks or months, but it is worth it.

With the guidance of a professional, you will understand what exactly pushed you down the path of addiction and you will be able to get rid of bad habits of thinking and attitudes. A specialist will help you get used to life without the use of artificial stimulants, using psychotherapeutic techniques for treatment.

How to make it easier

The processes of liberation from nicotine addiction are characterized by a particular duration, so you can get rid of the craving for cigarettes only after a year or two (depending on the experience). In the process of weaning off cigarettes, the smoker's character changes greatly, becoming unbearable. Experts explain such changes by hormonal characteristics, comparing them with teenage nervous changes.

It is almost impossible to overcome and completely get rid of such manifestations. The body’s reaction to the absence of smoking will manifest itself in angry outbursts, violent outbursts, etc. Therefore, for relief, it is recommended to stay at home these days to avoid causeless outbursts in public.

To survive nicotine withdrawal, they resort to a variety of smoking cessation remedies, such as:

• Chewable pads;
• Tablets;
• Plasters;
• Electronic cigarettes, etc.

In addition, experts recommend going out of town and playing sports. Some narcologists advise sleeping more to reduce discomfort, because it is much easier to overcome nicotine addiction while sleeping.

Under the influence of illness and medications, you will feel sleepy, which is very beneficial. Get as much sleep as you can.

When the cold subsides, it is recommended to start running or doing fitness. During this period, the smoker is often worried about hunger, which he cannot extinguish with any food. Therefore, in order to overcome or at least reduce the symptoms, it is recommended to adhere to the principles of proper nutrition in order to avoid extra pounds. In the first month, it is recommended to take vitamins, drink more fluids, eat more fermented milk products and fruits, and visit the bathhouse more often.

There are vegetables that contain a small amount of nicotine - tomatoes, potatoes, cucumbers, eggplants and cauliflower. When an irresistible urge to smoke arises, take a few deep breaths, then drink juice or water and call someone close to you. Conversation will distract you from thoughts about cigarettes. And this is perhaps all that can be done during nicotine withdrawal to cope with its manifestations.

Treatment of nicotine addiction in

You can receive treatment for nicotine addiction in our drug treatment center. The advantage of this choice is that we cooperate with the best clinics in Russia and can offer a large number of methods for quitting smoking. As you have already noticed, an individual approach in treating this addiction is extremely important.

Most smokers delay seeing a doctor, either postponing solving the problem for an indefinite period of time, or making numerous fruitless attempts to get rid of the disease on their own. This, of course, is the right of every person, it is even spelled out in the laws of the Russian Federation. But your body suffers irreversible damage. I wouldn’t want to scare anyone, however, during this time you may develop some serious disease, sometimes incurable.

Therefore, there is no need to take risks; now treatment for addiction can be carried out gently and painlessly if you use the qualified help of a narcologist. You can learn more about the treatment of nicotine addiction from our consultants at any time. The toll-free call center number is listed on the page, call and ask your questions, because this does not oblige you to anything.

How to quit smoking on your own?

If you decide not to smoke anymore, then reduce your daily dose of nicotine gradually . Reduce the amount of tobacco you smoke by at least 1 cigarette every 1-2 days. Include more potatoes, tomatoes and eggplants in your diet. These vegetables contain natural nicotine. Drink more water. It helps remove toxins from the body. Walking in the fresh air and physical exercise will be helpful. In any case, withdrawal will last at least a month. During this period, try to distract yourself from smoking by organizing some interesting activities. Travel, meet friends, go to the movies.

If problems arise during this period, contact the NarMed drug treatment clinic and we will select medications for you that will help reduce cravings for nicotine, or prescribe psychotherapy sessions.

Fighting at home

In a normal situation, treatment for nicotine withdrawal is carried out at home.

Treatment methods:

1. Psychological mood of a former smoker. A person must have a strong desire to quit smoking. Psychotherapy sessions, group sessions, support from friends and family, and resort to hypnosis help. For sleep disorders, irritability, and depression, sedatives and antidepressants are used.
2. The use of drugs that replace nicotine helps to reduce the symptoms of “withdrawal syndrome”. These are patches, tablets, chewing gum, which ensure its entry into the body without smoking. This helps the body rebuild and forms a habit that will replace smoking.
3. The use of drugs that do not contain nicotine, but affect acetylcholine receptors. As a result, the amount of dopamine is released that provides the smoker with a comfortable state of health without nicotine. In this case, dependence on the drug does not form.
4. The group of drugs based on cytisine also does not contain nicotine. By taking these drugs and continuing to smoke, a person provokes symptoms of nicotine overdose. This makes you quit cigarettes without causing withdrawal symptoms; nicotine is replaced by cytisine.
5. As part of complex treatment, procedures such as acupuncture, breathing exercises, and reflexology are used.
6. Spend time outdoors, find hobbies. In people who are distracted by something (child, work, pet, hobby), withdrawal symptoms go away with less severe symptoms.

Cigarette smoke and its effect on the body

To understand why withdrawal symptoms occur, you need to carefully consider what enters the lungs with tobacco smoke. The list of harmful chemical compounds is huge. It contains more than 4,000 toxic substances that kill internal organs. About 60 of them belong to the group of carcinogens that cause the degeneration of healthy cells into malignant ones. In addition to poisoning the body, they form a persistent dependence, as they become integral elements in the biochemical processes occurring inside the cells of all tissues. After quitting smoking, the body experiences a shortage of harmful substances. This is how the “withdrawal” begins.

The chemical composition of a cigarette that provokes withdrawal symptoms includes:

• Nicotine . The main substance contained in the tobacco leaf, which is responsible for the appearance of addiction. It has a weak analgesic effect and causes a slight feeling of euphoria. When it enters the bloodstream, it provokes spasm of all blood vessels in the body, increased heart rate, increased production of cholesterol, its accumulation on the walls of veins and arteries,
• Tar (tar). Used in the production of asphalt pavement, it causes the growth of malignant tumors,
• Resins . An oily, viscous substance released during the smoldering of tobacco, which envelops the surface of the bronchi, inhibiting respiratory function. Settles on surrounding objects, skin, hair, smoker’s hands,

• Hydrocyanic acid. A well-known poison that provokes the slow death of brain cells, kidneys, liver,
• Nitromethane. Increases addiction to cigarettes. Its action is similar to drugs, promoting a false sense of euphoria,
• Stearic acid. A powerful irritant for the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract. Promotes a feeling of dryness, sore throat,
• Methanol. Causes severe poisoning, fatal to humans. Used in the production of rocket fuel,
• Acetone. Participates in the production of paints and varnishes, chemical solvents. Destroys cells of the kidneys, liver, spleen.
• Heavy metals. They accumulate for years in the smoker’s body. Slowly destroys internal organs.