What Are the Effects of Nicotine Withdrawal When You Quit Smoking

One of the things that always creates confusion amongst smokers is what will happen to them when they quit smoking due to nicotine withdrawal symptoms. Many will never attempt to kick the habit because they think the withdrawal symptoms will be to severe and could cause depression. Others will convince themselves that they can't handle the effects of nicotine withdrawal symptoms on their body and give-up their attempts to kick the habit before it has really had a chance to take effect. The single best thing you can do for yourself or if trying to help a friend or loved one kick the habit is to help educate them on what to expect in order to help foster the strong mental fortitude needed to quit smoking. The following are five of the top withdrawal symptoms you may expect when you try to kick the habit of traditional tobacco cigarettes.

#1 Nicotine Withdrawal Symptom - Coughing Up

Most smokers will start coughing up quite a bit when they initially quit smoking cigarettes. This is ok. Its just a sign that your lungs are beginning the healing process and getting rid of the toxins that have built up in your body and have restricted your breathing. This phase normally only lasts for a few days and if it becomes too severe, you should be able to use over-the-counter cough medicine to help counteract any effects that you are feeling.

#2 Nicotine Withdrawal Symptom - Cigarette Cravings

The worst part about quitting reported by smokers is the craving to have another cigarette in the first three days of quitting. As you start to get over the hump, you will cease having as severe of cravings, but they will recur over time. Sometimes, you can expect to experience these cravings on/off for several years after you quit smoking.

#3 Nicotine Withdrawal Symptom – Sleeplessness

After you quit smoking, your body will be able to sleep more fully than it did before when you were a smoker. As a result, even though you may have needed 8 hours of sleep as a smoker to feel fully rested, this timeframe will likely shrink when you quit smoking giving the illusion of not being able to sleep. The converse is really true, you just don't need as much sleep as you did before when you were smoking.

#4 Nicotine Withdrawal Symptom – Occasional Dizziness

When you kick thehabit for good, your body will start to inhale greater amounts of oxygen than it did when you were a smoker. This can cause you to feel dizzy at times due to the unfettered supply of oxygen to your body. Any dizzy spells you experience should go away within a few days. If they do not, you need to seek counsel from your doctor.

#5 Nicotine Withdrawal Symptom – Irritability

As you start to get yourself off of nicotine, you willl become more irritable. Your body will respond to the loss of nicotine in your body by increasing your tension levels. This results many times in the smoker becoming irritable. The best thing you can do is to find other activities to do that take the place of cigarettes in your life like a hobby.