How to relieve nicotine withdrawal

Nicotine withdrawal symptoms

Withdrawal syndrome is a complex of unpleasant symptoms that occur in a smoker’s body after quitting cigarettes. This is how the body gives a signal that it urgently needs another dose of nicotine. The first signs of withdrawal symptoms appear just a couple of hours after the last cigarette. And during the day, nicotine withdrawal reaches its peak. Its duration depends on a number of factors: the characteristics of the smoker’s character, the number of cigarettes smoked, and smoking experience.

In addition to a strong desire to take a smoke break, withdrawal symptoms can manifest as the following unpleasant symptoms:

• causeless irritability, sudden mood swings;
• general weakness, malaise;
• feeling of anxiety;
• headaches;
• increased appetite (and the smoker prefers not to eat well, but to snack on candy, snacks and other junk food, which partially replaces smoking).

After some time, a cough appears (this is how the body cleanses itself of accumulated tar), there is a decrease in concentration, and problems with sleep may occur at night. Also, with withdrawal symptoms, a decrease in physical activity is possible. Independent attempts to quit smoking are often accompanied by the appearance of excess weight, as a person replaces cigarettes with snacks.

But in reality, withdrawal symptoms are not as bad as many people imagine. They pass quite quickly, sometimes even unnoticed. There are many more benefits to quitting smoking. A person’s main problems are caused not by physical, but by spiritual suffering due to the feeling that by quitting smoking he is depriving himself of support and “pleasure.” And these are already aspects of psychological dependence.

Withdrawal, symptoms and complaints

The unpleasant sensations that accompany this condition can be of a varied nature. The desire to relieve these symptoms by smoking a cigarette can become uncontrollable.

Withdrawal after quitting smoking manifests itself:

• mental symptom complex - nervousness, anxiety, mood swings, various sleep disorders, irritability, sometimes attacks of anger, aggression;

• syndrome of physical disorders - loss of appetite, or vice versa, constant feeling of hunger, alternating diarrhea and constipation, pain in the stomach, heart, pressure fluctuations, arrhythmia (most often tachycardia - increased heart rate above 100-120 beats per minute);
• neurological complaints - increased sweating, pallor, or redness of certain areas of the skin, increased or decreased body temperature, chills, fever, headaches, tinnitus.

Why does withdrawal syndrome occur?

Immediately after inhaling tobacco smoke, about 25% of nicotine enters the bloodstream and reaches the brain within a few seconds. In terms of the speed of onset of the effect, smoking can be compared with intravenous drug administration. Another feature is the rapid destruction and removal of nicotine from the body (a significant part of it is eliminated within a couple of hours). This makes a person smoke again and again.

Like many other psychostimulants, smoking affects the dopamine structures of the brain, which leads to a powerful release of endorphins, norepinephrine, adrenaline, cortisol and a number of other hormones. As a result, the central nervous system is stimulated and a “pleasure effect” is formed for the smoker, which makes him smoke again and again.

Why does withdrawal syndrome occur when stopping nicotine?

A painful period of withdrawal awaits anyone who breaks their addiction to psychoactive substances. This is experienced by an alcoholic who stops drinking, a drug addict who stops using drugs. Only the manifestations and intensity of symptoms will be different for different types of addictions.

Why does nicotine withdrawal syndrome occur? The thing is that nicotine has long been involved in the metabolic processes of your body, becoming part of its biochemical reactions. When this component of the processes disappears, the body needs time to return to normal again, to switch on its normal mode of operation. It is during this transition period that abstinence occurs when quitting smoking. In fact, this is the same withdrawal as with drug addiction.

How long does withdrawal symptoms last?

The average smoker's need for nicotine is 10–40 milligrams per day. Withdrawal syndrome develops almost immediately after a person has smoked for the last time. Immediately after smoking a cigarette it is weak, then gradually begins to increase. Withdrawal symptoms gradually progress and peak after 1–3 days. Then they gradually pass. Physical withdrawal usually lasts no more than 5 days.

However, the desire to smoke, especially in the presence of provoking factors (alcohol consumption, severe stress), may persist for quite a long time. Also, many people develop the habit of eating cigarette breaks, which inevitably leads to excess weight. All this suggests that the person has gotten rid of physical addiction, but the psychological craving for cigarettes has not gone away. To avoid this mistake, be sure to choose a method of quitting smoking that includes working on all aspects of addiction.

When does smoking withdrawal go away?

How does withdrawal syndrome manifest when quitting smoking?

The appearance of withdrawal syndrome awaits the smoker within a few hours after stopping nicotine use. It is difficult to say how long this painful condition will last. It depends on the length of addiction, the smoking regime, and the general state of health of the person. For some, withdrawal may last a couple of weeks, while for other people it may last a couple of months. Everything here is very individual.

But the symptoms of quitting smoking are difficult to confuse with something else; they manifest themselves in almost the same way in all smokers who have stopped using nicotine, only with different intensities.

How to ease withdrawal symptoms and get rid of tobacco addiction?

Practice shows that only a few manage to quit nicotine on their own. Most smokers return to this path again several months or even years after quitting. Therefore, they are often recommended to seek help from narcologists in a specialized clinic. The fight against smoking there is usually based on the fact that the patient is given medications with nicotine to ease withdrawal, and at the same time there is work with a psychotherapist. Today, the most popular tactic is “5A”, which includes the following steps:

1. Ask. Collecting information about the patient, finding out the current smoking status (how many cigarettes does he smoke per day, how long has he been smoking, and so on).

2. Advise. The specialist tells the patient about the dangers of smoking, shows shocking photos of a smoker’s lungs, tells sad stories from his practice, in other words, tries to intimidate.

3. Assess. At this stage, the patient's motivation for treatment is assessed. This is usually done using a survey.

4.Assist. The specialist draws up an individual treatment plan, suggests certain medications, and coding methods.

5. Arrange. In parallel, individual and group sessions with a psychotherapist are conducted.

Unfortunately, the results of this technique still leave much to be desired, since cases of relapse are quite common. In addition, one of the main postulates of such therapy is the assertion that the best remedy for alleviating withdrawal symptoms is nicotine. Therefore, patients are prescribed patches, sprays, lozenges, and chewing gum containing it to make withdrawal gradual and painless. But in reality, very often this does not help, and after completing the course of treatment the person starts smoking again.

So what to do? Fortunately, there is a simpler method of quitting smoking, which has been demonstrating the highest effectiveness for several decades. This is "The Easy Way to Quit Smoking" by Allen Carr.

How to ease nicotine withdrawal, help and treatment

Let's look at ways to quit smoking that help reduce painful feelings. The most important thing in this process is the patient’s desire. There is little point in talking about the dangers of smoking if a person does not experience at least some negative manifestations of smoking. Even cigarette packs now contain warnings about the deadly dangers of smoking. A person must himself realize the harmfulness of addiction and want to say goodbye to it. Is it possible to quit smoking on your own? Yes, of course, in this case you will have to go through days that will be filled with negative feelings of withdrawal.

How to relieve withdrawal symptoms and minimize painful complaints:

• It is recommended to quit smoking while simultaneously changing your lifestyle. It is best to take a vacation at this moment and spend it in active recreation. An excellent solution would be an active tourist trip (to the mountains, skiing, cycling, etc.) lasting at least two weeks. The new sensations obtained at this moment will significantly ease the manifestations of nicotine withdrawal. Stress and adrenaline rushes can completely overshadow all the negative problems caused by quitting smoking. Endorphins produced during actively extreme types of recreation completely neutralize the negative manifestations of nicotine changes in the body.
• The psychological mood of the patient is very important. The desire to get rid of painful attachment and replacing it with a healthy lifestyle is a strong incentive that helps in the fight against nicotine addiction.
• Replacement therapy. The use of special patches, chewing gum, aerosols, and candies that contain nicotine help eliminate the manifestations of physical addiction and focus more on combating the mental component of cravings.

• Drug therapy will be useful. It is recommended for severe forms of nicotine withdrawal, accompanied by exacerbation of chronic diseases, especially mental problems. Medicines are prescribed according to indications. Sometimes medications are required to support the heart, liver, and to treat gastrointestinal disorders. Of particular importance are psychotropic medications that eliminate irritability, tension, improve mood and sleep. Vitamin therapy is useful.
• Having decided to quit smoking, you should reconsider your usual diet in favor of gentle diet therapy. Its therapeutic effect is based on eliminating the stimulating effect of coffee, strong tea, chocolate, hot seasonings, and spices that can increase cravings. During the period of quitting smoking, a dairy-vegetable diet, boiled meat and fish dishes, juices and compotes are most suitable for relieving nicotine withdrawal.
• Psychotherapy should not be neglected. Suggestion, methods of persuasion, training in self-hypnosis techniques are a tangible help in eliminating the symptoms of withdrawal;
• Acupuncture has a good effect.

The text was checked by expert doctors:
Head of the socio-psychological service of the Alkoklinik MC, psychologist Yu.P. Baranova, L.A. Serova, a psychiatrist-narcologist.
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Treatment of nicotine addiction using the Allen Carr method

To date, the smoking cessation method developed by Allen Carr is the most effective. With its help, more than 50 million people around the world have already given up their “bad habit.” Its essence lies in the fact that a person is explained in a simple and understandable form the reasons that force him to smoke, after which smoking cessation occurs quickly and without problems.

People who quit smoking using the Allen Carr method experience withdrawal very easily due to the right mindset. In the process of quitting cigarettes, not only physical but also psychological dependence on nicotine is removed, so the desire to smoke no longer arises.

Carr's method does not involve intimidation with the consequences of smoking, because all smokers are well aware of its dangers, but this does not stop them. There is also no shock therapy, coding, taking expensive pills or using nicotine patches. An easy way helps a person understand the reasons for smoking, realize that he doesn’t need it, and get rid of his addiction consciously and with joy, and not with a feeling of victimhood.

Separately, the method touches on the topic of nicotine withdrawal, which Allen Carr will teach you not to be afraid of - quitting cigarettes does not cause any pain, and mild unpleasant symptoms quickly pass, many smokers do not even notice them. Much attention is also paid to weight issues, so that quitting nicotine does not lead to a set of extra pounds. All this allows you to start enjoying life immediately after stopping smoking, without any transition periods.

The method has no side effects, and its effectiveness has been proven by many clinical studies.

Allen Carr Easy Way Courses

The Allen Carr Center in Russia invites everyone who wants to quit smoking to courses. Choose your method of quitting smoking:

1. Video course. The most accessible format. It will help you quit smoking anywhere in the world at a convenient time. The effectiveness of the video course is 72%. In addition to the course itself, the participant will receive live support in the form of two online meetings with a therapist. The course helps well those who were unable to quit smoking using Allen Carr's book.
2. Online course. Efficiency is more than 90%. This course was launched after the outbreak of the pandemic and the introduction of lockdown in 2021. Duplicates the face-to-face course, but classes are held remotely via Zoom. Participants can communicate directly from home with a specialist and with each other in real time, as if they were in the same room.
3. Full-time course. Efficiency is more than 90%. This is the “gold standard” of our center. Communication takes place face-to-face; both group and individual formats are possible. The specialist communicates with the participants, explains the essence of the Allen Carr method and helps them use it in practice. If after completing the course a person is unable to quit smoking, we return the money.
4. Corporate course. Suitable for those employers who care about the health of their employees. The group course is conducted within one company, as a result the manager receives an effective, healthy team with a high level of loyalty and motivation. Such a course can become part of team building and unite the team.

The effectiveness of the courses conducted by our specialists is simply phenomenal: more than 90% of participants give up cigarettes. Contact the Allen Carr Center in Russia and we will help you quit smoking easily and quickly.

What not to do when quitting smoking?

You have probably already noticed that the symptoms of quitting smoking are not as frightening as those of alcohol withdrawal or drug withdrawal. However, any smoker would argue with you, because in fact this condition is very difficult for him to experience. Without the habitual use of nicotine, a person suffers physically and psychologically.

And the most unwise thing you can do at this moment is to start using alcohol, pharmaceutical drugs, stop controlling your eating behavior, or, simply put, start overeating. All this undoubtedly distracts from withdrawal symptoms, but leads to even greater problems.