Nicotine Withdrawals

I've quit and started back several times in my life. I assume it's different for everyone, but for me withdrawals are really only bad the first week. And truthfully only the first 72 hours do I get irritable, and tend to fidget/eat a lot due to cravings. I generally feel very sleepy at times for some reason (probably metabolism changes, as nicotine increases metabolism) during that first week. Beyond that first week, it's just managing the things or times in which I would normally find myself wanting to smoke (after a meal, when I wake up, etc). After a month, I hardly even think about smoking anymore, even when I'm around it. It gets so much easier when you find yourself being able to smell and taste things much better than when you were smoking.

The thing that has got me started back EVERY TIME is getting drunk, and convincing myself that I can smoke that night and be ok......it's never worked that way. So I'd say stay away from drinking so as not to fool yourself.

I find that chewing on things really helps me when I get a craving or am having withdrawals. Anything at all. Gum. A straw. It really helps me for whatever reason. Sunflower seeds in shell seem to help cravings too. It distracts me and satisfies the urge.

Just stick to it, it gets much easier after the first full week, and cravings/withdrawals are practically nonexistent after a month in my experience.

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I used the patch.

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I cut half of the patches in half and when half of these were gone cut the remainder in half. IE: Starting off with the full sized patches. Done this a couple of times.

Like already posted I have quit many times it's not that hard to stop. It's the staying quit. So the last time (during the Bill Clinton years) I decided to take the AA approach and admit to myself that I was an addict and could never have another cigarette. Not one, been there too many times, never another one. Also helped to use the buddy system, where 4 of us stopped (made a bet) the same day, and 3 still of us haven't started back.

Good Luck.

I quit 5 months ago after smoking for 30 years.

The first 72 hours are the hardest. But if you find a way to distract yourself the craving will pass for a while.

I set my quit date for the day we left to fly to Universal. First I knew I would be on a plane where I couldnt smoke and then I would be in a hotel and the park where I couldnt smoke. It was like quitting smoking by taking yourself hostage lol

Turns out they still have smoking areas in the park but I still resisted the urge.

I started with the patches (did all 3 steps). It really helped to take the edge off and the distractions of the theme park helped to keep my mind off wanting one.

After I did all three steps of the patches I switched to the nicotine lozenges. I eat 2 or 3 of those a day and I find myself going most of the day before I have my first one. And I supplement the lozenges with hard candy like those strawberry ones your grandma had in her purse.

5 months and I still havent had a cigarette since I fell asleep the night before our trip.

I still think about them all the time but I hear that if I can make to the 6th or 7th month that is when a habbit is considered broken.

Good luck. It really is about your will to become a nonsmoker.

Im going to step down to the 2mg lozenges the next time I buy

90 days quit (dip) at the moment

First week is the hardest. The “gotta have it at all costs” cravings.

7-21 days will have cravings come and go but way less frequent (for me it only came after eating or driving).

21-50 dats maybe one craving a every day or so, easily manageable. 50-75 maybe one craving every

2-5 days. 75 no cravings really. I can talk about it with mount wanting it.

Cold Turkey is the best way for me (nicotine substitutes still keep you addicted to nicotine). Sunflower seeds and gum for me.

I quit by vaping for a year, which was also not healthy, maybe even worse

no, just quit now and your lungs will start healing

If you only smoked 3 years, don't bother with the patches and whatnot. Just tough it out, you'll be fine in a week.

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he cravings are way down, but I've noticed the habit is something I still miss. So I picked up some lifesavers and have just been popping them whenever it feels like I need to be do something with my hands/mouth (easy joke layup for someone here)

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good call. I dipped a can a day for a good while and was a regular dipper for about 15 years with my last dip being 2017. However, from roughly 2008 - 2021 I was a more frequent camel snus user since it was "safer" and better than dip. Was truly addicted to those; unless I was eating sleeping or effing I had a snus in at any waking moment. Had a kid in late 2020 and my gums were starting to show recession so both those combined made me reaslize I really needed to stop.

Rather than cold turkey was really helped was buying coffee/caffeine pouches. Can't remember the brand. Basically jsut coffee in a pouch so it still gave the routine of snus and still had some caffeine just no nicotine/tobacco. That was cool for a few months but at that point the physical desire for nicotine was gone so I ended up just stopping those too. Havne't had any type of pouch, nicotine or otherwise, in over a year. Like you said the habit is the biggest thing from the get go I think but the lifesavers and lots of gum seem to be a good replacement.

I've always wondered why some people vomit from swallowing dip or spit. Granted, I have only tried dipping maybe 3 or 4 times in my life and it wasn't really for me. But my first time I was probably 16 or so, and I accidentally swallowed a good bit of it. My friends were laughing and waiting on me to puke....and it just didn't happen. It's the same with alcohol, I can drink a massive amount and I just don't vomit. Iron stomach or dysfunctional stomach....one of the two.