You’ve probably heard people trying to quit smoking only to face all the ugly stuff known as withdrawal symptoms. In return, this may have raised your curiosity about the possible side effects of quitting smoking. Like any other forms of addiction, you’ll be experiencing side effects when trying to quit. It’s not that difficult and there’s nothing to be scared of because with proper assistance and care, you’ll be surprised that one day, you will care less to light another stick.
When you quit smoking, you’ll likely to face the side effects of nicotine withdrawal. We all know that nicotine is a very addictive substance found in cigarettes. A very clever toxin, nicotine binds to the different areas of your body, including the brain’s receptors, giving you that pleasant sensation every time you smoke. Once your body gets used to it, it can be very difficult to come off. And since you’re cutting the supply of nicotine to your body, withdrawal symptoms will start to appear.
Both your moods and emotions are going to be affected. You will become irritable, depressed or anxious. Anyway, I assume you are used to this kind of feelings especially when you are in a situation wherein you are not allowed to smoke. Most of the time, you feel you are “on edge” and unable to focus in your routines. Things that would normally take you 15 minutes to complete but today, you’ve been staring at it for an hour.
Don’t fear this kind of quitting side effects, the best way to overcome this is to start doing what you have to do. As soon as you’re doing it, you will forget about the urge to light a cigarette. To show you an example, how many times have you taken any type of exam that don’t allow you to smoke? I assume that during the exam you were totally focused am I right? So don’t believe those myths saying you can’t focus or you can’t concentrate.
During the withdrawal stage, you might experience difficulty in going to sleep and the quality of your sleep might be extremely poor. This is quite normal, keep in mind that this is just going to be temporary. Not everyone is going to experience this, each individual varies from one to the other. So just in case you experience this, don’t take it too seriously, it will soon pass trust me or talk to your physician to have some peace of mind.
What about sharp pain in the chest, coughs, colds, headaches, fever, etc. Well, your body is healing itself and trying to get rid of the toxic waste you have longed injected to it, so I think it’s quite normal if ever you do feel them. Drink plenty of water, take aspirin or pain reliever or better yet again talk to your physician. And be prepared for coughing out a lot of dirty phlegm (ughhhh) out of your body.
Although the side effects can be pretty bad at first, remember it’s not going to last forever. After 10 days, the symptoms will start to dwindle, and you’ll feel healthier day after day. Right off the bat, they’re pretty nasty, but it’s fortunate to know that you can actually minimize those symptoms the first day.
We know that nicotine withdrawals can be overbearing and the side effects can be at times too huge for you to handle. But hold on to your horses, taking nicotine forever isn’t healthy for you as well. You either stop today or suffer forever.
Keep in mind that quitting smoking side effects are only short-lived. Learn what happens when you quit smoking and in the end, you will see that what you’ve been through is all worth because you’ve freed yourself from a bad habit, addiction and misery. As mentioned earlier, the moment you stop smoking your body starts to rebuild itself, and you’ll notice positive effects that quit smoking has brought in. Overtime, you’ll feel healthier and better.
Quitting smoking is not an easy road to take but all worth the effort. If they can do it, there’s no reason you can’t. Quitting smoking side effects are all but temporary, always visualize the end results, hundreds are quitting each day, join us, do the right thing by quitting smoking right now.
Don’t doubt your decision, we all know why you are here; I have done it, they have done it and we all believe that you can – be a non-smoker today!
I am a 62 year young female quitting smoking after 40 years. I got to where I couldn’t breathe and felt like I had weights on my chest — scared me. It’s been 2 days totally smoke free, but about four cutting way back. I had a migraine headache yesterday and googled to find out symptoms. I have been really chewing the toothpicks, but need to move on to something else. Has anyone tried the Nicorette minis? How wonderful for those of you who have been smoke free 10 days and more. I’m really looking forward to that, but I dread the possible weight gain.
Hi everyone, I quit smoking 2 weeks ago and have felt fab the whole time! The reason for this is because I read a book called easy way to stop smoking by Allen Carr who gives you more logical reasons why you smoke and more logical reasons to stop! This man has helped thousands upon thousands of people to stop smoking with this book and clinics that he has set up and without the withdrawal symptoms or side effects! Please consider reading it, if it doesn’t work you won’t lose out on anything, thankyou and good luck x
Tomorrow morning is one week of not smoking for me. Whoop Whooop!! The withdrawal symptoms are not as terrible although I am sill not sleeping too well. I’m just happy I made a week without kicking the dog and my husband hasn’t moved out
Bronchitis made me quit.
have not had one since 4th of Feb 2012. After reading all these side effect,which I am having also,I am going to stay away from this nestty habit..
well this my story, i was 44 , 3 months b4 my 45th birthday.i’m not a chruch going lady but i’m a believer in GOD. i ask GOD 6-19-2010 when u going to take the taste out my mouth(4 smoking) and i just did’nt think no more about it .now b 4 in the past i stop smoking because i was pregnant (3 x) but each time i went back 2 smoking.but anyway back to 6-19 i brought a pack of virginia slims not what i smoke ,but that was the closest to my brand. i must have smoke 2-3 out the pack then that was it .now tue.i went in my purse for something and notice that the pack had not been touch since the 19th .i didn’t have no craving for one at all. but the withdraws was poor sleeping i would b sleep and open up my eyes and a lit cigarestte would b on the floor i would get out my bed and pick it up and it woudn’t b nothing there..lol. that went on for weeks .now here it is almost 2 years and sometime i do think of one here an there but have not had one. i do sleep very well now.but this one and one thing only that worry me and that is my skin itch badly sometime. why? could nicotine still b coming out my pores?
have not had a smoke 4 27 hrs . have smoked 4 27 years finding it hard really want to go and buy some sad i know its not long but its doing my nut in
Am about 36 hours into quitting for the 4th time. Am 30 years old and have been smoking for 10 years. Am using the patch for the 1st time, have gone cold turkey the other 3. Find that it helps a lot with the cravings and allows you to manage the other symptoms of irritability etc a bit better.
GOOD LUCK AND HOPE TO WRITE BACK HERE IN A WEEK AND STILL BE QUIT!
Ive quit for 5 days, im full of a cold but battleing on!
Hey all. I’m 30 and have been smoking for about 15/16 yrs. I’ve tried so many times in the past to quit and once managed about 4 months without touching one, although I still had the occasional cigar. Have been wanting to quit again for the last 18 months but have probably been scared of failing. I was I’ll this week and decided to stop, it’s now day 5 of being smoke free and I am determined to make it work. I’ve been feeling really dizzy and almost passed out yesterday, looked on the web for side effects and found this page. Just want to say thanks to all those positive comments and blogs. It really is hard to do, but I’m not thinking of it as quitting, I’m thinking of it as getting my life back…..
Hi Davy,
I know exactly what you mean: I am 34 and smoked 20 years now- well, today is my 6th day without smokes. I have exactly the same symptoms you have: extreme dizziness (and coughing a lot) and so on…I surely hope it is only temporarily. So, good luck to you, you’re not alone
I’m giving up smoking, I HAVE to quit smoking and I’m super nervous. Reading about the side effects scares me a bit, but reading everyones responses has me more motivated. I’m 28 yrs told and have been smoking for 12 years. If anyone has any advice on what to do when i have a craving please let me know!
Kayla
hi,ive been smoking for 28 yrs,im on day 5 now on no fags,i tend to drink a glass of water with ice,and i keep myself busy,ive even brought a small green house and started to grow my own veg and salad foods,i find it helps me
Been smoking for 18 years, quit cold turkey 7 days ago. Been crazy, had some chest pain and
Lots of anxiety. Is this common, anyone have the same side effects? Please let me know
Cause I’m starting to get a little freaked out. Also my blood pressure has stabilized and
My resting heart rate has dropped about 10 points to low to mid fifties, is this common also.
Good luck to everyone trying to quit, it certainly ain’t easy but hopefully worth it
Mike
Mike,
Unfortunately, anxiety is part of the package for some people when quitting smoking. Suppressing this emotion may seem difficult for most, but the reality is that millions of people suffer from anxiety on a daily basis.
I was in your shoes at one point too, but found a way to protect myself and control the anxiety. In essence, it only lasts a few weeks after you quit smoking.
Incorporate a weekly fitness routine as crutch to your “quit smoking plan”. I started with 15-30 minutes of cardio/ day 3 times per week until I could do it 4 then 5 & eventually 7 days per week. The runners high feeling will alleviate your anxiety symptoms for hours after your workout.
Also try to implement a healthier nutrition plan; green tea (packed with anti oxidants), fruits, 4-5 glasses of water/day, multi-vitamins, & omega-3 fatty acid pills (increases bloodflow, respiratory health, and brain function), all of which open the door to a healthier lifestyle.
Remember to keep it simple at the beginning & once you’ve made improvements you’ll be more confident & energetic than ever before to take on life. Bodybuilding.com also provides you with great tips for working out to daily nutrition.
You’re not alone in this fight and you’re not the first to try, keep pushing everyday and soon you’ll be exactly where you want to be!
Hi Guys,
I’m currently going through some tough times. Been smoking for a few years and haven’t had a cigarette in 5 days. I didn’t even know that stopping smoking would have such harsh side effects, until I figured that out I thought there was something seriously wrong with me. Right now I’m having some pretty severe headaches, general lack of energy and having trouble getting a good night of sleep (5 hours at best). Waking up is also a major hassle, yesterday I felt so nauseous in the shower I basically collapsed on the floor. I guess I’m going through the worst of the side effects right now, I will make sure to update this post when I’ve turned around and can talk about the good things about quitting.
Hey soldiers , give up 6 days ago after a heavy Saturday night on the booze:-) the first 2 days were easy then boom headaches/ shivers /cold sweats aches and pains everywhere theese all occur randomly still get cravings but it’s not worth going through this again good look to a smoke free life:-) age 23 smoked 15 a day for 10 years. Smokings for losers!!
48 hours without a single puff after being a smoker for 23 years….this must be the hardest thing I’ve ever done and i hope i make it coz i feel my body is breaking down and feeling all kinds of hurt I’ve never felt before and forget my mood…i’m like a rabid dog snapping at anyone who gets under my skin…..Man goodluck to all.
I quit cold turkey 4 days ago, I smoked for 16 years. Its been hard, but I’m hanging on. I bought a mini stair stepper and its really helping with the cravings. I’m not dizzy like some of you have posted, I just don’t sleep very well. I’m exhasted, but only sleep about 3 hours a night. I have a headache and have had it for 4 days, I drink plenty of water and still have the headache (its not a lack of sleep headache, those feel different). So the drinking water does nothing. I do eat a lot and don’t care if I gain weight. I’m sure trying to loose the weight after will be easier than going through this. Lets just face it, I’d rather be 50 pounds heavier and have this feeling go away quicker than worry about my weight while going through this.
I hate the jitters, I feel like a crack head or something.
Its really hard having no support, I wish I did. It would be so nice to have someone to turn to.
CONGRATULATIONS! You can do it Patty, we are all here for you. Do some exercise, read books, open an account for the money that you will be saving, be happy cause you are now a non-smoker! CHEERS!
Oh my God I feel less alone today. Today is my 10th day smoke free. I’m so excited about coming this far never saw myself being so ok with it. I attempted quitting 2 other times without success. This time it has been so different I believe my determination will not allow me to faulter. The one thing driving me bonkers is the insomnia I just don’t know how to get around it.. I celebrate my small accomplishments daily by rewarding my self with praise. I must admit on day 8… I over compensated by buying a beautiful Michael Kits purse..lol.. so worth it
Hi everyone, I stopped smoking 14 days ago. I am feeling really good about myself, except for one side affect. I feel I’m substituting cigarettes with food. I find myself bingying on food when I have a craving for a cigarette. I started to chew gum, but was bloating up like a balloon. Nope, thats not gonna work. I am giving myself grace while I get through this. So today I brought alot of cut up vegtables to eat instead of cookies and candy. I am going to be very careful what I eat from here. My size 8′s still fit, but I can see in the mirror I seem to be filling out. Any ideas? I don’t want to get depressed about my weight just because I quit smoking. Its mostely my hands that need to be doing something when I get an urge to smoke. I am on Step 1 of the Patch. I probably would have hurt someone if I didn’t have some kind of a help, so I’ve chosen the patch.
day 6 after 43 years, high bp now no smokes for last 6 days am walking on air so dizzy lightheaded any body else feel this
Yes its normal i too have been experiencing dizzy spells, sweats, chest pains and headaches. On HBP pills for many years found after quitting my BP went way down which caused a lot of these ailments so my meds were lowered I’ve been cigarette free now for almost 6 weeks after 20 yrs of smoking What freedom. Our bodies are repairing so its doing alot of strange things . Hang in there. It’s all for a good cause and healthy future
going crazy i have been smoking for 32 years hardcore 2 large packs a day havent had a smoke since friday at 9 pm quit coldturkey side effects weird dizzy
blurred vision muscle aches hope i can hang on
Almost 10 days now. And I don’t miss it. I don’t think about it I don’t want it. I’m so happy that it is becoming easier each day . I feel good with out smoking. The only down side is the lightheadedness that I seem to feel now and then, I heard it was from getting a lot of oxygen. I had the worst headache for the fist 3 days I thought I was having strokes. And it went away. Now I feel New, I feel fresh, I feel resentful that I allowed my self to b a smoker for 8 years. I just hope I still have time to undo the damage. Good luck to you all.
I found the best way to not crave it, is to enjoy what I’m feeling with out it. I can almost taste the oxygen goin into my lung as if I’m breathing new again. You can do it. If I could anyone can.
Well, I’m going to do it this time. I’ve done it before. I’ve quit nearly one week now. The side effects are brutal. Headaches, vomit, coughing and mucas… but, it’s detoxifying my body.
Vegetables and fruit will help with that as well. I’m using Tylenol, or Aspirin for now for the headaches and hope those go away soon. Ouch they hurt.
Drink plenty of water and remember one thing. If you feel bad while quitting, like someone else here said, do you really want to go through this again? I do not. It’s painful. The urge is way way down to smoke That’s good news. I should have quit decades ago. But, I’ve started last week. And that’s good news.
Don’t give up. Try try try.
I quit since the 1st January, so it has been 1 1/2 month. I find it quite easy this time, and I do it cold turkey. I have tried everything before, nicotine replacement, all kinds, bu-propion, Champix, accuponcture, hypnotism. None of them worked and I was really addicted. But by keeping on giving up and I found it easier and easier each time I was doing it. Then you get to know your body reaction due to withdrawal and you learn how to deal with it. A bit too much energy, thyen turn it as positive energy, you decide and it is as easy as that. I also learned why I always get back to smoking, which is usually related to social outing with drinks, so I haven’t drunk since I gave up also. And I@m doing very well so far. I wish you all the best if you’re trying, but don’t be too upset if you fail, you need to fail to know how to really quit! Good luck guys! (^_^)
Tony
Hi
Been smoking 20 years, stopped on Monday. Cravings are no problem but man I am feeling like sh#t! Dizzy, nauseous, sweating, irritated and slightly depressed:(
O well, it will all be worth it when I can run and play with my son without feeling like I’m gonna die! Not to mention the money gonna save, £25 to date!
Good luck everybody
J
I quit smoking on Jan. 6 2012 and have been sick with sinus infection and colds ever since.I have also had anxiety attacks and a terrible time sleeping.Other then that it has been fairly easy.Think of it as a challenge and prove to yourself that you have what it takes to overcome something so difficult as quiting smoking.It feels good to be in control of your life.Best of luck.
20 years old, been smoking for five years… quit cold turkey three weeks ago. It’s TOUGH, I have nic-fits for about a week, once that went away my body started to become sore, I have consistent headaches, I can’t sleep at night like I used too, I’m very emotion and I’m coughing and hacking up stuff like I had a cold and my lungs have started to hurt. It’s not easy but it’s worth it, I can breath again, my skin looks healthier and well… I don’t stink! Ha. It’s harder when you have a boyfriend who smokes, but he’s trying to quit himself (: quitting is do able, I believe in will power.
Well Keep up the good work everyone, I have been smoking for almost half of my life! which is 16 years now. I decided to quit smoking 6 days ago, im on my 7th day and im feeling great! Cravings are always there, apparently the cravings are growing day by day.
It is tough, I never thought it would be that hard to quit smoking, but we can do it, I know I can do it and I aint quitting fighting the crave and the ciggarettes.
Its totally over for me and it should be over for all the smokers out there. My dad quit 3 months ago after smoking for 40 years of his life, if he can do it after 40 years we all can, and its def. for the better!
Good luck!
Hello,
Today I have made the decision to stop. I haven’t been able to bring myself to the point of stopping cold turkey though. I am a little freaked out about the withdrawals to be honest. I am 28 been smoking since I was 15. Any advice?
Please please don’t stop. Don’t b freaked out. U will start to feel much better by day 5. Sweats will go away headache will go away. U will love ur self more. Especially when u start smelling what cigareete really smell like on other people. U do not want to smell like that ever again. U r my age almost. And I cannot tell you how much I love my hair and my face right now. It’s brighter only after 10 days., my hair still shiny and smelling good next day. Food and everything starts to feel and taste good, something just changes in you. And u feel it. And u will enjoy it, so just go thru with it. I know u can. That’s why ur here. Keep reading posts. And anything freaks u out search it. And c if others had gone thru with it. Good luck
i been smoking since i was 14 yrs of age,and smoked 25 a day!!!!,i quit 5 days ago,not everybody suffers bad withdrawals,all ive had is the odd headache and bad nite sleeps,i feel great,i dont even cough!!!!,go for it hunny,i did and feel so much healthier
Hey all, so I’m 24 and I smoked for almost 8 years.. I posted on here when I was on day 4 & I just hit day 13. I did fail to mention that I am on Champix and that I chose it because I found my nic-fits were out of control. I decided quitting cold turkey was just too risky for me… my withdrawal symptoms aren’t quite as bad as alot of other’s haved mentioned they have experienced, but I still feel waves of hostility, anxiety and restlessness. I find I still like the smell of a lit cigarette, yet that’s as far as that goes. I have however excersized more in the past 12 days than I have in the past 8 years!! Been running, lifting weights (which is unusual for me) and eating alot of fruit.. A couple of years ago I went 6 days cold turkey but clearly that didn’t last.. I guess the thought of actually trying intimidated the crap outta me and if I failed I’d only have myself to blame.. I always found myself worrying about how long and how much I’d have to try. As soon as realized that the one answer to my questions was that “the sky is the limit” it suddenly became more realistic and within my reach to succeed.. I find that food really does taste better, and since I started running I swear my lungs already feel more open. From what I’ve heard the first few weeks are the battle stages, and as soon as a month hits you’ve reached the point where you truly are conquering you’re addiction, no matter who you are. I’m just shy of 2 full weeks of being smoke free and despite having to deal with the bad days, it’s DEFINATELY a journey worth taking. Good luck to you everyone trying to change their lives!!
keep it up, I’m trying myself to put a stop to it as you could see below. I’m 27 and started at 11yrs old.
Having a hard time fully quitting. I go three or four days, but then I get the urge to have another one and I’m hiding it from my friends and coworkers and family, everyone thinks I stopped a month ago. I need help.
There are a bunch of “quit smoking clease” products on the market. They all seem to be a variety of herbs and juices meant to detoxify the lungs and other organs. Any thoughts on those?
George
Its been 6 days since my last cigarette, my anxiety and nausea is getting worse. And also the craving is getting bad as well, Im just curios why is my withdrawal symptoms getting worse every single day passes by? Isnt it suppose to be better the longer? Anyone out there have the same experience?
Oh BTW, I’ve been a smoker for 20 yrs, and this is the first successful (6 days smoke free) I’ve ever been.
Haven’t had one in 48 hours. Had a terrible night last night…eyes wide open….couldn’t sleep at all. I finally fell aslepp at 5 and could sleep for 2 hours.
It’s hard, but not giving up on giving up!
I gave up 52 days ago today. I went from 30 a day to nothing, and it sucked big time to start off with. However, now, I still hate it when I walk down the street and smell someone smoking, but I will not fail. I read somewhere that there are only two reasons to have another cigarette, 1, You enjoyed the withdrawal effects so much the first time that you want to go through it all again, Or, 2, You want to start smoking full time again.
Good luck, you can do it!!!
i am a smoker 22years ive been wanting 2 give up for months could not get my head around to do it till i went to see nurse and waS TOLD I COULD END UP WITH A STROKE OR A HEART ATTACK SO JUST STOPPED THE SAME DAY 2 WKS TODAY AND FEELING BETTER EVERY DAY I DONT THINK ABOUT THEM MUCH NOW AND MORE MONEY IN THE PURSE
the stop burn paper makes it harder to quit, I was able to smoke a pack a day then go cold for months or a year(my longest time since i started was 16mo during that time the nonburn paper was started)im really suffering this time….
As of about 15 minutes ago, I have ben smoke free for 100 hours.
The hardest times are after eating, and when pissed off (have to be honest… first thing I do when someone upsets me is grab my smokes and head outside to chill) I haven’t driven in my car by myself yet though…which is going to me really really hard. That’s my “bubble” my “leave me a lone and you can walk if you don’t like the smell of smoke in here” bubble.
I’m 40, have been smoking all but about 2 years (pregnancies) since I was uh… 14 maybe?
Really hoping I can kick this thing…. i feel like crap. I’m outta breath just walking upstairs to go to bed, let alone trying to do any exercising of any kind, which is part of why I’m about 90 lbs overweight. I just hope I don’t gain more because I quit.
Good luck to all of you that are in the process of quitting…. we can do this. We have to do this.
Wow… sorry .. lotsa typos. I type on my iphone so much I have a hard time using a laptop anymore! OL
I’m 40 too. been smoking the same time as you and quit with both pregnancies. I quit on Sunday. its been 2 days, 15 hours, and 1 minute since my last cig. Today is the hardest by far. I can’t focus. I feel depressed and my head is pounding. They say it is harder to quit nicotine than heroin and I believe that, (although ive never been on heroin). I am determined to quit. I know what you are going through. Stay strong!!!
I am almost on day 7 without nicotine. I had a small bump in my mouth and thought I had cancer, I quit that night. I went to see a dental surgeon and he said it was just a dense skin area not cancer. I feel better about it but I have still been so depressed this week. I feel mourning and scared for everyone in my family. I really hope I start feeling better. I was a smoker for 10 years, so i don’t expect the recovery to be easy. Day 1-3 were very hard, I had no attention span at all. But I started feeling a chest cold day 4, I actually caught a cold on day 5. I feel pretty confident that Cigarettes are a thing of the past now but I cannot enjoy the success yet due to depression. Anyone else had long depression like this while quitting? suggestions?
day 3 I sat in my room all day ready to quit quitting.. this didn’t quite make me feel better off the hop but it’s definately helped to get me through so far.. video games
I AM A SMOKER OF 10 YEARS. I SUFFER GENERALISED ANXIETY DISORDER AND IM ON MY 4TH DAY OF STOPPING SMOKING.. I FEEL DIZZY VERY BAD PALPATATIONS AND ALL ROUND FEEL LIKE S**T… IM CONSIDERING SMOKING A FAG, MY PALPA HAVE NEVER BEEN THIS BAD N MY ANXIETY HAS GONE THROUGH THE ROOF
Hang in there…… take a couple of really deep breaths…. and think about something else!!
I’m 62 and have smoked since I was 12….. never ever thought I’d pack up…. used champix tablets from no smokin clinic. Brill!!!
Pack in….. it’s really worth the pain…good luck. xx
Hey guys just hearing all these stories has got me motivated to continue to fight my cravings, I’m 22 years old and have been smoking since I was 12, I use to be a heavy smoker but I cut back because well I’m killing myself, well anyways the reason I quit is because my blood pressure is up the roof around 3 months ago, I had a biometrics check at my work, and back then I was pretty high it was 145/86 I ignored it and thought it was no big deal, well for the past 3 days i been feeling really fatigue along with my lungs feels pressurized, and recently I started getting chest pains, I didn’t know what to think, I probably thought it was cause my HBP, so I went to the local wal mart and took my blood pressure, well this time it read, 170/96 with 110 heart beats per minute…………. YUP! and I’m barely 22……… So I thought to myself, well either quit NOW or die within a few months or years, then I thought to myself, am I really that fucking weak, mentally? How can I let something take control of my cravings, telling me when to go smoke (Nicotine), so i just said FUCK IT IM GONNA QUIT, THIS IS ME TALKING,MY CONSCIOUS, MY MIND, MY SOUL, IM GONNA QUIT
Have not had one in 26 hours. I can’t wait for tomorrow again. It was hard but I’m set to quit. Not giving up this time.