My experience with nicotine withdrawal is different than most. I quit smoking more than three years ago. However, I continued to feed my nicotine dependence with the Nicoderm CQ patch. After three years, I have no desire to smoke, but I really needed that patch every day! I decided to break my habit about a month ago. This article will describe some of the symptoms you can expect when leaving nicotine dependence.
To prepare for quit day, I reserved three days where I would do absolutely nothing. I gave away my sports tickets, took a day off from work, told my girlfriend that we would be staying in, and informed my friends that the entire weekend was off limits to any activities. Next, I prepared by having lots of liquids to drink. Liquids help to move nicotine metabolites out of your body, so it helps to drink a lot. Over 3 days I drank at least 5 quarts of water, a whole 12 pack of diet soda, 4 Red Bulls, and 96 oz. of Gatorade.
Quit Day- Through 10 hours without nicotine, the symptoms were tolerable, although something was clearly wrong. Waking up is hard to do! The first few minutes after waking up produce some serious cravings. In the afternoon of quit day, I began to feel some severe symptoms, similar to the beginning stages of the flu. There were body aches, a scratchy throat, and a tingly feeling in my extremities. I began to alternate between being hot and cold. As the evening progressed, I developed a very strong headache that throbbed with my pulse. Some painkillers relieved the headache.
About every half hour, I would experience a “craving.” For smokers, this is an overwhelming urge to have a smoke. For me, it was an urge to slap on a patch. A craving feels like a small panic attack. It begins with a burst of awareness and energy. Next you feel the strong urge to take in nicotine. This urge alternates every few seconds with panic about not having nicotine available to you.
I was not prepared for how tired I would feel. My energy level was low, and I took a number of quick naps. I also went to bed two hours earlier than usual. This is probably related to the fact nicotine is a stimulant, and my body was missing out on the boost. Because of how tired I was, sleep came easily. However, I experienced vivid dreams that woke me several times during the night.
Day 2: This morning was very difficult. The body aches and pins-and-needles continued. I also felt mentally detached. People told me I was irritable and disinterested in conversation. There was a sensitivity to light.
These symptoms continued throughout the day, but began to subside around nightfall. It was again easy to fall asleep, but dreams woke me up several times. It appears that the worst symptoms occur between 12 and 48 hours after nicotine was last ingested.
Day 3: Things really are starting to clear up. I had a bit of a headache today. The flu-like symptoms and mentally detachment are subsiding. Further, my appetite is back to normal. Cravings for nicotine still come, but they seem to be 2-3 hours apart.
Day 4-6: Most physical symptoms are gone. Morning still produced a strong craving, and I had some difficulty mentally focusing. Cravings still are 2-3 hours apart, but are markedly lower in strength.
Medical experts suggest that all nicotine and its metabolites leave your system within 72 hours, and the worst symptoms of withdrawal last about a week. My experience holds to this advice.
Beyond my recommendations above, I would suggest asking your doctor for small prescriptions. I used prescription painkillers for my severe headache on quit day. I also used an existing sleep aid prescription to ensure I got a full night’s sleep.
I do not recommend nicotine replacement therapy. I was quickly addicted to the patch. While I was able to not smoke for the period I used the patch, I wasted a lot of money. In the end, all I did was delay the three days of withdrawal pain. For some, perhaps using the patch for a few months will help them deal with their psychological addiction to nicotine. Then you can get off the drug at a later time. Best of luck to you with quitting!
