They can make us feel like the nicotine is good for us because of how we feel when we have it. That is why it is so addictive. The more you know about nicotine withdrawal symptoms though the easier it will be for you to get passed them.

Of all the nicotine withdrawal symptoms that people experience, the craving for a cigarette or to put a chew in their mouth is very common. The habit is something that can be part of your daily routine. You don’t realize how programmed your body is to holding a cigarette or putting tobacco in your mouth until you stop doing it.

Many people find that they become irritable when they try to stop using nicotine. Don’t worry, your friends and family will forgive you! Let them know what is going on with you in advance. They will be able to understand that it is just part of the nicotine withdrawal symptoms and that it will pass.

People often find that they suffer from insomnia during this time. It is one of the most annoying nicotine withdrawal symptoms. When you are tired and want to rest the irritability can increase. Try to go to bed early enough to get a good night of sleep. Try do to do something relaxing such as a warm bath before you go to bed. This will  help you to be able to sleep better.

A lack of concentration may be one of the nicotine withdrawal symptoms that you suffer from. If that seems to be the case, make a list of things you need to get done. Do the most important first in your day so that you can focus on it. Try to reduce your schedule if it is packed too. By not being overwhelmed you will have less stress, and that can reduce the effects from your nicotine withdrawal symptoms.

A nagging headache can linger for several days when you try to stop using nicotine. Of all the nicotine withdrawal symptoms, this is the one that people seem to report the most. Typically the headache won’t be severe enough to prevent you from going about your day. However, it can usually be something that you are able to offset with over the counter pain relievers.

Your throat may be scratchy and even hurt a bit when you swallow. A dry cough can occur too. These are often nicotine withdrawal symptoms that you can take care of though. Suck on sugar free candy and you can drink lots of water to help ease these types of symptoms.

Anyone that is interested in stopping their use of nicotine can do it. However, it takes careful planning and commitment. It doesn’t matter if you use cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, or both. Understanding the nicotine withdrawal symptoms that you may experience can help you with getting ready for them. That can reduce the chances of you going back to using nicotine products.

Keep in mind that the types of nicotine withdrawal symptoms you experience can be few or many. The severity of them can range from one extreme to the next too. The process can be different for everyone.

There are many variables that factor into the equation. For example your overall health, your body chemistry, how long you have been using nicotine, and how much of it you use on a daily basis.

Some of those smoking withdrawal symptoms include headache, cravings for nicotine, insomnia, dry cough, and a sore throat. While they can be annoying they will go away in just a few days. Then you will start to feel much better.

Why do we have to experience smoking withdrawal symptoms?

Understanding what is taking place within your body can help you to prepare for it. You body actually craves nicotine and that is often why you end up reaching for a cigarette or the chewing tobacco. Don’t fool yourself into thinking you can give them up any time you want to as that won’t be the case.

They cycle of craving is why you will end up having smoking withdrawal symptoms

When your body tells you it wants nicotine and you don’t respond the way it wants you to, the cycle has been interrupted. A typical cycle includes:

Use of nicotine
Dopamine released by the brain
Blood nicotine level drops
You crave nicotine

During the period of time when you crave nicotine and you don’t offer it to your body it won’t be happy with you. Various types of smoking withdrawal symptoms can start. Irritability and fatigue often occur due to the drop of nicotine levels in the blood.

Your mood change is also triggered by the reduced amount of dopamine. This is a feel good chemical that your brain offers. It tricks you though into thinking nicotine is good for you, much the same as a drug addict feels the urge to use again and again.

The subconscious mind plays a huge role too in causing smoking withdrawal symptoms. Most of us don’t realize how embedded our smoking habit has become for us over the course of time. Yet when you make changes to those habits you will start to become more aware of how dependent you are on nicotine.

Replacing those subconscious habits of using tobacco with ones that are positive is important. As you engage in this type of behavior modification you will find that you don’t have as much trouble with smoking withdrawal symptoms.

Just make sure the new behaviors that you implement are good for your overall health. They should also be things you enjoy doing or you won’t be motivated to stick with them.

With each day that passes though you will have fewer and fewer problems with your withdrawal symptoms. Once you get passed them you will have an easier time sticking to the changes you have decided to make.

Take it one day at a time and give yourself credit for the efforts you make. Talk to people around you about it too so that they can offer you support. Try to refrain from being around people that use nicotine during the time when you are experiencing smoking withdrawal symptoms.

Withdrawal symptoms may be something you have to deal with in your quest to stop smoking or chewing. While your body will be giving you signals that you need the nicotine, you don’t. It is a poison and it can cause some very serious health problems for you.

After a few days of being nicotine free you will look and feel better than you have in a long time. It can be hard to stop, but after the smoking withdrawal symptoms are over with you will be able to focus on the end result.

The usual physical problems faced are:

* Tingling in the hands and feet
* Sweating
* Intestinal disorders (cramps, nausea)
* Headache
* Cold symptoms as the lungs begin to clear (sore throats, coughing, and other signs of colds and respiratory problems)

In addition you have emotional or psychological nicotine withdrawal symptoms like:

* Behaving like a child – temper tantrums, intense needs, feelings of dependency, a state of near paralysis.
* Insomnia
* Mental confusion
* Vagueness
* Irritability
* Anxiety
* Depression is common in the short and long term

It makes treatment and quitting permanent if the smoker reads about the nicotine withdrawal symptoms in advance and gets mental preparation. This also helps him or her in garnering necessary support from his family and friends. A nicotine addict finds quitting very difficult due to the impact nicotine has on the human brain.

Our brain produces neurotransmitters, chemicals that regulate moods, such as norepinephrine and dopamine. If you don’t have the means to produce enough of these chemicals, your mood suffers. Another feel good hormone called serotonin may be deficient.

Nicotine does not help with serotonin production, but by stimulating the production of the other neurotransmitters it can help make up for the lack of serotonin, and produce similar pleasant feelings, hence the addiction to smoking.

Then there are people who do not have any nicotine withdrawal symptoms after kicking the butt. These people have brains that are not very sensitive to the poison in a cigarette. They are mostly social smokers and hence can get rid of the habit quite easily. People who get a high only after a smoke are the nicotine addicts, and they surely have withdrawal symptoms after quitting the habit of smoking.

The first few weeks after quitting smoking are usually the most difficult. It takes about 8-12 weeks, before any ex smoker starts to feel comfortable with not taking a puff. Withdrawal from nicotine creates a chemical dependency, since the body had developed a need for a certain level of nicotine at all times.

Nicotine withdrawal symptoms are generally very high during the first 2-4 weeks, and then the symptoms become more bearable. The person who quits smoking needs to take in a lot of fluids, have moderate exercise, eat fibre rich food to combat the nicotine withdrawal symptoms like constipation, cold and cough, headaches, fatigue etc.

The person needs to be cared for and doctors need to monitor the recovery to avoid any complications. Most of the chronic smokers get into a state of depression and anxiety upon quitting, and this can be cured by medical intervention. In the early weeks after quitting smoking doctors prescribe medications like:

Bupropion (Wellbutrin, Zyban) – This is an anti depressant medication. Using bupropion or nicotine replacement therapies alone doubles the odds of successful quitting.

Varenicline (Chantix) – This is a newer smoking cessation medicine. It blocks the effects of nicotine on the brain and eases withdrawal symptoms.

There are several strategies for treating nicotine withdrawal symptoms

Nicotine supplements mentioned below help:

* Gum
* Inhalers
* Nasal spray
* Skin patch

Nicotine withdrawal symptoms should not be a deterrent in quitting, the smoker has to have a resolve in getting out of the habit and improve his or her health and habits.

Fortunately, there are many different products available to help reduce withdrawal symptoms. Here, we will take a look at some of the best nicotine withdrawal products.

One of the first nicotine withdrawal products to hit the market was originally available only with a prescription. Nicotine gum, originally marketed exclusively under the trade name, Nicorette, is a gum that contains different doses of the substance nicotine polacrilex.

This gum is not used in the same manner as regular chewing gum. Instead, one chews long enough to activate the nicotine, then places the gum between the cheek and gums. The active ingredient is absorbed through the skin inside the mouth.

Nicotine gum is available in two strengths. 4mg pieces are for heavy smokers, those who smoke more than a pack a day. 2mg pieces are for those who smoke less than a pack a day. The one major drawback to using this product to quit smoking is that it still contains nicotine and is addictive. However, many doctors acknowledge that using the gum is not as dangerous to one’s health as smoking.

Another OTC nicotine withdrawal product that was formerly only available by prescription is the nicotine patch. Unlike the gum, which is used whenever one craves a cigarette, the patch is put on in the morning and worn for 24 hours.

During that time, it releases a steady stream of nicotine into the bloodstream through the skin. However, the amount of nicotine is significantly lower than would be obtained from use of tobacco.

There are different programs and strengths of nicotine patch available. The general consensus is that one should start with the highest dose available, 21mg, and gradually step down through the 14mg and 7mg doses over a period of about 8 to 12 weeks. At the end of that time, one should be able to leave off the patch and be nicotine free.

The newest product to be offered as an OTC nicotine withdrawal aid is lozenges. Sold under the brand names Commit and Nicorette, these are simply lozenges similar to those used for a sore throat. They are allowed to dissolve in the mouth and release their nicotine content. Like the gum, lozenges are available in two strengths, 2mg and 4mg.

The common element among all of these products is that all contain nicotine. The differences lie in how much is made available to the body and the point of entry. Doctors everywhere agree that these products are safer for people to use than tobacco, but should be used only for a limited time.

There are also several different medications available that can help one get through nicotine withdrawal and reduce the cravings for nicotine. However, these are only available with a doctor’s prescription and are generally quite expensive. All of the best (OTC) nicotine withdrawal products contain nicotine, but they are available without prescriptions and usually cost less than other alternatives.

It’s better to educate yourself about what to expect before you quit smoking and how you can cope with the withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal is an intense stage of recovery during which one experiences pain, irritation and stress.

The main nicotine withdrawal symptoms which a person experiences while he quits smoking are:

* Anger and anxiety – This is the first symptom you experience while quitting smoking. During the very initial period you might feel very irritated and even get anger for silly and small reasons. The main reason for this is because you have stopped the intake of nicotine on which you were dependant every day. Going for a walk, listening to relaxing music, taking deep breath, etc can help you from getting yourself irritated and angry.

* Cough and mucus – Cough and mucus is a very common and a good nicotine withdrawal symptom, this is because the hairs which protect the lungs are getting rid of the toxins and tars which have built up during the period you were smoking. Intake of large quantities of water and sucking boiled sweets can help to ease cough, help to keep the throat moist and even flush the toxins out of your body.

* Depression – Nicotine has antidepressant qualities in it, therefore once you quit smoking it is quite normal for you to enter into a state of temporary depression. Nicotine releases dopamine into the brain which makes you feel happy and satisfied but once its intake is stopped the level of dopamine falls and thus causing the feeling of depression. If the condition is really bad then you can consult a doctor to prescribe you an antidepressant.

* Disturbed sleep – Another nicotine withdrawal symptom is disturbed sleep patterns, you either feel sleepier or facing difficulty in getting proper sleep and this is because of the absence of nicotine in the brain. Exercising, listening to relaxing music, doing meditation, drinking warm milk with honey to improve the melatonin level before sleeping, etc are some ways to improve your sleeping pattern.

* Tingling sensation – Once you give up smoking the oxygen supply to your body increases and this causes a tingling sensation.

* Headaches and tiredness – Some of the most common nicotine withdrawal symptoms are headaches and tiredness. The reason for this is the increased supply of oxygen, sleeping disturbances, diet changes and stress. Nicotine speeds up the metabolism to a high level and when the intake is stopped, the metabolism slows down and you feel tired.

* Poor concentration – Nicotine is a powerful stimulant which increases your memory as well as concentration. So when you quit smoking, lack of concentration is likely to occur due to lack of nicotine intake. Best way to combat this symptom is exercise, intake of healthy foods and drinking large quantities of water.

These are the main nicotine withdrawal symptoms which are commonly experienced after quit smoking. Some of the other symptoms are increased appetite, increased hunger, constipation, and bad moods.

Better understanding of the withdrawal symptoms can help in successfully beating the habit of smoking. A person who is a chronic smoker and needs a puff every now and then to get the high, is a nicotine addict.

He or she requires the pleasant feelings and the relaxation nicotine can create in the brain. Though he or she knows the downside of smoking, it becomes difficult to quit the habit, since these pleasant feeling in the brain is not achieved without the usual puff. If he or she has tried to quit, the nicotine withdrawal symptoms would have come out of the closet to scare him and put him back in the habit of smoking.

So what are these nicotine withdrawal symptoms?

They can be classified into physical and mental problems faced upon stopping the cigarette smoking habit. The physical symptoms are painful and they are normally constipation, headaches, nausea, cold and coughs, fatigue, sudden increase in appetite, resulting weight gain etc.

The mental or psychological nicotine withdrawal symptoms are more difficult to analyze and they are- anxiety, depression, irritability, insomnia, anger and tantrums, mental confusion, lack of concentration, vagueness, boredom, mood swings, dizziness, frustration and restlessness.

One of the keys to quitting smoking is acknowledging the fact that smoking cigarettes is an addiction for many and that anyone can manage it and overcome the habit. One of the main reasons people give up quitting is because they find the withdrawal symptoms so fierce and unexpected.

One should not worry, since these symptoms are actually good news, signs that the body is purging itself of all the harmful chemicals cigarettes left in the smoker’s body.

The medications and care given at the stage of first 4 weeks can define the success of quitting the habit for good. There are several methods used in alleviating the withdrawal problems for cigarette quitters. The treatment methods are:

* Nicotine supplements in the form of gums, nasal sprays, patches and inhalers.
* Use of Bupropion which is available as Wilbutrin and Zyban which is an anti depressant medication
* Varenicline available in the name of Chantrix is the latest medication for ceasing nicotine withdrawal symptoms.
* Other commonly used medicines are clonidine, flouxitine, buspirone etc which are anti depressants, also help in coming out of the painful experience faster.

Anyone suffering from nicotine withdrawal symptoms should undergo a depression analysis to ensure that the medications are administered correctly and in turn help in speedy recovery and permanently avoid smoking in the future.

Like any addiction, smokers find it very difficult to quit tobacco altogether. To garner some help from the support system available, it is ideal to join a smoking cessation program run by hospitals, health centers, community centers etc.

To alleviate nicotine withdrawal symptoms which are both physical and psychological, the quitter has to be given proper treatment, counseling and care by the doctors, family and friends. Nicotine withdrawal is short-lived and symptoms pass in time. Withdrawal is the most uncomfortable part of quitting, but the real challenge is beating cravings and staying away from the nicotine.

This especially holds well when the quitter does not know about the withdrawal symptoms that can happen and was not ready both mentally and physically to fight against it.

For most of us who smoke, nicotine withdrawal symptoms are a reality upon quitting, so we gather information about how to tackle the issues of withdrawal and ask our friends and family apart from the co-workers to support us in the initiative.

Nicotine withdrawal symptoms can be categorized into two; namely physical and psychological.

First let us look at the physical aspect and the methods to avoid it:

* Constipation and intestinal disorders – Increase intake of fluids also add fibrous vegetables and fruits in the diet and go for walks, immediately upon quitting.

* Headaches – Take a warm bath or shower, do moderate exercise and meditation techniques can help. Avoid caffeine and cola during this time.

* Fatigue – Get extra sleep or more than normal, take naps whenever tired and increase intake of fluids

* Tingling feeling in hands and feet – They are symptoms of recovery, since more oxygen is reaching your feet and hands, so nothing to worry.

* Colds and cough – Use hard candy or cough drops and gums to come out of the discomfort

* Dizziness – Get plenty of fresh air and go for walks. Avoid changing your positions too fast as this can increase the occurrence of dizziness

* Tightness in your chest – It might be due to the muscular tension on account of coughing and mucous removal. Do breathing exercises to remove this problem.

* Increase in appetite and weight gain – Have a healthy diet and undertake a sporting habit to avoid excessive weight gain.

The psychological aspects of the nicotine withdrawal symptoms for quitters can be as below :

* Insomnia – Hot relaxing baths before bedtime, avoiding caffeine and relaxation methods like breathing and meditation exercises will work

* Irritability and mood swings – Deep breathe, take walks, exercise, use relaxation techniques, and chew nicotine gum, cut down on coffee. Vent your anger, talk to a friend or counselor

* Craving for a cigarette – Chew gum or eat a fruit. Wait out the symptoms or get a nicotine patch.

* Depression – Get medical help in the form of anti depressants and this combined with nicotine patches can avoid the nicotine withdrawal symptoms to a great extent.

Build a health routine, one month prior to quitting, so that your body does not go into a state of shock upon quitting. The routine is:

• Add a vitamin b complex into the diet through supplements, since a smokers body is depleted of these
• Slowly start an exercise regimen and build it up toward the end of the pre quit month
• Take plenty bananas, raisins, tomatoes, spinach, grapes, honey and beets. Just before the quitting period starts
• Use Ginkgo when you feel lack of concentration
• Apple Cider Vinegar is a preventative measure to stop headaches and weight gain
• Aromatherapy oils will help you with sleep if you start to feel restless at nights

Always remember that quitting is a mental game, and nicotine withdrawal symptoms are transient and easily overcome with excellent will power.