What to Expect when Quitting Tobacco/Nicotine
Tobacco/nicotine impacts your body and quitting or cutting back means your body will need to adjust. The severity of withdrawal can be affected by how often you use and how much you use – more frequent use and using a greater amount increase the odds of withdrawal. You may experience some of the following withdrawal symptoms when you stop using or cut back:
- Having urges or cravings to smoke/vape/use tobacco or nicotine products
- Feeling irritated, upset, frustrated, anxious, sad, depressed, etc.
- Restlessness, inability to stay still
- Trouble sleeping, feeling tired/groggy
- Changes in appetite (typically being hungrier or gaining weight)
Nicotine withdrawal symptoms do lessen over time but are usually worst during the first week after quitting, peaking during the first 3 days. After that, the intensity of symptoms usually drops over the first month. However, everyone is different, and some people have withdrawal symptoms for several months after quitting.
There are a variety of coping strategies and resources to explore that can help when you’re quitting and cutting back. Visit the ‘General Resources’ page of this site for more information and consider downloading this ‘Coping Strategies for Quitting Tobacco and Personalized Quit Plan’ document.