Did you know that the tobacco plant has naturally occurring nicotine within it? Manufacturers of tobacco products often add additional nicotine to their products to make using them even more enjoyable. The problem with this is that nicotine can be quite addictive, making it difficult to quit using tobacco products! By being aware of the average nicotine withdrawal timeline, however, you’ll be able to know what to expect and prepare for symptoms that could be coming your way.
The First Wave of Withdrawal Symptoms Happens In Just 2 Hours
Though very light users of tobacco products may not experience any withdrawal symptoms whatsoever, just about everyone will experience some sort of withdrawal symptoms after stopping nicotine use. This usually occurs within the first 24 hours of not having a nicotine product and can be in just 2-3 hours.
Symptoms
• Cravings to Smoke
• Constipation
• Anxiety
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Dry Mouth
• Cough
• Irritability
The longer you have used tobacco products or if you used higher levels of tobacco products, then generally the worse the withdrawal symptoms are going to be.
Your Nicotine Withdrawal Timeline Peaks at 72 Hours
Many people experience the height of their withdrawal symptoms of nicotine in about 72 hours. For some people, however, it may be 5 days before they really experience the worst of these withdrawal symptoms. In particularly severe cases, these symptoms can lead to the development of clinical depression symptoms and cause intense cravings. These intense symptoms generally last for 24 to 48 hours in most people.
Once you get over the peak of withdrawal intensity, your nicotine withdrawal timeline is extended out to two weeks. It takes your body this long to restructure itself from the lack of nicotine. You may experience flashes of withdrawal symptoms during this two week period, with the most likely being an intense craving to use a tobacco product.
A Nicotine Withdrawal Timeline Can Last Several Months
For some people, they deal with withdrawal symptoms for several months. Periodic craving episodes, headaches, and coughing are the most commonly extended side effects from a lack of tobacco products. Others struggle with other temptations to avoid smoking, with weight gain being the most common issue that becomes a new struggle.
Depression can also affect someone over the long term. Depression is a serious disease that can lead to higher levels of anxiety, stress, panic attacks, uncontrollable sadness, and other health issues. Treating depression quickly is important and under the supervision of a medical professional, can often be easily controlled.
A loss of emotional control is often another long term side effect of nicotine withdrawal. Temper tantrums, uncontrollable laughing or crying, and immediate emotional swings can all occur during the nicotine withdrawal timeline at any point. Having a good support system in place, from counselors to friends and loved ones can help you cope with these issues.
For many people, quitting a nicotine addiction can be difficult, but the results are well worth it. Health risks can reduce within just 2 weeks after someone quits using tobacco products, so enduring withdrawal symptoms will bring about better health. Knowing what will happen during the nicotine withdrawal timeline will help as well, so be sure to reference this guide when you decide to quit so that you can anticipate what your future needs will be.