It’s no secret that smoking cigarettes is a toxic habit. While it may have been perceived as ”fashionable” a few decades ago, and even harmless, the world quickly came to realize that the cigarette’s key ingredient, nicotine, is a highly addictive substance.
If you’ve been a smoker and tried to quit, you can attest to how difficult it is. Not only is smoking habitual for many people, but they’re also addicted. Nicotine addiction may not be as severe as other schedule one drugs, but it’s an addiction nevertheless.
So, what does the nicotine withdrawal timeline look like if you’re trying to overcome this addiction? Find out in this blog.
What to Expect From the Nicotine Withdrawal Timeline
It’s easy to assume that nicotine is not as harmful or addictive as a substance when compared to drugs like cocaine or heroin. But this is far from the truth. An addiction, no matter the substance or material, works in the same way for everyone.
To add to this, nicotine is a substance that impacts all areas of the body. This includes your blood vessels, your heart function, your lungs, hormones, metabolism, and neurological function.
This is why nicotine withdrawal is no walk in the park — it’s difficult, but it’s achievable. Here’s a closer look at the timeline of withdrawal and what to expect at each stage:
When You First Quit
If you’re a long-time smoker, you’ll know that the craving for another cigarette usually kicks in about 30 minutes after your last smoke. This is because the effects of the nicotine have worn off — but this depends on how much you smoke in a day. For some people, it could be up to 4 hours until they crave another cigarette.
This makes the first few days of nicotine withdrawal the toughest.
The onset of real withdrawal symptoms begins about 12 hours after your last cigarette. You’ll start to feel jittery, restless, and irritable. You may also feel a sense of sadness and find yourself looking for ways to preoccupy your mind.
24 Hours to Two Days Later
After your first 24 hours, you’ll start to feel extremely irritable and jumpy. You may also find that your appetite increases and you’ll begin to snack more or have intense sugar cravings.
When you move onto your second day of nicotine withdrawal, you may start to experience regular headaches as the nicotine begins to leave your system.
Three to Seven Days Later
After your first three days, most of the nicotine in your system has made its way out of your body. When you move onto your fourth day, your body should be largely nicotine-free, but there are still traces in your system. However, you’re not out-of-the-woods yet.
On about the fourth or fifth day of withdrawal, your anxiety may start to pick up. This can also lead to episodes/ feelings of depression and heightened irritability. You may also struggle with bouts of brain fog.
Two to Four Weeks Later
At the two-three-week mark, all traces of nicotine should have disappeared from your system. During these two weeks, you might not have much energy but the good news is that your cravings will have become far less intense and your brain fog may start to clear up.
If you struggled with anxiety, depression, and irritability, these symptoms should begin to ease as well. Once you make it to the five-week mark you can expect to feel a little more like yourself.
Major Factors That Influence Your Nicotine Withdrawal
Quitting smoking is different for everyone. As mentioned, your withdrawal symptoms and timeline depend on how severe your nicotine addiction is, which depends on how long you’ve been smoking and how much you smoke in a day.
As you can imagine, the more nicotine there is in your system, the more intense your withdrawal symptoms may be.
Psychological Characteristics
This also plays a large role in how you handle nicotine withdrawal and the timeline of events. Your psychological characteristics depend on a few factors such as your genetics, your sex, and overall health.
To add to this, if you suffer from a co-occurring psychiatric disorder, such as depression, this may impact the severity of your withdrawal and how long you experience these symptoms.
You want to keep in mind that your daily exposure to smoking triggers can also play a significant role in how you handle withdrawal and how long you maintain your abstinence.
What Physical Withdrawal Symptoms Can You Expect?
Aside from the standard symptoms of withdrawal such as jitters and irritability, there are a number of physical symptoms you may not expect. Here are just a few that may present themselves as your body detoxes off nicotine:
- An increased appetite, specifically a craving for carbohydrates and sweet things — you may even gain some weight in the first two weeks of withdrawal
- A nicotine withdrawal cough — it’s not uncommon to develop a cough as your body works through cleaning itself of nicotine build-up, and it may last for a few weeks
- Headaches and dizziness — you may experience regular, albeit mild, headaches and bouts of dizziness when you first quit smoking
- Fatigue — nicotine is a stimulant, so without it, your body may feel a little flat and low on energy, while you could also struggle to sleep at night due to restlessness
- Constipation — you can expect your system to be in a state of shock as it withdraws from nicotine, so your digestion could become a little neglected during this time
Along with the physical effects of withdrawal, there are a few psychological and emotional challenges you may face too. As mentioned, the most common of these include anxiety, depression, and a lack of mental clarity.
These mental challenges tend to set in after you’ve experienced the onset of most physical withdrawal symptoms. You can think of it as part one and part two of your withdrawal — first the physical, then the mental and emotional toll.
What Are the Long-Term Effects of Nicotine Addiction?
Just like any addiction, nicotine can have a dire effect on your physical and mental health when used over the long term. By now, most people are well aware of the fact that nicotine contains cancer-causing agents and a myriad of other harmful chemicals.
In fact, a standard tobacco cigarette contains almost 4000 different chemicals, so it’s no wonder that it can have a serious impact on your physical, mental, and psychological health.
Just some of the long-term health issues that stem from nicotine addiction include:
- Emphysema
- Lung cancer
- Leukemia
- Heart disease
- An increased risk of stroke
- An increased risk of heart attack
- Chronic bronchitis
- The development of diabetes
- Muscular degeneration of the eyes and the development of cataracts
- Infertility
- An increased risk of osteoporosis
The list goes on. To add to this, secondhand smoke is also a major concern for those that live with long-term smokers. It also increases the risk of developing lung cancer, heart disease, respiratory infection, ear infection, asthma, and even sudden death infant syndrome.
Get the Help You Need to Quit Today
While the nicotine withdrawal timeline may sound intimidating, it is possible to successfully quit smoking for good. If you’re looking for professional help to overcome nicotine addiction and detox your body, ReAlign Detox is here to help you.
We offer a range of detox services and treatment options to help you take back control of your life and your health. Get in touch with us today for more on how we can help!