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Symptoms of Recovery
Irritability
Cause: Heavy smokers are more likely to report this symptom. The irritability people experience after quitting is caused by the body’s craving for nicotine.
Solution: Try relaxing exercise, warm shower or brisk walk. Ask your doctor about nicotine replacements. Irritability associated with quitting will lesson over time. (Average duration 2-4 weeks)
Fatigue
Cause: Nicotine is a stimulant, so it is not surprising that quitting smoking causes fatigue. Heavy smokers are more likely to feel tired after quitting. Fatigue occurs in the afternoon from 2-4pm.
Solution: Take naps or a brisk walk. Ask your doctor about nicotine replacements.
Insomnia
Cause: Nicotine affects brain wave functioning and may influence sleep patterns. It is not uncommon in the first few days after quitting for the ex-smoker to wake up frequently during the night. Dreaming about smoking is also common. Coughing after quitting may also contribute to wakefulness.
Solution: Avoid caffeine after 6pm, and try relaxation techniques. This symptom rarely lasts longer than a week after quitting.
Depression
Cause: It is not uncommon to feel a little depressed after quitting tobacco. Some say that quitting smoking is like losing a close friend. Bouts of crying are not uncommon.
Solution: Understand that the feelings are normal, talk to a friend, write a letter to yourself, volunteer at an animal shelter or other place you can help others; go to a movie.
Tightness in the chest
Cause: It is not uncommon to experience a tightness in the chest after quitting. Chest tightness is probably due to the tension created by the body’s need for nicotine. Chest tightness occurs more often in those who report ex-smoker’s cough, which may mean that the chest muscles are sore from coughing.
Solution: Try relaxation techniques, especially deep breathing. Ask your doctor about nicotine replacements. This symptom passes within a few days after quitting.
Stomach pains, constipation, gas
Cause: Intestinal movement may decrease for a brief period when a smoker/chewer lowers his/her tobacco use.
Solution: Eat lots of roughage, like raw fruits, vegetables, bran and cereal; also drink six to eight glasses of water each day; exercise.
Hunger
Cause: The craving for a cigarette or chew is often confused with hunger pangs. As a result, many people find themselves eating more after quitting. Heavy tobacco users experience feelings of hunger more often after quitting than light users.
Solution: Try low calorie snacks or beverages. Ask your doctor about nicotine replacements. This symptom is usually most intense the first week after quitting, and may persist for several weeks.
Coughing, Dry Throat
Cause: Ex-smoker’s cough is the body’s way of getting rid of the extra mucous that has blocked airways. Dry throat is caused by the fact that the body is no longer producing a lot of mucous to protect the airways from the toxins.
Solution: Try drinking cold water, fruit juice, tea, chew gum, or have cough drops/hard candy. These symptoms rarely last longer than a few days after quitting.
Dizziness
Cause: The occasional dizziness that some ex-smokers experience is caused by extra oxygen that the body is getting.
Solution: Take extra caution in the things that you do, change positions slowly. This symptom rarely last longer than a day or two after quitting.
Lack of Concentration
Cause: Nicotine does affect brain wave functioning. Recent studies indicate that concentration and problem solving ability is enhanced in smokers for a short period (20–30 minutes) following administration of nicotine. Changing a habit as ingrained as tobacco use takes effort and contributes to problems in concentration. The tobacco-users body needs time to adjust to a routine of not having the constant stimulation from nicotine.
Solution: Plan workload to account for your temporary lack of concentration. Avoid additional stress during the first few weeks. Most ex-tobacco users say that concentration is not a problem after a few weeks of being tobacco free.
Name and Tame your Triggers
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Triggers |
Coping Techniques |
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Being around other people who smoke |
Go to places where smoking isn't allowed. Tell your friends that you are trying to quit. |
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Feeling bored |
Find new ways to occupy your time: take a walk, read, find a new hobby. |
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Drinking alcohol |
Avoid drinking alcoholic beverages while you are trying to quit. Do not go to bars, especially ones that allow smoking. |
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Feeling hungry |
Have a healthy snack or drink some water |
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Drinking coffee |
Switch to tea, or hold your cup with the hand you used to hold your cigarette in. |
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Talking on the phone |
Put something else in your hand, such as a pen. Doodle on scrap paper. |
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Watching TV |
Don’t sit in your usual chair. Keep popcorn or low-fat, healthy snacks on hand. |
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Finishing a meal |
Get up from the table and do something physical…take a walk |