Although there are some hard core smokers in the world who have the attitude that they will smoke until the day they die, many would really like to quit. The reasons for quitting can be as numerous as the people that smoke but many who want to quit are concerned about what symptoms they will experience when they try. In addition to the obvious symptom of nicotine withdrawal there are other things that will happen to a smoker after they put down their cigarettes. In this article I would like to talk about these symptoms, how common they are, and how long you can expect them to last.



The most obvious symptom is, of course nicotine withdrawal and this is the one that many smokers fear the most. If quitting cold turkey, then 70% of smokers can expect to have this symptom and it will usually last for 2 to 4 weeks after quitting. There are many products and methods that aid in quitting smoking and helping to relieve the nicotine withdrawal symptoms. While nicotine replacement therapies such as nicotine patches, gums, and lozenges exist and can help relieve the cravings, these products introduce more nicotine into the body of a smoker so it will take even longer for the nicotine addition to end. It is best to avoid this type of product and instead opt for something that not does use nicotine to relieve the cravings and such products are available.

Other then nicotine withdrawal there are other symptoms of quitting that can affect smokers. The first of these falls into the category of mental symptoms and can be quite difficult to deal with. Some smokers will experience these mental symptoms and others will not. These types of quit smoking symptoms include things such as irritability and sometimes aggression related behavior which affects about 50% of smokers and will normally go away in around 4 weeks. Depression can also appear in about 60% of people and will usually subside in less then 4 weeks and about 60% of people quitting will experience a sense of restlessness that will also fade in 4 weeks or less. Many smokers also experience poor concentration and this affects around 60% of the populations and will usually go away in 2 weeks or less.

Most of the other types of symptoms that smokers experience when quitting are on a physical level and can be quite uncomfortable. When first quitting about 10% of smokers will experience a state of light headedness but this normally passes in less then 48 hours. Night time awakenings or insomnia also affect around 25% of smokers but will usually go away in less then a week. General cravings for a smoke that are not really nicotine related can affect up to around 70% of smokers and may last up to 2 weeks. It is difficult to determine if this is a physical or mental symptoms as it is obvious that the mind can crave the act of smoking just as much as the body can crave the nicotine. Some smokers may also experience less common symptoms such as headaches, constipation, and a general sense of unease or paranoia.

One of the most feared symptoms of quitting in an increased appetite and weight gain. This condition can affect up to 70% of people who quit smoking and may last up to 2 weeks. The problem with this is that even after the increased appetite symptom goes away, the problem may remain because many smokers tend to use food as an alternative to nicotine replacement. Instead of reaching of the cigarette, they reach for food instead and not only can this lead to an increase in weight, it can also introduce new health problems related to being overweight, some of which can be just as dangerous as smoking. One way to fight this problem is to develop an exercise program once you quit smoking. Not only will exercise keep your weight in check and keep your body in increased state of heath but it can also help to naturally fight the cravings and symptoms that a person who is quitting smoking can experience. And never use food as a replacement for tobacco but rather find a more suitable, less dangerous replacement.

While the purpose of this article was meant to explain some of the symptoms that a quitting smoker may experience, it is not my intention to scare a smoker into not trying to quit. I feel that once a smoker is armed with the information of what to expect, it will make it easier to follow through on quitting. For the benefit of yourself and your family, please make the decisions to quit today.