Day 3 of no cigarettes
Symptoms of Withdrawal
After you quit smoking, you with have some withdrawal symptoms. Such symptoms generally peak in intensity 3 -5 days after you quit, and usually disappear after 2 weeks, although some may persist for several months.
The symptoms of withdrawal include both physical and mental difficulties.
Physical Symptoms.
- Tingling in the hands and feet
- Sweating
- Intestinal disorders (cramps, nausea)
- Headaches
- Sore throat, coughing, and signs of a cold
Withdrawal symptoms should be treated accordingly, just as you would with physical symptoms due to an illness or disease.
Mental and Emotional Symptoms. Tension and craving build up during periods of withdrawal, sometimes to a nearly intolerable point. Nearly every moderate-to-heavy smoker experiences more than one of the following strong emotional and mental responses to withdrawal:
- Temper tantrums, intense needs, feelings of dependency, and a state of near paralysis
- Insomnia
- Mental confusion, vagueness, or difficulty concentrating
- Irritability, restlessness, impatience, or anger
- Anxiety
- Depression
The first signs of nicotine withdrawal seem to appear within 30 minutes of a smoker’s last cigarette. The findings, published in Psychopharmacology, are believed to be the first to show just how early nicotine withdrawal occurs. The study involved 50 people who smoked a pack of cigarettes daily. Half refrained from smoking for 4 hours, while the others smoked as usual. After 30 minutes, those who did not have a cigarette craved one and did more poorly on tasks requiring attention than those in the smoking group. Within 3 hours, the non-smoking group showed increases in anxiety, sadness, and difficulty concentrating.
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