Nicotine withdrawal symptoms?!?!

[Savas]

Okay...I've got to ask...I've basically stopped smoking totally, and expected headaches and irritability...

But today I felt like someone tied lead weights to me on the way home...then got home, felt better and *wham*!

I've been making regular, really unpleasant trips to the bathroom all evening...

So, have I picked up a flu, or what?!?! I don't remember this kind of thing from before when I stopped!!!

I'm trying *really hard* to keep a sense of humour about this...damn, gotta run again!

[LeLe123]

How long did you experience anger when you stopped smoking?  I am struggling with a lot of anger now.  I quit smoking 19 days ago.  I am using the patch, but am still experiencing all the withdrawals.   I seem to be angry at the whole world.  

[avisg]

melody ,
I sent you a PM we have a smoking addiction forum as well for everyone that is trying or has quit smoking .Check it out there is tons of support and good luck you can do this ..

[Melodyb]

Its been amonth for me and Ive cut back to 2 cigs a day. I cant breath because my nose is always stuffy. I have a terrible cough. This has been going on for a month. Its hard cause my husband smokes. I had breast cancer and I have to quit.

[gwbarm]

Today is the 5 th day cold turkey. The withdrawal symptoms have been severe, anxiety attacks at night, i had to minimize caffein because it usally starts the attacks. Depression very bad the first 2 days did not leave the house, Its starting to get better still a burning sensation in chest and back. Also little things like stuffy nose but i smoked menthol, lightheaded which has not gone away. And something i didnt expect impotence, never heard that one for a side effect just the opposite. Legs tingling and itching. Blood pressure dropped the firsst day, heart rate dropped. Just a few things i noticed happening to me.

[Savas]

Well, try to break it down and find out which is your "obsession". Heavy smokers tend to be more obsessed with the "act of smoking", lighting a cigarette, holding it in their hands. Lighter smokers (half packers) tend to be more into the nicotine effect. The secondary "obsessive" hand stuff usually develops from the lighter habit...I'd say start by trying to find something you can do instead. But make sure it "feels right". Don't pick up gum or one of those "toy smokeless cig's"  if you can't really see yourself using them.
     Basically, if you feel "stupid" doing it, it probably won't work. :)

And I have the patch, but decided not to use it. I saw my brother use it and he sneaked ONE cig and ended up getting rushed to the hospital! So I didn't trust myself to "behave"...especially with that kind of danger!

[tobybear]

I smoke from 1/2 a pack to 1 pack aday.  I smoke outside, so I don't miss it in the house. I am always going outside to get away for a feww minutes and wonder if I just use it as an excuse to keep smoking.  I use to have a drinking problem and one I went into the liquor store and bought cigarettes instead of alcohol. About 7 years ago. I don't drink now and Have not wanted to since I have been smoking.  I guess I have to think about this abit because I still don't know why.

[lunachick]

My boyfriend quit smoking after 20 something years and had really bad w/d's like that too. He ended up having to use the patch which really helped. He didn't completely stop suffering, but it wasn't as bad as it was going c/t.

[Savas]

For me, I was okay for periods, and then some comment or action, usually something not even a big deal, would set me off , and I'd get this sudden flash of strong anger/annoyance. It takes a real effort to remind yourself it's just the lack of nic talking. It feels like for a brief moment a "filter" has been put in place, in which everything has "harsh edges".
     If you can stay on top of/ aware of it, it can keep it to a minimum. I'll actually say to a person; "You know what...just don't mention that right now. Don't talk. If you do, I'll jump down your throat...sorry, it's the cig thing".  Of course...you can't always do that...

I have a stomach thing too, but that may be something else. But it does mean I'm not eating a lot (most people gain weight when stopping, ...gues I'm lucky...doesn't feel lucky!)

Otherwise, I've had one or two people who know me say I seem more jittery/edgy at times. And I have been feeling a bit "dull" and "blah".  I have cut my schedule in half the past few days, so maybe all this would be worse if I had to be going about as usual.

Oh, I did get a HUGE stress reaction, I get a small rash on my cheeks if I get really stressed...and it literally broke out all over my face. I looked like a burn victim! So yes, it has been strssful.

When you think of stopping smoking, what bothers you most immediately? The actual nicotine loss, or the actual holding a cigarette? The process of lighting it, taking it out? It's important to target what you think is the key "hardest part" for you and work on that first. How much do you smoke right now?

[tobybear]

What kind of w\d shoud I expect when I quit smoking?  I don't smoke in the house or car.  I have to go outside and smoke. It relaxes me and gets me out of the house. Now I am looking for something to take its place that is not addicting, and legal to do around my grandbabies.  A

[Savas]

Well, I stopped cig's abruptly, from 3 packs to 0 packs. But because my wife is "cutting back" first, I knew I'd go crazy if I didn't do something. So I picked up a pipe and used that for a week. I checked it out...since you don't inhale (like Bill Clinton!!!) the nicotine intake is very little. And since I only had like one pipe full each whole day, it was like cutting back from 3 packs to 1-2 cigarettes. The advantage is it gave me something to do with my hands, which is my biggest problem. Just holding it helped (smokeless cig's are just...silly).  One puch has the smae amount of tobacco as a pack of cig's, and it lasted me a week and a half like this.
So I've had like a day and a half since I actually put anything in my pipe and smoked it (always wanted to say that!!!). I might cheat a little until the stomach problem goes away. Of the two, I'd rather finish settling on my new dose of methadone (it's a hard drop, this one, very low). Or not...I think I finally feel like it might be better...I hope!

But...I think it's working. It gave me a week or two to get used to not lighting cig's, and not freaking when I saw my wife light one. Got me out of the "habit", so to speak. That's always the hardest for me, the whole physical act of smoking. This is sort of a "transfer" thing. I did it 15 years ago, and it worked great for me then. Took about three weeks before I stopped with smoking totally, and the nic withdrawals weren't that bad, or the habit part.

[tobybear]

Have you quit ct? Did you use a patch, or gum?  I really do need to quit smoking and for some dumb reason I don;t or stubbornly won't.  

[tobybear]

Have you quit ct? Did you use a patch, or gum?  I really do need to quit smoking and for some dumb reason I don;t or stubbornly won't.  

[Savas]

Mostly...money. I was spending $300 dollars a month on cigarettes. But also I was starting to get a bit of a tightness in the mornings in the chest. Which went away after the first week. I'm also tired of everything I own smelling of stale cigarette smoke.
It's funny, but one of the main reasons I HAVEN'T stopped until now is the hostility towards smokers in this country. Tied in with the ridiculous commercials (Smoking causes Bank Robberies!!!) and the fake or misquoted statistics...
Well, I just got stubborn about it. I probably would have stopped a while ago, if they hadn't been so dishonest and hostile about it.

[tobybear]

I have wanted to quit smoking, but am chicken.  What gave you the motive and will power to stop?

Tobybear

[VOsRose]

Nah...you still have guinea pig status...Congrats!

Yes, the reduction is probably what's going on with your stomach.  I hope that gets better, and I'm betting it does!

[Savas]

Yeah, that's my worry too. Once you start taking it on and off...well, what's the point?!?!

...I probably should have remembered I did a 2.5 dose reduction 4-5 days ago from 5 milligrams of methadone. It never occured to me that could be the problem. I would change it and go back up, so I'm not dealing with both, but by the time I get back in (weekend, clinic closed) and deal with it, the problem will probably resolve!
Wish I'd thought of this earlier...the thought hit me in the middle of the night when I had an emergency bathroom run (yep, still not over). I felt very stupid for not thinking of it. But it would be the only symptom I'm getting, since I feel fine otherwise...well...as fine as I can, considering the circumstances!

I hope this doesn't invalidate me as a guinea pig! :(

[VOsRose]

Good for you!  I hope you made it through dinner without any problems!

I've always been hesitant to use the patch because I'm afraid I'll end up smoking and od'ing on nicotine!  LOL

It's very selfless of you to be our guinea pig...thanks!

Rosie

[Savas]

Well, I seemed to have survived whatever the heck it was. I'm still a bit "blah" down there, but I can eat again! Hey, if it keeps up, I WON'T have to worry about putting on weight because of quitting smoking!!! :)

I spoke to the doctor briefly, and she said it COULD have been a stress reaction. I did break out in a rash I get when heavily stressed (all over my face...no cameras please!!!) ...but all things considered, I'm not surprised I did, flu or not!

She said I should consider using the patch she gave me if it keeps up, but if I make it through dinner, I know I'll be back to just being edgy, irritable at times, and difficult to deal with, which is EVERYONE ELSE'S problem, not mine, so...no patch.  heh heh...

I'll let you know when I see her tuesday if she confirms it was flu or nic withdrawal (wouldn't say definitely over phone). Honestly, it wouldn't have been that bad but I was totally unprepared and had no stomach medications in the medicine cabinet. So I just had to suffer through till today.

Thanks for the comments/ support. Being a guinea pig for others who want to quit gives me a whole other purpose for continuing to do this!  :)

[avisg]

Savas, congrats on quiting. I quit a three pack a day habit one year ago almost to the day. It can be done . I would think maybe ya picked up a bug . When I quit I did not have any stomach issues just really really edgy that went away after a few weeks . The craving were the worst the first 6 months now i rarely think about them . I am SO happy i quit it was the best thing I could have ever done for myself. Every ones bodies reacts differently so maybe its from quiting but I really think bug .
Avis

[VOsRose]

Thanks for letting me know how you're doing with it.  I'm sorry that you're feeling poorly and I hope you are much better today!  

[Savas]

Just so you know, it looks like this is probably a stomach virus, and not just from  the nicotine withdrawal. It seems unlikely it would be this bad after all this time...of course, I could be wrong! :)

I know smoking helps the digestion, so wasn't surprised I've had some stomach problems during it all, but I literally can't eat anything right now without *dire* consequences. I'll check in later or tomorrow, if I'm feeling better.

[Calzy]

I quit about 10 wks ago and the first 3 wks were the physical attack on the body and felt pretty good after that except rhe head game for awhile after that. Your right on course, way to go.

[VOsRose]

Please do let me know how it proceeds.  I am going to make a serious attempt at quitting smoking as soon as I get home (in about 10 days.)  My husband HATES smoking...he's one of those reformed smokers...you know the type.

I hope today is not as bad as yesterday for you, stomach-wise.  Good for you for being able to quit a 3 pack a day habit...I'm at about 1 1/2 to 2 packs a day myself and have been smoking, regularly, for about 25 years.  You must have a lot of will-power and fortitude to be able to lay them down like that...I hope I'll be as strong.

Rosie

[Savas]

I think it was just the quitting smoking. I settled down (stomach and all) about a half an hour after I posted this. Ate dinner and everything...

Woke up today okay, but think my stomachs starting to bother me again. Funny, I was basically okay for a few days, then it kinda hit me. (keep in mind I went from smoking three packs a day to having the equivalent of one to two cigarettes in nicotine terms a day in three days, not TOTALLY stopped, nicotine wise).

Ugh, I do think it's starting up again...well, I'll check in later and let you know how it goes. I will say it hasn't been TOO bad. At least I get periods of feeling basically fine, which is a great relief. If it was non stop I'd be pretty miserable.