What is nicotine withdrawal?
Nicotine withdrawal occurs when an individual who has been using some product(s) with nicotine over a period of time and then decides to discontinue use. Some such products are cigarettes, smokeless tobacco and snuff.
These, along with some other products, contain high levels of nicotine which, over time, makes the individual using these products addicted. When a person tries to stop using these products, his body reacts to the sudden change and absence of the substance it has gotten used to and this causes withdrawal symptoms.
Nicotine withdrawal symptoms
Nicotine addiction causes a physiological and psychological dependency on the substance. The psychological dependency is more difficult to control than the physiological dependency because the brain gets wired to be used to nicotine in the body constantly.
Some common withdrawal symptoms for nicotine seen in addicts are shaky hands, headaches, food cravings and increase in appetite, restlessness and difficulty in concentration, irritability and sleeplessness. These can be mild or very strong depending on the amount of nicotine that the individual was addicted to, if he/she was a light user or heavy user of nicotine products.
How long do nicotine withdrawal symptoms last?
The time period for which withdrawal symptoms last vary from person to person. It depends on a variety of factors.
- Time period of regular nicotine use: Those who have been using for a longer period of time will have withdrawal symptoms that may last longer
- Amount of usage: The individual being a heavy user or light user also has an effect on the time duration and intensity of withdrawal symptoms
- Individual bodily reactions: Every individual reacts differently to nicotine and its sudden absence from the system. These reactions play a vital role in determining the time period for which the individual will experience nicotine withdrawal symptoms
Symptoms will be strong for the first few days, but may go on up to 2-3 weeks for heavy users. For withdrawal symptoms to fade away completely may take one or two months.
