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Withdrawal Symptoms

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staciarose13
staciarose13 Posts: 51 Member
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Hello fellow quitters,

I am on day 20 of not smoking. This is my first time quitting without using Chantix (I quit for 3 months years ago using it, but then turned 21 and drank all the time) and I'm not having ANY cravings for cigarettes, but my withdrawal symptoms are HORRIBLE. Even after 20 days!

I was wondering what sorts of withdrawal symptoms you guys all had in the beginning and when/if they got better. I think it'll make me feel better to know that other people went through the same things that I am because this is very frustrating!

-Stacia

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  • kylee_marie
    kylee_marie Posts: 299 Member
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    my most significant w/d symptom has been not sleeping.. i literally wake up ever 45 minutes. i quit January 4th ( i have had 2 since then, when i was out at the bar) but honestly i haven't had too many cravings or anything like that, i just cannot sleep!
  • rae_rae330
    rae_rae330 Posts: 39 Member
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    i'm on day 5 of quitting. this is the first time i've quit and have been a pack a day smoker for about 16 yearsjavascript:add_smiley('smokin','post_body'). i quit cold turkey. the first couple of days i had some nasty cravings, but i held strong and didnt smoke. i was a menthol smoker and have had good success relieving the cravings by sucking on altoids or some other kind of mints. i went through the emotional tears and raving b**ch stage...used a few mixed drinks to calm my nerves. (I think my experiences with that symptom may have been a bit escalated due to the time of the month i quit.) The only other side effect i really got hit by was the insomnia. i would sleep for 2-3 hours and then spend the rest of the night tossing and turning. i have been suffering from this one since the first day i quit. yesterday after work i stopped at walmart and grabbed a bottle of generic Unisom and took a couple before bed. Slept all night last night...finally!! Oh...and i've had trouble concentrating at work lately...my focus is all over the place, although that could also be because of how boring my job is. lol

    what symptoms did u experience?
  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
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    Insomnia...I woke up wide awake around 4 am every flipping day (on weekdays I try and sleep from 10:30 pm to 6 am). Drove me nuts and lasted a good month, maybe more.

    Other than the insomnia, I would just get your average (but intense) cravings. A friend of mine quit the same time I did and he kept having very vivid smoking dreams...in his dreams he was happily always with cigarette. We both quit almost 7 months ago and he is still having those dreams.
  • staciarose13
    staciarose13 Posts: 51 Member
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    Thanks for your responses!
    I did have trouble sleeping in the first couple of days but I kind of have a dependency on sleep aids at the moment, so it hasn't been too bad. The most major things I am experiencing are;
    -Major mood swings (I would get upset at my boyfriend over EVERYTHING even if I know it's just a joke. I've gotten a tiny bit better, but i still have major mood swings)
    -Lack of concentration (i keep making mistakes on orders I input at my job, I never made any mistakes before I quit)
    -Dizziness (almost all the time, but especially after i work out)
    -Some Nausea
    -Forgetfullness

    I'm having all of those but not craving cigarettes at all. I'm getting frustrated because I thought the symptoms would be long gone by 20 days!!!

    I'm glad I haven't had any smoking dreams, though..that would be tough!
  • nellyett
    nellyett Posts: 436 Member
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    Those sound like typical symptoms that I read about online today. lol

    If they persist, perhaps check with your Dr as they may be side effects of the Champix (Chantix? Think it's with a 'p' in Canada)...

    My girlfriend had a bit of an issue with depression when she was on it. She had to really keep aware of her thoughts and how she was feeling. It never got serious or suicidal or anything like that, but seemed more down than 'normal'... Oh and she said it was really hard on your stomach if you don't take it with food. :)
  • staciarose13
    staciarose13 Posts: 51 Member
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    Ohhh Thanks. i'm not taking Chantix..this is the first time I'm quitting without it. But yes, I had very horrible side effects too!
  • Healthydiner65
    Healthydiner65 Posts: 1,579 Member
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    When I quit I became a total witch for about one week then my emotions starting leveling off! I also had headaches for the same week. The hardest part was dealing with life without any crutches(alcohol, nicotine, food). I quit Jan 26, 2012 for good!
  • strawberrytoast
    strawberrytoast Posts: 711 Member
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    Ive not had any withdrawl symptoms yet (on day 10). Only thing i find is i go to do something i used to do having a cigarette first and automatically have a flash of cigarette and have to remind myself i dont do that anymore. Its really weird and only lasts a few seconds- suppose its just getting out of the habit of something you have done for so long.

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