Stop Smoking Symptom - Withdrawal And Side Effects

When you stop smoking there is a good chance you will experience a stop smoking symptom or two. These are caused by the withdrawal effects of nicotine and by the side effects of changes in your body from not inhaling the toxins in tobacco smoke.

An unpleasant stop smoking symptom may give you an excuse to start smoking again. Don't let it!

Stop Smoking Symptom #1: Chesty Cough

When you stop smoking, your lungs are presented with an opportunity to clean themselves. As this will be the first time in probably many years for them to clean themselves up, they will go for it! It is perfectly natural for them to do this too.

As time passes, your chestyness should subside as your lungs overcome that first cleaning frenzy. If your cough persists, you should go and see your doctor as a persistent cough could be an indication on lung cancer.

Stop Smoking Symptom #2: Sore Throat

When you stop smoking, the environment in your mouth and nose changes from what has been normal whilst you were smoking. When you smoke, there is a need for your mouth, nose and throat to be well lubricated to cope with the tobacco smoke. When you stop, the lubrication levels are excessive to your needs.

The result of this mucus production in an excessive post-nasal drip, which means mucus is falling into the back of your mouth and throat from your nose. This causes a sore throat much like the sore throats you experience when you have a cold.

Stop Smoking Symptom #3: Coughs and Colds

The change in your mouth, nose, throat and lung environment from stopping smoking is considerable. There is an excessive amount of fluid sloshing around and this provides an ideal environment for bugs to make themselves at home. The net result is an increased likelihood of suffering coughs, colds and sore-throats.

It may seem to you that you were better off smoking because you never used to suffer so much as a smoker but these infections are transient and should only be short lived. Put up with them as they are a price worth paying for the long term health benefits of not smoking.

Stop Smoking Symptom #4: Bad Breath

When you smoke, your mouth waters. As a new non-smoker, instead of getting this rush of mouth watering 20 times a day, your mouth can become parched by comparison to how you would normally be. This dryer environment often causes a build up of unpleasant anaerobic bacteria at the back of the mouth. These bacteria give off 'volatile sulphurous compounds' that don't smell good.

To help overcome the imminent bad breath, drink water regularly and have low calorie mints or sugar free gum to hand at all times to save yourself from embarrassment.

Stop Smoking Symptom #5: Headaches and Light-Headedness

When you stop smoking your blood's ability to operate improves rapidly. When you smoked, your blood became handicapped from carbon monoxide but this handicapping passes very quickly once you stop.

Your blood sugar levels will change too when you quit because the action of nicotine on insulin in your blood is no longer present. The net effect of these two factors is that you will have more oxygen and less sugar in your blood, bathing your brain in an unfamiliar environment. A common result of this change is headaches or light-headedness.

Take some non-prescription painkillers, drink plenty of water and wait for it to subside. If it persists for more than a week, go and see your doctor but don't start smoking again!

Stop Smoking Symptom #6: Constipation

When you smoke, the nicotine in tobacco affects your intestines, relaxing the muscles. This helps your digestion and keeps you regular. When you quit smoking, this therapeutic effect of nicotine is no longer there and you may suffer from constipation.

Drink plenty of water and try to up the fibre in your diet to help the situation. Fruit and vegetables of any sort should help along with wholegrain cereals or bread.

Stop Smoking Symptom #7: Mood Swings

You are in a state of nicotine withdrawal and as mentioned above, your brain is bathed in high oxygen, low sugar level blood that it is not used to. Much as alcohol can change your behaviour, a lack of nicotine, more oxygen and less sugar can easily have you change your behaviour. Luckily, it is short lived and should pass within a couple of weeks but to help, try to avoid alcohol and caffeine where possible to minimize the situation.

Stop Smoking Symptom #8: Insomnia

For much the same reason as the mood swings, you may also suffer from insomnia as a result of nicotine withdrawal. To help overcome this, use any methods you can think of to help yourself relax including avoiding any stimulants such as tea or coffee after around 6pm.

Tom Dainty is a Quit Smoking Therapist and author of The Quit Smoking Bible, a cognitive behavioural therapy approach to quitting smoking. His work is only available from http://quitsmokingbible.com

You Will Never Stop Smoking Until You Read This

This article is not about taking the moral high ground and preaching about the benefits of giving up smoking. It is just a simple article about what worked for me - a 47 year old guy who had been smoking for over 30 years and ended up on 60 cigarettes a day. I reckon if I can do it then perhaps this article will help others to seriously consider giving up.

How many times have you tried to stop smoking? If you are anything like me you stopped, (at least temporarily), because you saw something on the TV, a friend had a stoke, you were short of funds or... there are umpteen reasons why people give up and then start again as soon as the initial "scare" has worn off.

As I said, I was smoking 60 cigarettes a day and was well and truly addicted.

You've heard everybody going on at you about why you should stop smoking. Generally the worst people are those who have given up smoking themselves and have set out on a personal crusade, (although it sometimes comes across more as a vendetta), to banish every last trace of smoke on the entire planet.

I advocate a more reasoned approach to stopping smoking. The only important factor in the whole process is YOU.

It is absolutely NOT about...

** doing what somebody tells you to do.

** doing exactly what they have done to stop smoking.

** feeling awkward and guilty around people who do not smoke.

When Is The Right Time To Stop Smoking?

The reason why people stop smoking and then start again is simply because they were not ready to stop at that time.

I thought things through for around 3 months before I finally took the plunge and even then I told everyone that it was only a first step I was taking to stop smoking and I would take it just one day at a time - I found this took the pressure off me so that if I did start smoking again I would not appear to be a "failure".

Remember that smoking is a very real addiction. It takes over your whole life. You probably find that whatever you do revolves around when you are going to have the next puff. Whether it's working in the office, in the garden or whatever... your mind is always thinking about stopping what you are doing to go and have a smoke.

Don't feel guilty about this... as I said it's a very real addiction.

Just as an aside, (at least in the UK), there are more and more doctors who will point blank refuse to treat you for smoking related illness if you are a smoker.

Personally I think they are sick. Far better to refer someone for counselling, (which honestly does work despite my initial skepticism about having someone pry into my habits!).

My counsellor, Doreen, has been marvelous right from the word go. Low key, does not pry, no shock tactics, no lectures... just a very informal chat about the best way for ME to stop smoking.

Doreen put me on patches and gave me a little puffer as I call it, (a nicotine inhalator to be posh), and assured me that at no time would these be suddenly taken away after 3 months or whatever.

A controlled amount of nicotine into your body to take away the urges does you absolutely no harm at all. The real danger is from the smoke going into your lungs. I don't know enough to be technical here but if nicotine is causing the addiction and you can have as much nicotine as you want for as long as you need it, in the form of patches or whatever, then it's all good news for us.

I'm not saying you won't get cravings once you decide to stop smoking but the cravings in my case were normally associated with certain habits. For instance I would associate smoking with coffee. A cup of strong sweet coffee with 5 or 6 cigarettes was pure heaven. I still miss it now to be honest but I normally drink tea and if I do have a coffee I always have my little puffer for a quick blast.

Also remember that the urge to smoke only lasts a minute or so. If you can think about something else for a few minutes, (I know it's easier said than done), but the urge really does go away.

Whilst researching the Internet for some facts before writing this article I became so despondent about the "advice" from the so called experts I decided to just sit down and write as I feel from a personal viewpoint.

One of the snippets of "expert" advice was to make a "Stop Smoking Contract" and have your family and friends sign it. I mean, give me a break will you... If this is not putting pressure on someone trying to stop smoking I don't know what is.

Another expert gem was to plaster No Smoking signs all over the house and around your workplace. Great if you need a constant reminder about smoking.

The whole idea is to gently, in your own time, get away from the habits and thoughts associated with smoking.

I certainly feel better for stopping smoking. Apart from the huge amount of money it saves me, my legs are not tired all the time and I generally have more energy.

In conclusion I would say that in your quest to stop smoking make sure it is what YOU want at a time that is right for YOU.

Go and see your doctor to refer you to a counsellor before giving up. Be honest with the counsellor... If you smoke 80 cigarettes a day then say you smoke 80 cigarettes a day. It is self defeating to say you only smoke 10 or 20 or "about a pack a day".

When YOU feel the time is right to stop smoking then do it but not before. Don't let anyone pressure you into stopping.

Remember, if you don't succeed the first time, (although if you have prepared yourself then there is no reason not to succeed), this is not a failure. It is a huge first step you have courageously taken to stop smoking.

Ade Martin used to smoke 60 cigarettes a day and finally found the way to give up once and for all. 2 years later he has still kicked the habit with minimal cravings which are easily managed.
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