« Previous Page
It's not easy to quit smoking. The nicotine in cigarettes is addicting.
Your body craves it because it makes you feel good.
So when you
try to stop smoking, you go through
nicotine withdrawal. You feel awful, and you may worry
about gaining weight. You get cranky and anxious. It can be hard to sleep.
You're not the only one. Most people feel bad when they try to
quit. The hardest part is not reaching for a smoke to feel better. Use the tips
in this Actionset to help you cope. The information also applies if you use
chew or snuff.
Your doctor can prescribe medicines that can get you through withdrawal. Together, you can plan the best way to use nicotine replacement products or medicine.
If you have questions about this information, print it out and take it
with you when you visit your doctor. You may want to mark areas or make notes
in the margins where you have questions.
Don't try to do it
alone. Your doctor can help you learn about medicines or about how to use nicotine replacement therapy. And a support group can keep you on track and motivated. People who use telephone, group, one-on-one, or Internet counseling are more likely to
stop smoking. Counselors can help you with practical ideas to avoid common
mistakes and help you succeed.
Many people smoke because nicotine
helps them relax. Without the nicotine, they feel uptight and grouchy. But
there may be better ways to cope with these feelings, that is, ways that may make dealing with
cigarette cravings easier. Try these ideas:
These ideas can help you relax. But it's also good to
figure out the cause of your stress. Then, learn how to change the way you
react to it.
Physical activity may help reduce
your nicotine cravings and relieve some withdrawal symptoms. It doesn't have to
be intense activity. Mild exercise is fine.footnote 1 Being
more active also may help you reduce stress and keep your weight down.
When you have the urge to smoke, do something active instead. Walk around
the block. Head to the gym. Do some gardening or housework. Take the dog for a
walk. Play with the kids.
If you have trouble sleeping,
try these tips:
Quitting smoking increases your
appetite. To avoid gaining weight, keep in mind that the secret to weight
control is eating healthy food and being more active.
For more on eating and smoking, see Quitting Smoking: Dealing With Weight Gain.
smoking can be harder if you have a lot of work or family demands.
Medicines can help you
deal with nicotine withdrawal and cigarette cravings. Most medicines also help prevent weight gain. Research shows that they
more than double your chances of quitting for good.footnote 2
For more on using medicine, see Quitting Smoking: Should I Use Medicine?
Many people try to quit
smoking many times before they can stop for good.
that you'll be more successful if you get help. Here's how a few people finally
managed to quit.
took Michael seven tries to quit smoking.
"It's awful. My craving for cigarettes was very, very strong," he says.
"You just become so frustrated. You feel all this pent-up energy and don't know
how to relieve it.
"And you could just go to the corner store and
buy a pack and end the misery. ... That's what I would end up doing."
He finally managed to quit by using nicotine patches. He's been
smoke-free for nearly 4 years.
Eric had his first cigarette when he was 12. By age 23, he
was tearing through a pack and a half a day.
He tried quitting
"cold turkey." He tried nicotine gum. Neither worked for him. So he tried
The patches made him feel sick for a few days.
The first week without cigarettes felt like torture, because his cravings were
so strong. But when he started using gum along with the patch, the cravings became bearable. In 5 weeks, he had managed to stop
Taylor AH, et al. (2007). The acute effects of exercise on cigarette cravings, withdrawal symptoms, affect and smoking behaviour: A systematic review. Addiction, 102(4): 534–543.
Stead LF, et al. (2012). Nicotine replacement therapy for smoking cessation. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (11).
ByHealthwise StaffPrimary Medical ReviewerAdam Husney, MD - Family MedicineSpecialist Medical ReviewerJohn Hughes, MD - Psychiatry
Current as ofAugust 21, 2015
Current as of:
August 21, 2015
Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine
& John Hughes, MD - Psychiatry
How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
To learn more about Healthwise, visit Healthwise.org
© 1995-2015 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.