Common nicotine withdrawal symptoms include strong cravings, irritability, anxiety, low mood, restlessness, trouble sleeping, trouble concentrating and feeling hungrier than usual. The NHS says they can start within a few hours of stopping and are usually strongest in the first 3 days. On average they last 3 to 4 weeks, though some people feel them longer.
This is general information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own situation.
When you use nicotine regularly, your body gets used to having a certain level of it. Take it away and your body has to adjust. Smokefree.gov explains that this lack of nicotine is what causes withdrawal symptoms. The NHS adds that the symptoms can be mild for some people and harder to manage for others.
Most of the research comes from people quitting cigarettes. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) says its tips apply to any tobacco product, and Smokefree.gov lists the same kinds of symptoms for people who stop vaping.
NCI lists these as the most common symptoms:
Cravings. Strong urges to smoke or vape.
Anger, frustration and irritability. Feeling edgy, short-tempered or less patient with people.
Anxiety. Feeling tense or agitated, sometimes with tight muscles around the neck and shoulders.
Low mood or depression. Feeling sad or down for a while after you quit.
Restlessness. Feeling jumpy or unable to sit still.
Trouble sleeping.
Trouble concentrating. Smokefree.gov describes this as feeling foggy.
Hunger. A bigger appetite than usual.
NCI says some people also get headaches, tiredness, dizziness, a cough, mouth ulcers or constipation. These are less common.
Everyone is different, but the sources agree on a rough pattern:
The first few hours. The NHS says withdrawal can start within a few hours of your last cigarette.
Days 1 to 3. This is usually the peak. NCI says symptoms are usually worst in the first week, peaking during the first 3 days.
The first week. Smokefree.gov says the worst symptoms only last a few days to a couple of weeks, and that the first week is when you are most likely to slip.
Weeks 2 to 4. NCI says the intensity usually drops over the first month. The NHS puts the average at 3 to 4 weeks.
Months later. Some people feel symptoms for several months, and occasional mild cravings can show up even years later.
Individual symptoms follow their own timing. According to NCI, irritability tends to peak within a week and may last 2 to 4 weeks. Anxiety usually builds over the first 3 days and may last several weeks. Mild low mood usually starts within the first day and goes away within a month. Cravings get farther apart as time passes.
CDC adds some good news: once people have been smoke-free for a few months, their anxiety and depression levels are often lower than when they were smoking.
Remind yourself that a craving always passes. CDC says you never have to give in to one.
Breathe in slowly through your nose and out through your mouth, 10 times.
Keep your mouth busy with carrots, celery or sugar-free gum.
For the first 28 days, the NHS suggests staying away from places and situations that make you want to smoke.
For a step-by-step plan for the moment a craving hits, see our guide on how to deal with vape cravings.
Tell yourself the feeling is temporary, because it is.
Take a walk or do another activity you enjoy.
Cut back on coffee, tea and soda. CDC notes that caffeine lasts longer in your body after you quit smoking.
Set aside quiet time in the morning and evening.
Meet up with a friend and stay connected with people who support you.
Name what you actually feel. NCI suggests asking whether you are really tired, lonely, bored or hungry, then dealing with that need.
Stay active and keep a daily routine.
Burn off the jumpy feeling with walking, yardwork or chores.
Keep a regular bedtime and wake time, and keep screens out of the bedroom.
Avoid caffeine in the late afternoon and evening, and go easy on alcohol and big meals before bed.
If you use a nicotine patch, CDC suggests trying taking it off an hour before bedtime, since it can affect sleep. Check with your pharmacist first.
Be patient with yourself. Smokefree.gov says the fogginess is temporary.
In the first days, CDC suggests limiting tasks that need intense focus where you can.
Keep crunchy snacks nearby, like carrots, celery or raw nuts.
Stay active and try to eat without distractions.
Keep it in perspective. NCI says weight gain after quitting is usually less than 10 pounds, and the health benefits of quitting far outweigh a small amount of extra weight.
You do not have to rely on willpower alone. CDC says quit-smoking medicines can help a lot with cravings. NCI suggests trying nicotine replacement products, and the NHS lists patches, gum and nasal sprays among them. The NHS suggests asking a GP or your local Stop Smoking Service which products suit you. If you are quitting vaping, ask a doctor or pharmacist what fits your situation.
Before quit day: write down your reasons for quitting and put them where you will see them. Save a quitline number in your phone.
Days 1 to 3: expect the peak. Keep caffeine low, plan two short walks a day and keep snacks and water within reach.
Days 4 to 7: note which symptoms are easing and which are not. Avoid your biggest triggers where you can.
Each evening: rate your cravings, mood and sleep from 1 to 10. Seeing the numbers drop helps you keep going.
End of week 1: reward yourself. If anything feels worse, call a quitline or your doctor.
CDC says to contact a healthcare provider if you do not feel better in a couple of weeks, or if your symptoms feel unmanageable.
If sadness or anxiety gets worse or does not go away, Smokefree.gov suggests telling a friend or family member and talking to a health professional.
If you have had depression before, tell your doctor you are quitting. NCI says people with a history of depression often have more severe withdrawal symptoms.
If you or someone you know is in distress or having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 in the U.S. for free, confidential support at any hour. In an emergency, call 911.
1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669): talk with a trained tobacco counselor in the U.S.
1-877-44U-QUIT (1-877-448-7848): NCI's Smoking Quitline for one-to-one counseling.
Text CRAVE to 47848: craving support from Smokefree.gov, any time of day.
Text QUIT to 47848: SmokefreeTXT, a daily text program that runs 6 to 8 weeks.
LiveHelp chat: Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern time, in English or Spanish.
The worst is usually over within a couple of weeks. The NHS says symptoms last 3 to 4 weeks on average.
There is no single worst day, but NCI and the NHS both point to the first 3 days as the usual peak.
Yes, though NCI lists them as less common. If they are severe or do not ease, check with a doctor.
The symptoms are very similar. Smokefree.gov lists irritability, headaches, low mood, anxiety, tiredness, poor sleep, hunger and intense cravings for people quitting vaping, with the worst lasting a few days to a couple of weeks.
CraveBreaker: Quit Vaping is a self-help iPhone app for adults who are quitting vaping. Its free craving toolkit has a short breathing reset, a grounding exercise, a puzzle and a craving timer, and its craving log records the situation, intensity, what you tried and whether you vaped, then shows patterns as observations. It is not medical advice, its guides are based on Smokefree.gov and Health Canada, and it includes quitline information for the U.S. and Canada.
Get CraveBreaker free on the App Store
Managing Nicotine Withdrawal (Smokefree.gov, National Cancer Institute)
Nicotine withdrawal and vaping (Smokefree.gov, National Cancer Institute)
7 Common Withdrawal Symptoms (CDC, Tips From Former Smokers)