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Nicotine withdrawal headaches and other symptoms can be tough and daunting, especially if you’ve been smoking or using nicotine products for a long time. They can start as soon as a few hours after your last cigarette or nicotine use and last for weeks afterwards. Most people typically report that most symptoms disappear completely around four to six weeks after the final nicotine use, but four to six weeks is a long time to be struggling with physiological symptoms.
Nicotine withdrawal headaches and other symptoms like nicotine withdrawal nausea are very common but can be difficult to alleviate. Never fear, though, there are a lot of things you can do to make your withdrawal from nicotine easier, safer, and less painful! Knowing what symptoms to expect, finding a good nicotine detox, and taking care of your body will all help you feel your best.
Physiological Symptoms of Withdrawal and What to Expect
Firstly, preparing yourself for the physical effects that nicotine withdrawals may have on your body will make them less of a shock when they begin. According to the National Library of Medicine, the worst symptoms of nicotine withdrawal, like headaches, peak on the third through the fifth day after your last nicotine use, and typically get less severe after that. Without detox supplementation, you can also expect to feel more irritable, grouchy, or jumpy, and you are also likely to have increased appetite and difficulty sleeping. The main symptoms reported with nicotine withdrawals are headaches that differ in severity for different people. If you’re already headache-prone, this is definitely a symptom to watch out for.
If you live with someone – a roommate, spouse, or family member (or members) – sit down with them and talk over what you might expect during your withdrawal, and ways that you can support each other through the process.
Find a Nicotine Detox
Detoxification and detoxifying has bloomed into a sort of mythical cure-all, especially for diets and cleanses touted on social media. This is harmful for a lot of reasons. If you’re eating a fairly normal diet and not consuming nicotine or alcohol, you don’t actually need to detox anything because you aren’t putting anything in your body that your liver isn’t capable of “detoxifying”.
If you are using nicotine regularly, your body gets used to the chemically created dopamine and serotonin that nicotine provides. Once you stop using nicotine, your body isn’t able to create the same amount of chemicals and starts to begin withdrawing. This is where an actual detox program can be used to help mitigate nicotine withdrawal headaches and the other unpleasant symptoms of withdrawals.
NicoClean Detox is a wonderful option for someone experiencing unpleasant nicotine withdrawal headaches and nausea. This is a ground-breaking, pharmacist-developed product that is FDA-approved and made with all-natural ingredients. This product is also GMP-certified, and can have you testing negative for cotinine (the metabolized form of nicotine) after just 3 days. This is incredibly useful for nicotine users who aren’t thinking of quitting smoking at the moment but need to get rid of the nicotine in their systems to undergo surgery or test into a specific workforce or insurance policy.
NicoClean Detox is also completely vegan, and the capsules are made with vegetable gelatin. The ingredients of the detoxification formula are all naturally occurring herbs and compounds like vitamin C, St. John’s Wort, horsetail extract, cranberry extract, and L-methionine, which pull the toxins from the nicotine in your body into your urine at a higher-than-normal rate, ridding your body of traces of nicotine in nearly a quarter of the time it would take if you were not to use it. Without a detox, smokers and nicotine users who have been using nicotine for a long time can sometimes feel symptoms like nicotine withdrawal headaches longer than others, and they can test positive for nicotine up to 20 days after they’ve last used it.
Take Care of Your Body
While you’re withdrawing from nicotine, even if you are using a nicotine detox to help assuage your nicotine withdrawal headaches, nicotine withdrawal nausea, and other symptoms, it’s important to take good care of your body and be gentle with yourself. Stay hydrated- avoid large amounts of caffeine and alcohol, as they are likely to make you more anxious and irritable in the case of caffeine, and more down and exhausted in the case of alcohol.
Instead, try to stick to lots of water and natural juices. Smoothies or juices with lots of fresh fruits and veggies will provide your body with lots of vitamins and nutrients as well as hydration. Make sure you’re eating enough protein to keep your hunger satisfied, since hunger usually increases after nicotine use ceases-treat yourself to a steak or similar protein-rich meal to help keep yourself from overeating. Often, chewing gum or having mints handy will help mimic the habit of bringing something to your lips like you would with a cigarette or vape.
Lastly, aerobic exercise can help curb cravings during the workout and for up to 50 minutes afterward. Running, swimming, biking, dancing, cycling, and boxing are just a few aerobic exercises you can do to alleviate the unpleasant symptoms of withdrawal, chief among them nicotine withdrawal headaches. Less strenuous exercise like yoga can also help you in your withdrawal journey, as it often encourages mindfulness and meditation, and can help with symptoms like irritability, depression, and insomnia. A lot of these aerobic exercises will also take you outside into nature and fresh air, also things that can help your mental and physical state while your body detoxes.
Make A Plan
However you’re choosing to detox the nicotine from your body, make sure you’re doing it safely. Check with your doctor and talk about what’s best for you, especially if you’re taking medication, talk to your family or your housemates, and make sure everyone is on the same page about the plan. Whether you’re detoxing, just cutting back, or going cold turkey, listen to your body, take care of yourself, and use these tips to help mitigate nicotine withdrawal headaches, nausea, and other physiological withdrawal symptoms.