What Happens When You Stop Smoking?

Potential Side Effects of Quitting Smoking Suddenly

Quitting smoking suddenly (also called going ‘cold turkey’) is a technique that relies on willpower, rather than the use of anti-smoking aids. This is the least effective of all stop-smoking methods, producing a long-term quit rate of only 3 or 4 in every 100 people.

This is because most people who quit without nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) or medicines experience worse cravings and withdrawal symptoms than those using anti-smoking products. Quitting smoking abruptly isn’t dangerous, but it may not be the most effective way to achieve a smoke-free life.

Smoking Withdrawal Symptoms

Nicotine is highly addictive, and most people who quit smoking experience withdrawal symptoms, especially in the first few weeks. These symptoms typically subside over time, but can be uncomfortable in the early stages of smoking cessation.

Knowing how nicotine withdrawal might feel can make it easier to prepare for these first steps in your quitting journey. It can also help you find strategies to cope with triggers and cravings and, ultimately, make your quit attempt a success. The most common smoking withdrawal symptoms include:

Cravings
Irritability
Restlessness
Difficulty concentrating
Sleep problems
Increased appetite
Anxiety and other mood changes

What Happens to Your Body When You Stop Smoking?

Your body starts to heal as soon as you quit smoking and, over days, weeks, and years, your risk of smoking-related disease decreases. Here's a brief timeline of events:

After 20 minutes, your heart and pulse rate will return to normal
After 8 hours, carbon monoxide levels in the body will reduce by half, and oxygen levels will begin to recover
After 48 hours, carbon monoxide levels drop to those of a non-smoker, and the lungs start clearing out mucus
After 72 hours, breathing feels easier as the bronchial tubes begin to relax
After 2-12 weeks, circulation has significantly improved, and the heart and muscles have a better blood supply
After 3-9 months, lung function increases by up to 10% and breathing problems improve
After 1 year, your risk of a heart attack will drop to half that of a smoker
After 10 years, your risk of lung cancer will be half that of someone who smokes

Stop Smoking and Weight Gain: Is There a Link?

Weight gain is a common side effect of smoking cessation, and people gain an average of 5-10 pounds in the months after they quit. Cigarettes can suppress appetite, so it’s normal to feel hungrier after you quit smoking. What’s more, your body may not burn calories as quickly after you stop smoking. This is because nicotine speeds up your metabolism, increasing your calorie expenditure by 7 - 15%.

Therefore, stopping smoking can lead people to eat more and burn fewer calories, with weight gain as a natural consequence. You may be able to manage weight gain after quitting by:

Choosing Healthy Snacks: Many people snack between meals to satisfy a larger appetite or to keep their hands and mouth occupied in the absence of cigarettes. You can mitigate the effect this has on your weight by choosing low-calorie foods, such as fruits, raw vegetables, or low-fat yoghurt.
Exercising: Physical activity is always beneficial for health, and even gentle exercise (like walking) will burn calories. Movement can also help distract you from nicotine cravings.
Eating Mindfully: Mindful eating involves focusing on your food without distractions from the TV or your phone. ‘Distracted eating’ often leads to greater caloric intake, whereas ‘mindful eating’ makes it easier to notice when you’re getting full.
Chewing Sugar-Free Gum: Substituting snacks for sugar-free gum and mints can keep your mouth occupied without contributing to your calorie intake.
Avoiding Liquid Calories: The calories in fizzy drinks, fruit juice, and alcoholic beverages can add up fast. If you’re trying to control weight gain after quitting smoking, sticking to plain water and herbal tea can significantly reduce your calorie intake.

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How to Deal with Stress After Quitting Smoking?

Many people smoke as a way to handle stress, as smoking triggers temporary changes in brain chemistry that decrease anxiety and enhance pleasure. Learning to handle stress without smoking is critical for a successful quit attempt, and this may involve developing new coping mechanisms.

Identify Stressors

Take some time to identify key stressors in your life (e.g., your job) and stress signals (such as headaches, teeth grinding, or trouble sleeping). Once you’ve recognised what your smoking triggers are, you can start planning alternative ways to cope with those stressors.

Practice Relaxation Techniques

Relaxation techniques, like breathing exercises, meditation, and yoga, can help alleviate stress. These techniques may require some practice, but adopting them will equip you with healthier tools for managing stress.

Exercise

Exercise can help relieve stress by promoting the release of endorphins, shifting your focus away from stressful events, and improving your mood. Regular physical activity also offers long-term benefits for your physical health and can help reduce your risk of various harmful medical conditions.

The Emotional Effects of Smoking Cessation

Nicotine withdrawal can cause mood changes, and it’s common for ex-smokers to feel irritable and restless. Many people also report feeling anxious and depressed in the immediate aftermath of quitting, and these negative emotions can make it harder to stay on track.

Fortunately, these emotions are usually temporary. While anxiety is among the most common negative feelings associated with quitting, it usually builds over the first three days and starts to abate after a few weeks. Similarly, depression can hit within a day of stopping smoking, but usually subsides within a month.

It can be helpful to plan coping mechanisms for dealing with these emotional disturbances before you quit. You may be able to manage anxiety by:

Reminding yourself that the feeling will pass
Setting aside quiet time to relax in the mornings and evenings
Reducing caffeine intake
Engaging in physical activity
Practising relaxation techniques
Taking nicotine replacement products or prescription anti-smoking medications

People with a history of depression may experience more serious symptoms after quitting smoking than those with no past depressive episodes. If you feel low in the days and weeks after you stop smoking, you may benefit from:

Spending time with friends and family
Identifying specific feelings when you feel depressed and focusing on addressing those needs
Breathing exercises
Physical activity that you find enjoyable
Speaking with your doctor about potential treatments for depression

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When Will These Changes Take Effect?

Nicotine withdrawal symptoms, including emotional changes, can begin within hours of your last cigarette. The severity of these symptoms can vary depending on how long and heavily a person has smoked, but they tend to be worse during the first three days.

Deciding how you will manage withdrawal symptoms is central to a successful quit attempt. Physical activity, relaxation techniques, and spending time with friends can all help you navigate the physical and emotional discomfort of withdrawal. Anti-smoking products (like NRT and prescription medications) can also help to make it easier to stop smoking.

Want to know more about the quit-smoking timeline? Please read our dedicated article on the subject.

Recommended Stop Smoking Options

Quitting smoking is a challenge and, for many people, takes multiple attempts. Few people successfully stop smoking ‘cold turkey,’ but there are a variety of anti-smoking products that make it easier to give up tobacco.

Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT)

NRT products deliver small amounts of nicotine to help you manage cravings and withdrawal symptoms. They come in several varieties, including gum, patches, lozenges, inhalers, and sprays.

Because they contain trace amounts of nicotine, NRT products can cause cravings. This is due to the fact that they do not entirely remove your body’s dependence on the substance. Indeed, one study found that there was no difference in craving levels between people who smoked and those who were given NRT patches.

Vapes

Vapes and e-cigarettes are devices that deliver doses of nicotine without the hundreds of harmful chemicals found in tobacco smoke. Nicotine vapes are considered far less harmful than cigarettes and are one of the most effective tools for quitting smoking.

Despite the health benefits when compared to actual cigarettes, vaping can be extremely addictive, essentially causing you to swap one habit for another. Research has also shown that 20% of e-cigarette users move on to regular cigarettes, meaning using vapes could cause you to relapse and have to start again from square one.

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