What Are the Symptoms of Nicotine Withdrawal?

Nicotine withdrawal symptoms start within one to two days of your last cigarette, peak in the first week and fade over about 2 to 4 weeks, according to Health Canada. You may feel restless, angry or sad, and find it hard to concentrate or sleep. Health Canada says withdrawal is not dangerous. This page is general information, not medical advice.

What does nicotine withdrawal feel like?

Health Canada’s guide for people who have quit says you may feel restless, angry or sad, and that concentrating and sleeping can be harder. HealthLinkBC adds that you may feel cranky and anxious, and its quit-smoking fact file calls irritability a common withdrawal symptom. HealthLinkBC also says quitting increases appetite, which is one reason some people worry about weight. Our page on weight gain and mental health after quitting goes further into that.

Cravings come with all of this. Health Canada calls them a normal part of quitting and says they become less frequent, shorter and weaker over time. Missing cigarettes is normal too, in the words of the same guide.

The pages we opened give no complete medical list of symptoms, so treat the ones above as examples from the sources rather than a checklist.

How long does withdrawal last, and when does it peak?

Health Canada gives a clear shape: symptoms appear within one to two days, peak in the first week and last about 2 to 4 weeks. HealthLinkBC puts the worst of it earlier, saying symptoms are at their worst during the first couple of days or so after you quit, and that they may last a few weeks. The two sources describe the same curve with slightly different emphasis, so if day three feels awful, that fits both.

Source	When it starts	When it is worst	How long it lasts
Health Canada	Within one to two days	First week	About 2 to 4 weeks
HealthLinkBC	Not stated on the pages we read	First couple of days or so	May last a few weeks

If you want the day-by-day view, see your first week without cigarettes. The craving itself is a shorter story, covered in how long cravings last.

What about trouble sleeping?

Health Canada says you may have difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep, that this is a symptom of withdrawal, and that it will pass. HealthLinkBC also says sleep can be hard at first. Both point you to a health professional if it drags on. Health Canada says to speak to a healthcare provider if sleep issues persist, and HealthLinkBC suggests talking with your doctor about sleep problems during withdrawal.

Is nicotine withdrawal dangerous?

Health Canada says nicotine withdrawal is not dangerous and that symptoms improve over time, as long as you remain smoke-free. That is worth holding on to on a rough afternoon. The discomfort is real, and it is temporary.

What helps with withdrawal?

Health Canada says quit aids can help you deal with triggers and reduce nicotine cravings. It describes nicotine replacement therapy as a way to help control cravings, and says prescription medications contain no nicotine but can also help control cravings and withdrawal symptoms. HealthLinkBC says nicotine patches, gum, lozenges and inhalers can be helpful, especially during a strong craving, and names two prescription options that do not contain nicotine. Which one suits you, and how to use it, is a question for a pharmacist or doctor. We give no dosing advice.

For the coping tactics Health Canada lists, such as delaying a craving, distracting yourself and drinking water, see craving and slip support. For the products themselves, start with medications to quit smoking in Canada and nicotine replacement products.

When should I get help?

Health Canada gives three reasons to talk to a healthcare provider. One is any withdrawal symptom that worries you. Another is sleep problems that persist. The third is feeling sad or depressed in a way that does not go away within three weeks of your quit date.

For general health advice in British Columbia, HealthLinkBC says you can call 8-1-1 to speak to a navigator. Health Canada lists the Canadian quitline at 1-866-366-3667, and says a trained quit coach can be a doctor, pharmacist, nurse or quitline staff member. Province-by-province options are on our free quit smoking help page. In an emergency, call 9-1-1 or your local emergency number.

What we could not confirm

• A full official list of withdrawal symptoms. The Canadian pages we opened name only a few.
• Any timing or duration on the HealthLinkBC fact file. It names irritability but gives no timeline.
• Withdrawal symptoms from vaping or other nicotine products. None of the pages we opened address them specifically.