Quitting Smoking: Does it make you irritable?!

1. 78

   schoolgirlforrealposted 11 years ago

   Quitting Smoking: Does it make you irritable?!
   
   Cold turkey quitting , do you find yourself irritable? What do you do for that? I try the gum which seems to help (nicorettte) but too much makes me anxious.
   I think coffee is also a contributor. What do you think?

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2. 61

   omsocialposted 11 years ago

   I am also a smoker. I am smoking from last 5 years. i can't quiet. its impossible for me.

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3. 82

   Mrs Jil Manningposted 11 years ago

   Yes!  When I was giving up (I had quite a few attempts before  succeeded)  I would suffer at least two days if not more, or headaches, anxiety, irritability, nausea!  Urhg it was awful, but it was just my body withdrawing from nicotine.  Just ride it out, because once you have withdrawn from the nicotine you have done one of the stages and you are on the way to being smoke free.  Which is lovely, by the way!  Good luck!

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4. 89

   blairtracyposted 11 years ago

   No, I quit after smoking for about 12 years. It did not make irritable. However, the cravings were intense enough at times to make me cry. Haha, I am glad that's over.

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   SaritaJBonitaposted 11 years ago

   Yes.  Irritable is not a strong enough word for how I felt when I tried to quit cold turkey.  I have tried to quit countless times and I'm so good at it that I quit at quitting
   
   I'm the wrong person to give advice because I still smoke, but I've heard that paying attention to triggers is important.  If you're more likely to crave a cigarette after eating, brush your teeth, etc.
   
   Good luck, and I commend you on your courage to try!  I've heard hypnosis works well also..

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6. 68

   Tom Zizzoposted 11 years ago

   I quit cold turkey less than a year ago-will be a year in May. I didn't find that it made me irritable, but I did get really bad headaches even weeks after. I did not do any gum or patches. What I do now is keep a small container of the sugar-free mini Altoids in my back pocket and take one of those if I'm feeling stressed. It keeps me calm and my breath fresh It's cheaper too.

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   Insane Mundaneposted 11 years ago

   If you really insist on being a baby without a pacifier about it, soothe yourself with the E-Cig (electronic cigarette) and quit ya whining...  In all seriousness, I'd try stepping down from, say, Ultra Lights, that way the last habit to kick would just be physical instead of chemical (nicotine).  Meanwhile, I'll light up a Marlboro Light 100 for ya...  Puff, puff...

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   Diana Leeposted 11 years ago

   I quit four months ago using Chantix. It works. Even with this pill, withdrawal headaches and mood swings are still there. Four months before I quit, my sister quit cold turkey.  She had the headaches and mood swings, too. I really don't think I would have stuck with it without a crutch like Chantix to brain wash my thoughts into making me not want nicotine, It is all in your head. You have to want to quit or you never will try. I smoked for over thirty years. If I can quit, anyone can.

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      Insane Mundaneposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Oh, great...  Nice "mental medication" promo...  Blah!

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      Diana Leeposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Not meaning to promote anything I'm just saying my sister used nothing and suffered some of  the same withdrawal I did. I know I never would have went cold turkey because I told myself I enjoyed smoking too much. I'm so glad I finally quit.

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      SoundNFuryposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      sometimes medication is an answer.  you have to weigh the risks vs. rewards.  I know that wellbutrin is used to help people quit smoking.  Not sure if this is the same as Chantix, though.

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9. 66

   Mark S Waterhouseposted 11 years ago

   I gave up slowly but kept some cigarettes on me while I was doing it. It took away the cravings because there was no, 'you can't have a cigarette', their was only 'try a little harder to not have a cigarette... but if you want one just wait a litte longer.' I really think it works (well, I don't smoke anymore), so I wrote a hub on it hoping it might help others for their NY resolutions.

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10. 70

    Rhonda_Mposted 11 years ago

    I'm not a smoker, but any time you try to free yourself of an addiction, it makes you irritable for a while.

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11. 84

    kaiyan717posted 11 years ago

    Yes, irritable is a word that you could use.  Your body becomes stressed because of withdrawls.  So however you handle distress whether it be anger, crying or other emotions will intensify.  It last for a quite a while physically, but I think that the mental last longer.  If you are determined and have decided in your heart to quit I think it is easier.  When I finally quit I did for me, so when I felt distressed I just talked myself out of it.  Staying busy is another way to deal, you just have to find what works for you because you are the one who is feeling stressed.  For me, lots of cleaning helped keep my mind from going mad.

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12. 60

    Goody5posted 11 years ago

    I quit smoking last Monday which was 11 days ago, and it hasn't made me irritable yet!

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    MissJamieDposted 11 years ago

    Yes it does! I'm not necessarily addicted to smoking so I've quit many, many times but I'm always crabby for a couple days up to a couple weeks after I quit. I always quit cold turkey. Anyone who wants to quit, can quit. Saying they can't is a copout. They want to smoke. I'm not bashing anyone, I know it's very difficult to quit for many people but if a person sets their mind to something they can do it.

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    Laurinzo Scottposted 11 years ago

    Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   It does.....   argggggggggggggggggggggggg....  its been about 28 days!!!!        Oh... so sorry
    
    Yes I definitely feel there are withdrawals from all the chemical additives...body gets used to even the most toxic things

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    lisariley11posted 11 years ago

    At first you can be a little irritated, especially if you are in a situation at work, or someone makes you mad. I don't know of anything that will help with this, but the good news is that it doesn't last for very long maybe a week or two. You can get nicorette  but it just keeps the nicotine in your blood stream, and you don't want to chew it forever, the lack of nicotine is what makes you moody, you can chew any type of gum to help with the habit of having something in your mouth all the time. It will help a little.

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    Dr. Haddoxposted 11 years ago

    When one smokes cigarettes for a time one becomes addicted. The same as with any other serious addiction, one gets symptoms, associated with the withdrawal from substances that are in the cigarettes. The irritability and anxiousness that you describe is simply a part of this withdrawal syndrome that can be expected as one attempts to kick the cigarette addiction, cold turkey.
    The gum that you are using, to help you with the symptoms, helps some. But one has to suffer through the process to be completely successfu.
    I have never smoked so I cannot identify with you, concerning how you feel. But being a doctor, believe me, I have suffered through the process with a lot of people. When my patients suffer, I suffer. It is just part of the work that goes with being a physician.
    Regards,
    Dr. Haddox

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17. 70

    Yvonne Decelisposted 11 years ago

    It did, initially. I ate carrots, celery, and chewed gum (regular gum). I also tried to switch (for a while) to green tea.

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    teresapelkaposted 11 years ago

    Simply not smoking doesn't cause anxiety and could not give anyone any 'cold turkey' -- this stays with narcotics, and nicotine is not a narcotic. Smoking is a habit. Coffee could be only an association. You have coffee and smoke for some time, after some time you're gonna think about smoking when you have coffee. It's enough you stop smoking when you have a cup.

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    jaydeneposted 11 years ago

    yes, it sure does,  I have not given it up yet,  I have the nicorette gum and i use it whenever i am in a three hour or more setting and can;t smoke,   I have cut down by 50 percent in the last year,.    And now the actual quitting is soooo hard.  I will continue to work on it.   I also won't beat myself up if i smoke moderately. 
         Cold turkey would send me into a panic attack, of which i am working on those also.      I will keep trying to quit. 
      Good luck to others as well,
    and good question .....

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    velzipmurposted 11 years ago

    I have never smoked but I have friends that do and have. It has been my experience that if affects everyone differently but it all comes out the same, irritable is one word for it. Quitting any additction can cause someone to be a little crazy.

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