Ive replied to a few people but now I will tell you my story as it was a blur to me. I had to ask someone when I officially quit which was Nov 1 2015. I had surgery (my teeth removed all of them lie 10 I think) anyway I had implants put in but some were put where there was infection so this is what happened. I was in so much pain from the implant twisting trying to get put. I was non-stop in pain and couldnt swallow anything causing me not to be able to take my meds so I detoxed off all of them 100mil of Kadian (morphine) thyroid, cholesterol, clonidine, water pills, I was totally over medicated and stopped everything.
The pain was so bad from the implant it formed a big bubble and burst puss shooting out and the screw. It took like 2 weeks or more for it to finally come out, then a second started but I got to the surgeon first. I couldnt before because I really didnt know what was happening to me until the bubble happened and that was only days before the screw came out. Anyway I didnt notice a nicotine withdrawl until now my 2nd month and I have constant headaches, salivating which so far no-one has mentioned plus sweats, no sleep and anxiety.
I smoked 40 yrs, a pack or more a day never tried to quit before, now Im at my wits end, smoking didnt hurt like this does. Is there anyone out there who can tell me how long this will go on for, is it a delayed withdrawl and really my body thinks its been 4 weeks not 8 and this is normal. Im so confused.
Written by
bandit2
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
OMG you've really had the worst experience with your teeth, must have been awful😩
No sleep, anxiety and headaches are unfortunately fairly common side effect, not heard of salivating but maybe that's something left from your mouth problems. I have to congratulate you on staying quit for 2 months with all those things happening. Your body has a lot of healing to do and it'll take a while but the good news is, it will get better given time. Have you been checked out by your G.P. just to put your mind at rest given all you've been through. Your poor body has had such a shock that it doesn't know what's going on. I'm wondering if you're using any nicotine replacement or did you quit cold turkey?
No I did it cold turkey, I was in so much pain I didnt even think of cigs, I was puking so much. Thats why I think I have a delayed reaction to going through withdrawl. My body thinks its only been 4 weeks not 8. The salivating is from hunger cravings I think. Im also a recovering bulemic so weight is a big issue for me and I wont give in. I will drool first lol. I put a call to the dr but not heard back.
This is just what I think. Yes my body is confused or Im having a very long withdrawl because of the length of time I smoked 40yrs. Like Ive said Im so confused and searching for answers from someone who did it like me cold turkey and smoked as long. Everyone Ive talked to used something
like patch, gum, inhalor or ecig.
Ive used nothing and Im miserable but to use something now would defeat the cold turkey and I might as well smoke if Im going to put nicotine back in my system.
One of our lovely admin smoked for 40 years and went cold turkey like you. She has now been quit a long time so although it's very hard you can do it. She struggled for a few months but did really well after that. Hang in there as you've been through a lot and you can make it.
u smoked 40 yrs too. Did u do cold turkey? How long did your symptoms last. I very curious to know cause Im so close to having a butt its not funny anything to stop these headaches
did u go cold turkey? I know I sound impatient but also worried how long this will drag on for and is it normal for a 40 yr smoker to still have symptoms in the second month
Omg!!! Yes it is!!! Believe me it is truly HELL ON EARTH!! If you click on my name you can go read my misery in the early stages! I was SOOOOOO CLOSE to saying ^%%%%### the world I'm starting again! Living smoke free but MISERABLE isn't worth it!!!! But BUT LOUD BUT IT IS!!!!! Omg it soooooo is!!! I was where you are! Even went on antidepressants before giving in to stopping my quit! But I didn't! And I promise in a little while you will have moments... Glimmers of oh thank heavens!!! You will feel SO HAPPY that you stuck through the TRULY TERRIBLE STUFF! I promise!!!! Stick with it !! It TRULY TRULY does get easier as the days turn to weeks to months... Xxx
I was also cold turkey.. Pains in teeth. Nose bleeds etc etc etc xx
Hi I went cold turkey 4 months ago to give up I smoked for 40 years it will get easier I still get moments now when it comes into my head if you need a chat or want to ask questions feel free good luck x
Lottie yes I want to know how long u had withdrawl symptoms for. Emjay sent me a post saying it takes 12 weeks (3months) for the brain receptors to not act up and be free something like that. Im curious if that pertains to us who smoked just under a half a century. Have u passed the mark, did u get bad side effects like me. never ending headaches, salivtating, no sleep, anxiety, sweats. Im now trying advil and get temporary relief so the pain is real not in my imagination. My scalp hurts to touch. I dont know if the sweats r from smoking or menopause cause thats never ending too lol.
Where do u live? Im in King City-just outside of Toronto, Canada. Its so cold here temp is -15 and snow.
Hi I know it's really hard but yes I had bad times to not sleeping feeling hungry all the time fed up wanting to just have one because it felt like a death or losing a best friend I had night sweats but being honest think it's from menopause my gums did bleed a lot which I found really strange but look the good news is it gets better honest I am not thinking about it hardly ever and I feel good please keep going I am in uk it's dull and wet here xx
Lottie it seems alot of people are from the UK on here. Not sure why havent found a Canadian yet lol. I know its confusing about the sweats but I tried taking Clonidine which is for sweats and it didnt touch them so Im pretty sure its a side effect.
Im going to get my hormone balance just to be sure but Im 57 and shld be through menopause by now I would hope. Its the pain I cant deal with my poor head. I had a shower and washing my hair hurt like hell. No one told me that this is what I would be facing, they all made it sound like a walk in the park no biggie deal. I think they all lied.
You have been honest and I do appreciate that. I havent had bleeding gums and Im going to have hypnosis again for sleeping. It worked for my anxiety so Im hopeful it will work again. After the trauma I went through I couldnt sit anywhere in my house without getting a panic attack.
If it is going to be 12 weeks of hell then Im ok with that I have 3 more weeks hopefully, I will be moving at that time to Oshawa, Ontario. Its too expensive to live in King City u have to have money to live here, most of the people are rich and Im not lol, its less expensive in Oshawa.
I will have to come down to Toronto for my second surgery end of February. they will try to put the implants back in. Im scared shitless but hopefully there wont be a repeat of the last time. I know u r sleeping right now its 9:30 pm so it must be 2:30 am where u r. Hopefully u r sleeping I forget what that is lol talk later thanks for your help much appreciated
Hiya Debbie, it doesn't seem to matter whether you have smoked 40 years or 4..... The side effects are the same as is the duration of them. Some people get emotional at the beginning. I got that 6 months in 🙁
Your right most of us are from the uk but that's probably due to the site being set up in the uk. But we are very cosmopolitan 😊 I think Arizona is Canadian so you do have a country buddy 😊😂
Hi Debbie the night sweats can last for years with menopause so I have been told and the pain in your head could be to do with all your problems with your teeth you have been through a lot bless you honestly it will get better I am sure don't give in I have had so much stress the last few weeks my daughter had meningitist and was so poorly had my granddaughter staying with me and so wanted a ciggie with all the worry but thought to myself it won't help I have none at home as I threw them all away so put temptation out of reach everyone on here is great I used it a lot when I have bad days gives you strength to carry on are you married or have a partner someone to encourage you xx
Good morning Debbie☕️☕️ Menopause can continue for years... Maybe a little estrogen will help the anxiety and the sweats..... Give it a whirl..... See what your dr says.... My friends mom is in her 70s and estrogen keeps her calm and young😊
is estrogen a pill. I tried clonidine but it didnt help and Advil for my head but it works only for a little while and comes back. I want to get my hormones tested and see what is going on. They shld be able tell from the test if Im still in menopause right? Where do u live?
Estrogen is a woman's hormone that menopausal woman use to stop hot flashes, anxiety and depression..... Some dr's may think you don't need it but there are dr's that believe estrogen is an important part of a woman's health....
sorry it took so long to repond. I went to the doc told him I need estrogen for my hot flashes, he gave me the low down how it causes breast cancer ect. I told him I dont care. I need to get balanced. I also had my hormones tested to see what is going on.
Im 57 and shld be done with this crap, hell some people dont even get symptoms not fair I say and men shld get menopause too lol. I need to know if this sweating is from withdrawl or the change
The first month I quit smoking I had sweats from quitting ... I guess all the toxins were coming out of my system just like a drug addict.... How long have you been having sweats?
Ive had the sweats 10 weeks now, they r not like I experienced before going through menopause. They last for 1-2 min I think its like a wave of heat going through my body but Im not hot to the touch, my upper lip has a trace of sweat and then its over.
I wish the headaches would only last that long they r never ending Til I take Advil. which Im going to do now
Lottie plse tell me u r side effect free now, did u get headaches too, u said around 12 weeks is it longer cause u r 4 months free now. R U WITHDRAWL FREE?????
Hi Debbie sorry I have taken so long getting back to you yes I have no withdrawals now all gone feel great yes I did get headaches I think that is quite common for most people I am not saying you won't on occasion feel like you want a ciggie but very rarely I don't even think about them so keep going you will get there xx
How do u get badges are they like an email? It would be nice to get one, how long must u be smoke free and do u keep getting them at different times in your journey of being smoke free. Alot of people relapsed and I cant blame them. I sure feel like it to be rid of these headaches ect. Im not sure if u r male or female. I wasnt very imaginative in my name lol
Our lovely admin team will be happy to award your winners badges. Please have a look at breathing techniques on the right under pinned posts as this will help you. Sorry this is sooo slow
I do deep breathing I had to get hypnosis for my anxiety because of what I went through, I almost died(it was so peaceful) like an out of body experience. Now Im not afraid to die. lol but this withdrawl is killing me.
I too have been in that place - i have died on the operating table and pulled towards a bright light...
Again..my way to manage things....is....dont waste energy stressing over things that you can not change....Leave the past in the past and move forward ..
I forgot to add.....18 months later...and i am calmer now that i ever was as a smoker
I saw your conversations with Monky re Jillygirl. Im to understand she was or is in hospital doing chemo again meaning she did it before and what it didnt work. May I ask does she have cancer and if so how bad. I wish her well, I could never do chemo heard terrible things about it and no guarantees doing it. She must be a very strong woman, I give her big time props. Hope Im not out of line asking, I just felt so bad for her or anyone doing chemo for that matter. Still not heard from golin (cant spell)
Hi Debbie ..... After 2 months the administrators will add each smokefree month winner badge beside your name onsite for people to see how well you are doing and to show where you're at in your quit smoking journey.... It really encourages people to stay smokefree just to see that new badge every month!!!!!
But during the first 2 months , people get a weekly badge to encourage and support them because quitting takes a lot of determination ....
Glolin is the same as you however she lives in Australia ( we are a very diverse support group) 😊 So am sure she will be on when she gets in from work or when she gets up 😊
I can't remember if i said in my other replies to you but some of your symptoms could be related to your meds withdrawal too.... Get it checked out by your doctor if you are worried hun 😊
so U think i should wait for her to find me. Im anxious to talk to her but ya there is a big time difference isnt there. Its now 4:52 pm here in Canada and -15 with snow. How about you?
I guess glolin will be sleeping soon. Emjay helped even though it was long I understand now I have at least another month to go maybe longer cause I smoked for so many years. My system will be so clean I will sqeak and never again will I let a doctor over medicate me again. I was taking 11 pills then and now I take 4. 1 thyroid, 1 cholesterol, and 2 stool softeners cause the cholesterol constipates me lol
I thought about that droopy re my meds but no I detoxed from them and they dont stay in your system like nicotine. I asked the doc and was told my symptoms are from not smoking and going cold turkey. My body hasn't had time to rest doing all I did at once. Thats why I want to talk to this Glolin. Very important to me
Hey Debbie-t, welcome aboard to our lovely Quit Support family 🙋
Congratulations on making it this far, you've done amazingly well considering all that you've been through!
Are you still undergoing dental treatment? It may be worth paying another visit if you're concerned in any way.
With regards to smoking, how you are feeling is quite normal. Regardless of whether you use NRT or not, (or even how long you have smoked for) your brain will still have what we call nicotine receptors that play silly games and try and get you to come back to smoking.... Don't listen to them! 🙅
I've had a little rummage around the site and quickly found an old post of mine. Have a read through as it may help you gain a better understanding about where your heads at 😳
Stay strong and remember that you can do this 👍
Post title: If it only takes 24 - 48 hours for nicotine to leave your body, why would I want to use NRT?
(EmJay Administrator 3 years ago)
For those of you 'toying' with the idea of whether or not to use NRT have a read through the following information that I put up a while ago.
It's also worth reading through it as you may understand how those nicotine receptors in that brain of yours work;
When you first stop smoking, it is true that it only takes up to 48 hours for the nicotine to leave your body. So it may seem strange to start using nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and put the nicotine back into your body again. Why would anybody want to do this?
Without trying to make it complicated, this is basically what happens;
Once a person becomes a smoker they begin to put nicotine into their system - Nicotine is the drug that the smoker becomes addicted to and craves for. By doing this, the nicotine attaches itself to receptors on nerves in a part of the brain that is important in controlling motivation.
This causes the nerve cells to become more active and leads them to releasing a chemical messenger called 'dopamine' at the other end of the nerve.
This dopamine acts as a 'chemical reward' or 'teaching signal'. It causes the brain to be motivated to repeat whatever action immediately proceeded it - in the smokers case this would be puffing on a cigarette. In the newly quitter's case it could be caused even by just putting the kettle on or after a meal - Most people would recognise this as a 'trigger'.
This is usually a completely unconscious decision and quite often undermines the smoker's ability to stay stopped.
Regardless of whether or not NRT is used, it can take between 8-12 weeks for these receptors to down regulate.
These receptors are very, very powerful little 'gremlins' and most new 'quitters' can find it really difficult to ignore them. When this happens, the person will quite often return to smoking.
This is where using NRT can help. Provided that it is used correctly, NRT will never satisfy you in the way that smoking a cigarette will. However it will help to 'curb' the feeling and will keep those little gremlins at bay to give you a head start on 'learning' to become a non-smoker.
This is the reason that NRT is generally used for the same amount of time that it takes for these 'gremlins' or receptors to down regulate. However, when used correctly, the amount of nicotine is controlled and is slowly reduced over time.
Therefore it is recommended that the full course of NRT is completed if you are to remain quit.
Regardless of whether you choose to use NRT or not, it is really important that you plan ahead and try to remain as positive as possible.
Keep marching forward and remember our mantra NOPE: Not One Puff Ever! 😇
Yes Emjay I have another surgery end of February to put back the implants that didnt take. Im scared shitless cause they r going back in the same place but the dr assures me the infection has to be gone. Dont know for sure because infection doesnt show on xrays. I thought maybe in blood work but not there either or at least not in mine. I wait another 4 months and they put in the caps and my new dentures with the snaps attached.
that was very interesting, I dont crave a cigarette which is weird I would only smoke to get rid of the headache. if I put nicotine back into my body now without a smoke would be crazy, as u said 12 weeks or 3 months so I have another month to put up with this crap? OK now I have an answer I feel better and Im sure I can get through another month. Ive gone through 2 I just hope my body realizes that and counts the first month even if I dont remember any symptoms, too busy in pain I guess
Hi debbie, and a big warm welcome to quit support.
WOW, you sure have gone through a rough time with your mouth.
I quit cold turkey after 40 years of smoking 30 day.. Was it easy ...Hell no - up their with the hardest things i have ever done....Was it worth it...Hell Yes
No two quits are the same and there is no real time frame of how long it takes for your body to recover from all the years of smoking.
I have always suffered with anxiety and when I quit smoking, this certainly did increase. I have always managed my anxiety myself. For me this lasted around 5 to 6 months before it settled down.
I too had the trouble sleeping, for me this was the hardest thing for me as it was really impacting on my work. This too took 5 to 6 months before my sleeping patterns returned. ( I have never been a good sleeper)
I was looking at the list of meds that you have gone off and noticed thyroid among them. I was recently diagnosed with hypothyroidism which presents with very similar symptoms. I had be quit for over a year and all of a sudden, i was struggling to go to sleep, felt absolute fatigued and all my muscles in my legs and arms just ached like a toothache - Going off your meds maybe a contributing factor.
You have done brilliantly getting through the first 2 months...Please try and stay strong as it is so worth it.
I am a great believer in the powers of positive thinking - If you truly believe that you can - you will
I am now 18 months smoke free and to be perfectly honest, i knew after day 1 that i would never smoke again....every time i felt terrible.. instead of focusing on how miserable i was feeling i turned it around to - this is just my body healing itself
You have come this far - keep up the great quit you have going
I really wanted to read your journey. I think u shld post it so people like us can know time frames ect and what could happen. I know everyone is difeach quit is unique, but everyone gets the side effects. Now u have told me I could be doing this pain for 5-6 months holy crap my head will friggin fall off.
Its the not knowing what to expect that fuels my anxiety. I had hypnosis because of what I went through in this house I couldnt sit in the house without having a full out panic attack and mine r very bad. Im doing it again for sleep. I have bags under bags on my eyes. I cant keep going without sleep and I wont take pills, they dont work anymore. A person on here who had headaches took beta blockers. dont know what they r but if it helped the pain Im in.
I want to know all u went through what side effects u had how u managed them. The nitty gritty truth no matter how bad please
Awww I'm so sorry for your pain, discomfort, anxiety, all the misery. I'm glad you've hooked up with Briar and that you do have someone that's been there.
I am going to pray for you.
I'm in the US.
Coco
Hi Debbie,
I hope your doctor is looking after you really carefully..... Sounds like you've been through so much withdrawal ..... Not just cigarettes but other drugs too ... I take thyroid meds and I would never come off them...... I read that you have thyroid problems as well....... Take great care of yourself please..... I know dr's can act dismissive but he or she has to know what meds you have stopped so they can help you.... All the best
Arizona, true I stopped all my meds because the implant coming out was so painful I couldnt get anything down even water. After getting gravol shots 3x a day I had gingerale. I did go to a new dr and Im back on thyroid and cholesterol and Citalopram. None of the other crap. I was over medicated and my new dr even said so. Im going to try taking Premarin for my sweats to see if its still the change. If it doesnt help I wont continue it and I will know its from withdrawl which is killing me. The thought of more weeks in pain. Is it really worth it? Ive had 10 weeks of headaches and pain. The dr says after what I went through Im in good health so Mr nicotine is doing this to me!!!!!!!!!!GRRRRRRRR
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
JUST WHAT I NEEDED TO HEAR - JILLYGIRL
I need your advice folks x
When will I start to feel better?
Hi I'm currently using crack need help quick 
I hate being an addict
