How nicotine withdrawal affected me
Nicotine withdrawal was not a huge factor for me since I used the nicotine patch. However, even with the 21mg Step One patch, I was only getting about half the nicotine that I did as a smoker, and I did feel some nicotine withdrawal effects.
I was a little jittery at times and found it difficult to concentrate. I can't say for sure that these effects were from physical withdrawal and not psychological withdrawal. It was probably both. I did have a dull headache at times.
Other than these, I did not suffer much with withdrawal symptoms.
How I managed nicotine withdrawal symptoms
The gradual steps-down approach of the nicotine patch went a long way in managing my withdrawal symptoms. That said, since I did not quit cold turkey, my body did have some nicotine for the 9 weeks that I used the patch.
At each step down, I did physically notice the reduction of nicotine. I was a little more on edge and just a little uncomfortable for a couple of days. It was mild, but it was there. The same happened when I stepped down from the last patch to no patch at all. It was mild and manageable.
I usually managed any discomfort by distracting myself briefly, until the uneasiness passed.
Lessons learned
- As an NRT user, I did not experience full-blown nicotine withdrawal, so I don't know what it feels like, other than what I have observed in others.
- I did learn that the body takes time to adjust when it is deprived of a drug on which it has become dependent.
- I also learned that nicotine affects more functions of the body than I had realized before quitting smoking.
