Nicotine withdrawal - wikipedia Nicotine withdrawal Nicotine withdrawal Nicotine Classification and external resources Specialty psychiatry ICD - 10 F17. 2 ICD - 9 - CM 292.0 MedlinePlus 000953 ( edit on Wikidata ) Nicotine withdrawal is a group of symptoms that occur in the first few weeks upon the abrupt discontinuation or decrease in intake of nicotine. Symptoms include cravings for nicotine, anger / irritability, anxiety, depression, impatience, trouble sleeping, restlessness, hunger or weight gain, and difficulty concentrating. A smoking cessation program may improve one 's chance for success in quitting nicotine. Nicotine withdrawal is recognized in both the American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and Statistical Manual and the WHO International Classification of Diseases. Contents 1 Signs and symptoms 2 Definition 3 Causes 4 Treatment 5 Epidemiology 6 See also 7 References Signs and symptoms The most documented symptoms are cravings for nicotine, anger / irritability, anxiety, depression, impatience, trouble sleeping, restlessness, hunger or weight gain, and difficulty concentrating. Symptoms are usually strongest for the first few days and then dissipate over 2 - 4 weeks. Withdrawal symptoms make it harder to quit nicotine products and most methods for quitting smoking involve reducing nicotine withdrawal. The most common symptoms are irritability, anxiety and difficulty concentrating. Depression and insomnia are the least common. Other withdrawal symptoms may include constipation, cough, dizziness, drowsiness, headache, impulsivity, fatigue, flu symptoms, mood swings, mouth ulcers, and increased dreaming. Cessation of nicotine usually increases eating and weight, decreases memory, decreases the ability to pay attention and concentrate on tasks, and decreases heart rate. Cessation of tobacco can also require changes in levels of various medications. Definition The effect that nicotine - dependent individuals experience after they discontinue or decrease nicotine use. Nicotine is an addictive substance found most commonly in tobacco and tobacco products including cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco, pipe tobacco, snus, snuff, and most e-cigarette liquid. Withdrawal is the body 's reaction to not having the nicotine it had become accustomed to. Withdrawal is most common and intense in cigarette smokers and intermediate in smokeless users. The symptoms of nicotine withdrawal usually appear 2 - 3 hours after last intake of nicotine and peak in 2 - 3 days. In a minority of smokers, cravings may last for years. Nicotine withdrawal causes few physical signs and is not life - threatening but associated cravings can be as severe as withdrawal from other drugs. There is some evidence that stopping nicotine may make a prior psychiatric problem worse but this is uncertain. After the initial withdrawal period, anxiety, depression, and quality of life generally improve such that former smokers are better off than continuing smokers. Causes Various causes have been proposed to explain the causes of nicotine withdrawal. Nicotine binds to nicotinic receptors in the brain that, in turn, cause an increase in dopamine. Dopamine is the major chemical that stimulates reward centers in the brain. The brain recruits an opposing force to dampen the effects of nicotine and this causes tolerance ( the reduction in the effect of nicotine ). The onset of this opposing force and the fact that the brain becomes used to and dependent on nicotine to function normally is known as physical dependence. When nicotine intake is decreased, the brain 's opposing force is now unopposed and this causes withdrawal symptoms. It also appears that opiate, serotonergic, glutamic, cannabinoid, and corticotrophin receptors may play a role in nicotine withdrawal. Treatment Gradually reducing nicotine intake causes less withdrawal than abruptly stopping. Another way to reduce nicotine withdrawal symptoms is to provide the body with an alternative source of nicotine ( nicotine replacement therapy ) for a temporary period and then taper this new nicotine intake. Other medication used for quitting smoking include bupropion, varenicline, cytisine, nortriptyline, and clonidine. Treatments other than medication, such as increased exercise, can also reduce nicotine withdrawal. Many behavior changes such as avoiding situations where one usually smoked, planning ahead to deal with temptations, and seeking the support of friends and family are effective in helping people quit smoking, but whether this is due to reduced withdrawal is unclear. Epidemiology Most daily cigarette smokers have at least one of the above withdrawal symptoms when they try to stop. Withdrawal can occur in less - frequent users, however heavier users and those with a past or current psychiatric disorder tend to have more severe withdrawal. Genetics also influence the severity of withdrawal. See also Withdrawal Smoking cessation References ^ Jump up to : Linda J. Vorvick ( 2013 - 08 - 29 ). `` Nicotine and Tobacco ''. Medline Plus. Retrieved 2015 - 05 - 21. ^ Jump up to : Hughes, JR ( 2007 ). `` Effects of abstinence from tobacco : valid symptoms and time course ''. Nicotine & Tobacco Research. 9 ( 3 ) : 315 -- 27. doi : 10.1080 / 14622200701188919. PMID 17365764. Jump up ^ Hughes, JR ( 2007 ). `` Review : Effects of abstinence from tobacco : Etiology, animal models, epidemiology, and significance : A subjective review ''. Nicotine & Tobacco Research. 9 ( 3 ) : 329 -- 339. doi : 10.1080 / 14622200701188927. PMID 17365765. hide Psychoactive substance - related disorder ( F10 -- F19, 291 -- 292 ; 303 -- 305 ) General SID Substance intoxication / Drug overdose Withdrawal Substance - induced psychosis SUD Substance abuse / Substance use disorder / Substance - related disorders Physical dependence / Psychological dependence / Substance dependence Alcohol SID Neurological disorders Alcoholic hallucinosis Alcohol withdrawal Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder ( FASD ) Fetal alcohol syndrome ( FAS ) Korsakoff 's syndrome Korsakoff 's psychosis Wernicke -- Korsakoff syndrome Wernicke 's encephalopathy Digestive system Alcoholic hepatitis Alcoholic liver disease Auto - brewery syndrome Nervous system Alcohol - related dementia Alcoholic hallucinosis Hangover Cardiovascular system Alcoholic cardiomyopathy Alcohol flush reaction SUD Alcoholism ( alcohol use disorder ) Binge drinking Caffeine SID Effect of caffeine on memory Caffeine - induced sleep disorder SUD Caffeine dependence Cannabis SID Effects of cannabis Long - term effects of cannabis SUD Cannabis dependence Cocaine SID Cocaine intoxication SUD Cocaine dependence Hallucinogen SID Hallucinogen persisting perception disorder Opioids SID Opioid overdose SUD Opioid use disorder Sedative / hypnotic benzodiazepine : SID Benzodiazepine overdose Benzodiazepine withdrawal SUD Benzodiazepine use disorder Benzodiazepine dependence barbiturate : SID Barbiturate overdose SUD Barbiturate dependence Stimulants SID Stimulant psychosis SUD Amphetamine dependence Tobacco SID Nicotine poisoning Nicotine withdrawal SUD Nicotine dependence Volatile solvent Inhalant abuse : Toluene toxicity Poly drug use SID Combined drug intoxication SUD Polysubstance dependence hide Smoking Country and region Albania Argentina Brazil Canada China Colombia East Timor Ecuador Egypt Finland France Germany Greece Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iraq Iran Ireland Italy Japan Korea North South Macau Malaysia New Zealand Nigeria Norway Pakistan Philippines Singapore Sweden Syria Taiwan Tokelau Turkey United Kingdom United States Uruguay Vietnam Religion Smoking in Jewish law Tobacco fatwa Ceremonial pipe Chanunpa Kinnikinnick Pipe bag Health Health effects of tobacco ( Nicotine poisoning Nicotine withdrawal ) Passive smoking Third - hand smoke Prevalence of tobacco consumption Schizophrenia and smoking Sidestream smoke Smokeless tobacco keratosis Smoker 's face Smoker 's melanosis Stomatitis nicotina Smoking age Smoking and male infertility Smoking cessation Tobacco - Free Pharmacies Tobacco packaging warning messages WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products World No Tobacco Day Youth smoking Women and smoking Breastfeeding difficulties Breast cancer Cervical cancer Menopause Ptosis of the breast Smoking and female infertility Smoking and pregnancy Smoking ban Inflight smoking List of smoking bans Smoking bans in private vehicles Tobacco - Free College Campuses Country and region Australia United States Other Chain smoking Cigarette consumption per capita History of smoking Smokeasy Smoking fetishism Tobacco advertising Tobacco bowdlerization Tobacco industry Tobacco smoking Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nicotine_withdrawal&oldid=841708041 '' Categories : Smoking cessation Withdrawal syndromes Hidden categories : Infobox medical condition All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from February 2016 Articles with unsourced statements from March 2016 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Italiano Edit links This page was last edited on 17 May 2018, at 14 : 55. 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Question: what are the body's physical and psychological responses to a lack of nicotine called
Answer: Nicotine withdrawal