People who use tobacco products get used to having a certain level of nicotine in their body. After you quit, cravings develop when your body wants nicotine. This may occur long after your body is no longer addicted to nicotine. In addition to this physical craving, you may experience a psychological craving to use a tobacco product when you see people smoking or are around other triggers. Your mood may change when you have cravings, and your heart rate and blood pressure may go up.
The urge to smoke will come and go. You may start experiencing cravings within an hour or two after your last use of tobacco, and you may have them frequently for the next few days or weeks. As time passes, the cravings will get farther apart. However, you may have occasional mild cravings months or years after you quit.
Here are some tips for managing cravings:
Try nicotine replacement products or ask your doctor about other medications.
Remind yourself that cravings will pass.
Avoid situations and activities that you used to associate with using tobacco products.
As a substitute for smoking, try chewing on carrots, pickles, apples, celery, sugarless gum, or hard candy. Keeping your mouth busy may stop the psychological need to smoke.
Try this exercise: Take a deep breath through your nose and blow out slowly through your mouth. Repeat 10 times.
Go online to Smokefree.gov, a website created by NCI's Tobacco Control Research Branch, and use the step-by-step personalized quit plan to learn about other tips for managing cravings.