TOBACCO WITHDRAWAL SYNDROME: SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENTS - ARTE - 2025

The tobacco withdrawal syndrome constitutes a series of physical, bodily and mental reactions that appear when a person suffers from addiction to a substance and stops consuming it.

This syndrome constitutes a series of annoying manifestations that appear when the smoker stops receiving the substance to which he is addicted, that is, nicotine. Popularly, it is known as mono or craving, and refers to a state of discomfort produced by the absence of the desired substance.

However, this syndrome does not refer only to the high desire to consume that the addict has when he does not ingest the substance to which he is addicted. In fact, this syndrome encompasses much more than a simple desire, and performs both physical and psychological bodily and functioning modifications.

In general, all substances that have addictive components (alcohol, tobacco, cocaine, amphetamines, anxiolytics, etc.) can cause a withdrawal syndrome.

However, not all substances produce the same type of syndrome, since depending on the addictive potential of each drug and the brain mechanisms that alter its use, the symptoms that may appear will be one or the other.

Does tobacco create withdrawal syndrome?

Tobacco is considered a "soft" drug, so very often the risks posed by the use of this substance are not assumed.

In fact, tobacco is considered a soft drug because even though it can be harmful to the body, the psychoactive substances in this drug make few changes at the brain level.

While the use of cannabis, cocaine or amphetamines can cause greater brain alteration, a clear mental deterioration and the appearance of dangerous behavioral or perceptual symptoms, tobacco does not.

In fact, it has been shown that tobacco does not produce particularly harmful effects on mental functioning and does not deteriorate the brain regions. But beware, the psychoactive substance in tobacco, nicotine, does perform an important action on the brain: it acts on the reward and gratification system.

If you are a smoker, you probably did not need to read these paragraphs to be aware that tobacco contains an important addictive power.

The longer the tobacco use, the greater the amounts consumed, since the brain will need higher doses to receive the same rewarding effects.

Similarly, the greater the consumption, the greater the effect of the drug on the nervous system and the greater the adaptation of the body to this substance.

What is tobacco withdrawal syndrome like?

Nicotine addiction can generate a withdrawal syndrome in itself when the substance is stopped. Likewise, the greater the tobacco consumption, the greater the probability that a withdrawal syndrome will appear when smoking is stopped.

Not all smokers experience this withdrawal syndrome when they stop using nicotine. However, in those people who have consumed high amounts for years, it is very likely to appear.

In this sense, a study carried out by Lara Gabriela and her collaborators identified how the withdrawal syndrome occurs in a significant percentage of smokers who stop using tobacco.

In fact, in this study it was documented that more than 50% of smokers presented a series of symptoms related to tobacco withdrawal syndrome and 25% presented severe and elevated symptoms when they stopped using nicotine.

However, the tobacco withdrawal syndrome is not constituted by unique symptoms, nor do all smokers who stop using nicotine present the same manifestations.

A large number of variations can be observed with respect to the intensity and impact of symptoms, so individual differences can be multiple.

On the other hand, despite the fact that tobacco withdrawal syndrome is usually frequent and can be serious, it is considered to be of less intensity compared to other drugs of abuse.

Symptoms of tobacco withdrawal syndrome

The symptoms that tobacco withdrawal syndrome can cause are very varied, however, there seem to be some that are more prototypical and that can occur in most cases.

In this sense, several studies have shown that the symptoms most related to quitting smoking and nicotine dependence are the presence of cravings, anxiety, depression and sweating.

On the other hand, physical symptoms such as sweating and tension are often very common in tobacco withdrawal syndrome. Other psychological symptoms that may appear are irritability (it appears in 61% of cases), insomnia (in 46%), and difficulties in concentrating (38%).

As for other physical symptoms that can appear when smoking is stopped, a large number of different alterations have been witnessed.

Among all of them, gastrointestinal discomfort, dizziness, headache and palpitations can occur in more than 30% of cases.

Other disorders such as palpitations, trembling, tingling or hives are usually less frequent but can also appear.

What are the repercussions of tobacco withdrawal syndrome?

It should be borne in mind that the symptoms that occur in tobacco withdrawal syndrome are temporary. That is, they appear in some cases of smokers when they stop smoking, however, they disappear if the person manages to remain without using tobacco for a long period of time.

Likewise, withdrawal symptoms tend to be higher at the beginning of quitting smoking and tend to disappear as time passes without consuming.

If you have stopped smoking and begin to experience some of the symptoms that we have discussed above, you have to keep in mind that these appear in response to the suppression of nicotine but will disappear if you continue without consuming.

In the same way that you accustomed your brain to function "normally" through tobacco use, now you have to "re-accustom it" to function without the presence of nicotine.

However, the impact of withdrawal is clear, it makes the process of quitting smoking difficult.

Thus, when a person is quitting smoking and experiencing unpleasant symptoms, the first option they have to stop the discomfort of withdrawal is to use again.

These symptoms can cause a large number of relapses to use. The discomfort will disappear sooner if it is consumed than if the brain is used to working without nicotine.

How can it be treated?

As we have seen, the main tool that a smoker has to eliminate the withdrawal syndrome is to persist without using tobacco. If you notice that quitting smoking is being too difficult for you, you can go to a psychotherapist.

Motivational therapies, self-efficacy training, the search for alternative activities, stimulus control, the contingency contract, and self-registration have been shown to be effective techniques to increase personal capacity to quit smoking.

Now, these techniques help not to relapse and persist without consuming, but they do not alleviate withdrawal symptoms, because these will only disappear as you get used to functioning without smoking.

If withdrawal symptoms become unbearable during the process of quitting smoking, you can choose other options.

First, there are nicotine replacement products that help alleviate withdrawal symptoms.

Those that have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration are: the nicotine patch, nicotine gum, nicotine lozenges, nicotine nasal spray, and nicotine inhaler.

In case these products do not work either, you can go to the doctor. A doctor can prescribe medications that do not contain nicotine but that can help overcome withdrawal symptoms such as bupropion or varencycline.

References

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