You may experience flu-like symptoms after you quit smoking. Some people refer to this as Smoker’s flu or Quitter’s flu. Note though that this is not a medical term, but rather a slang used to describe this feeling.
So, what is smoker’s flu? Well, smoker’s flu is not an infection. It is not contagious and cannot be passed to someone else. Smoker’s flu refers to the physical effects you experience when you detox from nicotine and the other chemicals from cigarette smoke. It is nicotine withdrawal.
Smoker’s flu can present with difficulty sleeping, poor concentration, irritability, headaches, tiredness, dizziness, dry mouth, coughing, chest tightness, stomach pain, constipation, postnatal drip, sore throat, and cravings.
As you know, cravings can be quit strong when you stop smoking and this can make the process of quitting more difficult.
I guess one of the reasons people describe nicotine withdrawal as smoker’s flu is because the discomfort experienced is similar to the flu or the common cold. As a result, you may struggle to tell whether you are experiencing withdrawals or if you are actually sick.
One difference between having the flu and experiencing the smoker’s flu is fever. Nicotine withdrawal will not cause an increase in body temperature, so if you have a fever, you need to see your doctor.
If you quit smoking cold turkey, your physical withdrawal symptoms may be quite uncomfortable for the first 3-5 days. This is because it takes about this long for you to eliminate nicotine from your body.
It is for this reason that quit smoking aids like nicotine replacement therapy can eliminate the symptoms of smoker’s flu.
Smoker’s flu occurs when your body no longer receives nicotine and goes into withdrawals. As you know, nicotine is highly addictive and affects your brain chemistry. The changes that occur with your brain receptors and chemicals lead to the various symptoms you experience when you stop smoking.
It is important to note that the symptoms you are experiencing are actually a healing process as your body naturally gets rid of nicotine and tries to adjust back to normal. So, it is important to note that withdrawals do not cause harm. Rather, this is a healing process.
People experience smoker’s flu differently and this generally depends on 3 factors – 1. Mindset 2. General Health 3. Lifestyle.
So, do you need to treat smoker’s flu? Well, the physical symptoms of nicotine withdrawal are self-limiting. This means it goes away within a week and you generally don’t need to do anything about it.
To make the discomfort easier, however, there are a few things you can do. I talked about nicotine replacement therapy earlier. Whether this is the nicotine patch, gum, lozenges or other forms, they can deliver small quantities of nicotine to your body to ease the withdrawal symptoms.
Over the counter medications can also help with pain relief, constipation, runny nose, difficulty sleeping, and other symptoms you may experience. Getting support, exercising, sleeping properly, deep breathing, keeping busy and getting involved in a new hobby can also help you feel better faster.
Let me know in the comments which of the symptoms of smoker’s flu you find most distressing. For more tips and resources, join our Facebook group called Quit Smoking Success Group. The link is in the notes below.
If you have found this helpful, share this video with others who may find it helpful. I’ll speak with you soon.
