Nicotine Withdrawl
Time: Modern Day
Searches I've tried: nicotine withdrawl, smoking withdrawl, quitting smoking, side effects of quitting smoking, physical side effects of quitting smoking, how to stop smoking.
My character has been smoking anywhere for half of a pack to an enitre pack of Marlboro Menthols a day for the past ten years and has decided to quit. I've read everything from the American Lung Association's website to feel-good 'You can do it, even if it'll feel horrible!' site describing the side effects of nicotine withdrawl, but I haven't found anything truly descriptive. So far all I've gathered is that withdrawl symptoms include headaches, naseua, insomnia, anxiety, coughing, and increased appetite. All of the sites I've visited have also mentioned that the first 72 hours are the worst when trying to quit.
What I want to know is what it feels like. In the first 24 hours of not having a cigarette is he going to have a severe headache and be coughing up mucus or is he just going to be irritable and fighting cravings? If he does cough something up, will it have a color or a taste to it? After the fist 72 hours, do these symptoms rapidly drop off or will he be suffering for weeks, or even months? What would be the difference if he gradually tried to quit (having only six or seven cigarettes at first, then slowly cutting down to none) compared to quitting all at once? What would it feel like to wear a nicotine patch or chew gum like nicorette instead of having an actual cigarette?
He's a very active (and usually very stressed) person, 28 years old, and generally healthy. His smoking has become mostly habit over the years; if he doesn't have something else in his hands he has a cigarette to keep himself occupied. Any other time he smokes is to relieve stress or because the people around him are smoking.
Thanks for any help you can offer and let me know if there are any other details I should include!
Searches I've tried: nicotine withdrawl, smoking withdrawl, quitting smoking, side effects of quitting smoking, physical side effects of quitting smoking, how to stop smoking.
My character has been smoking anywhere for half of a pack to an enitre pack of Marlboro Menthols a day for the past ten years and has decided to quit. I've read everything from the American Lung Association's website to feel-good 'You can do it, even if it'll feel horrible!' site describing the side effects of nicotine withdrawl, but I haven't found anything truly descriptive. So far all I've gathered is that withdrawl symptoms include headaches, naseua, insomnia, anxiety, coughing, and increased appetite. All of the sites I've visited have also mentioned that the first 72 hours are the worst when trying to quit.
What I want to know is what it feels like. In the first 24 hours of not having a cigarette is he going to have a severe headache and be coughing up mucus or is he just going to be irritable and fighting cravings? If he does cough something up, will it have a color or a taste to it? After the fist 72 hours, do these symptoms rapidly drop off or will he be suffering for weeks, or even months? What would be the difference if he gradually tried to quit (having only six or seven cigarettes at first, then slowly cutting down to none) compared to quitting all at once? What would it feel like to wear a nicotine patch or chew gum like nicorette instead of having an actual cigarette?
He's a very active (and usually very stressed) person, 28 years old, and generally healthy. His smoking has become mostly habit over the years; if he doesn't have something else in his hands he has a cigarette to keep himself occupied. Any other time he smokes is to relieve stress or because the people around him are smoking.
Thanks for any help you can offer and let me know if there are any other details I should include!