People who have smoked many packs of cigarettes for many years are at greatest risk.
Verywell / Jessica Olah
What Are the Symptoms of Smoker’s Flu?
Smoker’s flu is a group of symptoms people can experience after quitting cigarettes.
Verywell / Jessica Olah
It’s so named because the symptoms are easily confused with a respiratory infection like the flu.
Smokers flu can be unpleasant, but it is not dangerous.
Unlike withdrawal from alcohol or opioid drugs, nicotine withdrawal won’t cause harm to your health.
What Causes Smoker’s Flu?
Smokers flu is triggered by your body’s response to the sudden absence of nicotine.
This not only affects your moods but also causes physical symptoms.
How chronic nicotine use affects the brain is complex.
Research on it is ongoing.
Nicotine withdrawal can also cause physical symptoms because nicotine binds to the same brain receptors thatacetylcholinedoes.
When you suddenly stop smoking, it can take time before acetylcholine returns to normal levels.
Until then, your heart, respiratory, and digestive functions can be adversely affected.
Why Coughing Can Increase After Quitting
Some people start coughingafterthey quit cigarettes.
After you quit smoking, cilia will start to work again to clear mucus from the lungs.
While this is beneficial, it can cause coughing that can persist for several weeks.
How Is Smoker’s Flu Treated?
Smoker’s flu is not a diagnosis and there are no specific guidelines on how to treat it.
Even so, these symptoms will resolve with time.
Knowing this can help you push through the withdrawal.
This may be especially true if you have been a heavy smoker for many years.
Nicotine replacement therapyincluding nicotine patches, lozenges, sprays, and gumsmay also help.
These smoking cessation tools may only reduce cravings but may also minimize the risk or severity of nicotine withdrawal.
you might be switched from a long-acting nicotine patch to “on-demand” products like nicotine gum or lozenges.
Othersmoking cessation aidsare available.
Heavy, long-term smokers who quit suddenly are at greater risk.
Smoker’s flu is one of many physical and mental manifestations of nicotine withdrawal.
Nicotine replacement therapy may help ease or prevent nicotine withdrawal symptoms.
Exercise, stress management, and over-the-counter pain and cough medicines may also help.
Published 2023 Jan 13. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1023756
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.7 common withdrawal symptoms.
Prasetyo A, Sadhana U, Budiman J.Nasal mucociliary clearance in smokers: a systematic review.Int Arch Otorhinolaryngol.
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