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Give and get support around quitting

someguy
Member

ZYN Nicotine Withdrawal

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I wanted to see if anyone had experience with quitting ZYN Nicotine Pouches. I would imagine the journey would be similar to quitting cigarettes, but who knows??

 

I am 27 and have chewed the 6mg pouches for 2 - 3 years and typically have 3 to 6 a day (18 to 36 mg of nicotine per day on average). It has been about a week since my last one. I never got into smoking and only occasionally chewed red man before these things came around... but after I was introduced to ZYNs, they made my desk job much more enjoyable and I just kept 'em coming!

 

The symptoms I've had along with some questions are:

   Brain fog (Extreme!) - This was the one i became most concerned with since I didn't associate the extreme fog with quitting these pouches. After reading up on many blogs, it sounds like this can be a pretty intense experience?

 

   Weakness - This one kind of ties into the brain fog feeling... but I have felt generally weak as well in my body. When it's at it's worst, it feels like my head is faint and my body is drained... but I can also be restless at the same time. I feel like I want to pass out but also run around?! Very weird. The faint feeling is nothing extreme, but it's the only way I can describe the sensation.

 

   Sleeping trouble - I have been getting to bed fine, but when I wake up in the morning, it is very difficult to fall back asleep and sometimes I feel like my heart is racing. I don't feel like I'm craving anything while laying there. Has anyone else experienced this anxiety/racing feeling after waking up?

 

   Loss of appetite - This one is different than the majority of things I've read. I have felt like my stomach is cramped up and I generally haven't had a great appetite. The best way I can describe the feelings I get in my gut include intense cramping and just a feeling of your stomach being generally unsettled. I haven't had issues with nausea or anything like that. Has anyone had this experience?

 

In addition to this, my wife and I are having our first kid and I believe that some of these symptoms could also be a result of increased stress and anxiety associated with that. 

 

Any answers, experiences, thoughts, solutions are much appreciated! 

 

Thanks!

39 Replies
CommunityAdmin
Community Manager
Community Manager

Hi everyone. We just released some new content on Quitting Zyn and other oral nicotine pouches  or you can read a blog post from the Mayo Clinic team,  Nicotine Pouch Products: More than just nicotine - EX Community  

EX Community Admin Team
StayTrue
Member

I feel this post to my core. 

im 26, and just hit my 48 hour mark without any nicotine. It may seem silly to count down to the hour but it feels as if some moments I have to take it by the hour. 

I have such bad brain fog, and I am so emotional and irritated easily. My stomach is also messed up as you said, and I am equally nauseous and not hungry

Not many people in my life know that I was doing it (convenience if zyn) so it feels like a very silent struggle. 

any tips on how long this will feel so crummy? 

 

Barbscloud
Member

@StayTrue Welcome to the Ex and congrats on your quit.  This post is older, so I don't know if  you'll hear from @someguy   Did you read all the material Mark provided?  There is some good information.

Of course what you're experiencing are normal nicotine withdrawal symptoms.  How long will they last?  We're all different.  Most of the nicotine is gone i in three days, but it can take 3 -4 weeks as is gradually declines.

Have you been reading material on the site about nicotine addiction and learning about how to quit?   It's important to understand that in addition to the physical withdrawal, a big part of quitting is psychological and that lasts much longer.   There will be ups and downs, so the more prepared your are,  the better your chances of success.  This link has some great information.

https://www.becomeanex.org/guides/?cid=footer_community_linktobex

Consider joining some of us on the Daily Pledge to stay on track one day at a time.

We're here for you so reach out anytime we can help.

Stay busy and stay close.

Barb

 

YoungAtHeart
Member

Welcome!

Quitting nicotine is the same no matter the delivery device.  Just sub Zyn as you do the reading I ill recommend.   Here's a bit about withdrawal you might find helpful:

https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/t5/Best-of-EX/Early-Withdrawal-Symptoms/m-p/1088041#M1178

The important thing you can do right now is to educate yourself on what nicotine does to your body and mind. To that end, I highly recommend Allen Carr's “The Easy Way to Stop Smoking.”    You can purchase a digital version online or borrow it at your local library.  Here is a video to inform you further about nicotine addiction: Nicotine and Your Brain

I quit over ten years ago , and I base my overall recommendations on my experience and that of others over the years. if you decide to use a quit aid, I recommend those that don't let the addict control the dose such as Rx drugs and the patch. Each cigarette you smoked contained about 1 mg of nicotine. If you use more than one form of NRT, be sure you aren't getting more than when you smoked..

The idea is to change up your routines so the smoking associations are reduced.  Drink your coffee with your OTHER hand in a place different from when you smoked. Maybe switch to tea for a bit.  If you always had that first smoke with your coffee, try putting your tennies on right out of bed, going for a quick walk, then taking your shower and THEN your coffee! .  Take a different route to work. Take a quick walk at break time where the smokers AREN'T.

You need to distract yourself through any craves.  You can take a bite out of a lemon (yup - rind and all), do a few jumping jacks, go for a brisk walk or march in place, play a computer game.  Keep a cold bottle of water with you. Don't let that smoking thought rattle around in your brain unchallenged. You might visit “Games”: The active ones are at the top of the list going down the left side of the page.

Here is a link to a list of things to do instead of smoke if you need some fresh ideas:

101 Things to Do Instead of Smoke - EX Community

The conversation in your head in response to the "I want a cigarette" thought needs to be, "Well, since I have decided not to do that anymore, what shall I do instead for the three minutes this crave will last?"  Then DO it.  You will need to put some effort into this in the early days, but it gets easier and easier to do.

You might want to join other site members by taking the daily pledge when you quit. IT helps to hold yourself accountable and also accountable to others here. Find it at Home (top left), then first blue box.

Stay close to us here and ask questions when you have them and for support when you need it. We will be with you every step of the way!

Nancy

CommunityAdmin
Community Manager
Community Manager

@StayTrue You've got replies from two experienced members of the community and you may receive more from others who have posted on this topic previously. I'm so very glad you reached out and commented on this topic.

It's actually one of the most viewed posts on the entire community even though it doesn't have comments very frequently. So there are lots of people who are looking for answers and hopefully this will lead to some additional participation from others and will ultimately help more people quit Zyn and other tobaccoless pouches. 

Zyn is newer and they're aren't as many discussions on it as their are with other nicotine delivery methods so I can definitely see how you can feel it's a silent struggle since you can be very discrete with usage. Thanks for putting yourself out there. It will hopefully help others have the confidence to also join the discussion and share more of their journey as well. 

@someguy @Dylanfoster  and others who use/used Zyn or other tobaccoless pouches, can you give updates on your progress?

EX Community Admin Team
Giancarlo
Member

I posted earlier, no Zyn for a few years now and I used to go through a can or more a day. Took me a long while to not need nicotine. I had severe withdrawal and I tapered off on patches for a few months after quitting. Patches took the edge off for me. Exercise and being active in my free time helped also. After a month or so my brain fog and stomach was much better, probably took about six months to not want it or think about it much but drinking would always make me miss it. Quit that also. Life is definitely better not being addicted. Wish U all luck. You can beat it GC

CommunityAdmin
Community Manager
Community Manager

@Giancarlo Thanks for stopping by and sharing your update. When did you quit? 

Ooops I now see that you said November 2020.

EX Community Admin Team
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Fab310
Member

I’ve been scrolling through every post trying to find someone who has successfully quit Zyn and wasn’t miserable. Thanks for your post. Quitting in October 2023 and truly terrified— I’m going to similarly use patches over a few months, because I’ve tried quitting a bunch without a good structure and was awful. 

I am 66 days sober from alcohol and while I can’t even picture it at this point, the thought that maybe this time next year, I will have no substances running through my system would be my biggest wish. I genuinely appreciate you sharing— not nearly enough info on Zyn and I think smokers underestimate the amount of nicotine we are consuming (and the fact that some of us consume it 24 hrs a day) 

Barbscloud
Member

@Fab310 Welcome to the Ex and congrats on your decision to quit.  There's some great information on this post to help with quitting nicotine as well as information about Zyn.

Do the work to learn about nicotine addiction and have a plan in place as your quit approaches. 

https://www.becomeanex.org/guides/?cid=footer_community_linktobex

Glad you're considering an aide to help with the physical withdrawal.  I used Welbutrin and nicotrol inhalers and it made so much easier.  But you still have to work on psychological part of quitting.  

Join many of us on the Daily Pledge to stay on track one day at a time. 

Look forward to celebrating with you on the 21st if not sooner.

Stay busy and stay close.

Wishing you the best.  Barb

 

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CommunityAdmin
Community Manager
Community Manager

@Fab310 welcome and so glad you found us! If you haven't yet, check out this article on EX on the topic of Zyn and how to quit it:
https://www.becomeanex.org/ex-resources/about-quitting/get-ready-to-quit/quitting-zyn-and-other-oral...

- Megan, EX Team

EX Community Admin Team
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