Your Brain, Cravings and cutting off nicotine

[freeneasy]

Several new quitters have asked about cravings and when they stop in discussions recently. All of us have lots of experience with that issue. Everyone pretty much agrees that the most intense and uncomfortable cravings occur in the 1^st 3 weeks or so, but can still be pretty bad for some time after that.

Here is an article I found regarding the nicotine receptors in a smoker's brain and what happens to them when a smoker quits cold turkey. It describes a scientific study that was done where they measure a number of nicotine receptors which they think correlate to cravings. It was done in 2009 and contains a lot of scientific jargon but I think it's pretty interesting and probably relevant.

They come to the conclusion that it takes 6-12 weeks for the brain to compensate for the absence of nicotine.

I'm not saying that this is when the craving completely stops It's just more food for thought.

Abstinent Smokers' Nicotinic Receptors Take More Than a Month to Normalize | National Institute on D... 

[Giulia]

More food for thought indeed.  Would be interesting to know if they have discovered any other information during the 8 year after this study came out.  "Withdrawal symptoms occur until the brain has had sufficient time to make the neurochemical adaptations necessary for a person to feel normal without nicotine."

"After 6 to 12 weeks of abstinence, the former smokers' brain receptor levels tended to match those of nonsmokers, although there was significant variation among individuals."  I bolded that statement simply to indicate we are all different and "when does it end??!" is all relative to the individual.  

Thought provoking, Jim.  Thanks for adding to our wisdom here!

[Thomas3.20.2010]

The solution is dopamine. There are many ways to get dopamine which is what the nicotine receptors hijack. If you want the cravings to be less and to stop sooner - pump yourselves with natural dopamine any way you can get it! You will be relieved of craving much more quickly, have cravings less often and not as intense. Isn't that what you really want?

Thank You, Jim, for sharing this article. It does shed light on the time table.

[YoungAtHeart]

You can increase your dopamine levels in other ways.  Brisk exercise of any kind will give you what is referred to as a "runner's high."  Any form of strenuous exercise will do - just be sure if you are walking, you move at s brisk pace and swing your arms.  Marching in place works, too.  Dancing or singing out loud to your favorite music works, as does eating a bit of chocolate.  It has been found that even looking at pictures of scrumptious  food will increase the level.  Playing a musical instrument produces it, too.  Having sex will give it to you, as well. 

Lots of ways to replace it - and the more you can do this, the less your body will crave the hit from a cigarette!

Nancy

[elvan]

I could not believe the release of dopamine when I used my stationary bike the first time after I quit.  I felt amazing and I had no craves at all, I felt like I had beaten the demon.  I cannot remember exactly how far into my quit I was, I had been walking and doing some exercises but the bike was different.  I was so short of breath walking that there was no such thing as doing it "briskly."  

[MarilynH]

Thanks Jim, very thought provoking, I know that kept really busy baking and cleaning every day it seemed so I could keep my mind as well as my hands occupied but it worked and kept the cravings down and I still have a pretty clean home but back in the early wks of my quit my home was immaculately clean.  freeneasy