cancel
Showing results for 
Show  only  | Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Discuss different approaches to quitting, including medication

Anite
Member

BRAIN FOG AFTER QUITING

Since I quit smoking I feel like my brain has stopped working.  It feels foggy the whole time.  I googled and it might take months to clear. Does anyone else have these symptoms and/or advise?  I am working full time and I need my brain.

I also have the weirdest, busy dreams at night but I cant remember a thing. But I wake up tired.

Any help will be welcome.

Labels (1)
29 Replies

This is an excerpt from whyquit.com:

Inability to Concentrate or a Foggy Mind

The feeling that your concentration is not as good or that your mind now lives in a fog is experienced, to one degree or another, by almost two-thirds of recovering nicotine addicts. The return of our clearness of mind and concentration levels may seem gradual but within two weeks most begin experiencing concentration levels very close to those of never-smokers.

Poor concentration, focus and thought can also be associated with low blood sugar. It's important to understand that nicotine force-fed us stored fats and sugars with each new puff. It's why so many of us could skip breakfast and/or lunch and yet not feel hungry. Smoking nicotine caused our brain to release adrenaline which in turn prepared us for the "fight or flight mode" by pumping stored fats and sugars into our blood stream (the bad artery clogging fats).

Once we stop putting nicotine into our body the adrenaline fat feedings end. If you continue to attempt skipping meals, your blood sugar will plummet along with your concentration, as nicotine is no longer your spoon. It isn't necessary to eat more food but only to spread your normal daily food intake out more evenly over your entire day. Women would be well advised to put a very small amount of fuel into their stomach about every three hours and men at least every five. During only the first 72 hours (as it can be fattening) natural fruit juices (cranberry is excellent) will not only aid with helping stabilize blood sugar but may actually help accelerate the rate at which nicotine metabolizes just a wee bit. Here is a good discussion thread on the subject.

bonniebee
Member

The Brain fog goes away gradually don't worry about it just know your body and brain are healing from the nicotine and other poisons abuse ! Baby yourself a bit I found it helpful to let my coworkers know I that I was going through withdrawal .That way I gained there understanding and support . Most people even smokers are very proud of someone for quitting . Have a sense of humor about the fog ! Laugh at yourself and know the nicodemon has been kicked out !

About the dreams are you sleeping with a patch on by any chance ? If so take it off about an hour before bedtime . You don't need it at night and it causes vivid unusual  dreams !

Anite
Member

Thank you.  I spoke to a co-worker yesterday who is going through caffeine withdrawal and she has the exact symptoms.  So I think it is the detoxing that cause the dreams and foggynes.  It will just have to go away without anything which remotely remind me of nicotine.

Jennifer-Quit
Member

Like you I work and needed my brain.  That is why I chose to use the patch - it helped with my concentration a bit.  Please note - I am not recommending the patch - it helped me.  That is all I am saying.  The brain fog will lift - and I don't think that it will take months.  

JACKIE1-25-15
Member

If I remember correctly you are using Wellbutrin.  I suggest that you change the timeframe that you take it if you think that may be the cause also.  Foggy is normal but it shouldn't last that long.   It only last a couple of days for me.  Of course I wasn't in the public working.  Take control of the brain. You can do it. 

elvan
Member

I used Wellbutrin but I had been on it for some time before I quit smoking, it was to help to deal with chronic pain.  I had tried many different antidepressants to enhance the pain medications but nothing helped and all of the ones I was put on had severe side effects that I could not tolerate.  I don't remember any dreams.  I do know that if you are taking two a day, they have to be at least 8 hours apart.  I don't have any idea if that is what is causing your dreams or your brain fog.  I tend to think that it is more likely coming from the increased oxygen you are receiving as a result of the withdrawal of the nicotine.  I was told that when we quit smoking, we forget how to breathe and we need to take deep breaths and let them out slowly, just as we would if we were smoking.  I was terrified that I would not be able to think at work but what little brain fog I experienced, passed within a few days.  It's Thursday, if you work Mon-Fri, you just have one more day before you have the weekend to try to increase physical activity and come up with some strategies to help you focus.

You CAN do this.

Ellen

TW517
Member

I was there too.  My fogginess seemed to last several weeks.  The two things that helped me were lots of strong black coffee (which also made me get up and move a lot if you know what mean), and chewing on a straw.  I was (am) like you, and need to use my brain all day at work.  I stayed late and went in on weekends the first few weeks, just because I couldn't keep my concentration for 8 straight hours every day.

maryfreecig
Member

Simple stuff like good sleep and good nutrition and exercise can help bolster the brain's ability to cope and focus. 

Quitting is a major life change for the good, so keep working your quit--the fog will clear.

Mandolinrain
Member

I was a cold turkey quitter and I actually to recall the brain fog.Not long lived for me and faded after about 3 weeks Id say. I stopped drinking coffee when I quit because I associated it to much wth smoking. I drank a lot of green tea and black tea. No sweetness or cream added. That helped me a lot. I started drinking coffee again after a year or so in and enjoy a cup or two a day now. Hope this helps