Smoker’s Flu: Symptoms, Duration, Treatment, and More (2024)

Smoker’s flu is the slang term used to describe the set of symptoms people can develop when they stop smoking tobacco. Smoker's flu is the direct result of nicotine withdrawal, causing cold and flu-like symptoms such as coughing, fatigue, headaches, sneezing, and sore throat.

About 90% of people who smoke have a nicotine addiction, and most will experience some form of withdrawal after quitting. Symptoms can be worse if you quit cold turkey, although most tend to subside within two weeks. People who have smoked many packs of cigarettes for many years are at greatest risk.

This article describes the symptoms and causes of smoker's flu and offers tips on how to treat or prevent nicotine withdrawal if you decide it's time to quit.

What Are the Symptoms of Smoker's Flu?

Smoker's flu is a group of symptoms people can experience after quitting cigarettes. It's so named because the symptoms are easily confused with a respiratory infection like the flu.

Smoker's flu may involve some or all of the following symptoms:

• Coughing
• Sore throat
• Sneezing
• Chest tightness
• Body aches
• Headache
• Fatigue

Smoker's flu can occur on its own but is more likely to accompany classic somatic (physical) and affective (mental) symptoms of nicotine withdrawal, such as:

• Slowed heart rate (bradycardia)
• Upset stomach
• Constipation
• Gas and bloating
• Diarrhea
• Increased hunger
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Apathy or general unhappiness
• Irritability
• Difficulty concentrating
• Nicotine craving

Roughly 50% of smokers experience four or more symptoms of nicotine withdrawal when they stop. Some symptoms, particularly affective ones like anxiety, can start as early as four hours after your last cigarette.

Smoker’s 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?

Smoker’s flu is caused 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 affects moods by stimulating receptors in the brain that trigger the release of the "feel-good" hormones dopamine, serotonin, and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) each and every time you smoke.

When the nicotine is suddenly stopped, your moods can almost immediately change, leading to anxiety, depression, headache, or fatigue.

Nicotine withdrawal can also cause physical symptoms because nicotine binds to the same brain receptors that acetylcholine does. Acetylcholine—a powerful neurotransmitter that regulates heartbeats, respiration, intestinal movement, and other body functions—will start to decrease in concentration the longer that you smoke.

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.

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.

Until they do, there are several things you can try to better manage your symptoms:

• Treat the cough: Expectorants like guaifenesin can help by breaking up mucus so that it can be more easily coughed up. Speak with your healthcare provider before using cough suppressants as it may be far more beneficial to cough up mucus than to suppress a cough.
• Use over-the-counter pain relievers: Headaches and body aches may benefit from pain relievers like Tylenol (acetaminophen) or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like Advil (ibuprofen).
• Exercise: Taking brisk walks or exercising regularly can not only improve breathing but can also stimulate another "feel-good" hormone called endorphins. Exercise can also help ease fatigue and distract you from your symptoms.
• Practice mind-body therapies: Anxiety intensifies pain sensations. To counter this, explore stress-relieving practices like meditation, gentle yoga, deep breathing, or progressive muscle relaxations (PMR).

How to Prevent Smoker's Flu

You may be able to avoid smoker’s flu by gradually reducing the amount you smoke rather than quitting all at once. This may be especially true if you have been a heavy smoker for many years.

With that said, research suggests that going "cold turkey" is far more effective as the gradual approach typically leads to lapses and failure due to stress, discomfort, or craving.

Nicotine replacement therapy—including nicotine patches, lozenges, sprays, and gums—may also help. These smoking cessation tools may only reduce cravings but may also minimize the risk or severity of nicotine withdrawal.

Summary

Smoker's flu describes symptoms of coughing, sneezing, sore throat, and fatigue that can occur when someone quits smoking. 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.