Khaberni - Smokers complain about withdrawal symptoms when trying to quit, which can start within hours and peak during the first few days of stopping smoking, although they fade over time, the question of how long nicotine stays in the body helps understand the changes that occur after smoking.
According to "Free Will Health", nicotine stays in the bloodstream for between one and three days, although most of it is usually eliminated within one day. However, cotinine (a metabolite of nicotine) can remain in the body for several days.
Half-life
To clarify, the half-life of nicotine is about two hours, meaning half of it disappears from the body about two hours after use.
While nicotine can stay in the blood for between one and three days, the substance cotinine, a secondary product of nicotine, has a half-life of 18 hours and can last for several days.
Nicotine replacement therapies, psychological counseling, and other strategies may help in quitting smoking and alleviating nicotine withdrawal symptoms during these stages.
Duration of intense craving
Nicotine can reach the brain within 10 to 20 seconds after inhalation, increasing adrenaline and dopamine levels, which generates a feeling of pleasure.
Once this initial feeling fades, it may cause later negative effects, motivating the recovery of this feeling and smoking more. This leads to dependence or addiction.
The intense craving to smoke can begin within a few hours of the last tobacco use. The craving tends to persist for days, weeks, or longer after the body has rid itself of nicotine addiction.
Withdrawal symptoms typically last from 3 to 4 weeks, with the strongest effects during the first week, especially the first 3 days.
