Dear Alice,
I am a 17 year old female and havent been feeling well at all, I started a couple nights ago I was stressed chain smoked alot of cigarettes that night, Two mornings later I woke up with dizziness, feeling of nausea, chest hurts, throat hurts, head hurts, neck stiff, nasal passages are swollen, and having hard time of thinking, remembering, directions and few other things. I assumed it was all because of im allergic to second hand smoke which my docter predicted at a very young age, I read an article about Smoking and Nausea, I found that I have a lot of similar symptoms for Nicotine Poisoning. Im really worried about it and dont know much about the poisoning, Im vey curious about how long it will last and how much damage if any? Please Alice Help!
Sincerely,
Worried Smoker
Dear Worried Smoker,
Take a big puff of fresh air and try to relax. Although you certainly sound like you are suffering, you probably do not have nicotine poisoning. Most adult cases of nicotine poisoning occur due to prolonged exposure with nicotine-containing pesticides, constant skin to nicotine contact, such as with tobacco leaves, or in very rare cases, improper use of Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) products, such as the nicotine patch. The amount of nicotine inhaled during cigarette smoking is usually not enough to cause nicotine poisoning. However, if you do not smoke regularly or smoke more cigarettes than usual, then dizziness and nausea can arise.
Your other symptoms of headache, confusion, and throat pain may indicate that you are experiencing side effects of a mild form of nicotine poisoning. But because you started feeling sick two days after smoking—long after the nicotine would have left your system—the symptoms you describe are more likely signs of something else. Perhaps the smoking made your allergies worse or triggered another illness that your body is now trying to fight. On the other hand, you could have something that is completely unrelated to smoking, and it could just be a coincidence that it arose right after you smoked. With all these different possibilities, you may want to talk with a health care provider who can accurately diagnose your condition and give you more specifics about how long these symptoms might last, the long- and short-term effects on your body, and most importantly, how you can make yourself feel better.
Although smoking cigarettes may provide a temporary feeling of relaxation and relief, the worry it can cause afterwards may not be worth it. Other ways to deal with stress include getting some exercise, talking to a friend, reading a book for fun, or even watching a little bit of television. Consider giving some of these methods a shot the next time you’re having a stressful night. If nothing else, you can rest assured knowing they won’t make you feel worse in the morning!
- Alice
Related Q&As
- Secondhand smoke, mainstream smoke, and side-stream smoke: Dangers and differences
- Is social smoking really all that bad for me?
- Dorm mate's smoking is making me sick!?!
- Exercise motivation... for stress reduction
Go Ask Alice! is not an emergency or instant response service. If you are in an urgent situation, please click here to view a list of 24 hour support services and hotlines.
Nicotine poisoning?
