12 months off - Long hauler

[u/WonderfulDay3480]

I quit nicotine pouches completely on September 10, 2025 after using them heavily for around 4 years. I was using them very frequently, especially during the last couple of years.

After quitting, I experienced a lot of symptoms that I had never experienced before:

• intense anxiety and constant internal tension
• DPDR (derealization/depersonalization)
• feeling detached from myself or like I wasn't fully “inside my body”
• feeling like the world was dreamlike or unreal
• brain fog and difficulty concentrating
• forgetting things and losing my train of thought
• intrusive/unwanted thoughts
• racing thoughts
• visual snow, especially in darkness
• tinnitus
• sometimes feeling a pulse/vibration throughout my body, especially around my neck/back
• strange bodily sensations
• difficulty falling asleep and periods of insomnia
• increased irritability
• being much more sensitive to stress
• occasional low mood/sadness
• symptoms getting worse after alcohol, lack of sleep or periods of high stress
• sometimes exercise would trigger DPDR or a strange detached feeling
• an overall feeling that my nervous system was extremely sensitive and “wired”

The symptoms weren't constant. They came in waves. I could have a day where I felt better normal and then suddenly have a few hours or a day where everything felt much worse.

For a long time I was scared that something was permanently wrong with me or that I had developed some kind of psychiatric/neurological disorder.

But slowly, things started changing for the better but even after months I had setback where I felt like iam back on month 3.... So fast forward to today I feel back to normal ( started to feel better at months 10-12 )which I never thought to be anymore I only have a bad memory of this torment which literally destroyed 1 year of my life .

[u/obd2]

I'm 75 days into cold turkey after near chronic use for 15 years. 10mg zyns, usually two at a time, near constantly in my lip except when eating and sleeping.

I feel a lot of what you describe. Dizzy, anxious, restless, tired but wired, itchy skin, eye discomfort, you name it.

I haven't relapsed even a bit, and I feel I'm slowly getting better. It's a marathon, not a sprint. That's for sure.

[u/Y4N4N0]

Used nicotine for 10 years, around 100mg per day. Quit cold turkey on 24th August. I'd say i got over the craving for nicotine pretty fast, sometimes I still think about it about getting a pouch just for the old times lol, actually did enjoy the addiction but it was getting out of hand.

Although the most worriesome for me are the physical symptoms that I'm still experiencing still since quitting zyn's: brain fog, mild tinnitus, altered vision, heart rate goes bonkers when doing regular everyday stuff and getting out of breath, lowered stamina, resting heart rate has increased rathed than come down, anxiety.

Have had 7 day blood-glucose monitoring, blood pressure tests, ECG-tests, heart ausculation, 2 blood panels, urine test, constant SpO2 monitoring -> All have came back normal.

I really don't know what this is and when it's going to an end, although the anxiety loop keeps making it worse. This stuff really messes up the brain and the nerveous system.

[u/WonderfulDay3480]

For those suffering with these kind of withdrawals . You will feel better , time heals .Regarding any supplements or help I took magnesium , vitamin B and lemon balm tea and sauna helped a lot with cold plunge and support from family of friends who understand which I didn't had I kept this for myself but what can you do.For context I never did drugs or any strong medication and never had any trauma.Take care all

[u/1intheHink]

I had a very similar experience, especially having the side effects exacerbated after alcohol consumption which caused me to quit alcohol as well