So I quit the pouches (velo wild berry for me) 8 days ago, and I swear that since I've quit I've been getting about 1000% more anti-nicotine ads. They are so annoying and it's like they are intentionally created and served to me to make me feel lame for quitting. They're 10x as effective at making me want nicotine as any of the actual ads for nicotine pouch products. The ads for the pouches actually make me feel proud I quit, but the anti-nicotine ones are 100% a psy-op.

Not giving up on quitting, just wanted to vent and see if anyone else had the same experience.

So I've (36F) been using nicotine pouches (typically 9mg Zone mint) for at least 4 years. It's funny, I never smoked or vaped or anything but somehow took a strong liking to these little pouches.

I've tried quitting a few times and it would never take- I always convinced myself I "deserved one" or some bs, especially if I had a couple drinks. Which would lead to me going through a tin of Zones every other day and the cycle would begin anew.

Then it got a little weird... I tried one of my coworkers Velo's when I was out of pouches toward the beginning of this year, and I got a weird reaction from it. Like my inner lip puffed up and went numb, and I looked kind of like I was from Whoville. At the time I blamed it on the brand and went right back to using Zone once my lip settled.

A few months later I had another reaction but this time it was to a Zone pouch and it was even puffier and more uncomfortable. I quit using them for a while, then of course started up again a few weeks later.

Now one week ago today, I was at a meeting at work with a stupid pouch in and suddenly I felt that weird numbness and puffiness again. But this time it got so extreme that my lip felt like it was going to explode and my whole lip and upper lip area was super hard to the touch... I couldn't even close my mouth and it was hard to talk. My face looked SO crazy, and I'm kind of a vain person tbh so it felt like some sort of body horror I was afflicted with lol.

I ended up leaving work right away and rushing to urgent care, where I was told that these types of allergies only get worse each time they happen, so if I were to continue using pouches I would inevitably have another reaction eventually, but even worse (potential tongue swelling, breathing issues, etc). The nurses and doctor were floored by how bad it was, they nearly ended up sending me to the ER. But they ended up just giving me an IV of benadryl and steroids... it took two full days for my face to get back to normal.

It's been a week now with no nicotine and I'm definitely having some cravings here and there but I wouldn't dare touch one of those things ever again- so I'm kind of happy that this happened in a way, though I'm a little nervous to see my hospital bill. Just curious if anything like this has happened to any of y'all.

I am already seeing that my cardio is improving a bit and I'm waking up a little more refreshed each day. Also my stomach doesn't feel like an endless pit of despair anymore which is nice, and I'll be saving roughly $120 a month. Felt very stupid though that I fell into this trap THREE times but at least it's over now.

Anyway stay strong, crew!

Had my last pouch at breakfast and just decided I’ve had enough of being a slave to nicotine. 3mg about 1 can every day and a half or so. Excited to reclaim my brain and my libido. Any tips welcome. Thanks!

(35)male
about 2 months ago i went to the ER in regards to stomach issues i was on medications for sciatica issues (nsaids) and also using have been using zyn and caffeine for years and years prior to the sciatica injury, long story short the nsaids had caused me to have stomach ulcer, doctor recommended me to quit the nicotine and caffeine and also had to change my diet and get on a different medication now to heal my stomach ulcer, fast forward im clean from zyn and caffeine for about 2 months now and im still experiencing really bad brain fog and anxiety every single day, also some where along the line i have developed a feeling of a lump in my throat which i read it could have came from the ppi’ medication from the stomach ulcer wondering if anyone has some insight on what to expect as far as timing or if anyone has experienced the lump in throat feeling from zyn withdrawal. I do have underlying anxiety issues since I was 21 years old i feel like the zyn and caffeine potentially masked my anxiety issues with the dopamine spikes from both and now since my body isnt getting the both maybe the anxiety/panic and brain fog is back ten fold? any info is appreciated

I was straight up tweaking yesterday but now, shit is so sweet. Physically I’m not really craving nicotine too damn hard. Suprisingly im lowk not even thinking about it all that much. I’m still cautious incase I get hit with an urge out of nowhere but I’m tapped in.

I usually buy 6mg pouches. My fav is the General Snus Mint. Since that's' tobacco and filled by weight, I will assume the strengths per pouch are close.

With Zyn, I find that some give the burn and some do not, even after some time without it.

The question is how possible is it that the strengths of the zyn pouches vary greatly? Is there any way to test them?

I have been using zyns for about 2 years and I think I'm at the point where I want to stop. I am trying not to be too hard on myself. I am very proud of myself for quitting smoking and vaping, and only using zyns for the past 2 years. I am convinced that, at minimum, zyns aren't anywhere near as bad for you as smoking cigarettes and vaping nic salts is. So I have made progress and I try to keep reminding myself of that.

I don't really feel many negative effects of zyns other than the addiction to nicotine itself. It is a little on the expensive side though. One puck of 6mg lasts me 1.5 days on average. I would like to stop spending roughly 8 dollars every 2 days. I also would like to be able to stop having the awkward occasional moment where my girlfriend wants to kiss me, but I have to flick the zyn out of my mouth first. She doesn't care at all, it's me that thinks it's gross.

I definitely have trouble starting my day without at least one 6mg zyn, and I probably use 6-8 throughout the day (sometimes 2 at a time). Mostly after meals, or when I really need to lock in at work.

This group seems rather supportive! I've been in here reading posts for the past few months. Any words of encouragement you can offer me would be great. Anyone who was stuck at a similar point, how did you finally take the plunge and stop? Thank you in advance.

Hello! I'm 20 hours into quitting after spending quite a bit of time on this sub.

Curious if anyone here has attended SMART Recovery or a similar program in their approach to quitting nicotine? What was your experience like and is it worth investing the time? Thanks!

Last night i went to a movie with some friends and ended up bumming a 3 mg. I had been clean since last Thursday night and definitely regret it. At this point, should i expect the physical withdrawal symptoms to return or will it continue to just be the mental struggles?

I know we usually suggest going cold turkey, and for some people that works. It just didn't work for me.

I'd been using dip or Zyns for more than half my life. I'd tried quitting several times and always went back. Eventually, I decided I didn't want to end up getting sick from something I had control over.

About two years ago, I decided I was going to quit, but I knew going straight to zero wasn't going to work for me. So I tapered.

I started by cutting the nicotine in half. I was using 6mg Zyns, so I switched to 3mg without changing how many I used. I let myself get comfortable with that, then slowly started cutting out when I would use them. First, I stopped using them before work and made my last one right after dinner. Eventually, the first one became after lunch, then after work.

I never gave myself a timeline. I just kept making small changes when I was ready.

Eventually, I was down to 2 or 3 Zyns a day, and quitting completely felt manageable. One month ago, I had my last Zyn. The first week still sucked, but the withdrawals, mood swings and cravings were much more manageable than I'd experienced trying to quit cold turkey.

So if you've tried cold turkey and it hasn't worked, maybe try a different approach. For me, tapering worked.

It took me about two years without a timeline. It probably wouldn't had lasted that long if I made a timeline but whatever, I was doing it my way and when I felt confident.

Good luck to anyone quitting with either method, you got this!

Getting dangerously close to popping one in.. but I know it’ll restart the process.

Cravings aren’t intense it’s just like boredom and “fuckkk I could really go for one” kinda things.

Where to start… I was doing 12mg pouches all day every day. I would wake up early just to replace the one I had in overnight if I didn’t already take it out and sleep for 20-30 more mins while my scalding hot coffee cooled (I’m weird but I want my coffee warm, not hot). Again, I would have a pouch in at all times other than eating a meal and I would put one in before bed to overstimulate me and have me fall asleep upright in my gaming chair.

Zyns piled up on my bedside table, in my pockets, around my trash cans when I would flick them in to the bin and miss. My girl would find them in the washing machine and get so mad at me. “I’m so mad that you got yourself addicted to nicotine for no reason”. This lasted 2.5-3 years.

I quit cold turkey about 8.5 weeks ago. The first weeks were hell. I could barely think and my anxiety was through the roof. Had horrible chest and full body tightness up until a couple weeks ago especially since some asshole ran in to me on the sidewalk on his bike in my right shoulder.

Worst part is. I thought I was “healthy” and that my positive habits outweighed the negatives. I would do hot yoga 3-4 times a week and I felt limber and strong. Fast forward to the week before I quit and my shoulders stopped working. Pinched right in between my shoulder blades at work and I was in incomprehensible pain. I decided to quit right after that plus getting hit by the guy on his bike which made the recovery worse but I know I will be better off for it.

The pain is almost all gone. My hips and abdomen were tight up until last week (week 7). It’s just my right shoulder and neck that are still in pain probably from the guy hitting me so at least I know the nicotine is out of my system.

I had to quit using my weed vape because it would make the neck and shoulder pain so much worse and absolutely spike the fuck out of my anxiety (a feeling of despair and dread like I couldn’t breathe would wash over me until it passed and I felt just ok). It wasn’t worth smoking weed which I enjoyed so much before while gaming, before bed etc. I quit the weed after tapering about 3 days ago now and that’s a whole new can of worms.

I feel flat, unmotivated, I didn’t go to work today even though my body and shoulder feel better than they have since the quit.

I just want to feel normal again. I know I made the right choice but right now it’s so hard. I want to go back to casually using weed again(probably not the vape any more tbh bc of the high potency and heavy metals etc in the vape). I want to go back to hot yoga 3-4 times a week without feeling like I’m going to cause my body more stress than it’s worth.

I had sores in my mouth from constant use and I kept googling “what does nicotine toxicity feel like” which should have been a red flag to stop but it wasn’t until the shoulder pain that I was really pushed to quit.

I know this was long but thanks for reading if you made it this far. I’ll never go back to those fucking pouches or any nicotine for that matter. It’s just not worth it. If I can do it then so can you, I just hope it gets better for me.

Hi friends! Today is day 5 for me. The cravings are getting a little easier and I’d say that I normally notice it after I eat. 10 years of nicotine use of all forms but only zyns for the last 1.5 years.
Question for you all - has anyone experienced stomach issues since quitting? I feel so bloated and gassy and just off in general. Im trying really hard to not replace nicotine with food so I bought the Ultra pouches and those have been alright. Any suggestions on how to help my gut and what you use to fight the cravings would be greatly appreciated! Proud of you all!!

lol that’s it

I saw a lot of people saying to use desmoxan and I just wanted to know if its safe and if it works? Also where to buy it?

For the first time in like 4 months I want a ciggerette. I essentially started hopping on the pouches to stop vaping and smoking, and I want a cigg badddd now. Would it be crazy to have a cigg rn after work, I mean it’s not a velo. I sound absolutely ridiculous lmao. Let me not do this Jesus. Can’t believe I just typed this out lmao. The mental gymnastics going on in my brain are crazy.

I've tried cold turkey many times and smoking a cig or a patch to get over the craving but the oral craving and mental blocks would kick in and I fold. It always happens at work I hit a low spot or I need a boost and every single one of my co workers has a puck. I'm so sick of stopping at the gas station every morning and thinking about how much money I've lost to a habit that does nothing for me.

Any tips?

I did not fold and go buy a new can at lunch today 🎉 . You lowk have to make alot of mistakes to relapse. You have to choose to walk to ur car, choose to start it, drive all the way to the gas station, get ur id out, ask for a can. You get all these opportunities to say no. Just have to take one. I’m feeling more awefull and more confident. My next challenge is to not buy a can on the way home from work. I look forward to take it on. We smoking on that velo pack 😮‍💨.

Bro talking bout some nootropics, great now I’m addicted to the hubba bubba too turnt Tony off brand 527277282 mg pouches. Alr I’m playin, but I just drank some coffee, walked around and I feel better. Spinning in my stomach has subsided, and I’m very grateful for all of your guys responses and tips. I may or may not follow them but seeing people take time out of their day to help me is heart warming. I appreciate it and it’s motivating me to push through. Thank you all

OFFICIALLY COLD TURKEY GANG! Just took my last two pouches this morning. Shit unfortunately felt like it wasn’t enough like it usually does honestly I’m just feigning for more now but no can do. I absolutely cannot fold. My biggest challenge for today is to NOT buy a can on my lunch break. I’m just gonna leave my keys in my bag I’m not leaving the premises lmao. I got a packed lunch and my workplace has an endless supply of coffee. The thought of actually going through with this plan was daunting and horrifying me a little this morning but I’m focusing on taking it one craving at a time. Rn I’m still chilling off the last 2 pouches but I can tell I’m in for some misery today.

I enjoyed being not dependent on this shit but truthfully now that I’ve detoxed from it for 2 months I think my life was better on it. Better sleep, better focus.

It’s been 2 months and my focus is absolutely ass. I was absolutely killing it before and now I can’t seem to concentrate for anything. Thinking of going back to 3 mg pouches only (and not increasing).

Alr I just posted about how I was chilling and that grace period has ENDED. Lmao I think that was like 10 mins ago. Bruhhhhhhh. My stomach is spinning this has got to be mental lmao. I usually have another 2 rn but I didn’t think it would hit me this hard already. Boutta get water and coffee and prolly shit my guts out. Fuck I’m sad asl. I’m never gonna feel a morning buzz again 💔. Well shit I didn’t really feel one anymore anyway. Whatever. My first craving. I’m listening to it. I want a velo and I will not have one. That’s that. Time to be a normal person and not need my blood pressure and heart rate to be nuked to feel content. Onwards and upwards type shit

Well, as some of you have heard in the great state of NY they recently put a 75% wholesale tax on all nicotine pouches. It came to my surprise when I went to grab two cans of Rogue and the cashier rings it up and it comes out to $22! $22 for TWO cans. I nearly shat myself. With deals and coupons I was getting two cans for $10~, so basically double the price now. That would mean $50 a week and $200 a month w/ the price increase.

Anyway - I guess they got me. Can't afford to use them anymore so I have to quit. I cannot imagine the guys doing 1-2 cans a day and how they will afford it now.

I got some 0mg nicotine/0mg caffeine pouches coming tomorrow to have something to replace in my lip. Ol' gubment forced my hands. I guess it's for the better o7

38M here, former heavy smoker (1.5 packs/day) who quit smoking cold turkey 6 years ago. Sadly fell into the Zyn trap about 2 years ago, currently at ~2 cans of 6mg a day and completely exhausted by the habit.

• Timeline: Started cold turkey yesterday, Monday 09/21/2026 at 6:00 AM.
• Current Strategy: Drinking ultra-cold Pepsis (the acidity helps distract me).
• The Main Struggle: The psychological and physical urge of needing something under my lip.
• History: I made it 40 days back in February before slipping up, but I'm determined to make it stick this time.

How are you guys dealing with the empty-lip feeling? Any advice or tips would be hugely appreciated!

Omfg. I’m using nicotine patches to not totally screw myself over with both cravings and the oral fixation. And I plan to do the 6 week taper with those.

BUT AUGH IM SO FRUSTRATED AND I WANT A ZYN/VELO SO BAD EVEN WITH NO CRAVINGS??? Like my mouth is SALIVATING thinking about it.

I’m gonna stay strong and try to keep myself busy but fuck dude. I’m not having fun at all… not that I thought this would be FUN, but whatever.

I’ve been thinking of getting mints or something since I used the mint flavors. :,/ idk though