I quit a few weeks ago. Not positive Zyn is the reason, but I’m usually very regular, but I’ve been constipated on and off since then. Also terrible farts. Very bad smells.
Any suggested solves are more than welcome
I started chewing tobacco daily in 2004, when I was 16. And I mean daily. Tins upon tins of Skol. Couldn't get enough of the stuff.
In 2015, I moved to Norway for a year, where pretty much all my colleagues were using snus. Naturally, I made the switch. And honestly, I loved it. More convenient, more discreet, and no more carrying around a spit bottle.
When I moved back to the States, Swedish snus wasn't nearly as easy to find, but Zyn had just hit the market. And holy shit, did I love Zyn. I was throwing in 2–3 of the 6mg pouches at a time. Buying rolls of the stuff. I was in nicotine heaven.
Then, in 2021, I developed some pretty severe stomach issues that scared the hell out of me. So I quit cold turkey. After nearly 17 years of daily nicotine use, I was done.
Surprisingly, quitting wasn't nearly as bad as I expected. Sure, I missed the nicotine (and let's be real, that head rush was pretty great), but what I missed most was the habit. Having something tucked in my lip. That little ritual I'd been doing for almost half my life.
Fast forward to a year ago. Its been four years. No nicotine. No Zyn. Nothing.
And yet, over the past year, the cravings have come roaring back.
Today, I literally caught myself Googling Zyn. Reading about Zyn. Looking at the new flavors. Not because I actually want to start using nicotine again, but because I just want something in my damn lip. It's such a weird feeling to have gone this long without nicotine and suddenly find myself thinking about it so much.
I've tried some of the caffeine pouches (Grinds, etc.), but I haven't loved them. The texture is off, they tear up my gums, and frankly, I don't need to be throwing a bunch of caffeine into my system right before bed.
So I guess I'm here for two reasons.
First, I could use some recommendations: Has anyone found a genuinely good nicotine-free, maybe caffeine-free pouch that actually feels like Zyn? Something with a similar texture that doesn't destroy your gums? Bonus points for something soothing or calming.I miss the ritual, not the addiction.
Second, I just wanted to put this out there for anyone struggling with craving after having quit. It's been 5 years. FIVE YEARS. And apparently my brain still occasionally decides that a little pouch of nicotine would be the greatest thing on earth.
I don't regret quitting. I have no intention of going back (at least I think). But I also didn't expect to still be dealing with this years later.
If you're experiencing the same thing, you're not alone. And if you've found something that scratches that itch without the nicotine, I'm all ears.
2 months in, still have symptoms of panic attack, anxiety and random chest pain have been bad for the last 5 days anyone else experience symptoms this long? i can definitely say my GI issues have gotten down to minimal , brain fog still comes and goes but the chest pains are kickin my ass out of no where
I was addicted to zyns/cigs for 3 years and was going thru a pack of the extra strong ones in one day. (Probably crazy amounts) I decided to quit cold turkey because other attempts of gradually lowering the dose failed.
I bought a ton of mouthwash and the mintiest most gross gummies and mint candy I could find. I couldn't go a minute without having zyn taste in my mouth so I figured that would be a good substitute. I just constantly drank Alkohol free mouthwash and ate mints until I no longer felt miserable it took about a week but well worth it.
Other foods I found to be a great substitute were:
Liquorice
Mate (German drink that tastes like cigarette buds)
Kvas (russian root beer)
Brause-Pulver ( German candy thats sour and tingels on your tongue similar to zyn)
Lemon juice + highly carbonated water
Gross energy drinks (the cheap kind like booster or king Kong)
Good luck !
I honestly can’t believe I’m posting this, but here we are. Right now I’m three days and 15 hours nicotine free.
Thursday night and yesterday were the hardest mentally, and it SUCKED. Then last night, almost out of nowhere, it was like a little relief trickled in.
I still “miss” it. I still am experiencing cravings. But it doesn’t feel all-consuming like yesterday.
Since I’ve now made it farther than I thought possible, I thought I’d take a second to talk about what has helped me get through the worst moments and cravings so far.
Pretzels: I’ve read enough to know I will very likely gain some weight, and I’m ok with that, I know I can handle that later. Night before last particularly, whenever the cravings were bad I would just constantly snack on pretzels.
Postponing decisions during cravings: one thing ChatGPT gave me that I thought was really effective was that it would keep reminding me when cravings were awful that I didn’t have to make choices about forever based on my current craving. As simple as it sounds, that would help me, I’d tell myself “you can have one if you want, just not right now.”
Respawn Mints: I found them in the gas station and they helped me get through a tough bout of cravings at work. They’re sugar free and they have L-Theanine and B vitamins. The watermelon guava flavor is great. I personally thought the blackberry vanilla flavor is meh.
Caffeine/Zero nic pouch: my ultimate goal is no pouch habit of any kind. But a good alternative pouch has helped in the worst of the cravings to trick my brain a little bit and stay the course. My favorites so far and the ones that feel closest to the “real thing” have been Grinds Wintergreen and Smokey Mountain Wintergreen. Mojo caffeine pouches are ok, especially the mint and peach watermelon flavors, but the pouches are a bit stiff and I don’t like how awkwardly large the tabs are.
I think I’ll keep a tin of zero nic pouches handy for the trigger and ritual points I foresee being the hardest. For me I think those are after meals, driving sometimes, gaming at the end of the day, and hunting, especially long sits/glassing sessions.
Hope everybody else is doing well!