How to quit vaping and ease withdrawal symptoms

Quitting e-cigarettes is similar to quitting cigarettes, because in both cases it is nicotine that causes the addiction. The difference lies in the everyday habits that need to change. Cigarettes are smoked one at a time, and the supply in the packet gradually runs down. A vape, on the other hand, can be held in your hand all day and puffed on every few minutes, often without counting the puffs. There is little research on quitting vaping. Most advice and medicines have been tested in smokers, so the results of those studies cannot automatically be applied to people who vape.

In brief

• Addiction to e-cigarettes is caused by the same nicotine as addiction to cigarettes. In a review of studies, stronger dependence was linked to more frequent use, a higher nicotine concentration in the liquid and pod e-cigarettes with nicotine salt cartridges.
• In the European Union, e-liquid may contain no more than 20 mg of nicotine per millilitre, and the tank of a disposable e-cigarette may hold no more than 2 ml, but these values do not allow a reliable estimate of how many cigarettes vaping is equivalent to.
• The strongest withdrawal symptoms usually last from a few days to two weeks, and a single nicotine craving passes within a few minutes.
• In small studies in people who vape, varenicline and cytisine helped people stop vaping more often than a placebo, but follow-up was short, and cytisine was given for 12 weeks, not according to the 25-day schedule for the products available in Poland. The Polish summaries of product characteristics (SmPCs) for cytisine do not mention e-cigarettes, whereas the SmPC for the NiQuitin Przezroczysty patch does.

How is quitting vaping different from quitting smoking?

A person who vapes takes in nicotine differently from a smoker: in small amounts throughout the day, with no clear end to each dose. When quitting, this habit needs to change. The mechanism of addiction and the withdrawal symptoms are the same, because in both cases nicotine is involved.

A 2026 review of studies listed reaching for the device soon after waking and continuing to vape despite wanting to quit among the typical features of e-cigarette dependence. People were more strongly dependent if they vaped more often and for longer, used liquids with a higher nicotine concentration, had previously smoked cigarettes or used pod e-cigarettes with nicotine salts. According to the authors, people who vape are on average less dependent than smokers, although the average does not tell you how hard it will be for a particular person to quit vaping (1).

You have to go outside for a cigarette, but an e-cigarette leaves no smell of smoke and fits in your pocket, so you can use it at your desk, in the car or in bed before going to sleep. When planning to quit vaping, you need to take into account every place where you vape.

What should a former smoker who is struggling to give up vaping do?

A former smoker who quit cigarettes with the help of an e-cigarette also needs to consider the risk of going back to smoking when giving up vaping. The UK's NHS advises quitting vaping only once you are sure you will not go back to cigarettes (2). In a 2025 Cochrane review, only a few studies on quitting vaping looked at how cigarette smoking changed afterwards, and the results were uncertain (3). So from the very beginning, you need to plan what to do if you feel like a cigarette.

If you both smoke and vape, your plan should cover giving up both cigarettes and the e-cigarette. When you stop each of them depends on the chosen medicine and treatment schedule. Tobacco smoke speeds up the breakdown of some medicines in the liver, for example clozapine and olanzapine, but nicotine from an e-cigarette does not (4). In a former smoker, the levels of these medicines may therefore have changed as early as the switch to an e-cigarette. Anyone who still smokes and takes such medicines should discuss their plan to quit smoking with the doctor who prescribes them.

How much nicotine does a person who vapes take in?

The amount of nicotine a person who vapes takes in depends on the nicotine concentration in the liquid, how much liquid they use, the type of device and the way they inhale. The nicotine concentration in the liquid alone does not allow a reliable calculation of how many cigarettes one day of vaping is equivalent to.

In the European Union, e-cigarette liquid may contain no more than 20 mg of nicotine per millilitre, and the tank of a disposable e-cigarette or a single-use cartridge may hold no more than 2 ml (5). These two limits mean that a legally sold disposable e-cigarette can contain no more than 40 mg of nicotine in its liquid (2 ml at 20 mg). For comparison, when smoking one cigarette, the body absorbs 1-1.5 mg of nicotine on average (6). However, dividing these figures does not tell you how many cigarettes using an e-cigarette is equivalent to, because not all the nicotine in the liquid reaches the blood.

In a UK study of 20 people who smoked and vaped, nicotine from the US version of the Juul e-cigarette (59 mg/ml liquid) reached the blood as quickly and in a similar amount as nicotine from a cigarette. With the other e-cigarettes tested, blood nicotine levels rose more slowly and were lower (7). Liquid with such a high nicotine concentration is not allowed on sale in the EU.

Nicotine salts are nicotine with added acid, which softens the scratchy feeling in the throat. In a study of 119 adults, liquids with nicotine salts were rated as smoother on the throat and more pleasant than liquids with the same amount of regular nicotine, and the acid is added especially to liquids with a high nicotine content (8).

The number of puffs stated on disposable e-cigarettes, sometimes in the thousands, does not indicate how much nicotine enters the body, and devices sold outside legal channels may not meet the EU limits.

What should you note down before talking to a doctor about quitting vaping?

For a few days before your appointment, write down how much you vape and when. The popular Fagerström test asks about smoking cigarettes (9), so for someone who only vapes, these notes will be more useful.

What are vaping withdrawal symptoms, and how long do they last?

Vaping withdrawal symptoms are mainly nicotine cravings, meaning a strong urge to take a puff, as well as irritability, restlessness, difficulty concentrating, sleep problems, increased appetite, headache and low mood. The strongest symptoms usually last from a few days to two weeks and then ease, although in some people they last longer.

For people quitting vaping, these symptoms are described by Smokefree.gov, a programme of the US National Cancer Institute (10). How long the symptoms last and when they are strongest has been studied in more detail in smokers: irritability, anxiety, depressed mood, difficulty concentrating, insomnia and restlessness were strongest in the first week and lasted 2-4 weeks (11). There are few such data for people who vape.

Our article on nicotine cravings explains what to do during a craving and when cravings are a sign that treatment needs to change.

How can you get through half a day without your e-cigarette?

Half a day without an e-cigarette is hard to get through, because the amount of nicotine in the blood falls by half in about 2 hours on average (6). After a few hours without vaping, little of it is left, and the urge to take a puff grows. However, according to the NHS guide for smokers, a single craving usually lasts a few minutes (12), so for your first hours without an e-cigarette, you need to plan what to do during cravings:

• throw away the device, cartridges and liquids, including those in the car, in your bag and in your desk drawer at work
• plan the first half hour after waking, because that is when people reach for nicotine fastest
• when a craving hits, go for a short walk; in a meta-analysis of studies in smokers, a short bout of exercise reduced the urge to smoke in the short term (13)
• breathe slowly: breathe in through your nose for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 5 seconds and then breathe out through your mouth for 6 seconds (NHS)
• drink water and keep your hands busy
• tell someone close to you that this is your first day without an e-cigarette

If your doctor has recommended nicotine replacement therapy, you start it on the first day without your e-cigarette, following the instructions for the chosen product. The NiQuitin Przezroczysty patch, worn around the clock, suppresses the morning urge to vape.

When should you see a doctor while quitting vaping?

Severe chest pain, shortness of breath or fainting require urgent medical help. Palpitations that do not go away need to be reported to a doctor; without an examination, you should not assume that they are a withdrawal symptom.

Low mood is one of the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. It is rarely accompanied by suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts, including in people who quit without medicines. Quitting smoking can also make an existing mental illness, such as depression, worse (14, 15). Thoughts of taking your own life are a signal to consult a doctor that same day and to tell someone close to you about them. Our article on mood after quitting smoking explains how to tell a drop in mood caused by nicotine withdrawal from depression. This article does not replace a medical consultation.

How should you plan to stop vaping?

You can plan to stop vaping in one of two ways: stop completely on a chosen day, or gradually reduce the amount of nicotine you take in, setting a date for stopping completely from the start. The 2025 Cochrane review did not include any study comparing the two approaches in people who vape.

Stopping vaping on a single day

It is best to choose a quit day that does not fall during a trip, a wedding or just before an important deadline at work. A few days beforehand, note down information about how you have been using your e-cigarette (see the table above), plan what will replace vaping in everyday situations and talk to a doctor about whether you will need medication. Anyone who will be taking cytisine should set the day they stop vaping with a doctor, because the standard course schedule applies to quitting cigarettes. The day before, get rid of your stock of liquids and disposable e-cigarettes.

Gradually lowering the nicotine concentration and setting a quit day

The NHS advises checking the nicotine concentration of the liquid (mg/ml) on the packaging and gradually switching to liquids with a lower nicotine concentration. The only study of gradually cutting down on vaping in the Cochrane review included 17 people and does not settle whether this approach helps (3).

As well as the nicotine concentration, note down how much liquid you use or how many disposable e-cigarettes you use a week, because only both values together show whether you are taking in less nicotine. Set the date of your last day of vaping right away, so that gradually lowering the nicotine concentration does not turn into vaping a lower-strength liquid indefinitely.

The NiQuitin Przezroczysty patch can also be used while gradually giving up vaping: for 2-4 weeks, you use the patch while still vaping, and towards the end of this period you stop vaping completely and continue treatment with the patch alone.

With disposable e-cigarettes, you can stop using them completely on a chosen day or gradually reduce the number of devices you use each week until your set quit day. Swapping your e-cigarette for nicotine pouches does not end the addiction; it only changes the way you take in nicotine. A plan for giving up pouches is described in our article on how to quit nicotine pouches and snus.

What medicines help you quit vaping?

So far, the effectiveness of medicines for quitting vaping has been assessed in a few small studies. Varenicline and cytisine helped people stop vaping more often than a placebo, but follow-up was short, and no benefit was shown for nicotine replacement therapy.

The Cochrane review from November 2025 covered 15 studies and 5800 participants, almost all from the US. After 6 months, the proportion of people who had stopped vaping was higher with varenicline than with a placebo (2 studies, 315 participants, low-certainty evidence). No benefit was shown for combining two forms of nicotine replacement therapy (2 studies, 214 participants, very low-certainty evidence), and the only study of cytisine did not report results at 6 months (3).

Patches and other forms of nicotine replacement therapy for vaping

The NiQuitin Przezroczysty patch is indicated for nicotine dependence regardless of whether the nicotine comes from cigarettes, e-cigarettes or pouches. For liquids with a concentration below 6 mg/ml, starting treatment with a lower-strength patch is recommended. When stopping vaping completely without cutting down gradually, you stop vaping before applying the first patch, and using an e-cigarette during such an attempt can lead to a relapse (16).

Cytisine in people who vape in the ORCA-V1 trial

The US ORCA-V1 trial included 160 adults who vaped every day and did not smoke cigarettes; 72% of them had smoked in the past. For 12 weeks, participants took cytisine at a dose of 3 mg three times a day or a placebo, and received behavioural support every week. In the last 4 weeks of treatment, 31.8% of people taking cytisine and 15.1% of those in the placebo group did not vape. When abstinence was counted from week 9 to one month after the end of treatment, the difference (23.4% vs 13.2%) was no longer statistically significant. Because of side effects, 4 of the 107 people taking cytisine (3.8%) stopped the medicine. Some of the authors worked for the company developing the medicine, and the authors themselves write that the result needs to be confirmed in a larger and longer trial (17).

The results cannot be applied directly to the course available in Poland. In the trial, cytisine (under the name cytisinicline) was given for 12 weeks, whereas a course of the 1.5 mg tablets available in Poland lasts 25 days. The number of tablets taken each day gradually decreases. The indications are also worded differently: Desmoxan is indicated for smoking cessation and Recigar for the treatment of nicotine dependence; both SmPCs state permanent cessation of nicotine product use as the goal, but neither mentions e-cigarettes. The deadline they give for stopping, day 5 of the course at the latest, applies to smoking tobacco, so whether and how to use cytisine for vaping alone is a decision for the doctor. Contraindications include unstable angina, a recent heart attack or stroke, clinically significant heart rhythm disorders, pregnancy and breastfeeding (14, 15). Our article cytisine from the pharmacy or a course with a doctor explains when it is better to agree with a doctor on using cytisine bought at a pharmacy.

Varenicline in people who vape

One of the studies of varenicline in people who vape was conducted at a single centre in Italy. A total of 140 people who used only e-cigarettes every day took varenicline or a placebo for 12 weeks, and both groups received the same counselling. From week 4 to week 12, 40.0% of people taking varenicline and 20.0% of those in the placebo group did not vape, and from week 4 to week 24, 34.3% and 17.2%, respectively. Serious adverse events were rare in both groups and were not related to treatment (18). The same team's second study, from 2023, included people who both smoked and vaped and looked at how many of them stopped smoking cigarettes. Its results therefore tell us nothing about quitting vaping (19). Varenicline is a prescription medicine authorised for smoking cessation in adults, so its use for vaping is a decision for the doctor.

Who chooses the medicine for quitting vaping?

The medicine for quitting vaping is chosen on the basis of a medical interview, which establishes how much nicotine the patient takes in, whether they also smoke cigarettes, what conditions they have and what medicines they already take. At Nasz Gabinet, nicotine dependence treatment starts with such an interview, and if a medicine is appropriate after the assessment, the doctor issues an e-prescription. The three-month treatment plan also includes a module in the app with dose reminders, a smoke-free day counter and a diary, and consultations with a psychologist can be purchased separately. A teenager who vapes needs a different treatment plan, not least because cytisine is not recommended for people under 18 years of age.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to quit vaping?

Quitting vaping does not end when the withdrawal symptoms do. The strongest symptoms usually last from a few days to two weeks, but nicotine cravings keep coming back for weeks afterwards, less and less often, especially in situations in which you used to vape. In the studies of cytisine and varenicline in people who vape, treatment lasted 12 weeks.

Can you vape during a cytisine course?

You should not use an e-cigarette during a course of cytisine. Nicotine-containing products used together with Desmoxan or Recigar can make the side effects of nicotine worse. The deadline for stopping smoking, day 5 of the course at the latest, refers to smoking cigarettes. The recommendations for these medicines do not mention e-cigarettes. This is why the day you stop vaping needs to be agreed with a doctor before you take the first tablet.

Is it better to go back to vaping than to cigarettes?

If the choice is between an e-cigarette and cigarettes, the NHS says it is better to go back to vaping than to start smoking again. However, you do not have to use an e-cigarette for good: the WHO (20) considers e-cigarettes harmful to health. Anyone who, after quitting vaping, finds themselves thinking about cigarettes more and more often should agree a plan for this situation with a doctor or an addiction therapist.

Do you gain weight after quitting vaping?

After quitting vaping, many people have a bigger appetite, because this is one of the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal (10). However, data on weight gain come from studies of quitting smoking. Our article on weight gain after quitting smoking describes what studies in former smokers have shown and how to limit weight gain.

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