What are the side effects of stop-smoking therapies?

Pharmacological therapies: Pharmacological therapies for smoking cessation are generally considered to be safe with appropriate supervision by qualified health professionals. Side effects to pharmacological therapies may include nausea, vomiting, headache, insomnia, and dizziness. Mild adverse effects may be indicative of more serious problems and patients should consider discontinuing current treatment and contacting a physician. Patients may also consider switching to other available products. If the replacement therapy is discontinued, nicotine withdrawal symptoms may include: cravings for tobacco, anxiety, irritability, restlessness, difficulty concentrating, headache, drowsiness, stomach upset, constipation, or diarrhea. People with certain medical conditions, including but not limited to high blood pressure or recent cardiac infarction, need to consult with a health care provider before starting nicotine replacement therapy. However, it is believed that using these forms of nicotine replacement is significantly less harmful than using cigarettes or snuff. Smoking while using a nicotine replacement therapy may lead to a harmful overdose of nicotine.

Psychosocial therapy/behavior therapy: Some forms of psychotherapy may induce strong emotional feelings and expression. This can be disturbing for people with serious mental illness or some medical conditions.

Relaxation techniques: Most relaxation techniques are non-invasive, and generally are considered to be safe in healthy adults. Serious adverse effects have not been reported. It is theorized that anxiety may actually be increased in some individuals using relaxation techniques, or that autogenic discharges (sudden, unexpected emotional experiences including pain, heart palpitations, muscle twitching, crying spells, or increased blood pressure) may occur rarely. Scientific evidence is limited in these areas. People with psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia/psychosis should avoid relaxation techniques unless recommended by their primary psychiatric healthcare provider.