Cytisinio
Track a 25-day cytisine course
(Desmoxan Β· Recigar Β· Tabex Β· Dextasine)
The standard course
| Days 1β3 | 1 pill every 2 h | 6/day |
| Days 4β12 | 1 pill every 2.5 h | 5/day |
| Days 13β16 | 1 pill every 3 h | 4/day |
| Days 17β20 | 1 pill every 5 h | 3/day |
| Days 21β25 | 1β2 pills a day | β€2/day |
You must stop all nicotine completely by day 5 at the latest.
This app helps you follow a schedule. It does not replace medical advice. Follow your package leaflet and ask a doctor or pharmacist if you are unsure.
Day 1 of 25
Today's pills Β·
Crossed-out times are logged. Later times are estimated from your last logged pill.
Course progress0%
Pills taken0 / 0 Β· 0%
Today
Follow your package leaflet. Stop taking cytisine and seek medical advice if you have chest pain, severe nausea or an allergic reaction.
Mood & cravings
Your daily check-in
Nicotine wind-down
There is no official numerical taper for pouches or vaping. Reduce during days 1β4 and stop all nicotine by day 5.
How do you feel today?
Cravings Β·
Log cravings to spot patterns. Most pass within 3β5 minutes. Breathe, drink water or move while you wait.
Not started yet
Course complete!
You have reached the end of the course schedule. Your nicotine-free streak uses only the entries you logged.
Journey
Your course, day by day
Calendar Β· tap a day for details
all pills
some
none
π mood Β· 3 cravings
Coming up
Mood over time
Log your mood each day and a trend line appears here.
Craving triggers
No cravings logged yet. Add a trigger on the Mood + cravings tab to see which ones occur most often.
Guide
Course information and practical tips
Privacy and open source
Your course data stays in this browser unless you enable cloud backup.
With cloud backup on, Dexie Cloud stores your course data so your devices can sync. Vercel receives anonymous page-view and performance measurements. The source code is public.
View the source on GitHub βFollowing the course
- Follow the schedule. Cytisine partially activates nicotine receptors, which can reduce withdrawal and make nicotine less rewarding. Log each pill so you can see what you have taken.
- Stop nicotine by day 5. Continuing to use nicotine can worsen side effects and reduce the benefit of treatment.
- Take each pill with water. Food may help if you feel nauseous.
- Change routines linked to nicotine. Move your coffee, take a different break at work, or avoid alcohol at first if it makes you want to smoke.
- Keep substitutes nearby. Gum, toothpicks, water or a fidget object can help with the hand-to-mouth habit.
- Prepare simple snacks. Appetite can increase after stopping nicotine.
- Tell someone your quit date. Support from friends or family can improve your chances of quitting.
- Track the money you save. Put your usual cigarette budget in a jar or savings account.
- One cigarette does not have to restart the habit. Stop, avoid buying a pack and continue the course.
Exercise and cravings
- A 10β15 minute brisk walk can reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms.
- Exercise can improve your mood and give you something to do until a craving passes, without another nicotine dose.
- Circulation and lung function can begin improving within 2 weeks. Exercise may gradually feel easier.
- Try exercising when you would usually use nicotine, such as after work or a meal.
- Regular activity can also help with stress and weight changes.
Sleep, caffeine and side effects
- Vivid dreams or lighter sleep can occur during the first week because of cytisine or nicotine withdrawal. Once this settles, sleep may improve because nicotine can disrupt it.
- Consider halving your caffeine. Smoking can roughly double how quickly your body clears caffeine, so your usual amount may feel stronger after you quit. Avoid caffeine after about 14:00 during the first 2 weeks if it affects your sleep.
- Mild nausea, dry mouth and headaches are common cytisine side effects. Water and food may help.
- Poor concentration or irritability can occur during days 5β8. Withdrawal often peaks around 72 hours without nicotine and then begins to ease.
- If you get severe symptoms (chest pain, vomiting, allergic reaction), stop and see a doctor.
What changes after quitting
- 20 minutes: heart rate and blood pressure drop back down.
- 24β48 h: carbon monoxide is out of your blood; smell and taste start returning.
- 72 h: bronchial tubes begin to relax, which can make breathing feel easier. Withdrawal symptoms may still be strong.
- 2β12 weeks: circulation and lung function improve; exercise feels easier.
- 3β9 months: coughing and shortness of breath often improve as the lungs recover.
- 1 year: risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker.
- Mental health: anxiety and depression symptoms often improve after quitting. A cigarette can feel calming because it temporarily relieves nicotine withdrawal.
- Money: at about β¬12 per pack, a pack a day costs roughly β¬4,400 per year.
- Daily life: skin and teeth may improve, the smoke smell goes away, and you no longer need to plan around cigarette breaks.
Pouches, vaping and other nicotine
- Desmoxan is intended to help you stop nicotine-containing products. The goal is to stop all nicotine no later than day 5.
- There is no official numerical taper for pouches or vaping. During days 1β4, log each use, avoid increasing, delay the first use and make the gaps longer.
- Day 4: remove the remaining supply and prepare substitutes for the mouth-and-hands habit. Day 5 is zero nicotine.
- Do not compensate by choosing stronger pouches, leaving them in longer, or vaping more intensely.
- Watch for signs of too much nicotine. Using nicotine alongside cytisine can worsen nausea, dizziness, headache or a racing heartbeat. Ask a pharmacist or clinician if you are unsure.
- Desmoxan product information Β· NHS cytisine FAQ
Switching to vaping
- Vaping still supplies nicotine, so dependence continues and withdrawal still has to happen later.
- Nicotine raises heart rate and blood pressure and can disrupt sleep. Withdrawal between doses can also feel like anxiety.
- Some modern vapes can deliver more nicotine than cigarettes. Nicotine salts allow high doses with less throat irritation, which may encourage frequent use.
- Vaping is considered less harmful than smoking, but its long-term lung effects are still being studied. Flavorings and aerosols have not been shown to be safe to inhale for decades.
- Some people who switch are using both cigarettes and vapes within a year. This maintains nicotine dependence and exposure to cigarette smoke.
- Disposables and pods can eventually cost as much as smoking.
- If your goal is to stop nicotine, switching products does not complete that goal.
Cytisine reports from Reddit
These are personal reports, not medical guidance. Experiences, side effects and quit timelines vary.
Starting out Β· days 1β8
Days 1β2 Β· smoking
A detailed first attempt with Tabex
Early changes in cigarette satisfaction, minor side effects and a later update.
Days 1β4 Β· smoking
A day-by-day wind-down diary
One person describes delaying smoke breaks and progressively reducing before quit day.
Day 4 Β· vaping
βHelpfulβ does not always mean effortless
A day 4 update about having urges that felt easier to manage.
Day 8 Β· vaping
A report after 48 hours nicotine-free
What felt easier and what remained difficult.
During and just after the course
Day 16 Β· vaping
Twelve days without vaping
A mid-course check-in appears in this discussion alongside other early experiences.
Around day 22 Β· vaping
Brief cravings and lessons from several attempts
Several people discuss cravings and previous quit attempts.
Day 25+ Β· smoking and vaping
A long-form Desmoxan course review
A near-30-year user documents the schedule, experience, and concerns about staying quit.
Longer-term success stories
Day 72 Β· vaping
A practical two-month update
Timers, exercise, alcohol, oral fixation, perfectionism, and handling a slip.
6 months Β· vaping
Six months after a 23-year addiction
A report posted six months after quitting about cravings and the vaping habit.
3 years Β· smoking
Three years smoke-free after Tabex
A three-year update followed by discussion of different reactions to cytisine.
Tips and community discussion
- Cytisine / Desmoxan / Tabex experience megathread, with several vaping timelines.
- Days 1β4 discussion, where people compare when they stopped smoking and how the first days felt.
- Newest cytisine discussions on r/stopsmoking.
Research and articles
- NEJM: Cytisine versus Nicotine for Smoking Cessation (cytisine beat nicotine patches in a 1,310-person trial)
- Mass General: first large US trial (ORCA-2) (32.6% abstinent vs 7% placebo, well tolerated)
- Cochrane review: nicotine receptor partial agonists (evidence review)
- Healthline: "Drug works better than nicotine patches" (plain-language summary)
- Euronews: Quitting smoking: cytisine can help, and other tips
General wellness information, not medical advice.