I have recently stopped smoking after 20 years. A week after my last cigarette my body began to fall apart. This happened to me last year in the Spring also after quitting cold turkey. I wound up in the ER twice with numerous tests, blood work and imaging all coming back negative. The Drs decided I had GERD and prescribed omeprazole 40 mg and that worked after a while. Even saw the Gastro Dr and had an upper endoscopy done which was negative. I slowly but surely got better. Then I stared smoking again in the fall after a stressful time and when I quit again, the circus resumed. This time the symptoms are worse and I have been reassured by finding others with similar symptoms. Seems like the medical community isn't big on training ex smokers about the long road back. I have now quit for 9 weeks. My issues have been chest pain which at times has radiated through my breasts, making them feel sore. I sometimes can even feel pain in my armpit or along my upper arm. The ER Dr said that GERD can do that. Also have pain along the top of my right middle rib cage. That seems to flare after I eat. I  was having diarrhea but have tamed that some by getting on a probiotic. I am currently on 40mg omeprazole daily and take it in the morning. My biggest problem is the nausea which hits me almost every morning. No matter when I fall asleep at night, I wake up around 4 AM and lie there unable to sleep again. I then usually get up and take a long hot bath and my meds and the nausea subsides. I am wondering if the nausea is a side effect of the meds or a symptom of the disease. I have raised the head of my bed 7 inches, try to eat dinner no later than 7 PM, have given up every tasty food I used to love( spices, chocolate, caffeine, soda, alcohol). I feel like this has been and will continue to be a long road back. I am so grateful about not smoking any more and would appreciate any suggestions from others out there who suffer like I do. I have had a chest X-ray, EEG and tons of blood work done- all negative. Have had a friend who is a therapist suggest I might do well on an antidepressant to limit the stress portion of my life. I am afraid that eventually quitting that will also be hard and would rather use a more holistic approach.