Its day 50 for me and like so many other people here, I'm not "normal" as far as withdrawal symptoms are concerned. My GP has me on 20mg Celexa to deal with the anxiety. Its been 2 weeks and 3 days since I've started that so I'm still waiting for it to fully take effect. I still have the chest pain/heaviness, the head fog/off balance feeling and jitters. Oh, and the insomnia I've been dealing with for the past 3 weeks has been great.
I now know that quitting cold turkey was not for me. There are "better" ways to quit and I should have looked into those but I kept telling myself "its been 5 days, you can't put nicotine back into your system, its been 15 days, you can't put nicotine back into your system". My pharmacist all but called me stupid for going cold turkey. :-D
I can tell you one thing, dealing with everything I have over the past 50 days, I know I'll never go back to smoking again.
I now know that quitting cold turkey was not for me. There are "better" ways to quit and I should have looked into those but I kept telling myself "its been 5 days, you can't put nicotine back into your system, its been 15 days, you can't put nicotine back into your system". My pharmacist all but called me stupid for going cold turkey. :-D
I can tell you one thing, dealing with everything I have over the past 50 days, I know I'll never go back to smoking again.
Well I'm on month 8 now even though I will admit in November one day I did have 6 cigarettes and 1 day in December I had 1 more. Definitely regretted it but I have still stayed on course and have not smoked again since. So 2 days out of 8 months is not bad. I said before I was having a lot of problems. Which all is being blamed on anxiety now. However I did get my lungs checked out and they said nothing is wrong. My lungs are fine which is a major relief and also my heart is good and my blood is good. Still though I'm not sure if I'm suffering from smoking withdrawal or now its an anxiety problem. Some days I do feel good but other days I feel like I'm going to die. Still got SOB, chest pressure, pounding heartbeat, sweating, shaking. Fun stuff. Even afraid to drink alcohol cause all the medications say not to but damn, I already quit smoking, let me at least have a beer. I will say this though, my temptations to smoke have really gone down quite a bit. I still do get tempted and like I said twice I have failed my temptation test but overall it is easier. It does get easier.
hi there i have stopped smoking for 9 months now and find it very hard its not craving for a fag i beat that easy . im tired feel sick full all the time tight chest the back ache bad guts dont go to the toilet for days on end .close my eyes and im asleep ,yet cant sleep all night depressed, do i just start again , how long till i feel well again some help please before i crack up cheers
Great thread, i`m glad I found this site. Stopped smoking 1/1/11, patches for 2 weeks, cold turkey for 1 week, now I have the odd puff on a inhalator - using one replacement cartridge each day. Gums bleeding is my biggest problem, so have had to improve my dental hygene. Tiredness and ability to concentrate has improved esp since cutting out coffee. Going to try "dusting off" the bike this weekend and take the kids for a swim.
Keep up being smoke free - yippee!
Keep up being smoke free - yippee!
fantastic site! I stopped 8wks ago used nicotine gum for 6wk then cold turkey since.I used to smoke 25-30 cigs a day sometimes more for at least 15 years.finding the mood swings and severe constipation?gas bloatin the worst to deal with.the first few weeks i had no sickness or cravings and thought this would be a doddle-god how wrong i was.
i have no desire for a smoke and rarely think about them infact that would be easier than the constant feeling of hunger and even when I've eaten i'm not feeling full.have put on a stone and know this wil come off once my head /body start actin normal.keep up the good work everyone you are an inspiration to us all and it nice(?)to know its not just me who thinks their going mad!!
i have no desire for a smoke and rarely think about them infact that would be easier than the constant feeling of hunger and even when I've eaten i'm not feeling full.have put on a stone and know this wil come off once my head /body start actin normal.keep up the good work everyone you are an inspiration to us all and it nice(?)to know its not just me who thinks their going mad!!
I am only on day 3 of quitting. What surprises me the most is the physcial symptoms. I don't have cravings to smoke and I feel great about quitting. No anxiety or depression - nothing psychological. But, the physical symptoms are bad - coughing, tiredness, difficulty falling asleep, and (don't want to be gross) the mucus - I keep spitting up. My hope is this ends soon. As I said, there is not tempation to smoke, but I really hate this discomfort.
Wow! Thank you for drawing this into perspective. Everyone is quick to tell you about the side effects of medications and the results of a lifetime of smoking. Not one publication that I have seen has described the physical and mental ailments that I also suffer from since giving up cigarettes 54 days ago. Dry throat, tired all the time, difficulty falling asleep, chest heaviness, sinus infections, head fog, jitters, off balance, panicky, pounding heartbeat, sad. Until I read this post, I thought that I was alone. :-( and maybe going crazy 8/ Time to check on some happy pills and get my life back!!
I too, am so relieved to have found this site. Other sites I had visited, now seem to have glossed over the intense withdrawal symptoms one can experience as they go from week to week. I am going into day 37 of my smobriety, which actually feels like it's been a lot longer than that!
I almost went to the emergency room last week because of the heart pounding, nausea, higher BP, nausea, etc. (so sure I was having a heart attack). Why do I think that way all the time now, and not so much when I smoked. I'm starting to think I was in denial while puffing away on my best friend, "the cigarette." I said that because that's the way I felt. My cigarettes were always there for me. I've never felt as lonely as I do now. I have been getting more and more depressed because of the general feeling of ill health. I have become obsessed with taking my blood pressure (yup, it's higher than before I quit). I began bike riding and diet changes last week after one exceptionally "high" day. "High" meaning no pain, no mental chatter going on in my head, just feeling good for once since quitting, and feeling oh yea, I can do this! Crash and burn 3 days later when stupidly I weighed myself and had gained 4 more pounds! The actual cravings have lessened but it is this constant unexpected battle with health issues that almost got me. This morning I happened upon this truthful site, and now feel empowered to continue this battle because of all the honest posts by my fellow non-smokers. Thanks to everyone for helping me so much by relieving my mind of just another attack on it by the nicotine monster. I had told myself this a.m. that I was definitely healthier when I smoked. Now I realize how wrong my thinking was getting. Oh, and I'm experiencing the gum bleeding, achy teeth, tingling hands, arms, and legs, tightness in the chest, sore neck and arms, mental fogginess, severe fatigue, the whole gamut. And now, I know better. I can deal with it now. Time is my best weapon. Thanks again to everyone for your honesty!
Someone in an earlier post suggested talking with a loved one about what your going through. That didn't work for me cause my husband still smokes and is not a good listener. And my son, who quit a year ago, doesn't get it cause he didn't experience a fourth of what I'm going through. He used the gum, I quit "cold turkey" and this is my first and only try.
I almost went to the emergency room last week because of the heart pounding, nausea, higher BP, nausea, etc. (so sure I was having a heart attack). Why do I think that way all the time now, and not so much when I smoked. I'm starting to think I was in denial while puffing away on my best friend, "the cigarette." I said that because that's the way I felt. My cigarettes were always there for me. I've never felt as lonely as I do now. I have been getting more and more depressed because of the general feeling of ill health. I have become obsessed with taking my blood pressure (yup, it's higher than before I quit). I began bike riding and diet changes last week after one exceptionally "high" day. "High" meaning no pain, no mental chatter going on in my head, just feeling good for once since quitting, and feeling oh yea, I can do this! Crash and burn 3 days later when stupidly I weighed myself and had gained 4 more pounds! The actual cravings have lessened but it is this constant unexpected battle with health issues that almost got me. This morning I happened upon this truthful site, and now feel empowered to continue this battle because of all the honest posts by my fellow non-smokers. Thanks to everyone for helping me so much by relieving my mind of just another attack on it by the nicotine monster. I had told myself this a.m. that I was definitely healthier when I smoked. Now I realize how wrong my thinking was getting. Oh, and I'm experiencing the gum bleeding, achy teeth, tingling hands, arms, and legs, tightness in the chest, sore neck and arms, mental fogginess, severe fatigue, the whole gamut. And now, I know better. I can deal with it now. Time is my best weapon. Thanks again to everyone for your honesty!
Someone in an earlier post suggested talking with a loved one about what your going through. That didn't work for me cause my husband still smokes and is not a good listener. And my son, who quit a year ago, doesn't get it cause he didn't experience a fourth of what I'm going through. He used the gum, I quit "cold turkey" and this is my first and only try.
hello all,
i quit smoking 5 months ago and about a month ago i started experiencing shortness of breath and used to wake up breathless in the middle of my sleep. this scared the hell out of me. chest x rays showed clear. i had no throat infections but had a bad cold before the breathless business started. it remained with me since but thru yogic breathing exercises it has reduced dramatically. pranayam in yoga is very effective. it gets the tar and cough out of your lungs more effectively than any medication.pls try it. you will not regret it. most likely your symptoms will go away within a week or be greatly reduced.
best of luck. and good wishes.
i quit smoking 5 months ago and about a month ago i started experiencing shortness of breath and used to wake up breathless in the middle of my sleep. this scared the hell out of me. chest x rays showed clear. i had no throat infections but had a bad cold before the breathless business started. it remained with me since but thru yogic breathing exercises it has reduced dramatically. pranayam in yoga is very effective. it gets the tar and cough out of your lungs more effectively than any medication.pls try it. you will not regret it. most likely your symptoms will go away within a week or be greatly reduced.
best of luck. and good wishes.
I just want to say thank you to everyone on here that has shared their experience.. I am 23 and have been a pack a day smoker since i was 13.. I was having the worst time trying to quit because i thought the day after i stopped my congestion and lung tightness would dissapear and when it didnt i would smoke because of anxiety.. After reading all of your posts , it has made me see there is hope that even if it doesnt stop right away eventually i will feel better.. I know some of your stories still dont have the happiest ending but the fact that you took the time to share on here is of great benefit to those of us still struggling, im 4 days without a cigarette now.. once again thank you to everyone on here who shared.
I quit 10 months ago and experienced the same of shortness breath after a bad cold like you. Maybe it is because of low heart rate (After quit smoking my heart rate lowered 60 from 70 before). Have you ever check your HR ?
Read whole of the topic but never seen any one successed the recovery up today. I wonder if most of us here surrendered the nicotine ?
Read whole of the topic but never seen any one successed the recovery up today. I wonder if most of us here surrendered the nicotine ?
here are things that could help you... simple and easy.
1. drink lot of water( luke warm) at least 6 glasses everyday apart from your normal fluid intake. and remember not to drink too much coffee either.( one cup is enough)
2. drink at least one lemon( juice) with luke warm water a day.
3.take one tablet of vitamin C everyday. also avoid eating too much sugar.
Quitting smoking makes you reach out for sugary stuff coz nicotine that releases sugar into your blood is no longer there.dont gorge on sugar as it may lead to other complications which you may atribute to quitting. Keep a sugar candy in your mouth to retain your sugar levels but dont keep eating too many.I say this coz experienced dizziness from low blood sugar withing 10 days after quitting and it kept with me for many weeks.
4. avoid greasy/fried and extra spicy food.Remember not to go on crash diet..cut down slowly!try and go herbal and organic in all aspects of your life ..you will notice the difference in a few weeks.
5.one capsule of vitmain B complex a day after your morning meal.
6. brisk walk at least 30 minutes a day ( or jog). work a sweat if possible. or just walk as much as you can without extreme exertion.
7.do breathing excercises from Yoga. Specially "Kapalbhati" and Anulom/Vilom( pranayam excercises)... do each for 10 minutes total and give yrself as many breaks inbetween as you want). am very sure this will rid/reduce your sinus or breathing problems within a couple of weeks. Even after your symptoms have gone,do this as a habit everyday in the morning or evening( not on full stomach and at least 3 hours after last meal). this is something you should do your whole life to have that good health and more energy.
8.Remember ... a lot of hidden weakness in the body comes to forefront when you no longer have the numbness from smoking. The idea is to deal with these with a healhty diet( non greasy/no junk food) and exercise and vitamins and water and breathing exrcises to support and detox yr system each day.
9.The most important thing-Dont be afraid..face the problems ! think to yourself that you are NOT going to be defeated . You are NOT sick.. you are fighting away the sickness and it takes time. Smile and laugh and de- stress.Get into that old hobby that you loved. Do anything but dont dwell on your sickness...it will make you go into depression..so avoid it at all costs.go out and relax and laff.Remember Worrying about problems dont make them go away! You are working on them give yourself some time....
Good wishes and godbless... all.
1. drink lot of water( luke warm) at least 6 glasses everyday apart from your normal fluid intake. and remember not to drink too much coffee either.( one cup is enough)
2. drink at least one lemon( juice) with luke warm water a day.
3.take one tablet of vitamin C everyday. also avoid eating too much sugar.
Quitting smoking makes you reach out for sugary stuff coz nicotine that releases sugar into your blood is no longer there.dont gorge on sugar as it may lead to other complications which you may atribute to quitting. Keep a sugar candy in your mouth to retain your sugar levels but dont keep eating too many.I say this coz experienced dizziness from low blood sugar withing 10 days after quitting and it kept with me for many weeks.
4. avoid greasy/fried and extra spicy food.Remember not to go on crash diet..cut down slowly!try and go herbal and organic in all aspects of your life ..you will notice the difference in a few weeks.
5.one capsule of vitmain B complex a day after your morning meal.
6. brisk walk at least 30 minutes a day ( or jog). work a sweat if possible. or just walk as much as you can without extreme exertion.
7.do breathing excercises from Yoga. Specially "Kapalbhati" and Anulom/Vilom( pranayam excercises)... do each for 10 minutes total and give yrself as many breaks inbetween as you want). am very sure this will rid/reduce your sinus or breathing problems within a couple of weeks. Even after your symptoms have gone,do this as a habit everyday in the morning or evening( not on full stomach and at least 3 hours after last meal). this is something you should do your whole life to have that good health and more energy.
8.Remember ... a lot of hidden weakness in the body comes to forefront when you no longer have the numbness from smoking. The idea is to deal with these with a healhty diet( non greasy/no junk food) and exercise and vitamins and water and breathing exrcises to support and detox yr system each day.
9.The most important thing-Dont be afraid..face the problems ! think to yourself that you are NOT going to be defeated . You are NOT sick.. you are fighting away the sickness and it takes time. Smile and laugh and de- stress.Get into that old hobby that you loved. Do anything but dont dwell on your sickness...it will make you go into depression..so avoid it at all costs.go out and relax and laff.Remember Worrying about problems dont make them go away! You are working on them give yourself some time....
Good wishes and godbless... all.
Thanks so much for you post! It TRULY helped me from making a big mistake.
I quit smoking Jan. 7th, 2011. I have been sick with a sinus infection since. I have gained 35 lbs, I am depressed, I lose my voice at night and I have just recently started having the heavy chest feeling. I told my husband that I am giving this one more month. If I am not any better after a month I am going back to smoking. It is the first time I have felt that way since quitting.
I am SO glad I found this website as I know that all of this will end. I want to feel good again! I want to feel happy. I want to have a zest for life again! I can only PRAY that I will get over this withdrawl soon!!!! I WILL not go back to smoking because I know if I do I will eventually want to quit and then I will be back at square one. I will have to go through all of this nonsense again and that is just not an option!!
God Bless everyone!
I quit smoking Jan. 7th, 2011. I have been sick with a sinus infection since. I have gained 35 lbs, I am depressed, I lose my voice at night and I have just recently started having the heavy chest feeling. I told my husband that I am giving this one more month. If I am not any better after a month I am going back to smoking. It is the first time I have felt that way since quitting.
I am SO glad I found this website as I know that all of this will end. I want to feel good again! I want to feel happy. I want to have a zest for life again! I can only PRAY that I will get over this withdrawl soon!!!! I WILL not go back to smoking because I know if I do I will eventually want to quit and then I will be back at square one. I will have to go through all of this nonsense again and that is just not an option!!
God Bless everyone!
Hey,
I love this website and all the posts, like everyone else I have been feeling very alone lately due to all the sick feelings I have been having since I quit smoking. It has now been 313 days since my last drag, I quit cold turkey after smoking for 18 years (15 a day)....I am now 33. The first month was easy, beyond the first few days of having craving attacks I can say I felt great and was very proud that I had successfully quit smoking, its sometihing I never thought I was going to be able to do. Shortly after my first month of being nicotine free I started getting severe bloating, gnawing and burning sensations in my stomach, constant nausea and indigestion issues with acid reflux. I went to several doctors and had several test done including two scopes down my throat, one up the bung and a barium drink....they found a small Ulcer in my esophogus and prescribed me to take protonix for 2-3 months. I am now off the meds but am still feeling general illness in my stomach, mostly nausea and indigestion after eating. How long will this last? Is this common to feel such effects so long after quitting? My doctor says I am fine and should be feeling better, all bloodwork and urine come back clean and looking healthy so I can only attribute my ill feelings to not smoking....
I love this website and all the posts, like everyone else I have been feeling very alone lately due to all the sick feelings I have been having since I quit smoking. It has now been 313 days since my last drag, I quit cold turkey after smoking for 18 years (15 a day)....I am now 33. The first month was easy, beyond the first few days of having craving attacks I can say I felt great and was very proud that I had successfully quit smoking, its sometihing I never thought I was going to be able to do. Shortly after my first month of being nicotine free I started getting severe bloating, gnawing and burning sensations in my stomach, constant nausea and indigestion issues with acid reflux. I went to several doctors and had several test done including two scopes down my throat, one up the bung and a barium drink....they found a small Ulcer in my esophogus and prescribed me to take protonix for 2-3 months. I am now off the meds but am still feeling general illness in my stomach, mostly nausea and indigestion after eating. How long will this last? Is this common to feel such effects so long after quitting? My doctor says I am fine and should be feeling better, all bloodwork and urine come back clean and looking healthy so I can only attribute my ill feelings to not smoking....
this is a great website to come and share with so many nice people
@tammy 711
hang in there... and do the yoga bit for breathing exercises. your body is re learning to feel normal which itself is kind of 'sick' coz you have forgotten what was it like not to poison your system with nicotine and tar. i have suffered depression too and have come out of it...by stopping thinking that i am sick..i am not sick. i just feel sick sometimes coz some parts of my body are confused.
if you feel restless minus the smokes then go for long walks.i walk for an hour if i feel restless and anxious and take several smalll low cal healthy snacks a day... and if you feel stressed just talk with people here.. will make you feel better. stick to the lime water ..it cuts the fat and avoid fattening foods totally or have just a taste of them for the feel good feeling
...within a few weeks your weight will be down by 10 pounds
@guest
if your appetite is good then you are fine. i suggested some stuff like yoga exercises for breathing..pls try it... yes those exrcises will help you even for digestion.there are other exercises in yoga for digestion. look them up via google and do them gently. they have worked for me. i still have abdominal pains now and then and gas but its nothing serious. we all get acutely aware of our bodies and worry too much once we quit smoking..remember that too.. on the other hand if you really invest some energy in exercise ..you will actually benefit from it.i would suggest that you eat more of alkaline kind of food since you already had an ulcer( which is very common). cucumber, watermelon, lime-yes its alkaline really... and avoid alcohol totally...or have in very small amount...just once a week. and if you are low on vitamin E then take one everyday. I do.
every time you feel pukish and have bad taste in the mouth then drink lime juice but dont load it with sugar every time. try and use only fresh lime. not the bottled lime with preservatives. take a glass of lime and water along with your meals. it really helps to digest.
somebody once told me that he had withdrawl symptoms for 7-8 months..( he had to step out of his car clutching his tummy with gastric pain..but it too passed!).while another of his colleagues who was a very heavy smoker had them for 2 years or more. so dont worry too much. worrying kills you more than your symptoms..i will fight this sh*t as long as it takes.
stay the course guys!! u win this one by being the last man standing
and God is with those who help themselves.
God bless all.
@tammy 711
hang in there... and do the yoga bit for breathing exercises. your body is re learning to feel normal which itself is kind of 'sick' coz you have forgotten what was it like not to poison your system with nicotine and tar. i have suffered depression too and have come out of it...by stopping thinking that i am sick..i am not sick. i just feel sick sometimes coz some parts of my body are confused.
if you feel restless minus the smokes then go for long walks.i walk for an hour if i feel restless and anxious and take several smalll low cal healthy snacks a day... and if you feel stressed just talk with people here.. will make you feel better. stick to the lime water ..it cuts the fat and avoid fattening foods totally or have just a taste of them for the feel good feeling
...within a few weeks your weight will be down by 10 pounds
@guest
if your appetite is good then you are fine. i suggested some stuff like yoga exercises for breathing..pls try it... yes those exrcises will help you even for digestion.there are other exercises in yoga for digestion. look them up via google and do them gently. they have worked for me. i still have abdominal pains now and then and gas but its nothing serious. we all get acutely aware of our bodies and worry too much once we quit smoking..remember that too.. on the other hand if you really invest some energy in exercise ..you will actually benefit from it.i would suggest that you eat more of alkaline kind of food since you already had an ulcer( which is very common). cucumber, watermelon, lime-yes its alkaline really... and avoid alcohol totally...or have in very small amount...just once a week. and if you are low on vitamin E then take one everyday. I do.
every time you feel pukish and have bad taste in the mouth then drink lime juice but dont load it with sugar every time. try and use only fresh lime. not the bottled lime with preservatives. take a glass of lime and water along with your meals. it really helps to digest.
somebody once told me that he had withdrawl symptoms for 7-8 months..( he had to step out of his car clutching his tummy with gastric pain..but it too passed!).while another of his colleagues who was a very heavy smoker had them for 2 years or more. so dont worry too much. worrying kills you more than your symptoms..i will fight this sh*t as long as it takes.
stay the course guys!! u win this one by being the last man standing
and God is with those who help themselves.
God bless all.