Quit smoking a year ago - sick ever since!

5 months and 1 day update here.Eversince I quit I have reddening,hives and eczema on my face.

It has been 45 days of not smoking for me.  If not for these posts, I would have gone insane over the things that have been happening to my body.  

I quit using Chantix, so the mental anguish has been absent (Thank God).  However, I’ve had everything else. 

For me the not being able to breathe has been the hardest for me.  I finally went to see the Dr. and he said I was detoxing.  He put me on Prednisone for 5 days and it helped me so much.  I can now breathe with some shortness of breath but I can live with that.

Not sleeping or falling asleep then waking a few hours later has also been very bothersome.  I so need my sleep.  Body aches inside and out; several days it hurt to wear clothing.  Night sweats, day sweats, headaches and gas from hell.  Hives, bloating, pissed off at everything and tired so very, very tired. 

Today is a good day and I’m hoping I will have more of these days.  I smoked for 35 years.

My Uncle who smoked for 65 years quit 3 weeks ago.  He is now in the hospital with congestive heart failure.  I can’t even imagine what he is going through. 

Even after all of this I still want a cigarette.  

Good luck to all and stay strong.

 

WOW makes you wander if its worth it yes !!! DONT GIVE UP i SMOKED LONGER THAT THAT sick as a dog the very first day.. .. its been 6 years over weight mild copd, (( my daughter still smoking, on oxygen at night 47 years old .. Im not on anything, thats a plus point is if u continue to smoke the mess will be twofold.. so hang in there look at it as pack man cleaning you up, it will get better and the want to smoke will go away I TRULY NEVER GIVE IT A 2ND THOUGHT ... good luck , better health , please dont give into this sickness .. its your body letting u know how truly sick you were becoming .. hugs and strenght to you.. BON..:)

Thanks so much for your kind words of encouragement.  As to smoking again, my resounding statement is Never Again.  I’m stronger than the cigarette.  I just can’t believe that I still crave one.  I’m sure in time this will pass and until then I remain filled with resolve that I will never again smoke.  Congratulations on the six year mark of not smoking; your six years is the light at the end of the tunnel for us newbies.  Thanks again.

 

I did every so often let it creep in ( the urge) but no its over done with, so glad you feel the same because thinking posative is the answer to better health.. my help mates were bottled water and my pc.. and the fact my mom lost her legs to the darn things PAD my bro the same , my step dad throat cancer.. it does give one some thing to think about.. YOU WILL DO THIS .. aoys.. best of luck :)

I had to smoke 1 cigarette again the pressure was too much and the insomnia returned after 

False promises abound Istvan, don't let it be the reason that you fail; it only means that the liars win. You are my HERO, 5 months not smoking, I wish it was 5 months for me. I too have been taking B12 shots once a week and they do help out a lot. Stay strong Istvan, I know you can do this without slipping. Putting nicotine back into your body only prolongs the suffering. Be strong my friend, remember we are in this together.

Its been 8 months now since I have quit smoking cold turkey and have not had one cigarette, Still suffering badly from panic and anxiety attacks. Guess I gotta take it one day at a time. I'm still practicing deep breathing, getting a bit of control, however since the panic and anxiety is due to my nervous system being messed due to all the past smoking, gotta detox my nervous system now, Acid reflux stopped, thank goodness I can eat again. This panic seems like its gonna last forever, but I will never smoke again, this is a promise ! And one day I know this panic is going to go away just like the acid reflux...... but it's oh so painful and exhausting.

Does anyone know how long the panic / anxiety lasts for ? !

Has your doctor made any suggestions for meds for the panic attacks? I am using Chantix and have had zero problems with panic/anxiety problems. Body aches and all the other problems I have but not panic/anxiety problems. Ask your doctor, be kind to yourself, if he/she has something that will help you through the detox use it. You don’t have to use it forever, just until the detox is over. My understanding from the posts detox takes about a year. Good luck I hope things get easier for you.

Almost 3 months of not smoking for me, mostly feeling sick in my body; aches in my head and body, bad taste in my mouth; kind of like a metal taste.  Stomach upset today with a matching headache.  Shortness of breath and still not sleeping well.  I know through the posts that this in time will pass and I’m hanging in there but I’m just getting tired of being sick and tired.  

%-)

 

It's been around 9 months now since I have quit smoking, still watching my diet since my body is going through a detox. In this case, I still stick with my detox diet which includes boiled chicken/vegetable stock, lots of almonds, lots of water, and sugar free foods. My nervous system is still draining along with my lungs still healing, so the panic and anxiety are mostly bad at night since the body heals at night more than the day.  My Naturopath has given me homeopathic medications to help my nerves and loosen mucus in my lungs. It seems to be working, I am better than I was without the medications. And they are all natural so I don't feel so paranoid about side effects. I stopped taking my Advair since it just made me feel worse and I don't use Prevacid anymore since this had really bad side effects, and since my acid reflux is gone after my Naturopath gave me meds to help detox my liver.

Well, hopefully this is almost over, this whole detox ( suffering ) process, I am feeling better, but still have nervous attacks, although they have decreased quite a bit. Still have to watch what I eat though, since if I have something too heavy or rich, it makes me panic and sick.

Good luck to all, please stay quit, smoking is a bad habit which can make you really sick :-| !

Hi! Much congrats on quitting smoking, it's a huge step!! I am a nurse, and acquitted 7 year smoker (ha ha), going on 10 months now staying quit. You're not sick, and antibiotics will do nothing but lower your resistance to real infections in the future, not to mention most antibiotics will do number on your stomach. Your withdrawal symptoms are perfectly normal, everyone experiences some of these to varying degrees. The reason you're coughing up stuff, having a sore throat, ear issues etc... your cilia in your airway, which are tiny microscopic tubes that move mucous and saliva along, get killed by your smoking. Ever had a cold when you smoked, and the smoking actually kind of seemed to make you cough less? However, these little guys are able to regenerate. So, when you quit, and they start coming back, of course they start working again, and start bringing all that c**p that has been sitting in your lungs the whole time, and bringing it up to the surface. So, it's a good thing! Feels lousy, I know, but it will pass. Drink lots of water, that helps break up some of the secretions. For your ears, I'm guessing some stuff is also draining upstairs, too. Hope this helps. (Borrowed textually from http://caloriecount.about.com/forums/health-support/sick-quitting-smoking#2) but its the best answer yet. Is this the only change in your body (Quitting smoking?) or did you quit smoking because you started to feel wierd?.

I don't know if your question was directed at me or not but I'm responding anyway because you give good info. I quit because I was getting shortness of breath. I smoked for 35 years. I have not been sick per say; I drink John Ellis water and I think that helps me a lot. (johnellis.com) But my body just hurts. At first, I couldn't breathe at all then the Doc put me on 5 days of prednisone and that really helped. Now I use an inhaler about twice a day. Again, the real problem for me is the body aches. I hurt all over, head to toe. Somedays are not so bad but some it hurts to put on clothes. I'm using Chantix and that is really helping me with the urges and mental stuff. Strange dreams, but I can deal with that. I cough some but I know it will be worse. I'm also taking B-12 shots once a week and they seem to be helping with the body aches but not much. I'm not into taking antibiotics or any pills they make for an upset stomach. I need more sleep but can't get much; keep waking up after about 3 hours or so. I have gained 10 pounds that I'll worry about later getting rid of 10 pounds sounds much easier than quitting smoking.


You know, when I got short of breath while smoking if I smoked a cigarette it got better, how crazy is that? I know I can beat this, but they really need to inform the quitters a bit better about all that goes on while you do quit. If not for this site, I think I would have gone insane.


Thank you for posting your info has been a great help. Try the water, I've not been sick in over 3 years, and I think it because of drinking his water. Not trying to sell anything just passing on a good thing.


Regards, Paula

over the years i have quit smoking 5 or 6 times....once for 12 years. The physical detox is hard on the body....but it seems to have more neg physical attributes now than in my past. i have quit smoking this time for 5 days so far...and hopefully for te last time. As a smoker i had always wondered why the tobacco co. wernt ordered to tell the consumer exactly what procedures, chemicals changed and added etc....as the detox is hell this time. ill beat it but my body is sore as hell....im tired almost to exhaustion and feel like c**p. sure nice not being a prisner and not giving my money to a tabacco co. though. good luck to you all....

NVGirl, nothing strange about a cigarette helping your breathing.  They actually put a chemical into them that widens the airways to allow you to pull more nicotine into your body:(

Anyways, 14 weeks smoke free today for me and I am actually starting to feel much better.  Still have some sinus problems and heartburn but on the whole I am improving.  The dreadful anxiety and depression which took me so much by surprise have lifted and I have started a diet to take of the pounds and pounds I have piled on.

I really  do miss smoking though.  How sad is that?