Quit smoking a year ago - sick ever since!

I quit smoking 6 months and 9 days ago. The withdrawl symptoms were bad, but I'm hoping I'm through with most of them. Just a quick run down on what I exerpeienced: Month 1-2: Blood pressure spikes. My BP usually is around 120/80, but after quitting, I would have episodes where it would shoot up to 180/120 for 10 minutes to an hour. Luckily, those went after after month 2. My doc guessed it was from stress, and once I started taking time to do relaxation exercises when I was stressed, those went away. Month 2-Now: Digestion issues. Since quitting smoking, my digestive system has not worked the way it used to. Food doesn't seem to digest as well. I've known many people who were diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrom and ulcerative colitis after quitting smoking. Apparently, nicotine aids in the digestion for some people, and taking the nicotine away causes problems. Month 2-4: Heart palpitations. At about the 2 month mark, my heart started going a bit haywire. That was by far the scariest. At times I could feel my heart pounding all over my body, other times my heart was racing, and other times my heart was beating irregularly - sometimes all of those at once. After many doctors visits, a heart monitor for 24 hours, and many hours googling I narrowed (I think) the causes to gas and an electrolyte imbalance - both caused by the digestive issues mentioned previously. I started eating smaller meals earlier in the evening, and that took care of the gas. I made sure I ate enought potassium and magensium, and that seems to have fixed the racing and irregular heart beat. Other ongoing issues: Weight gain - I put on 15 lbs, was able to lose 5 lbs after 2 months, but I cannot get rid of the extra 10lbs at all. I am exercising and eating well, but no use. Stress and anxiety - Definitely not as bad as it was in month 1 and 2, howerver, in general I am a bit more stressed and worry more than I ever have in my life. On the upside: -My kids will not grow up being around cigarettes, and are young enough to never remember me as a smoker. -I have an extra $1000 that would've been spent on cigarettes. -I have a lower chance of dying from heart disease, cancer, or stroke than I would have if I were still a smoker. -I am no longer chained to my cigarettes and lighter. Quitting wasn't easy, and definitely caused me some problems. All told, it is worth quitting. I'll check in again in a few months.

Thanx so much for updating....
I have all the symptoms that you are describing.
Sometimes I feel.....this could not possibly be from quitting nicotine!
It's been 3 months or me, I smoked and chewed tobacco (dip) now when I feel sick or crazy I just say whatever, I'm used to it. Not that saying that makes it better, it's just all there is to say, when people say it's the hardest thing that they have done in their lives, I can see why. Before when I heard people say that, I would think they were just talking about cravings but it's actually all the other crazy sh!t. It's weird how some times (whether it be the whole day or part of one) I feel just great, then I can feel just crappy for a day or a string of days. Why wouldn't I either be sick or better? Why is it off and on? Makes no sense. Well, anyway......I'll keep you guys updated as well.

Man it's hard! I know. It's been 14 months for me - still hard... There where times i was thinking i was going crazy, like out of my mind. There were times i was thinking that i will never be the same - still sometimes think like this...
- but it's getting better. VERY VERY slowly, but better.
Things that helps me -don't know why, but when i eat them - feels much better - salmon sushi and cranberry. Especially cranberry - when you have cravings, or mood swings, or whatever - eat some FRESH cranberry and you should feel much better!

It's been 6 month now....I feel much better:

 

First few months : Stressed, anxiety, digestive issues, morning sickness, nausea...

 

But now, slowly it's getting better. No more bausea, less anxiety.....just a bit of digestive issue but much better.

 

I will get back in 1 month

Hi,

Thought I was the only one to still have these awful symptoms after giving up smoking nearly 2 years ago. My friend had no adverse symptoms at all!! My doctor has conducted almost every test she can - low blood sugar count, vitamin deficiency - various x-rays. Allhas come back showing no problems. I know that's good, but just wish I felt better. We thought it was somethinh like 'Anxiety', but just might be my body 'detoxing' after all. I hope so, and that it will all improve in the not too distant future.

2 years and you still feel bad?
Omg! If I don't feel better by the time I have a year, I'm smoking again.
I've been having serious bouts of hypoglycemia. I have over 3 months now and I'm still not adjusted.
How can some be fine after quitting and we are so sick? I can't even work, that's how screwed up I am. I get crippling heart burn when I eat. And if I don't eat, I get low blood sugar.....and that's just the worst, feels like I'm dying.

Hang in there. So worth it once you start to feel better. You will feel more motivated again and have better focus, more energy, although I have to admit I am more anxious than I was when I was smoking. Maybe in the long run that's a good thing, as it motivates you to change things up.

My update:
261 days quitting (almost 9 months). Still on-off but much better.
The remaining symptoms:
1. Less anxiety
2. Heart palpitations (mybe cause of anxiety)
3. Body aches (always at my back body),
4. Dry mouth and throat (feel dry from adam's apple until upper chest)

Iqbal, I am waiting for your next reply

You guys saved my live...

I smoked for 10 year a pack/day. Now I am 35. This is my story

I quit a month ago . The very first 2 days everything was OK. Then nausea started , dizziness, sweating,chills,  my stomach was upset very upset. After a week or so my lungs started to hurt. I had a X- chest scan everything was fine. All this time depression and anxiety were all over my mind making everything worse. I had tingling on my head mouth arms legs feet. Bad mouth taste.This was amplified by my chronic prostatitis as well. The depression was very very disturbing. I could not played with my kid,sad moments ... low interest in my hobbies, low libido . Insomnia was an other enemy ..during the night hours I was searching on internet for people like me. They all had symptoms of withdrawal for 2- 3 weeks and not much problems.  I was trying to diagnose myself ut the internet is full with cancer stories ...and so I got even more stressed about all this. And then I found you people. What a relief   

3 weeks after quitting I got sore throat with allot of coughing   

Went to see the doctor. I was completely convinced that a have gall stones when in fact it was a fatty liver, high cholesterol  high glucose, D vitamin deficiency. All this time I could not eat any fatty food because afterwords I will be  even more sick with dizziness and stomach pain. Buy the way the stomach pain is still there , very mild but there. I have never thought that nicotine played such o role in my digestive system. 

Now after 4 weeks and a day I have considerably reduced all the fatty food. I do not eat that much (my diet is bananas, soups and boiled vegetables , multivitamins and tea lots of tea) I still have bad mouth taste, mild stomach pain from time to time and a little bit of nausea. Depression  and anxiety is less. I do feel better but I miss my old my the one that used to smoke and be happy .

I do not know how long is going to take but I will never smoke again.

Based on your stories I am not even at the half of the road. God knows how much it will take. I hope is not going to be 2 years.

Hope to hear more stories from people with similar symptoms.

I was wondering if in this new era the DOCTORS are aware of all of this . This forum should be publicized everywhere for people to understand and for doctors to learn

Hi,

Hang in there...It's been almost 7 months now for me...I still have the stomach upsets but the nausea is gone.

The anxiety is getting better than in the first 3-4 months.

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Hey Guest, good job sticking with it. I'm 7 months into it, and some days I don't feel as good as I did when I smoked...BUT there are now days that I feel better than I ever did in my life. It is definite a hard m***********g road to go down, but it is worth it. Do it for your kids and for yourself. If you ever need reassurance, or to vent, post here. I have in the past 7 months. I honestly don't know if I could've quit without this thread letting me know I'm not alone.

Thank you for your support bababooey. Until reading all this I thought that I am the only one with problems. Now I feel better.
What is killing me is that I get dizzy most of the time, specially after I eat.Nausea is mild but still there. Right now I am on green tea , eat not so much , probably I will lose allot of weight. Scary journey...Such a powerful drug is nicotine :(
Is this how our body reacts after the drug is taken away ? I think for heroin is x1000 harder almost like impossible mission
Did you experienced any of this stuff ?

I have just registered. Hope to see more people coming here

Thank God for this forum....it had helped me tremedously this last week. I am 6 months into my quitting and I was a pack a day smoker for the last 22-24 years. I am now 40 and even though some days I think I am dying I am still happy with my decision. I now know there is NO WAY I want to go back to smoking...I NEVER want to feel this bad again. I have had every symptom mentioned on here...horrible digestive issues, chest pain, gas, anxiety, insomnia...you name it...I had it.

Good luck to all...we are on to a healthier lifestyle we just have to cross the bumps in the road first....hopefully the road will flatten soon!! :)