Quit smoking a year ago - sick ever since!

Thanks Bob for sharing your experience... i hope we will all will go back to normal like when we used to smoke :) ......well we had to rely on online materil i mean in nictonine withdrawal case i am sure if we didnt find this website or few related websites we would have gone crazy as doctors dont know about it and u dont find much help otherwise.....had this symtoms known to us we would quit smoking slowly by reducing the number of smokes everydays instead of quitting cold turkey....

Because your body is used to having the nicotine. I imagine or am only guessing that you have replaced food for the nicotine craving. Hence the body weight gain. And gaining the weight will slow you down for sure, also will effect your self confidence. If you start out with just a bit of exercise I'm sure after a while you'll be replacing the food cravings for craving exercise. I know, I've been through it. I quit smoking now just over two and a half yrs ago. You see, your not feeling sick. Being sick is sick. Your experiencing side effects of weight gain, the exhaustion is from weight gain also. Don't give up. Just get up, and get out. And I know it sounds hard to do, but I did it, and never thought I could as I have very serious illness's. But it didn't stop me.

I am 10 days in, feel full of a cold, like i have a lump in my throat, feel sick, dry throat, like ears/nose are running down my throat, heartburn and burps!!!! what's this about?!!!!!

hi there, hang in there. i hope you've read through other post to get some ideas on what is going on with your body. Its different for others during recovery time but what you are feeling is typical of withdrawal symptoms. your body is realizing that it will not have any more nicotine. now your body is going to react - please read other post and you will fine some pointers that may help you during this tough time.

Here is a link to help you as well. scroll all the way down and read post 1 all the way up to the final post to see the early symptoms others have felt during their early months.

http://www.wisegeek.org/what-are-symptoms-of-nicotine-withdrawal.htm

Good luck and hang in there. its a tough battle but so worth it.

This is a great link!

thanks

pirate1 - also drink water and try to keep your digestive track in order. I had all your symptoms within your time frame as well. my nose kept running- (post nasal drip) i thought i had some lump in my throat as well. pretty much had the same thing your did. My chest was tight as hell. 

take long hot showers and practice breathing exercises (its best in a hot steamy shower.). ex smokers dont realize they are not breathing correctly. i caught myself holding my breath alot (if i was still smoking a cig) - once in awhile take deep breaths. read other testimonials if you feel discouraged. it is tough the first 3 months but it is worth it in the long run. many go through very tough stages and many dont. dont give up bud. 

Istop - yeah its a good site for new ex smokers. i went to vegas during my 2 month detox for work and that site helped me alot. i had it saved on my phone. everytime i felt weird i went on to that site. It can be alot of reading and some post are stupid and not informative but it does help others in seeing what others are feeling during the early stages of there recovery.

Tip - write down what post you left off from if you dont want to read anymore. then when you go back - press ctrl and F key on your keyboard and type the number you left off from to get you back where you left off. 

also come back to this website of course to interact with others that are still in recovery phase. 

 

good luck all. 

I gave up smoking 10 a day 3 years ago and have been ill ever since. I've since suffered from  bloating, skin disorders, constipation, diarrhoea, Candidiasis, allergies, black eyes........I could go on and on.

 

I then went back to smoking 3 a day and all of my illnesses went away. As an experiment I then gave up for a week last Monday and boom, all my illnesses came back. WTF?

HI Frazefast

One word...withdrawals. You need to go through them. The time that it takes is different for each one of us. Do it, after a while it's worth it! We'll help you

Rob_From_SoCal : I've tried Probiotics for 10 days now...wow what a change in terms of digestive/adbominal/bloading/etc. Have you tried them already?

Istop

A withdrawal that takes 3 years?! You sure?
I don't want to smoke but if only 3 a day stops me feeling like sh*t every day then I have to weigh up the pros and cons.

Did you used nicotine replacement during these 3 years? Or it were 3 years totally nicotine free? I am 14 months nicotine free already and still suffer. My main problem is anxiety and brain fog which i never experience before starting/quitting smoking. Also did you checked your thyroid?

No nicotine at all. All I noticed was my health deteriorating to the point my life was constantly miserable. The doctor blamed my digestive problems on IBS like they all do, I also get brain fog and panic attacks. Plus a disgusting coating on my tongue that makes me ill.
My full blood tests have been fine, I've had scans, barium meals and x-rays all of which have come negative.

I have no idea why smoking a few a day makes all of these symptoms go away but they do, whereas prescription medications have done zilch.

Oh and I've changed diets, eliminated so called trigger foods, exercised, you name it. I'm also  the perfect weight for my height despite my ridiculous looking bloated stomach (which vanishes after a ciggie)

 

 

 

frazefast, i have very similar experience. I never used to have problems with health. I ate any food and was feeling 100%, and i never had panic attacks before.

After quitting. It's hell! I have to monitor everything i eat, if i eat wrong food i can have shortness of breath and blurred vision.

Anxiety/panic attacks/dull headache - it's hell. For the last year i questioned maybe i am mentally sick)))) I am not sure why it's happening. I hope it will go away soon. As i told it've been 14 months for me. I never checked my thyroid but read LOTS of posts when people had unbalanced thyroid after quitting. It can take up to 2.5 years for thyroid gland to find the balance again...

frazefast, i am not sure what you eat... Also i am not sure if i have thyroid problems or not - because i didn't check thyroid. But this "diet" helped me, it's by some lady who have thyroid problems. Check it out:

<<<I was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and asked my doctor to give me a month before putting me on the medication. I eliminated all sugar incluidng most fruits, caffeine, iodine, white foods (bread, pasta, potato) and dairy. after the month I had a blood test and I was almost back to normal. After months of suffering I felt like a new person and couldn't believe how dramatically my diet effected my results. You don't net to have lots of greens to fix it up, just cut out all of the foods that are high allergens like wheat and dairy, cut out all of the foods that feed the bad bacteria in your body like sugar and yeast. do this for atleast 6 weeks and then gradually start bringing them back in once you have cleaned out your body. It works!!! >>>

Hope this helps.

Wish you luck man

Istop - No I haven’t tried them. I was going to awhile ago but decided not to. I am taking Essential Enzymes for the last 3months (Got from Amazon for cheap).  It has helped me digest foods I know will give me problems. It seems like it is working for me. I take one every time I eat a meal and I eat whatever I want. I also take a super b complex and other supplements when I know I will not be getting them that day naturally.  You are not having any serious pains are you? Do you have weird sensations in your pelvic region? I am not in serious pain but just have this weird nerve/muscle like sensations - it started in many areas of my digestive area but now focused in my pelvic region off and on. Once again the doctor said it’s IBS after my scan but that’s a cheap answer. I am fighting it with good diet and exercise and it seems I’m winning even with the stupid doctor’s diagnosis. 

Frazefast - I agree with Bester. I know it can be difficult mentally. You mind is very strong and can enhance physical symptoms. Bester summed it up in saying you need to fix your body. I am not sure of your age and physical appearance prior to your quit but taking steps in providing your body aid will go a long way.  I know in my experience is that you have to fight each symptom when it occurs. I had dermatitis or psoriasis after I quit smoking on my face. I fought that $hit- it was annoying I didn’t leave the house for a month. Obviously, our culture tends to stare at you if you looked different. But I fought that by fixing my body and I bought DermaE tee tree & E antiseptic cream (Smells like $hit) and Cerave moisturizing cream to combat it. Now my skin is not scaling and I can see it blending in with my natural skin. Eating right and light exercise with drinking water can help your mind and body.  Your thyroid can be going crazy as well - they do make a good point and you should check it out. I really wish the best for all of us – Frazefast; I hope you feel better soon.

I am feeling a lot better lately and my anxiety and depression is getting better because I’ve been trying to focus on other things. Mentally I look at it - as if I lost a member of the family. If anyone has lost someone close to them - you'll understand. It takes awhile to move on but you eventually do. Once in awhile you think of that person just for a brief moment but then you continue on with your day and are not depressed anymore - it’s the same for nicotine for me. We all will overcome it but everyone needs to realize it takes time and you have to re train your brain and body. Take a deep breath and have confidence in yourself. Good Luck All. 

Sorry I didn’t read this post during my long response. Have you tried talking to psychiatrist I am not trying to be mean but I think they can lead you into a right direction. I think your case is more of mental withdrawals that enhance your physical symptoms.