Quit smoking a year ago - sick ever since!

I am not feeling very optimistic these days. I am a 37 yr old woman who smoked for about 15 years and has been smoke-free for right at a year now. I decided to quit smoking so that I could be a better role model for my son and so that I could be around for him later in life. Since my first attempt to quit smoking, over 2 years ago, my quality of life has greatly diminished. So that I do not confuse you all, I should let you know, I stopped smoking twice over the last 2 to 2 1/2 years. I successfully quit smoking March 5th 2012, so it has been a little over a year that I have completely stopped. I have lost the few friends that I had and out of 8 siblings I have completely cut off communication with them all (they are not innocent, I just could not deal with their issues. I am not strong enough) . My husband, bless his heart, is still here. He is not as comforting as I would like him to be, but I am grateful that he is still with me. He tries.

I have experienced every withdrawal symptom know to man, chest discomfort, gastrointestinal issues, severe headaches, anxiety (jitters), panic attacks, off balance, post nasal drip and allergy issues... And the list continues. I have improved some but not enough. I can get out now and participate in daily activities but I literally have to drag myself to do it. There was a time I could not get out of bed whatsoever, I couldn't drive and I cried everyday from headaches. And the panic attacks frightened the heck out of me. The major issues that I have now are anxiety (jitters), severe headaches (although they have lessened some), the feeling of being off balance, and nocturnal panic attacks. God forbid I have another issue to arise and I need medication. Anything that cause changes with the brain chemistry sends my brain into a frenzy. Most times I suffer through pain because pain meds make all of my issues worse. I have had every test imaginable, including an MRI of the brain and doctors have not found anything wrong. I have gotten to the point that I rarely visit the doctor's office because I know what to expect. Every one of them suggests antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications and I refuse to take them. Why on earth would I change one problem for another? You cannot remain on them forever. One would eventually have to stop by tapering off of them and would still experience discontinuation side effects. 

Some days I feel like death is better than this, but I have to suffer through it and at least be here for my son. I try really hard to think positive and believe that this will pass but it is sooo hard. It is such a lonely struggle. I have empathy for all of you who are brave enough to commit to quit. God only knows how I hurt and want to just throw in the towel, but somehow I still have a little fight in me. I do not know how, but I still have some fight. I hope we all come out of this on the other side, unscathed.

Imagine

Hypothyroidism can be masked by smoking because nicotine boosts metabolism.NO WONDER people here are complaining about constipation,depression,fatigue etc.1 year ago I was eating junk foods,sitting in front of the computer all day,doing no exercise,was full of stress and smoking a pack a day.6 months ago I quit smoking,then I started to exercise,then I cut out all junk foods,then I started to eat veggies regularly,then I also cut out glutens and dairy.Do I feel better? NO.And I look worse.My face became puffy,I have no energy,I can't get erection,can't lose weight no matter what."In the brain, nicotine stimulates neuron activity by taking the place of acetylcholine, our brain's natural stimulant). Over time the brain becomes accustomed to functioning on frequent doses of the artificial stimulant and might reduce the production of acetylcholine. In the adrenal glands, continual overstimulation of the adrenal medulla can lead to decreased natural functioning of the gland. Additionally the long-term effect of continual adrenaline production can lead to heart disease, high blood pressure and increased risk of stroke."As you see it can also be adrenals related which will affect your thyroid but I'm still certain that most people here have undiagnosed thyroid condition because of genetics and it should be checked out.The first thing I would do is to get your mineral levels checked.Iodine is needed for healthy thyroid function and if you are deficient you will have hypothyroidism.Be careful as iodine is bad for people with autoimmune thyroid (Hashimoto's) and you must avoid foods like kelp!

As you see one food can be another man's poison that's why I recommend getting your thyroid checked first and foremost.Please,please,please spread the word and don't believe the media! Quitting smoking does not cause hypothyroidism.Smoking MASKS thyroid conditions!I feel for you people as I'm in the same boat and trying to connect the dots.If you would like to contact me then feel free to drop a PM.

Hi everyone....Just an update as I have now reached the 9.5 month mark (woohoo me) and overall feel drastically better. Still having occassional digestive issues and sleep issues. Anxiety levels have mostly returned to normal and I no longer feel much health related anxiety. While this is a long battle....trust me when I say you won't be disappointed. I am very proud of all of you....we can win this battle.

 

I do have a question for my fellow non-smokers. What have you done to replace cigs as a stress reliever? I am finding that this is one time when I actually think..."If only I could smoke this stress would lighten."....Exercise, meditation?? Any advice in this area would be great as I don't want to use this as an excuse one day. Also, my sleep cycle is still pretty crazy...wake every night at midnight for 2-3 hours....I used to sleep sound 8-9 hours!

 

For those of you in the early stages...hang in there...it does get better....SO MUCH BETTER....life without cigarettes is exactly that....LIFE....nothing worth wanting comes easy ;0).....so keep on quitting and see you at the 10 monthish mark!!

Today --> 23 April 2013

Start quitting --> 20 April 2013

Now --> 368 days (1 year 3 days)

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Month 11 = (<80%) Anxiety, gas (related with light headache + feel unbalance).

1st Year  = (<85%) Anxiety but not affect my activities anymore, gas, light headache + unbalance (usually happen in 2 period of time either 4-6 or 7 - 9 pm).

MAMABUNA: I'm sorry not update my current condition. I'm busy with my final year project.. :-D

istop: you're right. If we can control our anxiety, it will help to cope other symptoms related with anxiety.

Hi guys
I'm into week 8 of quitting and I just have not been well at all. It is good to know that I'm not going crazy although can't help but be concerned about how I am feeling. Below are the symptoms

Sore throat- given acid reflex meds which have helped

Cold like symptoms

Anxiety- had some scary moments with heart beating fast, shortness of breath and arms tingling. Had chest xray, ecg and blood test which came back normal. Was told it's anxiety

Shortness of breath and feel like someone is sitting on my chest- still having this

Coughing up horrible brown,green,grey mucus. Still doing this

Back ache- still having this is lower and upper back

Depression- feeling really down due to all of the above. My partner thinks I'm becomming obsessed with my health and this could be making the symptoms feel worse because it is on my mind so much.
You convince yourself that you are seriously ill.

I have been to the doctors numerous times and get the feeling they are sick of seeing me. I smoked for 15 years and am 38. You never get told how long you will be ill for. I have started exercising for 20 mins every night but do get short of breath when doing it. I am overweight so this does not help. The problems seem to be worse when I wake up especially the back ache, braething and coughing. I do not want to smoke again just want to feel like myself.

Franks72 – my sleep schedule was all over the place before. I really don’t know when it changed for me. I tend to sleep much better now. It may be because I started a routine in the evening with exercise, hot showers and movies and I do it at the same time most nights. I think it will get back to normal soon for you.

I stay busy with hobbies so I don’t get stressed. But I don’t think about smoking unless I see someone smoking or smell it. And yes I can smell it from a mile away. We used to stink really badly. Gum and Hand Sanitizer doesn’t cover it people. So picking up a new hobby can maybe help your stress.

Going for walks is a good stress reliever – it helps you collect your thoughts and even helps plan your weeks and future. We’re always around if you need some help.

Spacecowboy – I had the same physical symptoms during your time frame. You are also going through health anxiety which also elevates your physical symptom. Hang in there – you are going to really want to quit to win this battle. Walks and deep breathing exercises in a hot shower will help you. You can read through the forums and see what others have done to beat their symptoms. It does take time and don’t rely on those stupid pamphlets. 

Thanks I just thought I was going mad! I'm having a spirometry test next week to check things out. You are right over the health anxiety it does seem to make the physical symptoms worse. I have not wanted a cigarette and have no intentions of smoking ever again. It is really difficult to stay positive when you feel so rubbish all the time though. Your mind does convince you that there is something seriously wrong and again that makes the symptons worse and more frequent. How long were you feeling like this for? I am proud of myself for not smoking but just wish that more information was handed out to people when they do quit. This may relieve some of the anxiety that people feel over the physical symptoms they experience.

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You should also check out all the post on this forum as well. We all went crazy in our early stages as well – I went to doctors and got scan many times. Don’t get me wrong – I think we all should, it’s a good time to check everything out while you can. It will give you a peace of mind.
As you read the post– you will see the pains that many people go through. Everyone is different – it all depends on how your body reacts. There are some that will have withdrawal symptoms for a few months and there are some that will have it for more than a year. It greatly reduced for me in my 3rd to 5th month with some annoying discomfort. But again, it is different for everyone.

I wish the best for you and hope you don’t have a long recovery. Remember, we were ex drug addicts. Have you seen heroin addicts during there detox, not fun. People have been able to quit heroin but continue to smoke cigarettes. That’s how powerful nicotine is. I remember my first few weeks lying in bed having cold sweats looking like an ex heroin addict. Your body needs time to adapt towards a smoke free environment. Try to stay busy so your mind will not be entirely focused on your detox.

Good Luck Bud.

Hi guys I quit smoking on 11.01.2013 so that means 3 myths and 2 weeks already. I am very happy and proud of quitting, and I want to remain like that. I posted here like 1 mth ago, talking about how bad was feeling. Meanwhile I had blod test done for thyroid, came normal; chest X-ray, came normal; I have an appointment on 15 of may for a heart monitor installed during 24 hrs to check my heart. Not to speak before that EKG, MRI, full blood tests all came fine. Anyways at the moment I dot feel at all good. First of all I will try to explain my anxiety: most of the time I get this bad thoughts " what if my heart suddenly stops, what if my veins in my head are exploding this moment, this 2 are the worst I get on a constant basis, others also but not as bad as this. Also I feel my pulse all over my body, that makes me anxious as well if laying in bed I have to change my position many times till not feeling it anymore. I feel this sensations on my head like burning. I have short breath all day long, it seems is getting worst as the day is progressing, in the morning when wake up is not there ( why can't be all day like that). I feel off balance mostly all the time, sometimes is so bad that if I don't grip my hands onto smth I might fall. Now new is that my arms started to hurt, without any reason. One morning woke up and felt my elbow so sore like I hit a wall the previous day sort of feeling. Do you guys have all felt this and blamed it on anxiety? Sometimes I get so agitated and I feel like not able to calm down, and think that this is it, here comes the stroke, or wtf. Is such a bad feeling. Sleeping pattern, after having severe insomnia in the 3 rd week, now I have nights when I sleep normally, nights when I go to bed and struggle 2 hrs to fall asleep, and nights when I struggle all night and barely getting 1-2 hrs of interrupted sleep. Those nights are the worst, I can't bare it anymore to wait to fall asleep and I end up at 2-3 am bursting in cries. What is strange is that since when I had insomnia in the 3 rd week I never felt sleepy again. Before I used to get drowsy and if I was watching a movie having problems to keep awake, now I don't feel like that anymore ( why I want to feel sleepy again) did anyone else had this problem, Also I think I need some comfort talks from u guys, cause else i am afraid I am going crazy. Dunno for how long I can stand all this. 1 thing is for certain I will never go back to smoke. 2 weeks ago I had 3-4 days when I felt so good, one day I even had 5 pints of beer at the pub, felt great. Then It all came back. Thanks for being out there guys, and daily updating this forum.

Thanks for that I will have a look. It is assuring that other people have been through this. It's just that I can't shake this cough. It has eased but is still there and am still coughing up rubbish in the morning. Any tips on shifting the cough? Combined with the breating issues I guess it is natural to be concerned. I really thought that after 9 weeks I would be feeling fantastic, instead I'm feeling horrible. You are right with the heroin comparison though. I do think that someone should write a book about the journey when quitting. All the info available tells you how great you will feel and nothing informs you of the possible affects you may have to go through. I just can't wait for the day I wake up with no cough, no aches or pains and being able to breathe like a non smoker. I know it may be some time off now but I will get there.

Thanks for that it's good to know other people are going through the same thing. The cough and bringing up phlegm and breathing is still a worry. Any tips on shifting a cough? You are right over comparing it to heroin though. No way I'm going to smoke again I just want to feel like myself. It's a hard road but one that I know is going to be worth it.

@spacecowbow
My first 3 months were quite bad. Then it got better in away that symptoms were less present but still there. I had very good days and very bad weeks. I noticed some sort of cycle as well. As you noticed from the forum most of the symptoms will go away after month 6-7. My understanding is that the lungs are healing and they expand thus the pain around your torso, upper back or lower back, front , breast etc . Muscles are affected by this as well and oh boy is this a slow process ! Your entire nervous system is regenerating as well . Nerves have the slowest healing rate and it will not be done in couple months but rather 9-12 months and usually you will feel every ache of it. Jaw & gum pain, weak legs , vision problems, digestion, sore arms not just the solder, joint pain, weird pain that you never had before, stiff neck, sinus congestion, headaches, weird dreams, tired, lack of energy, flu symptoms , SOB, chest pressure ..sounds familiar ? These will not go away in 3-5 months They will be less and less powerful but still there Not to mention that probably anxiety will make everything worse: depression is the next step and you have to overcome that too . Is not an easy road my friend and as you I have learn all this from people that quit long time ago see ROB, Frank , iqball stories. Is not the same for everyone !
Doctors will not help you. They don't know what is going on. The only thing that kept my insanity good was sharing my symptoms here.

I too feel your pain its been 3 and half months for me. I quit hypnotherepy which is cold turkey. I stay busy all the time. Actually I work out everyday. Yesterday for 3 hours after work and still have not lost one f####n pound of the 4 and 1/2 I put on. Its all I think about. I wake up I think about smoking. I too had the stomach issues constipaton it looked like I was 6 months pregnant. I am miserable. I been to doctor. they don't understand. What the hell is in the cigerattes does anybody know? I just want to be happy and feel normal again. I can't do this for much longer. I used to think I was strong. Now I know different.

Nicotine and Inflammation:

Let me start by saying I'm not a doctor.  I am a talented systems analyst with a decent understanding of the scientific method and good research skills.  The information below is my opinion.

While researching what was going wrong with me when I was going through the worst of it (about months 2-8 after quitting), I read some interesting articles about nicotine withdrawl and inflammation.  I would post links to the articles, but this website prohibits that.  Instead, if you want to read about it, just use a search engine and search for nicotine inflammation, and you'll find what I did.

Inflammation is one of your body's natural defenses against injury and disease.  If you get a cut that gets infected, the skin around it turn can turn warm, red, and slightly swollen.  That is an example of inflammation.  Your body is swelling the tissues around the wound to prevent the infection from spreading to healthy tissue.  Sometimes your body goes overboard, and that leads to inflammation disorders such as arthritis (inflammation of the joints), colitis (inflammation of the colon), and dermititis (inflammation of the skin).  In fact, the -itis suffix means inflammation - ex: hepatitis, pancreatitis, encephalitis (liver, pancreas, brain inflammation).

Nicotine has anti-inflammatory properties.  If you have nicotine running through your veins, it supresses your body's ability to inflame tissue to a degree.  Usually this isn't good, as it then takes wounds a little longer to heal and makes you more prone to infection spreading.

For some people, your body overcomes nicotine's inflammation supression by ramping up the inflammation response.  Think about it like this:  it's like driving with the emergency brake on...you have to give your car more gas to make it go to overcome the break.  Now, think about what would happen if you suddenly release the break...your car would speed up quickly, and would be faster than what you were just used to driving and maybe go out of control.

Stopping chronic nicotine use can cause your body's inflammation response to go into overdrive causing things like joint pain, digestive issues (colitis, gastroenteritis), sore throats and lungs, skin blemishes, basically it can affect everything.  I think my digestive issues were caused by gastroenteritis, and my heart palpitations were caused by pericarditis - the symptoms sure fit like a glove.  I came to these conclusions after the worst symptoms have passed.  If I would've come to this conclusions in month 3, I would've asked my doctor to do a c-reative protein test (a simple blood test that checks your body's internal level of inflammation) and if I would've indeed had inflammation problems, there are anti-inflammatory foods I would've tried first, and if the symptoms were still severe, there are supplements, then NSAIDs (non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs) like aspirin, and then steroids if inflammation is really severe.

If you're having issues across multiple systems in your body, look into inflammation and nicotine and see if what is happening to you fits into my theory above. 

Best wishes, everyone.  Thanks again for posting and sharing your experiences with us.

Very interesting!

I guess the body heals and then the inflammation goes away after some time?

Istop