Quit smoking a year ago - sick ever since!

Hello. I am experiencing the same things as you. ... I want to ask few questions. I can't stand this anxiety and acid reflux....

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I agree. I am still dealing with the anxiety and on medication for that. I'm still waiting to feel like normal, but I have to say that breathing is easier and no more snoring at night. Good luck

I'm glad to hear that the I share the same symptoms as you, some days are better than others.

I am into 54 days of quitting smoking, never been an adult and smoke free. I am 62 years old. Over the last few days I have had increased anxiety and gerd. Not sure what to do. I quit cold turkey and used natural remedies for relaxation, guess I should go back to them.

When does this phase end?

Hi , it's been a year since you quit so wanted to know how things are going now ? I am 86 days smoke free and things are getting better

Hi,
can you please provide update. Hope that you have been able to overcome all the issues.. Thanks

Hello,
It must be a long time for you now after the quit. Can you please provide an update on your symptoms and how long it has been smoke free now for you. Thanks

Hello,
I hope that you are better now than when you reported your symptoms one year after the quit. If you happen to be still around, can you please post an update with respect to the symptoms and what you had done to overcome those over time. Thanks

Hello Keith,

Hope you are better now than when you reported your symptoms more than a year ago. How long you had to take those supplements to control your anxiety and did they help over time? Thanks.

Hello,
Well that may not be true. I am just over one year mark and had the worst ever anxiety attack last week. Also, I have had sore tongue all along which has never improved in addition to sore throat. Still cough up black speckles in the morning and occasionally during the day. I wish it get better quick. Have so fart resisted anxiety meds except one odd Ativan when it was too bad. I am now seriously considering the anxiety meds.

Hi all,

I figured I'd share my experience since reading through everyone else's has been so helpful. I'm 27/male who didn't smoke that long. I started smoking socially in college during the summer of 2012. I would usually have a few cigarettes while I was out at the bars--hard to guess how many but less than a pack per month. During this time, I also started smoking hookah and eventually got into e-cigs and vaporizers. Although (arguably) not as harmful as cigarettes, the hookah and e-juices I smoked had tons of nicotine. I quit hookah about a year later but continued to smoke the vaporizer and eventually picked up cigarettes again in March of 2015. I went from 2-4 cigs a day in March to nearly a half pack each day in December.

I knew the whole time that I was quickly becoming a lifetime smoker and nicotine addict and thought about quitting all of the time. In December I started having some mild health anxiety over a dull pain in my groin/legs/chest and began worrying about the permanent damage I was doing to my body. Finally I decided enough was enough and kicked the habit on January 3rd, 2016. I threw away my vaporizer and tossed the remaining cigarettes. My life has been an absolute hell since then...

My symptoms will be familiar to most of you: Severe anxiety, depression, muscle pain in legs/chest/back/neck/groin, sharp pains around the ribs, joint pain (especially in wrists/knees), acid reflux, insomnia (I fall asleep fine but wake up 3-4 hours later and am up the rest of the night), sinus pressure, clogged ears, metallic taste in mouth, foggy-head, headaches, constant blurry vision, tingly hands/feet, SOB, tightness in chest, feeling like I'm about to faint, you name it.

Like others, I have been relentlessly seeking a medical explanation and have been to the doctor/ER many times. I've had every blood test you can think of, CT scans of my head/abdomen, physicals, etc.. Everything comes back normal. No thyroid issues, blood pressure is fine. The only thing I've been diagnosed with is gastritis and vitamin D deficiency. They tell me it's likely just anxiety. How could anxiety cause such intense physical/mental symptoms, and what is causing all of this anxiety?

Now that I've found this forum, I'm convinced that it could all be due to detox and severe nicotine withdrawal. I've been reading the book 'Change Your Brain, Change Your Life' and am amazed to learn just how much damage an over/underactive brain can do to the body--especially due to addictions and anxiety. It's been just over two months since I quit and I've completely changed my diet, begun exercising, taking supplements like vitamin D, C, Magnesium, and Fish Oil, saw a psychiatrist who suggested medication but I'm not ready to go there yet, but I also start therapy this coming week. I have been feeling slightly better here and there but overall it is still very rough. I'm hoping it's a recency effect and I'll eventually get over this. I will keep everyone updated if things improve!

good to hear some positive feedback, well done Mike hope you're still smoke free

I thank you for figuring it all out amitd-

Couldn't be a more perfect explanation as to exactly exactly exactly what I am feeling currently

Great job making sense of these terrible symptoms you and I both have and how they feed off of each other. Quit 10 weeks ago. Haven't had anything nicotine containing whatsoever since. And I never will again, I promise you that!

Each day it gets a small fraction better and easier to cope with.

-cheers!

Hello

If it makes you feel any better I too am going through very very similar things after kicking a pack a day habit cold turkey for 13 years and vaping all sorts of flavored c**p for 2 years in varrying nicotine levels. Just turned 35 BTW.

I have literally had every single symptom you mentioned. I am still battling with them after being 10 weeks COMPLETELY CLEAN of nicotine. Have an echocardiogram test next week, and blood testing as well as per my PCP. My doctor also told me his best guess is it's anxiety related. Called in a script of anti anxiety meds to my pharmacy. I refuse to trade one evil for another so I WILL NOT use those. Ordered tests just to rule out serious underlying physical issues first before just passing the symptoms off as anxiety.

I am wondering if quitting the ecig or vape ALONG with cigarettes as opposed to JUST cigarettes is actually a lot worse on the body and mind. I am saying this because I quit smoking cold turkey for 9 months about 4 years ago and had SOME of these symptoms very mildly if at all. It's just speculation but is worth pointing out from my own personal experience.

I have found that emercing yourself in something you greatly enjoy to keep your mind at ease is the best medicine. I happen to be a casual gamer and find losing myself in Tom Clancy's The Division to be tremendously helpful. Just don't forget to sleep. I also have found the less sleep I get the worse my symptoms are. Also I find Fermented Cod Liver Oil to help restore my sense of wellbeing and as a great source of different vitamins that will help in general.

As another guest poster on here put it "You eat and feel the reflux, which triggers the anxiety, which triggers the palpatations, which subsequently triggers the panic. But over and above everything else, the depression is the worst of all the things listed. You just stand confused, not knowing what hit you... you know what it is, but you have to really fight hard to swim on the surface and not let it drown you."

It's almost like poetry! I couldn't thank that poster enough for that insight into my symptomatic struggle coping with this detoxification of my body and mind.

Stay strong, and keep away from temptations. And STAY OFF THE NICOTINE! Nothing containing nicotine will help!! We will get through it soon. Thanks for sharing. It's therepy for me to read how I'm not the only one that feels this way.

It's the single most profound act we as former nicotine addicts can do. Should and will be empowering of the mind and body. Just need to stay strong and hang in there.

Best of luck to all!!

-cheers!

Hi My update after year n half smoke free. I have gained 20 lbs and have around 4 cavities my dentist told me. Boy did i go crazy for the sweets and junk food lol The positives are that my anxiety isn't as bad anymore. I was running to the hospital for every lil thing that felt weird to me when I first quit. From breathing weird to my heart feeling crazy to chest pains. I had EKG tests, blood work etc. But all came back normal. I was a mess. I don't crave ciggs at all . The smell grosses me out. I cant believe I smelled like that and I thought I was fine putting on a lil cologne or chew gum. Yuckkk lol Anyway I'm here to tell others its gets better. Just like others have said in there posts when I first came here and i was like no fn way does this get better i feel like c**p.. But it does get better. So hang in there and know that everything you feel is from the ciggs detox.