Quit smoking a year ago - sick ever since!

Your welcome for the support.
And also congratulations on your break trough. It seams that you have done with the smoking for good.
I like the way of triggers. :-) It is like domino effect.

Well if you have some good advice for those who still struggle with smoking, feel free to share.

Tomorrow will be a month since I quit smoking. The first 2 weeks I felt fantastic, I was sleeping better, I had lots of energy and I really felt good. The last 2 weeks have been a completely different story. I have suffered from gas, acid reflux, not sleeping, (the same problem that I have read on here, get to sleep but wake up after a couple of hours). Now my ears are bothering me, feels like they are going to pop, and very painful. My equilibrium is way off, I'm not the most graceful on a good day...lol... but now I have had more bumps and bruises than I ever have. Oh yes and the acne.... I feel like a pimply faced teenager... and I have started gaining weight....

I have attempted to quit on several occasions anywhere from 6 days to over a year and have never experienced anything like this. I will not go back to smoking, I am very determined to break this nasty habit. However I completely understand why people say, "I was healthier when I was smoking" I never understood that until this quit.

It was great to find this. I was beginning to think that I was losing it.... but finding this made me realize that this is normal and I'm not the only one going through these symptoms... Thanks everybody for sharing... and good luck and keep strong!!!

The feeling sick is actually your body healing itself. The severity of the smoking induced illness depends on how long and how much you've been smoking. I noticed last night within twenty minutes of my missed cigarette that my sinuses were getting very screwy. It was painful to sniffle all last night, and I've been sneezing up phlegm and blood ever since. I was in a Tobacco Awareness Program in school, and the lady who was in charge told me that these things are normal when you quit smoking. Also, the weight gain comes from the constant hands to mouth motion that you gave up when you quit smoking; you just have to find something better to do with your spare time, and watch what you eat. If you want something sweet, go for a yogurt instead of a bowl of ice cream. It's a pain and gets irritating sometimes, but it's worth it. Remember, it's not hard to keep something out of your life that never belonged there in the first place! Good Luck! :-D

I just quit smoking 2 weeks ago and I feel great except the congestion. I feel like I have asthma and I have moments when it becomes really hard to breath. I hope the congestion doesn't last too long or get worse. I've tried to quit many times before and was only able to go 5 or 6 days without a cigarette. I cut down drastically for six months but it was still really difficult. I would go through severe depression that I just couldn't handle. I recently read Allen Carr's Easy Way to Quit Smoking and it has changed my life. I know it has only been 2 weeks but I feel like a different person. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to quit. I can't stress enough how amazing the book is. Even if you have quit, I think it may help with depression symptoms and any overeating. Buy the book on Amazon. It is only about $6. And tell all your friends that are trying to quit. I have already recommended it to many of my friends that are struggling with quitting.

I am 37 years old, a pack a day smoker for 20+ years, and I quit 6 week ago. I'm using the patch, which has worked quite effectively at controlling urges and keeping the emotional roller coaster to a minimum. I switch to the 7mg (step 3) patch today. I had absolutely NO clue the physical toll quitting would take on me. I've quit (short term) in the past and have never experienced any physical issues. Here is what I've experienced thus far.

1 - Feeling of high chest congestion, likely due to reflux.
2 - Reflux, not heart burn (although I am experiencing that more often as well).
3 - Severe gastrointestinal distress. Mostly constipation.
4 - Nausea, accompanied by stomach cramping.
5 - Anxiety (this I expected).
6 - Gas pains (stomach and chest) and excessive belching.
7 - Sinus stuffiness, post nasal drip.
8 - Insomnia. This is a killer.


Before quitting I was one of those folks who could eat anything they want, when they want. You know, the "iron stomach" type. Also, I was NEVER sick. Now I'm sick to my stomach all the time. I've reduced my diet significantly to compensate, and work out regularly, mostly swimming (a mile during lunch break), but also walking after meals etc. I don't eat after my evening meal at all, except soda crackers to help with the nausea.

I've been dealing with all the "symptoms" by taking it one day at a time and reassuring myself that it will all pass eventually. The insomnia is a real b***h. I've had insomnia in the past, mostly from working nights for 10+ years, so I'm experienced at dealing with it. But anyone who has dealt with insomnia knows when you get to the 4th day and haven't slept but an hour or so here and there it can get pretty crazy. I've been up since 2 AM and I am just waiting around waiting to go to work. It helps a lot knowing that you aren't the only one going through this insanity, so I appreciate the folks who spend the time to post. Thanks.

HI
my name is michelle.I am 37 ,i recently quit smoking on the 8th oct.2009.I started at the age of 12 so in total i have been puffing for 25 years,around 15 to 20 a day.
I too have not felt great,i thought i would get over the the first month and then feel great but instead my skin is constantly got spots(which i never really ever had)my breath tastes foul at times so much so that i have to brush my teeth at least 3 times a day.
When i pass wind it stinks !! I know its just not me because my partner also give up and he is exactly the same.
I pick up any virus or cold that is doing the rounds and have become a grizzly bear to my children. due to my lack of patience and to top it all off i have gained just under a stone in the space of 3 months.
My cravings for a fag have all but gone,but i sometimes feel that i looked and felt better as a smoker !!! >:(

After reading every posting I decided to register & add my testimony:

I quit cold turkey seven days ago after smoking for 36 years in a row.
I ended up at 2 packs-a-day for the last 10 years.

What helped me a lot this time (so far)
was that gawd-awful book by"Allen Carr"
!ô¿ô!
He helped me remove the brainwashing (or replace it) -and I'll admit to it.


I've been a full-time musician/singer for the last 25+ years and rarely did I have any breathing problems.
I collapsed a lung when I was 25 yrs old while out on the road
and only gave up smoking for a short time always blaming it on personal problems and life.
The pneumothorax probably wasn't caused from smoking, and the doctors seemed to agree that smoking had little if any to do with it at that time. That was before I started singing full-time.

I could out last (out-breath) my wife, who was in the army at that time, and she ran 5 miles every day in combat boots.
For the last two decades I could hold a note longer than any other singer in town almost effortlessly.
I have always been about 15 pounds underweight and only smoked pot as a mainstay recreation, staying away from habitual hard drug abuse.

I am 50 years old now and wish to improve myself, my singing, energy, health, relationship, etc.
I read the posts, and feel uncomfortable as I notice a trend:

1. There seems to be many posts from "ex-smokers" who have quit for close to a year or longer, kinda hanging around, just reaffirming the almost endless stream of perpetual symptoms and side effects as "never fully ceasing."

2. There seems to be a lack of seasoned "ex-smokers" who can provide plenty of insight and wisdom that these symptoms will eventually subside...if at all. I need to sink my teeth into a little more than just "Hang in there,...it'll get better".

3. You can be sure that people from Big Tobacco are snooping around here. Big Pharma, too.

4. I am doubting if I should have quit if now after just one week:
My hands ache and are stiff like arthritis,
I feel sick and dizzy, gas, stool, no sleep, regular symptoms
I don't go anywhere or do anything,
I can't afford a doctor's fee and have no health insurance,
I argue with people I love,
I feel depressed and lethargic, and ultimately seek out blogs and chat boards for some form of co-dependancy and-

I wonder if I could last through a WHOLE YEAR of this, let alone the next few months?

I know the obvious answer is, "My rotting cancer-ridden lungs will thank me", but how well will it fair if I lose everything trying to quit?

Soon I will have to go back into some smoke-filled clubs to gig and pay bills, and fear that the ambient level of nicotine in the air alone, will be enough to start the chain reaction all over again. I'm sure it will. So, here comes even more depression, worry and woa.

Be warned people who try to quit!
Your brain and thought process will go through withdrawal as well.
It is not an easy process although a few here do offer some hope.
At times I ponder the average age of people in my walk of life and weigh it against the hardship of withdawal.
How pathetic!

Like so many others I ask, "Where are the seasoned vets with real substance, experience and wisdom?"
I am starting to think that many people developed cancer after they quit smoking -including Allen Carr and Tom Brokaw.
Then again, how many deaths are from causes such as "stroke or heart disease" in smokers and not attributed to smoking?

Does the very act of quitting cold turkey put someone more at risk for disease or infection?

Help,...quick...as you can tell.. I'm losing it! lol.

!ô¿ô!

Correction: I meant to state Peter Jennings NOT Tom Brokaw...sorry for the goof.

there's lots of good advice and great tips on how to quit and stay that way. Joel Spitzer is the man who runs the show and his mantra is NEVER TAKE ANOTHER PUFF. Also appreciate the fact that he is doing all of this for a cause he believes in. he doesnt charge you for using his materials nor does he force u to buy anything off his website. Like the best things in life (air, water, love,etc.) its free to use.

I feel I need to reply to this. I posted about 6 months ago saying that I still had problems, dizzyness, irritability etc etc.



For the most part these symptoms are gone except I seem to have developed IBS or something akin to that. but that is another story for another time.



I have to respond to some of your concerns.



The bad breath. Yea, its there, I think its something you notice now because your mouth isnt fouled by smoke all the time. I chew gum a lot for the same reasons. My mouth feels like a sewer. when I smoked I would have a smoke and not notice it anymore, thats my guess.



The gassiness... well. I still got it a year and a month after stopping.



This is the biggee though. The sickness. Cough/cold/flu. In the last 8-10 months I have not been sick at all. no coughing or sneezing. When I smoked I would get a cold every few weeks it seemed. now I never have a sore throat or a cough. I went through a bout of congestion that peaked about 3 - 4 months ago. I went to the doctor and he looked up my nose and told me that the polyps were all touching each other, really swollen! He perscribed nasonex. I take that once a day and have not been congested since.



hang in there and it will get better. I have stomach issues still, but thats all that is left. I am definitely better now than when I smoked,

Thanks for the Joel Spitzer suggestion. I am sure that this is the nicotine withdrawal talking, but I went to his website , and downloaded all his videos, watched 70% of them, and at the end of each one I just wanted to punch him in the face.

I am at the 16th day mark and have not had even one puff.
My scalp feels numb and the joints in my fingers feel stiff and painful to move.
The top of my right foot feels bruised and halfway up my shin is numb. My skin feels sore.
There seems little reason to do anything - tired of feeling like c**p all the time. Can't sleep.
I feel that maybe the 2 packs-a-day's worth of nicotine coursing through my veins 24/7 acted as some sort of arthritis pain medicine.

I gigged at a smokey club and even had friends smoke in my home and auto.
Though I haven't smoked, I think I inhaled just enough ambient smoke to make me want a cig really bad the next day.

I remember my guitar friend telling me a story after coming back from physical checkup. The doctor after reading his x-ray said, "Let me guess...You smoke 1/2 pack to one pack a day." My buddy said, "No I don't even smoke" - The doctor asked where he had been working and he told him he was playing in local clubs and bars. The doctor replied, "Well, you might as well pick a brand you like!"

There are lots of people who don't smoke that frequent "smokey places".
Even though I know it would taste like complete sh*t... I want one. I want to feel it at the bottom of my throat where my collar bones meet in the center. I want to exhale a big billowing cloud and blow 13 smoke rings in a row. Take another deep drag and let it slowly come out my mouth and nose.
I did smell a pack of cigs this weekend, and they smelled wonderful and sweet. I am starting to think about being able to confine myself to 3 cigs a day...even though I was a '40-a-day smoker' when I quit. If I am going to suffer constant withdrawals, then why not suffer with only 3 or 4 per day? Sigmun Freud loved his nicotine. Maybe I could handle 6 or 8 per day and call it quits?

Nothing tastes better after 16 days. If anything, it's worse...I can't stand bananas anymore.
Coca~Cola© leaves my throat coated, bitter and numb.
Being really skinny (all my life) I have never had to deny any food habits, and now I fear ending up looking like a "Pregnant Bumper Jack." or someone with chicken legs who swallowed a bowling ball.
Onstage if I play in the key of "B flatulent" it could be deadly.

I may be a b***h but so far, I am not Phillip-Morris' b***h.
Anybody?


***edited by moderator*** web addresses not allowed

Greg.

Dont do it. 3-4 a day is not possible. I know. I posted here a couple times. Quit a year and a month ago.

You have one you will be sucked back in. There is no weaning off it nor is there any "just having a couple".

You and I are addicts. Recovering alcoholics dont have any booze cause they can't stop themselves. Neither can we. Hang in there and before you know it you will not be having any desire to smoke. Think of yourself as a non smoker, don't imagine how wonderfull it would be (even though it was one of the greatest things in the world).

I hadn't thought about it for a long time untill I read your post. :-)

Thank you for the wisdom. You are right, and I didn't smoke anything, but I did have the "smoking dream" last night!
Thanks for chiming in...it helps us recovering addicts. :-)

im going thru hell 2days of not smoking, 2 days of pain. throat has razer blades, head hurts, i have fever and then cold body tempature, feel weak, pale, cant sleep, help should i see a doctor?

TTANK - I would say "go to a doctor anytime you feel sick and can afford it"
- but, chances are your body is just going through all the withdrawal symptoms.
First I had a sore throat to which I read that your throat is healing itself from all the damage that smoking did to it, being so gradual it went unnoticed...razor blades was a good description.

Headache, fever, chills, body aches, weakness and CAN'T SLEEP are more than normal, they are to be expected.

With Day Three coming up fast, I would caution you to stay away from all the people you love and who love you.
You could be a real A$$&*l# for the next few days, and in a complete fit and frenzy, never even realize it until it's too late! (This was only touched upon in most threads!)
I said things I didn't mean, acted like a person on PCP, picked verbal fights intentionally with my girlfriend.
Stay inside and keep to yourself until it's safe! :) If you have to, write long-ass letters to this board late at night if it gets you through...we won't mind...we understand!


I am on my 29th day of no smoking and I still feel weird and "off".
I STILL have a slight craving for cigarettes but can easily abstain.
My sleeping is quite irregular, maybe 3-4 hours max if I am lucky. What do I do? I say to myself, "If the cost of quitting smoking is losing lots of sleep, then so be it." It is cheap and I am getting off easy. The cost of continuing is a lifelong expense of $75,000.00 dollars or more and lung cancer rotting your tender tissues.

Everything most quitters state about quitting is true, and it will get easier after about a month or so for heavy smokers.
Right now you have the "Quitters Flu" and you should welcome it as a sure sign your body is going through detox and withdrawal.

In about a week or so, expect to feel like your lungs have been bruised from the inside out, so much that you will be afraid to take a deep full breath due to the immense pain and soreness. If you have ever had pneumonia and it felt like someone had punched your lungs, well, this is close. Don't dispare, this too will quickly pass. Along with this expect to have weird muscle spasms or contractions, like your muscles are firing involuntarily at random...this is real fun when you are trying to sleep. I just got up and tried to get my mind off of everything...watching TV or finding something interesting online to divert my thoughts.

Do not use any nicotine patches or nicotine ANYTHING. -Otherwise, you will have to go through all of this again and again. Do it once now and be done with it. All nicotine leaves your blood in three or four days, and then in about a month it leaves your body, and then I am hoping very soon now...it will leave my mind! Like I said...28 days and the thoughts still linger. What do I do? Let 'em linger...it's a cheap cost to pay for freedom...because I am no longer Philip~Morris' b***h!

Hang in there & Stay the course, anyone can do it easily if they focus on the cravings when they come, analyzing them as they come and go in waves, realizing that they are no more than a small bundle of energy in the pit of your stomach wanting their regular fix, and welcoming this "nervous energy" as a sign that you are starving the "little monster that resides inside your body" it's feeding of nicotine poison. Celebate this feeling, do not dispare it! Say to the little nicotine monster, "Hey, is that all you've got?" and then laugh out loud at how low the level of withdrawal pangs really are! Nothing more than that little ball of pure energy in your stomach.. focus, Focus FOCUS! (Don't let your mind take off on it's own and get all carried away! Only think about NOW and NOW alone.)

When you have starved him out, after three weeks, you will never have to go through this again.

This we all promise.

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