Quit smoking a year ago - sick ever since!

Does anyone know after i quit smoking i can hear crackling on exhaling ?

Yes, it did happen to me a few months after I quit. I didn't make too much of a deal with it as lungs are clearing out. How long ago did you quit?

Many thanks for the reply, quite just over 2 years now and ive had a terrible time since. But the worst part is this crackling. It i slowly exhale it seems as tho the crackling slowly subsides. Spiromitry and others test are normal and before quitting i had no crackling issues. Any input would be appreciated

If tests were good, I wouldn't worry too much. Are you training or doing cardio?

Im not gettin much exersize to be honest. When i start gettin out of breathe i always end up controlling it which in turn creates a bit of anxiety. When i was smoking i was biking everyday without any breathing problems but know up the hill and im panting. I even thinkin smoking masked these problems but then surely tests would find something. Iv had a load of test so all i can think of is somehow iv got an anxiety problem even tho i dont worry much ! Thats the only thing thatl explain it !

Maybe it's just air crackling....just taking a guess here...definitely not an expert and haven't had that symptom

I have also completed 6 yeara ,what update u have?

Yes. Much better now. The first 18 months were terrible. I was waking up every morning with stomach pain. Problem breathing, anxiety.

I deciede to Vap. The nicotine help me. My doctor told me : You can have nicotine (like caffeine) but don't have tar (like in cigarette/tobacco).

I have to say, I'm good now. I'm addicted by nicotine but and run and train and I don't feel like a smoker. I was having withdraws the first 18 months

I would say to keep trying to exercise every day. Since you're not smoking, you body is not generating serotonin and this can create anxiety. Exercise will create a form of serotonin (a natural drug that your brain generates).

See, if you had not smoke at all your brain would generate serotonin. But as we start smoking and keep on smoking, our brain detect that they're no need for serotonin because we're having another drug called nicotine. So when we stop smoking, our brain needs to start generating natural serotonin but in some case it take some time because it doesn't remember how to. So we trigger it by exercising or have nicotine (not tobacco).

I quit 6 years ago but anxiety is now part of life, i cant get rid of it

Hello hello, i think we are early people of this forum. Please share some more details as it will help me and others. I quit 6 years ago and first 2 years I had all symptoms which other people here had but now all symptoms over except anxiety which I never had when I was smoking. I have not smoked or vap in last 6 years now i have 2 options either start smoking again or take medicine for anxiety.i prefer smoking over medicine. So you tell me how long u completely stayed away from nicotine (includind smoking and vaping) and when u started nicotine(vaping) again what was the impact on anxiety? And how do u find vaping, better then smoking in terms of health? Share please as much detail as u can as my decision of starting smoking or vaping will depend on it. People only shared their experiences of the initial couple of years then they stopped sharing their experiences. Whats your age and how long u smoked?

In early June of 2012 (44 years old) I cough a cold that turned into a bronchitis. At the time I was smoking 25-30 cigarettes a day for 28 years. So I go to a clinic and see the doctor hat I don't know. I tell her that my lungs feel bad and I'm coughing alot and all. Without looking at me and just taking notes she tells me " How many cigarettes you smoke a day?"...I say 20-25 top - You guys know what I mean- She turns around and says "I guess you know how bad it is? and continues by saying " I diagnose people with cancer at the hospital, today I'm at the clinic to help". Guys, I lost it, her words really got to me I got scared. Forget the all the adds about smoking picture of lungs, etc etc,etc. Her she got me. So wile waiting for my lungs scan (6-7 hours) I though I would have cancer...It really got to me. The actual result was bronchitis and gives me anti-bio and a prescription pour nicotine patches. She looked at me and said I hope I scared you enough so that you will quit smoking... and she left. I started crying because I was relieved and promise myself to quit in 48 hours...I don't remember why I decided to quit after 48 hours.

I go to the pharmacy and get my anti-bios and a box of Nicorette. I say to myself I will do this. By the way, during the 28 years of smoking I never tried to quit. So I put the patch on and quit. During the first 4 weeks, everything goes well. I have small urges but I've changed my routine, I'm having much more water. I avoid alcohol and coffee as much as possible. But all in all, It's going well, I'm happy, by then the bronchitis was over.

On week 5, I decided that I was fine and that I do not need the Nicorette anymore. THAT WAS A MISTAKE!

Week 6 and 7 we're ok but not as good as the first 4 weeks. Then week 8 and 9 even less good. This is where the nightmare start.

More than 2 months after quitting, I start waking up with a sore stomach. I would sleep well but between 3-5am the sore stomach would wake me up. It was so bad that I had to stand up. Nausea as well. Then Anxiety. So every morning from about 4am up to 11am I had either nausea, sore stomach and or anxiety. It was just hell, I would be scared going to bed and wake up with all this. I lasted about 3-4 weeks before going to the doctor. I didn't want to see the doctor as I was scared of another condition. Note at this point I'm 4-5 months after quitting . So I force myself and go see the doctor that all exams, blood tests and all. Result : nothing all good. I go home happy that I have nothing but yet I still wake up bad : Nausea, stomach, cry for nothing... every bit of pain would scare me...What's that pain on my left side? oh it's nothing it's gone...You know what I mean?

Anyways after 1 year, I still wake up (4 out 5 times about) with discomfort. Started with green tea, other natural stuff, etc etc... nothing works. So I go see another doctor and after discussion he tell me : You have withdrawals. I had stopped my Nicotine too drastically. Remember? But yet again tests and all are ok.

So, 13-14 months after I started to take the Vap but only before going to bed. I felt the nicotine just like I had with a cigarette. But I didn't want to start smoking again. I know some are saying Vap is as bad for you as the cigarette, bla bla. Well you know what the Vap helped me. I get a dose of nicotine and I have no more pain in the morning. I agree, the best would be inhaling neither of but again I feel good now.

This June it will be 6 years without Tar, yes let's call it Tar and not cigarette. If you 're feeling bad make sure to have nicotine. yes, I know it's addictive, but it does not harm like TAR. So yes I'm having nicotine everyday here and there.

I just woke up 30 minutes ago, I felt very good....none of these pain that I had in the first 13-14 months anymore.

I remember that forum, here, and said to myself that I had to write for you guys as I was in such distress at the time and like you coming on this site everyday to look for comfort.

We're all in the same team. keep it up and don't TAR…Nicotine if you want but don’t TAR

Hi im going be make active steps to try and exersize but i need to sort out the problem of controlling my breathing. If done im sure i would enjoy exersizing without any discomfort.

Interesting about the serotonin but can i ask if taking anti anxiety meds would also increase the serotonin. I havnt taken any meds cos i was hoping to ride this out by myself. Never really takin meds but with whats happening, im turning to them, which says something.

I know what u meant, ive tried soo many things but it is beginning to look like the anx iety is a trade off for smoking too long.

In my experience smoking masks anxiety problem really well and when u quit smoking u face it