Quit smoking leads to severe digestion problems...

I will pray for you! Dont give up i know it sucks but in the long run its worth it. Im only on week two.I eat alot of veggies i gave up all sugar drinks and stick with water. yet i know look pregnant.But i can breath so i stay strong. My anxiety is threw the roof. But this to shall pass. keep busy dont sit still. Eventually we will get rid of the gut and other aliments. I can say this cause about 6 of my family members went threw this. after about 6 months they were good to go. Just know you deserve to be healthy. <3Sara

Hello. My father is showing the same symptoms at 67. After smoking for 50 yrs. Too coincidental to not ask you if you have resolved any of these issues or found any answers??? Would be really interested...Please contact me.

So glad to have found these posts! Thank you all! I quit two weeks and have had many of the symptoms you described since the first day.  I feel disgusting and nothing fits. Oddly enough, I have to say I think this extreme discomfort has actually lessened the urge to smoke- I quit cold, and I'm so distracted w/ these symptoms that I've been alright quitting wise. Here's what I've noticed: alcohol makes it worse- (even though I want to drink more); nothing so far has dealt with the weird bloat, distended stomach, but probiotics and various anti-inflammatories (parsley, ginger, tumeric etc.) seem to help with various other gastrointestinal problems. I'm about to begin a 3 week cleanse, and I'm hoping that will also help. Good luck all. Thanks again for posting this. It's irritatingly stupid that these seem to be common and terrible to deal with side effects of quitting and doctors, web pages etc. really don't explain or prepare people for them. My doctor said he had never heard of anything like it. Ridiculous! Thank you all!

I am SOOO glad I found this page.  I've spoken to doctors, dentists, public health people, etc. and everyone has been treating me like I'm an id**t and / or certifiably insane.  I quit smoking cold turkey 7 days ago and have had the worst health problems I've ever had in my life since my quit date.  I've gained 12 lbs, all of which are water and fecal matter weight.  Nothing is moving!  NOTHING!!!  Exercise does nothing.  I can't take a step without farting.  Increasing my fiber does nothing but add to the gas problem.  Laxatives and stool softeners have done nothing. 

I just lit up my first cigarette in a week an hour ago, and I'm happy to report that I've already lost 3 lbs as the water retention and digestive issues have let up.  3 lbs in an hour!!!  The cigarette was disgusting and I'm disappointed that I had to do it, but I'd seriously rather take my own life than put up with the agony of what I was going through the last week with my digestive issues.  Goes to show that the medical community doesn't know nearly as much as they claim to know.  I know I need to figure out a way to deal with this digestive issue so that I can quit for good, but why oh why isn't this issue being more directly addressed by the so-called experts?  These so-called experts have been basically telling me I'm nuts for the past week.   

For those of you who think I'm weak willed or just some sort of slob, i'm a 35 year old male, 11% body fat, run 35-50 miles a week, lift weights 5 days a week, eat perfectly, run 2 marathons a year, and recently ran a marathon in a time that qualifies me for the boston marathon.  so please leave your judgments and preconceptions about out-of-shape, weak-willed smokers at the door.  that ain't me, and that ain't a whole lot of smokers!!! 

I'm going to try some of the suggestions on here next week for a permanent solution to the smoking problem.  Despite having lit up today, I am determined not to go back to being a smoker.  I'm just confused and downright angry that the medical community has nothing to say about the digestive issues from smoking cessation.  Thank you to all who have posted on this message board.  I was starting to think I had no hope and that maybe the "experts" who were telling me my problems are psychosomatic were indeed correct.  Thank you so much.  Now I can put together a real attack plan for the problem. 

Best of luck to you. Never give up. I totally share in your pain and misery.

Hi I seem to be having the same trouble you are/were having and have been to quite a few doctors and was thinking i had a hernia ,IBS, ect. I have constipation, gas, bloating and just miserable at times... it seems vaping the e cig was a likely source for the problem I was wondering if you ever found a solution to your problem this has been ongoing for over a year and i have tried EVERYTHING i can think of with no answers .. i know this post is long expired but hoped you may have an answer..thank you for your time

I cut very far down on smoking, and way increased the vaping a little over a year ago.  Within three months I was in intestinal agony, in my case diarrhea, cramping, belching, reflux, some very dark green (bile?) bits which makes me suspicious of gall bladder dysfunction   I lost about 10 pounds, instead of gaining after quitting tobacco.  I also suspected the vaping was causing it.

The acute stage passed but left me with chronic reflux.  I stopped smoking completely, and then had another acute episode.  Both the acute episodes happened when loved ones died (stress), so I figured I had IBS of some kind.  My MD wanted to do endoscope and colonoscopy but I wanted to try diet first (I am uninsured).   I learned about the low fat whole plant diet (Esselstyne, MacDougall and Ornish MDs--check it out on line).  So, I cut out all animal products, plus no or very little oil.

Within 2 weeks, first reflux disappeared, then I began having perfect bowel movements, sometimes up to 3 a day partially because of the increase in fiber.  My energy level soared and all GI symptoms disappeared.  I've been on it 3 months now without a problem.  I know the diet seems radical at first, but I was in such pain I had to change over completely.  I still vape at about 18mg dose with no problems, considering that and the fact that so many of the others above never used an e-cig, I don't believe it's the vaping.  I do believe it's something to do with eliminating all the toxins in your system after quitting tobacco.  I smoked for over 40 years and I had a lot of elimination to do!

If you can hang in there, and be gentle to your body, drastically lower any fat and cholesterol intake, eat whole foods, you will see improvement.  You may not have to do it for long, reintroduce dairy and see how your body reacts, same for meat or eggs if you wish.  It's working for me.

Good health to all and congratulations on quitting smoking.

I too have experienced all symptoms listed on here, predominantly the bloating, constipation, abdominal pain after eating since i quit smoking 2 weeks ago. I am astonished that despite searching online where I concluded i may have signs of cancer!!!! and visiting the doctors where i feel i've been disregarded this is the only website that pinpoints the exact symptoms. Yesterday was my recent visit to the doctors and I asked her if my symptoms could be the result of stopping smoking and she categorically said "no". Any website/information pack on quitting smoking will list other symptoms but not any of the things discussed on here.....quite shocking.

I notice fruit, veg and pulses sit well with me and I have little or no symptoms as well as drinking water really helps. Anything outside of these foods e.g. meat, dairy, fatty foods, spicy, processed etc i have terrible abdominal pain within 15 mins of eating no matter how small, the bigger the portion the more the pain aftewards. I then have sharp pain in my back. I also experience headaches and feel i cannot concentrate which i do understand is from definitely smoking too. Everyone is different and it seems it depends on how long of a smoker you were in the past as to how severe the discomfort is when you quit. I smoked maximum 7 a day for 10 years (generally a social smoker so had most cigs on a night out) and although i get the symptoms mentioned above I'm still able to leave the house and get on with my day to day life, albeit very uncomfortable. I haven't yet gained weight but it has only been 2 weeks and to be honest i've been scared to eat due to knowing what was wrong with me before finding this page.

I cannot thank you enough to all those that posted and shared their experiences, extremely helpful as it doesnt seem to be common knowledge how much symptoms can arise from quitting. If i had known this before i started smoking i would never have touched the rancid cigarette.

Six months quit smoking and my digestive system is in turmoil!  Smoked a pack a day for 25 years and I am sure my body was conformed to a surge of nicotine every hour.  The evening seems to be the worst of the bloating, my stomach gets huge and I burp and sometimes feel  nauseated and have thrown up after exercizing.  I went to general & gastrologist doctors and both believe it is from stopping smoking.  However, I am thrilled to be done with the stinking problem before I have something worse than digestive problems.  I am hopeing that the issue will sort out within a year.  I have stopped laxitives, they are bad for us.  I keep Tumms in my purse and maybe a probiotic every other day.  Exercise and fruit & vegetables till my body understands what a kind thing I have done to it.  Hang in there everyone.

I typed 'e-smoking causing burping' and this thread came up.  I'm so glad it did!  Thanks to all who have posted, it's been a real help to understand what's going on with my body.

 

I'm 46 and smoked since I was a teenager.  I quit many times and could never stay away from them till I discovered e-smoking.  I quit three months ago with e-cigs and the first month was great.  It has only been this past 6wks or so that I am constantly full of air, bubble guts, edgy, cranky and afflicted with heartburn.  I've always had a very hard time bringing up a burp and now I have to push my stomach so hard all the time.  It's nasty and often a mouthful of food comes up with it.  I really thought it was the e-liquid and nicotine so I'm glad it isn't.  I never want to go back to smoking!!!!

 

I exercise hard, take a stomach pill and pro-biotic as well as fiber.  I will add in some enzymes and try to adjust my diet.

AGAIN A GREAT BIG THANK YOU!!!!

 

I tend to disagree with this last theory in some ways.
I have always been health conscious (of course other then the fact that I smoked!) I was active...and ate healthy..never ate fast food...took vitamins...hiked....had my kids hiiking when they were old enough to walk..and yet I suffered terriblbe water retention ...bloating and digestive problems since I quit 7 monthes ago.
It is still going on and I keep blaming it on menopause....I have researched everything..to find out why my stomach hurts so bad...I can feel the bubbles in my stomach..building....slowly...my gut is swollen all the time and I can see the water retention in how my rings fit ....and when I take my socks off at the end of the day..
I have a doctor who is an id**t and knows nothing about menopause let alone the side effects of coming off of cigarettes so...obviously I have to take matters into my own hands and try to figure out what is going on.
My appendix almost ruptured last February (this was 2 monthes before I quit smoking)....and my weight has been slowly increasing in the last yr...it is depressing..
a closet full of clothes that don't fit and a stomach that is very touchy to anything....I have tried really expensive probiotics..I take digestive enzymes....I make a health shake every day with wild blueberries..yogourt..a banana..flax seed...and unsweetened fruit/vegt juice.................
I am sure my problems are due to the slowing down of my digestive system....a combination of menopause/and quitting smoking....lots of trapped gas as well..........my tummy is bloated because of gas and the water retention.
Wish this would go away..................can't take it anymore..am always uncomfortable....I go for a hilke pretty much every day.....to help with this belly bloat but it just doesn't go away.

I'm sorry that all of you are having issues, but it's comforting to know that I'm not the only one.  I have quit multiple times over the last four years and the digestive issues are the hardest to deal with.  I was looking for a magic bullet pill or cleanse...but from what I've been reading...no such thing.

Hi there, i have quit smoking for the second time now and i had started again after the first time because i couldn't handle the constipation, bloating, cramps and constantly farting really stinky farts. Afrer one week this time the symptoms have started and I am now in the third week. I find prunes to be very helpful, aboit 6 with or after breakfast and the same with my evening meal. This and drinking lots of water has helped me, sometimes taking a ginger capsule alse helps. Try it and see if it works for you. Good luck :)

I have been smoking for 35 years, I gave up last year and had severe digestive problems. food was backing up from my stomach and I was finding it hard to breathe. The food was going through my intestines at a very slow rate, so I was not going to toilet. I was told to increase fibre, that made it worse. I was having insoluable fibre, I started to have panic attacks, ended up in hospital 3 times. They gave me laxatives that only worked abit, then I had the drink they give you just before they stick the camera up ya butt. That cleared me out but was only a temp fix.I had xrays, blood tests everything normal, I had digestive pain and burning in the throat. The doc gave me tablets for indigestion but after three months said my digestive issues were becoming a chronic problem. well hello I know that. They had no answers. I gained 5 kgs It went on for five months and then righted itself. Then id**t me started smoking again for 6 months. I gave up again 4 months ago , this time I have cut out all wheat and gluten from my diet, which has stopped the bloating, I now eat fruit, vegetables, white meat, no processed meat, yoghurt, nuts, some dried fruit, and have small amounts of gluten free chips. I have lost the weight by exercising at the gym but still only manage a toilet visit every eight days or so. I have tried liver tone tablets, natural digestive tone tablets which caused me alot of pain, motion potion, laxatives ford senna, they give some relief. bi carb soda and maple syrup, which removes toxins from the body, I feel and look healthy but still have digestive issues, I have some stomach pain and upset after eating, but Im hoping it will right itself again soon. This time I will stay a non smoker. I also know a lady who has had similar problems and used acupuncture with success. So I would suggest be patient with your body and it will right itself eventually, cut out processed food until body can cope on its own and go natural, you owe it to your body for abusing it for so long. I do hope this story can help others. I was also told that cigarettes are a stimulant so take them away and the body doesn't know what to do. Be pesistant, give up smoking, but be kind to yourself and dont stress.

I forgot the importance of drinking water at least two litres daily, lemon water is great too.