Shortness of breath after stopping smoking

How are you doing now? Just curious- my husband fits your description to a T.

I was a heavy smoker for 20 years and stopped about 2 months ago. I am 39 years old and now have the same problem. I get shortness of breath, especially when it gets colder and when I sleep. I just want to give some advice to other people in the same situation to help because I know how bad it can be not getting enough air. For immediate relief and to get your oxygen levels up eat a clove of garlic. It takes about 20 minutes to take effect and lasts for up to 6 hours. Also get yourself a small asthma pump at the clinic where it usually is free or at a pharmacy. Together with the garlic clove it helps you breath normal and works every time.

I am going through this for the last 45 days

That sounds like sleep apnea , the stop breathing and jerk awake guy ! I was wondering same as original question I quit smoking in december 2015 now its august 2016 and most days and sometimes just once in a while I have trouble breathing like restricted ( as if someone is sitting on my chest)

I can attest to the whole shortness of breath after quitting smoking. Last night, after my first week of drastically cutting back (not qualified to say I am quit but rather in the process), I felt like I was a few minutes away from checking into the ER due to feeling like I just couldn't get enough air. While i'm certain there are in fact, a variety of factors that give you the shortness of breath sensation AFTER or WHILE quitting smoking, I lean toward number one for me being: 1. The simple fact that as a previous poster mentioned, you are used to taking slow, long deep breaths throughout the day when you smoke. If you smoke 20 cigarettes per day and take on average say, 12 puffs on each one, throughout the day you're unconsciously taking 240 of these long deep inhales and another 240 exhales, or more, to fully expel what you just breathed in. As a matter of fact, while typing this with tightness in my chest I put my test to theory again. I took the straw out of my drink, slightly covered the end with my finger, "puffed" on it as I would a cigarette while FULLY engaging in to the act of pretending I'm inhaling the smoke and exhaling it slowly, instantly my tightness went away to a degree AND as a bonus, it lessened the craving for the cigarette due to being addicted to the mental habit of smoking. Literally, if you're craving one, give this a try. You MUST do the full procedure and act of smoking from the puff to the slow exhale or it won't work. I did this for the estimated duration of a full cigarette and felt like I literally had a BUZZ by the time I was finished. My theory is part of the BUZZ doesn't come from the drugs within the cigarettes but also the act of slowing down your breathing and the way that oxygen is carried through your lungs and delivered to your brain. Hence why some smokers when quitting instead of feeling relieved, feel this dizzying buzz and get the opposite, feel sick and disgusted. Bottom line, next time you're feeling short on breath, try this method. It might just help prevent you from picking up a real cigarette and aid in quitting without silly e-cigs.

Part of the shortness in the beginning is that you have more red blood cells due to lower O2 . In some instances you are literally hyperventilating because the O2 level goes way up as well.

Part of the shortness in the beginning is that you have more red blood cells due to lower O2 . In some instances you are literally hyperventilating because the O2 level goes way up as well.

Yes I am and feel exactly as you are. Specialist told me there is nothing to wory about at all. Gave me theophyline g mixture and I feel great now ،i should take this trice daily for three months. No problem, after three months all things will be repaired and you will feel a OK.

"I also found that hot spicy soups help to get to flow and open up the bronchial tubes. My favorite, Tom Ka Kai (Thai chicken coconut milk soup) served extra spicy, really brings me back to feeling normal for a while."

I'm going thru the same thing. Been a smoker for 36 yes and have given up for 2 months now. I had bronchitis then pneumonia 9 months ago, one of the main reasons I quit smoking. But now that I've quit I feel more SOB than ever before. Am hoping this is just lungs repairing and adapting but am worried I may have emphysema.

What happens is that as a smoker, you have an abundance of red blood cells carrying oxygen when you smoke. In some cases It's literally high o2 content causing what is almost like hyperventilation.I went through this a lot in the beginning .To the point where i had an ambulance called twice.Lookedmy wife in the eye and told her this is the end....It can get that bad/ realistic.

I was a healthy smoker. Meaning I played tennis did a lot of sports went to the gym and did all this while smoking and never had any ill affects while smoking. But when I quit it kicked my axx. Couldn't breathe was always trying to take a deep breath and couldn't . I ended up in hospital thinking something was wrong with my heart. Anxiety was horrible also. It took me a good year to finally feel some what normal. I smoked for 25years

Hell if I stub my toe I look my wife in the eye and say this is the end. Lol. I definitely understand though.

Feeling the same i was a 30 a day smoker and im overweight i have now quit for around 4 weeks but ive never felt so rough tight chest shortness of breath just sitting down which then makes me panic and makes it even worse!

I was exactly the same. I was feeling fine but wanted to quit smoking. Man was it rough and took a year with many trips to the ER before feeling a little better. I'm now at 3 1/2 years and feel like I did right before I quit..lol. I have to say, it does feel nice not needing to go out for a smoke after a meal or finding where I can have one when on vacation.