Shortness of breath after stopping smoking

Steve, I'm better this year than last. I don't think my lungs will behave as if I didn't abuse them for multiple decades. I have no idea how to answer your question. If you want to take up smoking again so you can skateboard, go do that. But, keep in mind, our lungs have a lifespan which we have all used up far faster than intended. Hopefully, they will heal enough for us to enjoy many more years. When I had pneumonia a year ago this past February, I got a true understanding of what living with lung decease would feel like. I can't even describe how awful life can become when you sit in a chair with oxygen while still not getting enough air. Can you imagine living the rest of your life like that? That was my quit date! A young man I know well is currently watching his father, who is 59, slowly die of lung cancer. He no longer allows his young children to see their grandfather of fear this image will be burned into their minds. Have you seen someone dying of lung cancer? It's a horrible sight. So no, no one here can give you definitive answers as to when you might be able to do high energy exercising, maybe never. But, it's kind of a no brainer, that going back to smoking is pretty dumb. Best of luck

I agree. That is the agonizing, but true, picture. I do not want that to happen to anyone. I have seen the pain, the helplessness, the feeling of all-is-lost. Don't please don't go back to that silly stick of alow poison

im 21 just quit smokeing 3 days ago and been smokeing for 4 years and now i am haveing sob realy realy bad im thinking about throwing in the towl and ending my suffering butt i am not going to do that until i know that notheing can help me please i need help any suggestions on things i can do to help my sob please and thanks evryone god bless and thanks to all of the milatary vets that served our country i dont know how we can  repay you

Duckman, Go back and read the posts here. There are many suggestions and theories as to why the sob happens. Do you live in a hot humid area? I know that kind of weather makes me worse. I think the tar is clogging things up along with the fact your body is use to deep breathing from smoking. Here is a few things to try Use air conditioning Do breathing exercises several times a day. Particularly when you exhale. Take deep breaths and exhale deeply when you take a hot shower. Try Mucinex to help loosen things up. Use pillows in bed to prop yourself up When you feel the need, cough the junk up. Be patient and don't give up. If you don't get relief, see your doc for an inhaler or meds. You are so young, your lungs will come back and you will be great!

That is the right thing to do. Plus, I would add: avoid tight clothes. Wear loose things

well it stoper for 1 day but came back with a vengence and now i am just coughing up flem and nasty mucas but no tar i hope it gets better so i can sleep and thanks good advice well its 351 am and im realy tired so night all god bless 

and know i am coughing up small little bits of blood idk whats going on but night everyone

Duckman, Try Googling "blood in mucus after quitting smoking". It seems to happen. Coughing up the mucas is what you need. The tar takes time to move out. If you feel ill or the mucas turns green, see your doctor. Green is a sign of infection. As for the blood, it wouldn't hurt to check in with your doctor. It could be harmless, but you should find out so you know for sure. Hope you were able to get some sleep. I seemed to be able to breath better once I loosened up and coughed up the junk.

Just want to share my experience.My father stop smoking about 3-4 years ago.He is now 68, start smoking in his teen years.Now he suffer from SOB and we send him to ER becausehis SOB was so bad that he cant breath.Now his is in the hospital again due to this. The doc is puzzledby his condition.

i ahve stopped smoking for about 2 weeks now i am 23 and been smoking for about 8 years. i have difficulty brething feels like im about to pass out to make myself feel better i have to take a deep breath is this a normal thing or is it anxietyx

hey i quit 3 weeks ago and now i realy hv trouble breathing it feels like i have a ball in my throught any suggestions?? what is wrong i think i might have asma but idk whats wrong thanks for any help i can get

2 weeks ago I quit cigarettes by switching to electronic cigarettes. A few days ago I started having this SOB with a sort of pressure in my chest. I assumed the e-cigs were harming me but I now strongly suspect that it is just the accumulated mucus, as other people have pointed out. The main reason is that I started observing my cough. When I smoked it is not like I coughed all the time, but when I did it was invariably very dry - I didn't even get phlegm when I had a cold! Now, my cough is always a bit "wet", which means that for the first time in years there is a little mucus coming out. God knows how long it will take me to expel the stuff.So I suggest that those who are having SOB after quitting smoking to try and observe how you cough now: does it feel the same, or is it wetter?  

Phyllis I went for e-cigs, quitting analogs altogether, and I have now the SOB. However, I strongly suspect that it is not the vaporizers' fault, but the same problem people here are reporting: the accumulated mucus. It sounds like wishful thinking, but it is not. I noticed something: back when I smoked, I only coughed DRY. I did not even remember what the sensation of having phlegm was. Now that I switched, when I cough I tend to get a little mucus: the cough feels wet. The sensation is something I did not have since my teen years. If you feel that there is something wrong with the wet cough, think about this: is it normal for a person to never never expel phlegm, even if they have a flu? If the mucus is coming back after several years, it is fair to conclude that there is an association between the heavy chest and the goo. So I suggest the following: whenever you cough, try to see if there is something different. Is it wetter now than it was when you smoked? There are many forums on the internet where vapers discuss the relationship between health and e-cigs. The SOB doesn't often comes to people who switched, but there are cases. And given the amount of ex-smokers in this thread who are not vaping but are feeling shortness of breath, I guess it is safe to assume that the SOB is caused by the quitting, not by the e-cigs - although there ARE people who are allergic to some types of e-liquids, so it is in order to try and change the flavor or the supplier.

That is sleep abnia and needs immediate attention.

Oh... I am not alone! I smoked for about 35 years. I quit a year ago and made a conscious decision to start smoking at about 30 days. I was basically miserable in every molecule. I could not handle the emotional stress of not smoking. I was happy and became sad and lonely! So, I quit again and I am about 35 days in now. I have shortness of breath too. Mostly in the AM! So odd. I also get a little nausea off and on. I never had this before.